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Overview

Nianga dia Ngenga finds Na Ngo, translated as Mr. Leopard, trapped in the fork of a tree after an unsuccessful hunting trip. The leopard asks to be freed before explaining what happened. Once on the ground, he says Elephant put him there and that he has been stuck for two days. He presses the hunter to supply food, arguing that saving a life entails further assistance. Nianga gives him one hunting dog, then the second, but neither satisfies him. The leopard also eats the hunter’s cartridge box and still demands more.

Kabulu the Hare arrives and asks why they are arguing. After hearing the hunter’s account, he tells the leopard to return to the tree so he can see the original situation. Na Ngo complies. Hare then moves away and calls the hunter aside, warning that the leopard intends to eat the very man who rescued him. Nianga shoots the leopard, ending the episode. The ability to consume the cartridge box is expressly narrated; the claim that the hunter owes unlimited further food belongs to the leopard’s argument. Elephant’s earlier action is reported by Na Ngo rather than enacted in the surviving scene.

Leopard trapped in tree forkDemands food after rescueConsumes two dogsConsumes cartridge boxReturns to trap and is shot
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Origins & earliest records

Jelemía dia Sabatelu contributed this hunter narrative to Chatelain. The collection identifies the narrative dialect as Mbaka; the collector’s comparative character judgments are kept separate from the actual episode.

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Records & interpretation

Complete tale XVIII, Nianga dia Ngenga and Leopard, bilingual pp. 156–157; complete English p. 157. Contributor note XVIII p. 291; notes 472–473 p. 291.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Folk-Tales of Angola

    Héli Chatelain, collector, editor and literal English translator; named contributor in origin · 1894

    Complete tale XVIII, Nianga dia Ngenga and Leopard, bilingual pp. 156–157; complete English p. 157. Contributor note XVIII p. 291; notes 472–473 p. 291.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Collected Ki-mbundu text with facing English translation and contributor notesChatelain 1894 — Na Ngo of the Forked TreeResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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