The World of the Great Forest How Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Insects Talk, Think, Work, and Live

Dear Friends,—Remembering the uniform courtesy and consideration it has been my good fortune to experience at your hands for a series of years, and recollecting the delightful relations that have always been reciprocal between us, and that have contributed so much to my happiness, I take infinite pleasure in dedicating this volume, “The World of the Great Forest,” to you both, as a slight evidence of the sincere esteem entertained by me, an author, for you, my publishers.

Introduction

The World of the Great Central African Forest is a remarkable one. Its denizens range from the huge elephant to the smallest ant, and in its dark recesses and almost impenetrable jungle I have studied the life of these creatures.

From close observation and persistent study I have arrived at the conclusion that animals, birds, reptiles, ants, spiders, etc., possess great power of apprehension and prevision; that creatures of the same species have understanding with one another, either by voice, sign, or other ways unknown to man; otherwise they could not act with such harmony and deliberation.

It is not reasonable to say that animals do not converse because we do not understand or hear the sounds they make. The fault is ours, not theirs. Do we not always say, when we are learning a foreign language and begin to speak with the natives, that they talk so fast we cannot follow them? The articulation and the words seem to be blended together, and it is only after a time that we catch separate words.

Everything that lives is born with wonderful gifts suited to its mode of life. The shape and appearance of animals are designed to enable them to lead their special lives. Many have great power of scent, much keener than that of man. This particular attribute enables them to approach their prey and avoid danger. For example, the animal that preys upon others knows enough to move against the wind on his predatory expeditions. Those that feed on fruits and nuts know exactly at what season, in what month or week of the year, these are good to eat, and where they are to be found. They know how far distant is their feeding-ground, and the time needed to reach it. They all know their way, whether through the air or in the jungle, and nothing escapes their observation.

When animals or birds are taught to speak, or to do special tricks, it is clear that they must exercise memory, and memory means thought, and thought means reason.

The destruction of life, the battles that take place among the creatures of that great African Forest, the millions that are killed and eaten up every day, are beyond computation. Life, to sustain itself, must destroy life; such is the economy of nature. It is a struggle for existence among all. So the great gift given to every creature is knowledge of how to protect itself from its enemies, and how to approach its prey. If it were not for constant destruction, the animal world would increase so fast that there would be room and food left for none.

To enable the reader to enter into the life of the great African Forest, I have made the animals tell their own stories and explain their own actions as if they were endowed with the power of speech. And I have given to them native names. A number of the animals mentioned, I discovered myself.

August 15, 1900.

Contents

Chapter		Page
I.	The Guanionien, or Giant Eagle	1
II.	The Guanioniens’ Departure for the Land of Plenty	9
III.	The Ngozos, or Gray Parrots with Red Tails	16
IV.	The Nkemas, or Monkeys, travel toward the Land of Plenty	30
V.	Arrival of the Ngozos and Nkemas in the Land of Plenty	43
VI.	The Night Animals	49
VII.	The Njego, or Leopard	51
VIII.	Birth of Three Little Njegos	60
IX.	The Big Njego becomes a Man-eater	65
X.	The Hakos, or Ants	73
XI.	The Nchellelays, or White Ants	75
XII.	The Giant Nchellelays	86
XIII.	The Ngombas, or Porcupines	91
XIV.	The Ipi, or Giant Ant-eater	97
XV.	The Ngomba, or Porcupine—the Izomba, or Turtle—the Ipi, or Ant-eater	101
XVI.	The Ngooboo, or Hippopotamus	106
XVII.	A Fight for Miss Ngooboo	116
XVIII.	The Five Apes, or Men of the Woods	120
XIX.	The Nginas, or Gorillas, and Njokoos, or Elephants	124
XX.	The Nginas travel to a Plantain Field; their Strange Adventures	134
XXI.	The Njokoos, or Elephants, travel to the Plantain Field	139
XXII.	Arrival of the Human Beings who own the Plantain Field	143
XXIII.	The Three Nginas killed by Hunters	145
XXIV.	The Omembas, or Snakes	156
XXV.	A Huge Ombama, or Python	158
XXVI.	The Ntoto, or Ichneumon	165
XXVII.	The Iboboti, or Spider	170
XXVIII.	The Trap-door Iboboti, or Burrow Spider	176
XXIX.	The House Iboboti, or Night Spider	184
XXX.	The Nyoi, or Wasp, and the Iboboti	188
XXXI.	The Two Nkengos, or Pale-faced Apes	191
XXXII.	A Baby Nkengo is born to the old Nkengos	204
XXXIII.	The Ngandos, or Crocodiles	210
XXXIV.	The Ogata, or Burrow Crocodile	216
XXXV.	The Kambis, or Antelopes, the Ncheris, or Gazelles, and the Bongo	220
XXXVI.	The Oshingi, or Civet	224
XXXVII.	The Insects, Apilibishes, or Butterflies, and Oselis, or Lizards	235
XXXVIII.	The Njokoos, or Elephants	238
XXXIX.	Adventures of the New Njokoos	244
XL.	Evil Days for the Njokoos	251
XLI.	Njokoos and their Babies	256
XLII.	The Mboyos, or Jackals	263
XLIII.	The Nshieys, or Fish, and their Enemies	268
XLIV.	The Kongoo, one of the Fishing Eagles	272
XLV.	The Bashikouay Ants	284
XLVI.	The Darkening of the Day	291
XLVII.	The Ntungoolooya, or Kingfisher	293
XLVIII.	The Obongos, or Dwarfs	297
XLIX.	Adventures of a Nkengo and a Nshiego	309
Glossary of Native Animal-Names		323