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Overview
A boy out walking finds a tree laden with imandés, the ornaments named in the Louyi text. He calls his companion to see it; the tree appears entirely white with its load. The boy associated with the tree announces that he will sing to make it walk. The tree moves when he does so. His companion then claims the tree for himself, but a demand that he demonstrate its movement exposes the difference: his own performance does not move it.
The challenge is repeated. For the first claimant the tree walks; for the competing claimant it refuses. Finally it walks into the first boy’s mother’s courtyard and stands there. The tale supplies no later distribution of the ornaments or tree disappearance. It also does not explain how the boy became the owner of a tree he had encountered on his walk. The short dispute establishes responsive movement and an ownership test, while leaving that origin unresolved. This walking ornament tree is separate from the branchless cattle-origin tree in XXVI.
Origins & earliest records
Jacottet’s 1901 Textes Louyi prints original-language tales with French translations. Introduction pp. i–ii distinguishes Kaboukou’s 1895 dictation from material supplied by Akaende and Maroumo in June–July 1900. It says individual assignments depend on contents markers; the inspected narrative heading does not independently identify this tale’s teller, so its individual attribution remains unconfirmed.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected French text and surrounding notes read. Unexplained mechanisms remain unexplained; neighbouring tales and collector hypotheses do not supply extra actions.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Études sur les langues du Haut-Zambèze, III: Textes Louyi
XXI, Le jeune garçon et l’arbre, p. 59, whole ownership test and final movement. Individual teller assignment unresolved.
- 02
Jacottet Textes Louyi: The Walking Imandé Tree
Édouard Jacottet, Études sur les langues du Haut-Zambèze, third part: Textes Louyi, Paris: Ernest Leroux,1901. Title and complete introduction independently read; misleading catalogue1869 date rejected. French translation with Louyi originals. Introduction names Kaboukou(1895), Akaende and Maroumo(1900), but retained contents omit promised tale-level initials, so individual attribution for these selections remains unresolved.
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.
Located primary passages
Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.
Études sur les langues du Haut-Zambèze, III: Textes Louyi
Édouard Jacottet, Études sur les langues du Haut-Zambèze, third part: Textes Louyi, Paris: Ernest Leroux,1901. Title and complete introduction independently read; misleading catalogue1869 date rejected. French translation with Louyi originals. Introduction names Kaboukou(1895), Akaende and Maroumo(1900), but retained contents omit promised tale-level initials, so individual attribution for these selections remains unresolved.
- Two boys find a tree covered in valuable white imandé shell ornaments. Only its owner can make it walk; his companion’s competing ownership claim fails the movement test. The tree eventually reaches the owner’s mother’s courtyard and stays there. A note explains imandé as an ornament rather than fruit, while the owner’s term for the tree is interpreted tentatively.
Historical French rendering; whole volume not claimed read. Printed-page labels taken from retained primary OCR, not separately visually collated in this batch. No ritual wording, song, recipe, image or new quotation copied.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Digitized primary collected textJacottet — Louyi leopard marriageResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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