Wtt versus Strength. 
IN nearly every yarn the Africans love to tell 
round the fire at night times^ the tortoise and 
the elephant are described as at daggers 
drawn, the bitter enemy of each other. In 
their struggles with each other, the elephant, 
in spite of its size and strength, was never 
victorious so long as the little tortoise carried 
a big bundle of wisdom on its back. On one 
occasion the elephant came out of the fray in a 
sad plight, for both sight and eyes had gone. On 
the same day of the elephant's defeat the great 
Calabar God provided a feast for all the birds and 
beasts of the forest. The elephant very much 
wanted to go and have a good time, but how to 
manage it puzzled him. After much slow and 
painful thinking, he sent for the worm and begged 
for the loan of its eyes just for that day only. 
You see,'' pleaded the blind monster, if I stay 
away from the feast I will be very much more 
missed than you. Besides, it will not be for long, 
and on my return I will let you have your eyes 
back again, never fear." The obliging, trustful 
worm lent its eyes, but the elephant did not keep 
his promise, and so the big elephant has only small 
eyes and the worm_ none at all. 
H 
