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Wuni

Men were immortal but eternal slaves. They craved their freedom and sent Dog to Wuni to plea for them. On the way to Wuni dog passed an old woman tending a cooking fire. He stopped and stared at the pot dreaming baout the food it contained. The woman shouted at him but he would not leave.

Goat had overheard the message being given to Dog and had followed him. Seeing that Dog was distracted Goat decided to take the message to Wuni himself.

The old woman bought a child from her hut and began to bathe him in the warm water she had been heating for the purpose. Dog went back to his errand muttering under his breath.

Eventually Dog met Goat and Goat stated that the message had been delivered and that Dog need not worry. Dog asked him to repeat the message he had give Wuni and Goat told him that he had told the god that men were tired of their slavery and wished to die. Dog ran as fast as he could to Wuni to explain how Goat had misinterpreted the message, that men wanted their slavery to end, not their lives, but it was too late. Wuni had already settled the arrangement with death.

Adapted from 'A guide to the Gods' by Richard Carlyon

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