Nzambi created the whole world, all people and animals, but forgot to create drums so that people and animals could dance. And Ngonzo Nkila, a little wagtail who likes to beat the ground with her beak, as if playing a drum, took and made drums so that her tribe could dance at the holidays.
And then one day the wagtails had a celebration, and Nzambi from her village heard the beating of drums. This made her angry.
- How! - she exclaimed in anger. “I, the great Nzambi, can’t even throw a good holiday, because I don’t have drums, and some stupid wagtails are dancing and having fun!”
And she ordered the antelope to go to Ngonzo Nkile:
- Go and say that the Great Mother demands one drum for herself!
Antelope conveyed Nzambi's orders to Ngonzo Nkila. But she said passionately:
- No, I won’t give Nzambi a single drum, because I need them myself.
“But the Great Mother gave you life, so you must give her something in return!” - objected the antelope.
“That’s how it is,” the wagtail answered evasively, “anything else, please, but I feel sorry for the drum.”
“Then let me play on it at least a little,” asked the cunning antelope.
- Well, play.
But the antelope, seeing that no one was watching it, galloped away with the drum. Wagtail realized that she had been tricked and sent her subjects in pursuit of the antelope. They caught up with her, took away the stolen drum and pecked her to death.
Meanwhile, Nzambi lost patience and sent a kivunga bird as a messenger to find out where the antelope had gone.
The kivunga flew to Ngonzo Nkile and asked:
- Where is our antelope?
The wagtail had to explain how it happened. Then the kivunga asked:
“Give me a drop of her blood, I’ll take it to our mother.”
The wagtail gave her a drop of antelope's blood, and the kivunga returned to Nzambi and told her what had happened. The Great Mother was saddened: after all, the antelope died, but the wagtail still had the drums.
Then she decided to send the wild bull Mpakasa to the wagtails. But the bull was also caught with the drum and pecked to death.
Nzambi sent the kivunga again, and she returned with a drop of Mpakasa’s blood. Then the Great Mother became so angry that she gathered all her people and called out:
- Well, who is the brave man who will go to the wagtails and bring a drum?!
A tiny ant, Mfuti, crawled out of the crowd and squeaked:
- Don’t worry, Nzambi, I’ll bring you a drum!
- But you’re so small, how can you cope?
- But no one will notice me! - Mfuti answered importantly. Without hesitation, he went to the wagtails, waited in a secluded place until everyone was asleep, crawled into the hut where the drums were kept, rolled one out and delivered it to Nzambi by morning. The Great Mother was delighted and organized a big celebration in her village.
And the wagtail, hearing the sounds of the drum, exclaimed:
- Listen! This is the Nzambi people dancing! They stole our drum!
The wagtails counted their drums and discovered they were missing. Ngonzo Nkila was very offended then and sent a messenger to Nzambi demanding that she appoint a place where they would be judged. And Nzambi chose the village of Neamley, where a wise leader ruled.
The wagtails were the first to flock to Neamlei. They waited three days until Nzambi and her people deigned to appear for trial. And when everyone had gathered, Nzambi turned to the leader of Neamley with these words:
- O wisest one! I created the whole world, all people and animals. But I simply forgot to create the drums. Meanwhile, my people also want to dance at their holidays. Once I heard the sound of a drum, I sent first an antelope and then a wild bull Mpakasa to the wagtails with a request to give us at least one drum. However, both my envoys were killed, and instead of a drum they sent me a drop of their blood. Here is a kivunga - a witness! Finally the ant Mfuti volunteered to get the drum for us and did so. My people danced and were happy. So, really, I, who gave life to everyone, do not have the right to one drum?
The leader of Neamlei and the elders, having listened carefully to everyone, left to confer. Then they returned, and the leader said:
“You asked me to judge you, and here is my verdict: Ngonzo Nkila is right!” Who will dispute that Nzambi is our Great Mother? But it is also true that the wagtail made the drums herself. Nzambi created us and put us into the world so that we could live as anyone pleases. And if we do something with our own hands, then it is ours, and no one else’s. Nzambi did not give us drums at birth and therefore is not free to take them away by cunning or force.
The Great Mother paid the wagtail for the stolen drum, and then, having generously gifted the wise chief Neamley, Ngonzo Nkila and Nzambi went their separate ways.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru