One day, a very long time ago, some Naayire
people went hunting. They walked and walked in the bush but found nothing. When
night came, they were very far from home.
"We must sleep in the bush," the chief said, "we must find a good
place to sleep."
The hunters were not afraid to sleep in the bush, but they knew: elephants,
lions, and other animals sometimes killed sleeping hunters. And there were some
bad people, too, in the bush.
The hunters came to a place with big trees round it. They decided to rest and
sleep on the grass. They did not make a fire and ate only some nuts which they
carried in their bags; that was their supper. Then they went to sleep. All of
them were tired. They slept soundly and did not hear anything. They did not hear
that their enemies were coming nearer and nearer to them.
But in one of the trees above the sleeping men something moved and fell down on
the head of a young hunter. He jumped up and cried; a big python was on his
head!
The Naayire hunters got up quickly and saw the enemies round them. A fight
began. Soon the enemies ran away