Reading Notes, Nigerian Folk Stories, Part A: The Fish and the Leopard's Wife

A photo of an African leopard in South Africa, taken by David Keats. 

(Source: Wikipedia Commons)

There once was a king named King Eyo that ruled the state of Calabar, on which Fish lived on land. The fish was a friend of the leopard, who had a wife that was the most beautiful being in Calabar. One day, when the leopard went to go hunt for Food, he came back only to see that his wife and the fish were together making love in his home. The leopard could not believe that his friend could do such a thing to him. At first, he was ready to strangle the fish to death. but he couldn't do that to his friend so he reported the fishes deeds to King Eyo. 

After hearing the leopard’s claims, King Eyo held a public trial, in which he questioned the fish and asked him why he would commit adultery and why he would do so with the wife of one of his closest friends. The fish had no response to the king’s question, as he could not justify his actions with anything besides lust. The king was so disappointed that the fish would do such a thing to someone he cares about and he did not want the fish to repeat his actions so he had to think of a way to punish the fish. The king gave the fish his verdict. “As you have conducted such a heinous offense, I sentence you and all other fish to exile in water. If you ever come onto land again, you will immediately die. I will also allow men and animals to kill fish for their own interests, as your own pursuit of your interests allowed you to ruin the leopard’s marriage”, the king said, dismissing the fish to collect his belongings and leave land to start his new life in the water.


Story source: Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).