Sculpin

“As for us children, in order to keep us away from the forest, we were told that any nosy boy or girl who ventured in there would meet Aguê, also called Azizan. This is the name of a fabulous creature of the bush who has only one eye in the middle of its forehead and only one arm; it also has only one leg, on which, we are warned, it can hop around with the greatest of ease and speed, ceaselessly patrolling all the forest paths. Its foot is back to front — that is, with the heel turned forward, the toes backward — so that its footprints deceive. Whenever it meets an intruder it has only to look him straight in the eye to scramble his memory. Then the intruder can’t find his way back and wanders in circles until the medicine men come for him. We were also warned that as soon as you catch sight of Aguê you must take all your clothes off and begin to dance, before it can fix you with its eye. Apparently it entertains the creature to watch you dance naked; it doubles up with laughter and forgets all about you. This is the only way to escape its clutches.”

– Tété-Michel Kpomassie, An African In Greenland

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