Ant, seeking a bride, went to her village bearing gifts.
Intent on his errand, Ant didn't see Frog behind him.
Intent on Ant, Frog didn't see Snake.
Likewise Snake didn't see Club, who didn't see Termites, who didn't see Chicken, who didn't see Wildcat, who didn't see Trap, who didn't see Fire, who didn't see Water, who didn't see Drought.
Just as Ant reached the village, Frog swallowed him; Snake swallowed Frog; Club beat Snake, Termites gnawed Club, Chicken ate Termites, Wildcat ate Chicken, Trap caught Wildcat, Fire burned Trap, Water doused Fire, then Drought dried the Water. All gone!
Inspired by: "Look Behind as Well as Before" in The Magic Drum: Tales from Central Africa by W.F.P. Burton, 1962. These are stories of the Luba people of the Congo.
Notes: You can read the original story online. The original story has two kinds of ants, a large one seeking a bride, and then the smaller ants who come later; to make that easier in English, where we don't have names for all different kinds of ants, I changed the small ants to termites.
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