ed that they were born for one another. Though Koku was
no mean fisherman, his wife excelled him in every way. Where one fish
came into his net, ten entered into that of Izoka, and this great
success brought him abundance. His canoe returned daily loaded with
fish, and on reaching home they had as much work to clean and cure the
fish as they could manage. Their daily catch would have supported quite
a village of people from starving. They therefore disposed of their
surplus stock by bartering it for slaves, and goats, and fowls, hoes,
carved paddles, and swords; and in a short time Koku became the
wealthiest among the chiefs of Umane, through the good fortune that
attended Izoka in whatever she did.

Most men would have considered themselves highly favoured in having such
fortunate wives, but it was not so with Koku. He became a changed man.
Prosperity proved his bane. He went no more with Izoka to fish; he
seldom visited the market in her company, nor the fields where the
slaves were at work, planting manioc, or weeding the plantain rows, or
clearing the jungle, as he used to do. He was now always seen with his
long pipe, and boozing with wretched idlers on the plantain wine
purchased with his wife's industry; and when he came home it was to
storm at his wife in such a manner that she could only bow to it in
silence.

When Koku was most filled with malice, he had an irritating way of
disguising his spitefulness with a wicked smile, while his tongue
expressed all sorts of contrary fancies. He would take delight in
saying that her smooth skin was as rough as the leaf with which we
polish our spear-shafts, that she was dumpy and dwarfish, that her mouth
reminded him of a crocodile's, and her ears of an ape's; her legs were
crooked, and her feet were like hippopotamus hoofs, and she was scorned
for even her nails, which were worn to the quick with household toil;
and he continued in this style to vex her, until at last he became
persuaded that it was she who tormented him. Then he accused her of
witchcraft. He said that it was by her witch's medicines that she
caught so many fish, and he knew that some day she would poison him.
Now, in our country this is a very serious accusation. However, she
never crossed her husband's humour, but received the bitterness with
closed lips. This silent habit of hers made matters worse. For, the
more patience she showed, the louder his accusations became, and the
worse she