It was a day or two afterwards before the children caught Old Hendrik in
the mood again. But sweet dumplings to dinner, with cinnamon sauce, had
mellowed him this day, and they were quick to see it.
"But how did Ou' Wolf an' Ou' Jackalse first fall out, Ou' Ta'?"
demanded the eldest boy.
"Dere never was no first fall out," answered the old Hottentot with a
sly grin, shifting his seat under the old mimosa to get the best of its
shade before beginning. "Dere didn't need to be no first: it yust come
natural. Ou' jackalse yust couldn't he'p hisse'f. Dar was Ou' Wolf;
all de time so quiet, an' all de time a-workin' an' a-doin' sometin' for
hisse'f. An' den dere was Ou' Jackalse; all de time so slim, an' all de
time never a-workin' nor a-doin' anytin' 'cept to get out o' workin' an'
doin' sometin' for hisse'f. Ou' Wolf he'd go a-huntin' for what he _had
to_ get; an' Ou' Jackalse he'd sit an' bake in de sun an' plan skellum
for what he _want_ to get. Natchally dey was al'ays fall out f'm de
beginnin': dere wahnt no oder way to it.
"Look now, dat time when Ou' Wolf build his house--look what happen den.
Dar was Ou' Wolf all jump-an'-ginger to get Missus Wolf married to him.
But he cahnt get married till he build his house to put her in. So
dere he was a-workin' away at darie house, yust so set to finis' it
'fore de time's up dat he don't har'ly gi'e hisse'f time to hunt enough
to eat. He don't take but mighty little to breakfas', an' ahter
breakfas' he yust slap de rest o' de meat an' de bones into de pot to be
cookin', ready agen dinner-time, while he's a-workin' away like crazy.
"Well, he gets to t'atchin' away, an' along comes Ou' Jackalse, an' he
smell darie stew in de pot, an' 'fore you can wink he's on to it an'
a-holdin' up dat lid. `Allah man!' ses he, `dat do smell good.'
"Ou' Wolf up on de roof-poles hears darie lid a-liftin', an' he look
round yust in time. You should a-hear him shout, `Ho, yeh! What for
yeh lookin' in darie pot?' ses he, an' he grabs his two hands on de
beam, an' sets one foot on it, as if he was yust a-comin' down in one
yump, flop on Ou' Jackalse chest.
"`Mawnin'! Oom Wolf,' ses Ou' Jackalse, yust as s'prise' an' cheerful
as sun-up. `Glad it's you. I been a-wantin' some breakfas' yust so bad
dat my tummy tinks my troat's cut.'
"`Ho! you wants some breakfas', does you?' ses Ou' Wolf, mighty snifty.
`Well, you yust keep on a-wantin'. Dere ain't no breakfas' here for
nob'dy. Dere's yust one dinner an' dat's for me. Darie meat in darie
pot's it. I hain't no time to go a-huntin' for oder folks eatin': I got
sometin' else to do,' ses he.
"Ou' Jackalse he put dat lid back mighty slow an' mighty sorry (like a
little boy I knows when his mammy makes him put down de sugar pot at
breakfas'), an' all de time he's watchin' Ou' Wolf out o' de corner of
his eye to see if he's reg'lar raungin' mad about it or not. But Ou'
Wolf reg'lar is.
"Ou' Jackalse he 'gun to tink p'r'aps he ain't a-gun' to get darie
breakfas' so much ahter all. Den he sniff de smell agen, an' it ain't
no manner o' use--four men an' a dog couldn't a-druv him away f'm dat
smell; he yust ha' to have dat breakfas'.
"`So yeh's got sometin' else to do, has yeh?' ses he den, a sort o' slow
an' hurt like. `You mustto, I should say; an' it must be sometin'
mighty busy to make you so snarley like dat when an ole friend like me
t'ought you'd like him to take a bite o' breakfas' wid you.'
"Ou' Wolf he feel mighty mean, but den he tink on Missus Wolf, an' it
ain't no use; he yust ha' to get dat house finis'. `I cahnt he'p it,'
ses he, stiff an' hairy. `Dis yere house gotto be finis'. I hain't no
time to be a-huntin' my dinner when dinner-time come. 'Sides, I'll be
too 'ungry.'
"`Well,' ses Ou' Jackalse, shakin' his head as if he wouldn' ha'
b'lieved it of Ou' Wolf if he ha'n't a-seen it. `Well, if you feel like
dat it must be sometin' pretty bad. What's you in such a Allah Crachty
hurry to finis' dis house for anyhow?' ses he. `Ou' Wolf he don't like
to let it out, but he ha' to say sometin' to 'scuse hisse'f.' He outs
wid it. `Goin' to get married,' ses he, sharp an' spiky. `Dat's what.'
"`Oh, dat's it, is it?' ses Ou' Jackalse sort o' brightenin' up an half
a-laughin' all at once. `Well, dat is sometin' to be a bit hairy about.
If dat's it, why I ain't got nawtin' more to say about it, but on'y
yust to turn to an' he'p you straightaway. If you's goin' to be
married, den we's yust gotto get dis house finis',' ses he, an' he brace
up an' look as if he's gettin' a mighty fine speech off'n his chest.
"But Ou' Wolf he 'members Ou' Jackalse, an' he don't b'lieve in no sich
a fine offer. `'Tain't no good,' ses he. `Dat's my dinner, an' it
ain't a-gun' to be nob'dy's breakfas'.'
"But you cahnt insult Ou' Jackalse nohow while he's a-smellin' dat
smell. `It ain't a-gun' to be my breakfas' nohow,' ses he, mighty brisk
and pleasant like. `I yust wouldn' have it--now I knows what's de
matter--not if you wanted me to. You'll want you' dinner pretty bad
when de time comes--a lot mo' dan I shall' (an' here Ou' Jackalse sort
o' skip his back leg out an' wink at it), `so I'm yust a-gun' to lend
you a hand to get finis',' an' he offs wid his coat an' chucks it down.
`Look out for me,' ses he. `I's a-comin' up to dat t'atchin'.'
"Well, Ou' Wolf he don't know what to say. He feel dat mean he wish Ou'
Jackalse 'ud slip an' break his neck comin' up. But Ou' Jackalse he
ain't a slippin' while he ain't had dat meat yet outen darie pot, an' he
comes up yust as chirpy as a finch in a peach tree. `Why, we'll ha' dis
yob finis' in no time,' ses he, an' he smack Ou' Wolf on his back atween
de shoulders dat hearty he jarred de frown right off'n his face.
"`You's too slow to shift you' own shadda. See me now. I'll lay de
t'atch on dis lower row an' you work on up to de top f'm dat,' ses Ou'
Jackalse, as he slam one bundle o' reeds at Ou' Wolf an' hitch anoder
under his own leg on de rafter where he's a-straddlin'. `You's worse
dan Ou' Miss Kuraan for stan'in' an' yaw, yaw, yawin',' ses he.
"Well, Ou' Wolf he cahnt yust feel like he's a-likin' it at all; he's
knowed Ou' Jackalse too long for dat; but yet he cahnt yust see his way
outen it needer. De longer dey work, de harder he get to studyin' yust
what Ou' Jackalse is a-meanin'; an' he tink so much an' he tink so deep
dat he clean forgot to watch yust what Ou' Jackalse is a-doin'.
"An' what _was_ Ou' Jackalse a-doin' all de time, ses you? Why now,
what would darie ou' skellum be a-doin' but doin' skellum. First string
o' t'atch he lay along de rafters he's mighty cheerful an' mighty busy.
Second string he lay along an' you can see all de cheerful drop outen
his face an' see de grin begin to run an' flicker where de cheerful was
before. De t'ird string he lay an' de fun begun to sheet in his eyes
like de dry lightnin' on a summer night, an' he yust couldn't hold in no
longer. He ketch hold o' de roots of his tail an' he fair whizz it
round and round till he almos' make it hum, he feel dat full o' laughin'
inside him. An' all dis time Ou' Wolf yust had his back to him,
a-studyin' an' a-won'erin' what mischief make Ou' Jackalse want to he'p
him. But he don't like to look round to watch somehow.
"Den de fourt' string Ou' Jackalse lay he work as quiet an' as slim as
if he's a-stealin' it; an' de ting dat it's in his mind to do, dat's de
time he's doin' it? Ou' Wolf he's still a-studyin' an' he keep on still
a-studyin', till in about one jiff he hear darie pot lid a-liftin' agen,
an de smell comes up dat good an' t'ick he can taste it.
"He swip his head round, an' dere was Ou' Jackalse wid de lid up an' his
nose a-workin' an' a-sniffin' in de steam Didn' Ou' Wolf shout den.
`Ho, yeh! How com' yeh at darie dinner again?'
"Ou' Jackalse he cock one year up to hear, an' he cock one eye up to
see. `Oh, dat's all right,' ses he, quite comfy. `Dis ain't dat pot at
all. Dis ain't no dinner; dis is yust a breakfas'. You ain't got no
shout in dis at all.'
"Ou' Wolf he don't say not a word, but he yust make one flyin' yump to
land right fair on Ou' Jackalse neck.
"But he don't land. 'Stead o' dat he tink he's yumped right troo
hisse'f an turned hisse'f inside out. Anyway, he knows he finds hisse'f
hangin' down, head first, between de rafters, a-scratchin' an'
a-fratchin' in de air. When Ou' Jackalse t'atch dat fourt' string he
t'atch Ou' Wolf's tail fast in wid it, an' dere's Ou' Wolf now a-hangin'
by dat tail, head down an' fightin', an' he cahnt get back nohow.
"An' don't he shout! `Le' me down out o' dis,' ses he. `You hear me
now! Le' me down or I'll bang de stuffin' out o' you!'
"Ou' Jackalse he smile quite s'prise' like. `What you want down out o'
dat for anyhow?' ses he, spearin' out a piece o' meat f'm de pot--an'
ho! but you ought to seen him lick his lips. `Dis cahnt be nawtin' to
do wi' you nohow. Yours is a dinner, ses you, an' dis is a breakfas',
you can see dat you'se'f, 'cause I's a-eatin' it an' it's breakfas'
time.' An' he gullups down de meat off'n half a dozen bones.
"`Le' me down now!' yells Ou' Wolf, gettin' black in de face. `I'll
yust show you weder dat's a breakfas' or a dinner. I'll teach you weder
it's mine or not!'
"`Now you look-a'-me, Oom Wolf,' ses Ou' Jackalse, his eyes a-twinklin'
fresh as he swipe down de last meat off'n de first rib. `I'll tell you
what I'll do; I'll divide wid yeh--dat's fair enough. So here you is
for your share,' an' he lams de clean bone at Ou' Wolf an' catches him a
hummer on de jaw.
"Ou' Wolf he fair lets out at dat; big words; words what make you' years
stand on end. An' all de time Ou' Jackalse keep on a-dippin' an'
a-spearin' in de pot, an' a-tellin' Ou' Wolf what a clinkin' fine piece
o' meat he's pullin' out, an' how nice it taste, an' how he hope Ou'
Wolf 'll fin' his dinner yust as nice when de time come--`'Cause you
said yust now you has your dinner in a pot som'eres round here, didn'
yeh?' ses he, an' he lams him wid anoder bone, biff!
"Den de last meat was eat an' de last bone t'rown, an' Ou' Jackalse he
come wid a long reed an' he gun' to tickle Ou' Wolf on de end of his
nose where he's a-hangin'. But Ou' Wolf he's in dat rage he yust snap
an' yap at darie reed till all de frame o' de house begin to shake, an'
Ou' Jackalse he tink it's about time to get f'm under. An' dere ain't
no more to stop for anyhow--he might as well keep on a-movin'. So he
did.
"Well, Ou' Wolf he's yust dat mad he won't shout Ou' Jackalse back to
let him down an' dey'll say no more about it. Not him; he'll yust hang
an' rattle an' see him blowed first. But young Missus Wolf--well, you
'members dey wahnt married yet till de house 'ud be finis', an' I s'pose
somehow she couldn't he'p herse'f, but she yust hatto sa'nter past in de
trees, an' sort o' peep an' see how de house is a-gettin' on. An' dere
she seen Ou' Wolf a-hangin', head down, an' black in de face.
"Sich a scrick she got, an' sich a scream she let out! an' in about two
ticks she was inside darie house frame to hold him up. She cahnt reach
his head de fust time, but de second time she yump so high she ketch him
by de years, an' dere she is, a-hangin' down f'm him--to hold him up!
An' Ou' Wolf he's dat much gone on her he don't like to say nawtin'
about it--but he feel his tail like comin' out by de roots.
"At last ses he--`You'd better go up on de roof an' make loose my tail.
I'll p'r'aps get down quicker dat way,' ses he.
"As soon as she hear him speak--`Oh, he ain't dead yet, he's alive yet,'
ses she. An' she's yust dat glad she fair hangs an' swings agen, till
Ou' Wolf hatto say sometin'. `But my tail ain't a-gun' to last much
more,' ses he.
"Dat sort o' cut into her sense a bit, an' she stop an' look. `Oh,
dat's it, is it?' ses she, an' she looks as if dat ain't no great shakes
to be de matter wid him. `If you'd yust go up an' make it loose?' ses
he.
"`Hump!' ses she, but she cahnt say no more yust yet, an' so up she go.
But when she get up on de roof an' see how fast his tail is t'atched in
wid de rest, it kind o' strike her to won'er how de jimminy his tail
come like dat, an' she hadn't more'n begun to un-t'atch it 'fore she
begin to ax him how come it so.
"Ou' Wolf he ain't in no Allah Crachty hurry to tell her all about it,
but he ain't no good at tellin' you-know-whats. So what he hatto do he
yust up an' did, an' he told her de hull tale plump.
"Now p'r'aps she tinks a lot of Ou' Wolf, an' agen p'r'aps she tinks
more about bein' goin' to get married an' have a house o' her own to
boss in. But anyhow she tinks a lot de most o' herse'f, an' she gets
dat mad wid him for bein' had so silly dat she cahnt stand it nohow.
She yust stop unt'atchin', an' she fair slam herse'f half way down troo
de rafters to reach him an' biff him a one-two in de ribses. `Take
dat!' ses she, `an' dat! for bein' sich a fathead!'
"`Ouk! Ouk!' Ou' Wolf he yell, an' he make sich a kick an' sich a
fluster to get out o' reach, dat fust ting you know de t'atch won't hold
no longer an' it come loose an' let him down _wollop_! fair on his head.
But Missus Wolf she's yust dat mad-an'-ginger dat she try to grab him
an' hold him up f'm droppin' till she can biff him agen; an' she grab
yust too far an' miss her reach, an' down she come as well, head fust
too, biff into his tummy, an' knock de wind clean outen him.
"Atween his head an' his tummy Ou' Wolf he tink he's fair about dyin',
but in yust two ticks Missus Wolf was up an' a-lammin' into him. Den he
knowed yust how dead he ain't, for he yumps up wid a howl an' a howler,
an' he fair streak it out o' dat into de vach-a-bikkie bushes till he
could lost her. He sit down dere, but he cahnt tink for feelin', an' he
cahnt rub his head for tinkin' on his tummy, nor rub his tummy for
tinkin' on his head.
"But he lay it all up to Ou' Jackalse. `Yust wait till I get a fair ole
chance,' ses he, `den see if I don't get so even wid him it'll stick out
de oder side. Dat's all.'
"Well, it went on like dis till one day Ou' Wolf was a-raungin' along,
an' who should he see alongside de road but Ou' Jackalse, a-sittin' an'
a-polishin' off de last piece o' biltong outen a bag; nice, fat,
buck-biltong.
"`Now I's got him! See me if I don't do sometin' now,' ses Ou' Wolf,
an' he sits him down for a minute to see what's de best way to do it.
"But Ou' Jackalse had seen him long ago a'ready, an' he don't hatto sit
down an' study how he's goin' to do. He knows it an' he does it. He
don't wait to be yumped. He yust gets straight up and skips over to Ou'
Wolf, like as if he ain't seen him for he don't know how long, an' he
never was so glad. `Here you is,' ses he `Yust de very one an' yust in
time. Here, taste dat,' ses he an' he offers him de last little piece
o' de biltong. `I owes you a good breakfas', an' now I's a-gun' to pay
you half a dozen for it.'
"Ou' Wolf he don't know. He's mighty s'picious of Ou' Jackalse any time
you like, an' worse when he's a-offerin' good turns. He draws back a
bit. But dat biltong it look so red an' sweet in de middle, where it's
cut across, an' Ou' Jackalse is a-lickin' his lips wid such a smacks,
dat Ou' Wolf he take dat little piece an' he wolf it down.
"Dat piece taste yust so good he cahnt he'p it--he's gotto ha' some
more. `Where's dere more o' dat?' ses he. `Tell me quick till I gets
at it.'
"Ou' Jackalse smile. `Well,' ses he, `I've a-eat dat much dat I cahnt
run fast enough myse'f. If I hadn't a-done I'd a-gone wid you. But it
don't matter anyhow--it's yust too easy for troublin' about.'
"`Ne'er min' dat. Where's it?' ses Ou' Wolf, short an' sharp.
"`On de road dere,' ses Ou' Jackalse. `On dat road you sees de spoor of
a waggon dat's went along not so long since. All you has to do is to
run a bit wide an' get ahead o' dat waggon. Den you lie down in de road
an' make like you's dead--too dead for skinnin' in a hurry. De
waggon'll come along an' de baas he'll see you, an' he'll say--"Hello!
here's a dead wolf. His skin'll make a fine mat for my wife. I'll take
him home an' skin him."
"`Den he'll pick you up an chuck you on de waggon, an' dere's where all
de biltong is--sacks an' sacks of it. All you has to do is to wait a
bit till de man ain't a-lookin', an' den, flip!--you drops a sack o' de
nicest biltong out an' slips off ahter it you'se'f. I on'y wish I had
room for mo',' ses he, an' he rubs his tummy like he's fair a-longin'.
"Ou' Wolf he look at Ou' Jackalse an' he tink what he was intendin' o'
doin'. But de taste o' dat biltong yust make his mouf run, an' he cahnt
wait. `Is dat de way you got yours?' ses he, sharp an' hairy.
"`Dat's de hull way,' ses Ou' Jackalse; `an' I's a laughin' yet to tink
on it--it's so easy.'
"Ou' Wolf he don't want to seem like he's too soft a-b'lievin', but de
biltong make him fair yammer for more. `Well,' ses he, `we'll see,' an'
off he sets to come round darie waggon.
"By'n'by he gets ahead, an' den he cuts into de road an' lies down, an'
makes yust de same as if he's dead.
"De waggon comes along, an' de man he see Ou' Wolf a-lyin' like dead in
de road. `Hello!' ses he, fair a-bristlin', `here's anoder on 'em, is
dere? On'y toder one was a yackalse. An' dis 'un's goin' to get
chucked into de waggon too, is he, an' steal anoder sack o' biltong as
well? But we'll yust see about dat, we will. Here's you!' ses he, an'
he fair yump right square on Ou' Wolf's ribses--wallop!
"`Wou-uk!' yells Ou' Wolf, an' he try to up an' run for it.
"`So, you're anoder, is you?' shouts de man, an' wallop he yumps on him
agen.
"`I didn't. Le' me go,' yells Ou' Wolf at dat.
"`Steal anoder sack, will you!' shouts de man, an'--wop!--he yumps on
him some more.
"But Ou' Wolf's yust about had enough. If he don't get out o' dat
immeejitly, if not sooner, den he's goin' to be deader dan he shammed a
minute since. 'Fore you can say knife! he yust scratched up an' away
an' light out for de oder side o' de sky line, wid de man a-peltin' him
wid a stone for every stride. `P'r'aps you'll come agen,' ses de man.
"When Ou' Wolf manage to crawl to de ridge he look back, an' he sees de
man a-whackin' de whip into his team an' shoutin' like he feels right
good an' sa'cy. `Allah Crachty! look-a'-dat now,' ses Ou' Wolf to
hisse'f, but he don't rub no spot 'cause he cahnt make up his mind which
is de sorest.
"Den he look along de ridge an' dere he see Ou' Jackalse, yust a-hoppin'
an' a-rollin' wid laughin'. Ou' Wolf he look an' Ou' Wolf he tink. But
Ou' Wolf he's still a-feelin' too, an he fair flop down an' say nothin'.
Dere wahnt anytin' else to say. But he shake his head: I tell you he
shake his head," ended Old Hendrik, shaking his own head with the word.