Atondido Stories
so now serve I you." And right into the middle of the blazing fire
he threw him. Then he turned homewards in haste, to tell the
black fellows that he had solved the fate of their friends, which
had so long been a mystery. When he was some distance from
the Weedah's camp, he heard the sound of a thunder clap. But it
was not thunder it was the bursting of the back of Weedah's
head, which had burst with a bang as of a thunder clap. And as
it burst, out from his remains had risen a bird, Weedah, the
mocking bird; which bird to this day has a hole at the back of his
head, just in the same place as Weedah the black fellow's head
had burst, and whence the bird came forth.
To this day the Weedah makes grass playgrounds, through
which he runs, imitating, as he plays, in quick succession, any
voices he has ever heard, from the crying of a child to the laugh-
ing of a woman; from the mewing of a cat to the barking of a
dog, and hence his name Weedah, the mocking bird.
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