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Monkey's Ingratitude: Why one does not deceive the Diviner

Monkey can climb, but Tortoise cannot. The two were not friends. Once, during a famine, Monkey found a cornfield where the harvest was fine. But he could not eat the corn, because people always chased monkeys away. So he went to the Bokono to ask what to do. Tortoise said, "I am a great diviner, but I do not go out of my house. If you want something, you must come to my house. I am here for the poor, for all those who want to do something. If I were to go with you, you would not feed me, because you know how to climb trees, and I do not." Tortoise did not want to go, but Monkey urged him and urged him until he finally went with him. He took the Fa sack along.

When they reached the field, Monkey began to eat. He told Tortoise to wait a while for him. But he gave Tortoise nothing. So midday came and Tortoise had nothing to eat. Good. Then Leopard came to the same place where Tortoise was. He said to Tortoise "I have a sick child at home. I went to your house twice, but I did not find you." Now, Monkey climbed up the tree and was watching them from above. Tortoise told Leopard to come with him under the tree where Monkey was. "There I will divine for you." When they sat down, he began to divine. He said, "We must find a monkey in order to cure the child."

"Must I find one at once? And where shall I find one?" asked Leopard. Tortoise said, "Oh, that is not hard. You are strong. What I need, you cannot fail to get. I know their ways. What present will you give me if I show you how to find what you need?" He asked for a thousand francs. Leopard gave him the thousand francs. "Look up, above my head," said Tortoise, "and you will see a monkey."

Leopard called to Monkey, "Ah, you are quite close by! You didn't want to come down and hear what was said? You are mocking me, then? Are you bigger than my son? The divination points to you. I need your head and your tail. The rest you can have." Hearing these words, Monkey fled. He said, "I am not here to give you my head and my tail." Good. Monkey ran, and Leopard ran after him. At last Monkey was caught, and Leopard brought him to the diviner. The diviner said, "All right. Bind him." Leopard bound the monkey.

Then the diviner told Leopard to cut off Monkey's head and tail. Then he gave the rest to the diviner to eat. Good. The sick child was cured. That is why, in Dahomey, a person does not deceive his diviner.

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