The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-21


rooms by rush end mat partitions. This
is a trano. the common style ~ house
IN madagascar. the large island hat
lies on the cast side of Africa, and In
the southern continent The hearth !s
smoke escapes from the door and the
smoke escaped from the door and the
window. Around the HEARTH are
stretched mats woven Of long grass,
aud here the family sit and talk and
smoke and sleep.
When II is winter here It is summer
"a Madagascar, and. of course our sum-
mel is the winter there. Tile Malagasy
winter is a rainy season, and some-
times the people do not so out for
week. That is their time for story
telling, and is a welcome season to the
children. To be sure they have their
games and their plays, but they are al
ways ready to sit quietly and listen to
the wierd and fanciful tales that have
been the stock in trade Of the Malagasy
story teller for hundreds of years.
Let us imagine we are Malagasy
young folks, gathered within trano
on wild wet winter day, listening to
the plaintive voice of an ancient Hova,
who recounts till bed time the sacred
stories of his race. This is one of the
stories told first:
Once upon q time the birds met to
chose one among themselves for king
and leader, but the owl happened to
stay away, as its mate was sitting just
then. So the birds all agreed that
thereafter whoever met the stay-at-
home and did not beat him should also
be an outcast and be treated as an
enemy.
And this is the reason why the owl
does not go out by day, but wanders
by night, for if any birds see him they
all strive together to beat him.
At this time the hawk sought to be
king and voted for himself, but the
other birds refused to be under him. So
he went away from them in anger And
to this day whatever bird he sees he
swoops down upon, because of this en-
nifty. But after the hawk flew away,
the birds chose the shrike for their king,
because Of his long topknot and his
variety OF notes. And that is why,
concludes the story-teller, our people
consider the shrike the king of birds.
The story-teller pauses long enough
to fill his pipe, which he lights at the
fire, and after he takes a few whiffs
he looks inquiringly around.
"Oh, tell us the story of the crocodile
and the dog" begs one of the little
folks
We'll. a crocodile once met a dog on
the highway, and said to him: "Where
are you from, my young brother?"
Just hereabouts," answered the dog
"where are you from. elder brother?"
'Oh. have just come in from such a
place" answered the crocodile.
Let us be friends and keep to-
gether," said the dog.
s'- Agreed" said the crocodile.
So the two struck up warm friend.
ship and went along together
BY and by they came to a river and
the dog asked the crocodile to carry
him over, because it was so broad and
so deep. To this the crocodile consent
ed. but when they We're half way
across the crocodile stopped and sunk
down in the water. Upon this the dog
struggled awhile, but finally managed
to get ashore, when all dripping and ex
hausted, he exclaimed
80 you have broken our agreement.
Il wanted you TO be able to swim
young brother" said the crocodile.
For all that, if the dog had not beer
able 10 swim he would have drowned.
The dog then asked the crocodile t.
accompany him to a certain place OF
the morrow, and when he had consent
Cd. he took him some distance owe
ground covered with trailing tendril
of gourds, for he intended to pay tn
crocodile for what he had done.
IF | should give you a signal" sal,
the dog, 1T will mean that people ar
'ominS and we must get out of thei
way"
Now the crocodile had brought hi
wife and family with him, and whel
they were all eating their dinner tn,
dog began to bark and then ran away
The crocodile and his family ran. too
but they were entangled in the trailin,
tendrls of the gourd. and several O.
the young ones We're killed by the hun
ters.
When the crocodile arrived at tn
river he wanted to know what it al
meant.
1T means" answered the dog, "tha
there !s no retribution. but the pas
returns"
The crocodile, seeing how he ha
been treated, he was very angry, an
exclaimed:
IF my descendants do not kill dog
from henceforth, then let me have n
heirs to succeed me!'
And this is the origin OF the enmlt
between dogs and crocodiles
When the children begin TO &c
sleepy, the story-teller tells the tale c
the Three Sisters and Itrimobe, whic
generally keeps their eyes open for
long time after the telling. and is quit
as good in It's way as one Of Grimm
stories OF the tales In the colored fair
books.
There was once a rich couple wh
had three children. all daughters. :,
the three the youngest, whose nam
was tiara, was much the best lookin,
One night she had a dream, and sl
Iuld 1t to her sisters.
II dreamed" she said, that the su
came from heaven to take q wife fro,
among Us. and you he left and me /
took"
The two elder sisters were very NJ
CRY at this.
"If she Is prettier than we are. The
a prince or noble IL he should con
along. would take her rather tina
either OF US. But we must find out.
Then they put on their best clotht
and aSked tiara TO take walk wit
them. AS they walked along they m
an old woman.
Granny" asked one of them, "whic
Of us three IS the fairest?"
The old woman looked sharply
them and answered:
"Ramatoa Is good-loolling Ralvo
better looking. but Tiara is the faire
of ALL
At this they pulled Off Ifara's out,
robe. BY and by they met an old ma