Part 6
Some Women, it is said, went out to seek roots and herbs and other wild food. On their way home they sat down and said, "Let us taste the food of the field." Now they found that the food picked by one of them was sweet, while that of the others was bitter. The latter said to each other, "Look here! this Woman's herbs are sweet." Then they said to the owner of the sweet food, "Throw it away and seek for other." So she threw away the food, and went to gather more. When she had collected a sufficient supply, she returned to join the other Women, but could not find them. She went therefore down to the river, where Hare sat lading water, and said to him, "Hare, give me some water that I may drink." But he replied, "This is the cup out of which my uncle (Lion) and I alone may drink."
She asked again: "Hare, draw water for me that I may drink." But Hare made the same reply. Then she snatched the cup from him and drank, but he ran home to tell his uncle of the outrage which had been committed.
The Woman meanwhile replaced the cup and went away. After she had departed Lion came down, and, seeing her in the distance, pursued her on the road. When she turned round and saw him coming, she sang in the following manner:
"My mother, she would not let me seek herbs, Herbs of the field, food from the field. Hoo!"
When Lion at last came up with the Woman, they hunted each other round a shrub. She wore many beads and arm-rings, and Lion said, "Let me put them on!" So she lent them to him, but he afterwards refused to return them to her.
They then hunted each other again round the shrub, till Lion fell down, and the Woman jumped upon him, and kept him there. Lion (uttering a form of conjuration) said:
"My Aunt! it is morning, and time to rise; Pray, rise from me!"
She then rose from him, and they hunted again after each other round the shrub, till the Woman fell down, and Lion jumped upon her. She then addressed him:
"My Uncle! it is morning, and time to rise; Pray, rise from me!"
He rose, of course, and they hunted each other again, till Lion fell a second time. When she jumped upon him he said:
"My Aunt! it is morning, and time to rise; Pray, rise from me!"
They rose again and hunted after each other. The Woman at last fell down. But this time when she repeated the above conjuration, Lion said:
"He Kha! Is it morning, and time to rise?"
He then ate her, taking care, however, to leave her skin whole, which he put on, together with her dress and ornaments, so that he looked quite like a woman, and then went home to her kraal.
When this counterfeit woman arrived, her little sister, crying, said, "My sister, pour some milk out for me." She answered, "I shall not pour you out any." Then the Child addressed their Mother: "Mama, do pour out some for me." The Mother of the kraal said, "Go to your sister, and let her give it to you!" The little Child said again to her sister, "Please, pour out for me!" She, however, repeated her refusal, saying, "I will not do it." Then the Mother of the kraal said to the little One, "I refused to let her (the elder sister) seek herbs in the field, and I do not know what may have happened; go therefore to Hare, and ask him to pour out for you."
So then Hare gave her some milk; but her elder sister said, "Come and share it with me." The little Child then went to her sister with her bamboo (cup), and they both sucked the milk out of it. Whilst they were doing this, some milk was spilt on the little one's hand, and the elder sister licked it up with her tongue, the roughness of which drew blood; this, too, the Woman licked up.
The little Child complained to her Mother: "Mama, sister pricks holes in me and sucks the blood." The Mother said, "With what Lion's nature your sister went the way that I forbade her, and returned, I do not know."
Now the Cows arrived, and the elder sister cleansed the pails in order to milk them. But when she approached the Cows with a thong (in order to tie their fore-legs), they all refused to be milked by her.
Hare said, "Why do not you stand before the Cow?" She replied, "Hare, call your brother, and do you two stand before the Cow." Her husband said, "What has come over her that the Cows refuse her? These are the same Cows she always milks." The Mother (of the kraal) said, "What has happened this evening? These are Cows which she always milks without assistance. What can have affected her that she comes home as a woman with a Lion's nature?"
The elder daughter then said to her Mother, "I shall not milk the Cows." With these words she sat down. The Mother said therefore to Hare, "Bring me the bamboos, that I may milk. I do not know what has come over the girl."
So the Mother herself milked the cows, and when she had done so, Hare brought the bamboos to the young wife's house, where her husband was, but she (the wife) did not give him (her husband) anything to eat. But when at night time she fell asleep, they saw some of the Lion's hair, which was hanging out where he had slipped on the Woman's skin, and they cried, "Verily! this is quite another being. It is for this reason that the Cows refused to be milked."
Then the people of the kraal began to break up the hut in which Lion lay asleep. When they took off the mats, they said (conjuring them), "If thou art favourably inclined to me, O Mat, give the sound 'sawa'" (meaning, making no noise).
To the poles (on which the hut rested) they said, "If thou art favourably inclined to me, O Pole, thou must give the sound 'gara.'"
They addressed also the bamboos and the bed-skins in a similar manner.
Thus gradually and noiselessly they removed the hut and all its contents. Then they took bunches of grass, put them over the Lion, and lighting them, said, "If thou art favourably inclined to me, O Fire, thou must flare up, 'boo boo,' before thou comest to the heart."
So the Fire flared up when it came towards the heart, and the heart of the Woman jumped upon the ground. The Mother (of the kraal) picked it up, and put it into a calabash.
Lion, from his place in the fire, said to the Mother (of the kraal), "How nicely I have eaten your daughter." The Woman answered, "You have also now a comfortable place!"
Now the Woman took the first milk of as many Cows as had calves, and put it into the calabash where her daughter's heart was; the calabash increased in size, and in proportion to this the girl grew again inside it.
One day, when the Mother (of the kraal) went out to fetch wood, she said to Hare, "By the time that I come back you must have everything nice and clean." But during her Mother's absence, the girl crept out of the calabash, and put the hut in good order, as she had been used to do in former days, and said to Hare, "When Mother comes back and asks, 'Who has done these things?' you must say, 'I, Hare, did them.'" After she had done all, she hid herself on the stage.
When the Mother of the kraal came home, she said, "Hare, who has done these things? They look just as they used when my daughter did them." Hare said, "I did the things." But the Mother would not believe it, and looked at the calabash. Seeing it was empty, she searched the stage and found her daughter. Then she embraced and kissed her, and from that day the girl stayed with her Mother, and did everything as she was wont in former times; but she now remained unmarried.
WHY HAS JACKAL A LONG BLACK STRIPE ON HIS BACK?
The Sun, it is said, was one day on earth, and the men who were travelling saw him sitting by the wayside, but passed him without notice. Jackal, however, who came after them, and saw him also sitting, went to him and said, "Such a fine little child is left behind by the men." He then took Sun up, and put it into his awa-skin (on his back). When it burnt him, he said, "Get down," and shook himself; but Sun stuck fast to his back, and burnt Jackal's back black from that day.
HORSE CURSED BY SUN
It is said that once Sun was on earth, and caught Horse to ride it. But it was unable to bear his weight, and therefore Ox took the place of Horse, and carried Sun on its back. Since that time Horse is cursed in these words, because it could not carry Sun's weight:
"From to-day thou shalt have a (certain) time of dying. This is thy curse, that thou hast a (certain) time of dying. And day and night shalt thou eat, But the desire of thy heart shall not be at rest, Though thou grazest till morning and again until sunset. Behold, this is the judgment which I pass upon thee," said Sun.
Since that day Horse's (certain) time of dying commenced.
LION'S DEFEAT
The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at Lion's. When Lion was asleep, Jackal persuaded Little Fox to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to Lion's tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, Lion said (using this form of conjuration)--
"What child of his mother and father's love, Whose mother and father's love has tied me?"
Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put--
"I, child of my mother and father's love, I, mother and father's love, I have not done it."
All answered the same; but when he asked Little Fox, Little Fox said--
"I, child of my mother and father's love, I, mother and father's love, have tied thee!"
Then Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after Little Fox. But Jackal said:
"My boy, thou son of lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught."
Truly Lion was thus beaten in running by Little Fox.
THE ORIGIN OF DEATH
The Moon, it is said, sent once an Insect to Men, saying, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, 'As I die, and dying live, so ye shall also die, and dying live.'" The Insect started with the message, but whilst on his way was overtaken by the Hare, who asked: "On what errand art thou bound?" The Insect answered: "I am sent by the Moon to Men, to tell them that as she dies, and dying lives, they also shall die, and dying live." The Hare said, "As thou art an awkward runner, let me go" (to take the message). With these words he ran off, and when he reached Men, he said, "I am sent by the Moon to tell you, 'As I die, and dying perish, in the same manner ye shall also die and come wholly to an end.'" Then the Hare returned to the Moon, and told her what he had said to Men. The Moon reproached him angrily, saying, "Darest thou tell the people a thing which I have not said?" With these words she took up a piece of wood, and struck him on the nose. Since that day the Hare's nose is slit.
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE
The Moon dies, and rises to life again. The Moon said to the Hare, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, 'Like as I die and rise to life again, so you also shall die and rise to life again.'" The Hare went to the Men, and said, "Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall also die, and not rise to life again." When he returned the Moon asked "What hast thou said?" "I have told them, 'Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall also die and not rise to life again.'" "What," said the Moon, "hast thou said that?" And she took a stick and beat the Hare on his mouth, which was slit by the blow. The Hare fled, and is still fleeing.
A THIRD VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE
The Moon, on one occasion, sent the Hare to the earth to inform Men that as she (the Moon) died away and rose again, so mankind should die and rise again. Instead, however, of delivering this message as given, the Hare, either out of forgetfulness or malice, told mankind that as the Moon rose and died away, so Man should die and rise no more. The Hare, having returned to the Moon, was questioned as to the message delivered, and the Moon, having heard the true state of the case, became so enraged with him that she took up a hatchet to split his head; falling short, however, of that, the hatchet fell upon the upper lip of the Hare, and cut it severely. Hence it is that we see the "Hare-lip." The Hare, being duly incensed at having received such treatment, raised his claws, and scratched the Moon's face; and the dark spots which we now see on the surface of the Moon are the scars which she received on that occasion.
A FOURTH VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE
The Moon, they say, wished to send a message to Men, and the Hare said that he would take it. "Run, then," said the Moon, "and tell Men that as I die and am renewed, so shall they also be renewed." But the Hare deceived Men, and said, "As I die and perish, so shall you also."
A ZULU VERSION OF THE LEGEND OF THE "ORIGIN OF DEATH"
God (Unknlunkuln) arose from beneath (the seat of the spiritual world, according to the Zulu idea), and created in the beginning men, animals, and all things. He then sent for the Chameleon, and said, "Go, Chameleon, and tell Men that they shall not die." The Chameleon went, but it walked slowly, and loitered on the way, eating of a shrub called Bukwebezane.
When it had been away some time, God sent the Salamander after it, ordering him to make haste and tell Men that they should die. The Salamander went on his way with this message, outran the Chameleon, and, arriving first where the Men were, told them that they must die.
LITERATURE
Geschiedenis van Zuid Afrika Geo. McCall Theal
Kafir Folk-lore Geo. McCall Theal 1882
African Native Literature S. W. Koelle 1854
South African Folk-lore Journal Hottentot Fables and Tales W. H. I. Bleek 1864
An expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa James Alexander 1838
South Africa a Century Ago Anna Barnard 1901
An account of travels into the interior of South Africa John Barrow 1802
Travels in South Africa John Campbell 1816
The Childhood of Man Leo Frobenius 1909
Travels and Adventure in Eastern Africa Nathaniel Isaacs 1836
Narrative of Discovery and Adventure in Africa Jameson, etc. 1830
Voyage dans L'interieur de l'Afrique F. Le Vaillant 1796
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa D. Livingstone 1858
Scenes in Africa Capt. Marryat 1851
Missionary Labors and Scenes in South Africa R. Moffat 1845
A New Gazetteer of the Asia, Africa, etc., Continents J. Morse 1802
South African Native S. A. Native Races Races Committee 1909
Researches into the Physical History of Mankind J. C. Prichard 1841
Memorials of South Africa B. Shaw 1841
Wanderings and Adventures in the Interior of South Africa A. Stedman 1835
Notes on the Bushmen E. & D. Bleek 1909
Africa K. Johnston 1878
A Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope A. Sparrmann 1785
Travels in South Africa Henry Lichtenstein 1800
The Dwarfs of Mount Atlas R. G. Haliburton 1891
The Native Races of South Africa G. W. Stow 1905
Description du Cap de Bonne Esperance Pierre Kolbe 1741
Specimens of Dialects John Clarke 1849
Transcriber's Note:
Puncutation has been standardised.
Chapter headings in the Contents do not always match the headings in the body of the book.
Both Folk-lore and Folklore appear in the text.
Page 24 Wolf's tale," said the rogue Wolf's tail," said the rogue
Page 38 Paragraph inserted before "It is also better,"
Page 150 Voyage dans l'Interieur Voyage dans l'Interieur
End of Project Gutenberg's South-African Folk-Tales, by James A. Honey