Black Tales for White Children | Annotated Tale

COMPLETE! Entered into SurLaLune Database in July 2018 with all known ATU Classifications.



Segu the Honey-Guide

SEGU is the honey-guide. His work is that he lives in the forest and flies about looking for bees' nests, and when he finds one he goes to look for men. When he finds them he says, "Che! che! che! che!" until those sons of men look up and say, "Ah, there is Segu. Let us go with him that he may show us honey."

               So these people follow Segu, who flies in front from tree to tree saying, "Che! che! che! che!"

               When he comes to that tree where the honey is he flies round, saying, "Che! che! che! che!" very fast, and then he goes and sits by himself.

               Then these men come to the tree and look up and see where the bees' nest is; so they climb up with their axe and cut a hole and get out the honey.

               They take that honey and are very pleased, but a little of it they leave for Segu as his share.

               On these people going away, Segu comes out and finds the honey which they have left him; so he sits and eats and fills himself, and arises and flies away. This is, indeed, Segu's manner of living.

               Another day Segu sees a lion asleep, and he looks for people, and when he finds them he twitters and says, "Che! che! che! che!"

               Then these people follow him thinking, "To-day Segu is going to show us much honey."

               They follow him up there to where the lion is lying, and when they suddenly see him they are unable to stand, if there is running away to be done instead.

               The lion frightens these people, so they run swiftly away, saying, "To-day Segu has done evil; every day he shows us honey, and to-day he comes to show us a lion."

               That is all.

Bibliographic Information

Tale Title: Segu the Honey-Guide
Tale Author/Editor: Stigand, C. H. & Stigand, Nancy Yulee
Book Title: Black Tales for White Children
Book Author/Editor: Stigand, C. H. & Stigand, Nancy Yulee
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication City: Boston
Year of Publication: 1914
Country of Origin: Africa
Classification: unclassified

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