In olden days in the deep primitive forests in Achik Asong there used to dwell kneeless carnivorous creatures, known as Ajajus. The legs of these animals were like bamboo stalks without nodes. They had no knee-joints; but they did possess long sharp forked toflgues with which they used to lick up the flesh and blood of their victims. In moving about from place to place these strange creatures were accustomed to swing cleverly from tree to tree. When there were no trees, their movement was greatly retarded. The heads and bodies of these creatures were like those of enormous chameleons. At night they used to sleep reelining against tall trees.

In catching its prey the Ajaju had its dififlculties. If the prey ran downhill, it was almost impossible for the creature to catch it. On the contrary, if the quarry ran up hiU, its task was quite easy, since the creature possessed twelve long forked sickle-like tongues which it had only to lash out and swallow up its victim. At leisure it could spit out the bones of the victims which it did not like. Whenever the Ajaju heard a human voice, it would shout out in a shrill penetrating tone: “Wa-o, wa-o, wa-o.” If the person responded, mistaking it for the voice of a human being, the Ajaju would come nearer and nearer still continuing its strange cry. For this reason, the Achiks formerly were accustomed to shout out in a high-pitched voice whenever they went into a deep forest in order to find out if any Ajaju was lurking about. If there be any, it would immediately respond; and the Achiks would put the distance between themselves and the carnivorous creatures.

Now, in those ancient days there lived two young men in Achik Asong who were respectively named Ajan and Tojan. One day both of them went into a deep forest on the Dura Hills in search of sokmyl (edible cane-fruit). As they penetrated deeper and deeper into the forest, they shouted aloud to frighten off any wild beast which might be in the vicinity. Suddenly they heard a sharp shrill voice stealing across the distant slopes of the hills. Thinking that it was a human voice, they shouted in answer. At this the voice came nearer and nearer, until they beheld its possessor — an ugly ajaju. Too late they discovered that they bad been holding concourse unwittingly with this terrible creature. Their hearts beat wildly in sheer terror.

Instinctively Ajan and Tojan took to their heels. Ajan cried to his companion: “Look, it has no knees. Let us run downhill.”

Tojan returned agitatedly: “No, Let’s run uphill.”

There was no time for argument; so each ran in opposite directions according to his choice.

As Ajan was nearer the ajaju, he ran downhill as fast as he could. In his frenzy he tripped over a creeper, somersaulted in the air, and fell on the ground perilously near the avaracious creature. He lay stunned and too panic-striken to move an inch; but as the ajaju had no knees it was unable to bend its legs and body and so could not get at him, however hard it tried.

The beast promptly turned and made after Tojan running uphill. Within a few moments the animal was near enough to lash out its tongue and swallow up its fleeing quarry in the twinkling of an eye. With horror Ajan watched the savage beast lick up the flesh and blood of his foolhardy companion, spit out his bones distastefully and move on. Ajan got to his feet and fled on towards his village as fast as he could (1582: p.91-92).