You won't see the tree-hyrax by day because he is very shy, but you can hear him shrieking at night: "Women no good!" he cries. "Women no good!"
Hyrax didn't used to hate women. In fact, he loved one woman so much he wanted to marry her.
"Cut off your tail," she said, "and cut off two of your toes. Then I'll marry you."
Hyrax cut off his tail, and he cut off his toes, but the woman chased him away.
Hyrax cut off his tail, and he cut off his toes, but the woman chased him away.
So now Hyrax hates women, and you can hear him crying at night, "Women no good! Women no good!"
Inspired by: "Why Owea the Sloth Cries Ma Ma Ma" in We Two in West Africa by Decima Moore and F. G. Guggisberg, 1909.
Notes: You can read the original story online. The animal called "owea" is a tree-hyrax, not a sloth, and this is a Kwahu story; more about the Kwahu people. For more, see this other story about the hyrax's cry: When Leopard and Hyrax Were Friends. The hyrax has four toes on its front feet and three toes on his back feet, and it has no tail. This is a story that is based on what the hyrax's call sounds like.
I found this recording at YouTube:
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