Ikom Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria

ISBN: 9781330380949 出版年：2016 页码：115 E Dayrell Forgotten Books

These evil practices have been practically stopped now, but the native_ beliel ever, although they know quite well that to call a man a witch is an offence for which they will get into trouble. As an instance of the native belief in the witch bird (the owl), I would mention a case which came under my notice. Some few years ago I happened to be having some bush cleared and some large trees cut down on the station at Okuni. An owl was disturbed from one of the trees which was covered with creepers, and flew out booting. One of the station labourers who knew a little English, said: Poor Okuni 1 I at once asked him why he said so, and he replied When them witch bird cry for day time, some man go die. I said, Nonsense, or something to that. Effect, and thought no more about it. Shortly afterwards the eleven o'clock bell rang, and (the boys went home for food. When they returned at one o'clock to work, the boy who had spoken about the owl said, Man done die for Okuni when them witch bird cry. I then sent to the town and found that a man had died in the morning. This was proof positive to the boy's mind that whenever the owl hooted in the daytime a man would die, and no amount of explanation would alter his belief. It was a case of I told you so.