A man died.
Sparrow and Parrot disputed who should inherit the man’s property.
“I lived my whole life with the man,” Sparrow said. “Where he moved, I moved. I always stayed with him.”
“That’s nothing!” Parrot squawked. “The man took me from the tree-tops. When my feathers grew, he made a head-dress which he sold for money that bought him a wife, who had daughters, who got husbands, who gave them children. I am the cause of the wealth of this family; therefore, I should inherit.”
The people ruled in favor of Parrot. “He is the source; he must inherit.”
[a Fang story from Gabon]
Inspired by: "A Question of Right of Inheritance" in Where animals talk: west African folk lore tales by Robert Nassau, 1912.
Notes: You can read the original story online. This Fang story is a brilliant example of a chain tale INSIDE a dilemma tale: wow! The name of the parrot is Koho, and the name of the sparrow is Utati-Mboka
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