Produced by Michael Hale, Suzanne Shell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
SOUTH-AFRICAN
FOLK-TALES
SOUTH-AFRICAN
FOLK-TALES
BY
James A. Honey, M.D.
NEW YORK
THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY
1910
COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY
THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY
Published, November, 1910
THE TROW PRESS, NEW YORK
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
TO
C. F. H. AND F. I. G.
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCE IN MODES OF
LIFE BETWEEN HOTTENTOTS AND BUSHMEN 8
THE LOST MESSAGE 10
THE MONKEY'S FIDDLE 14
THE TIGER, THE RAM, AND THE JACKAL 19
THE JACKAL AND THE WOLF 22
A JACKAL AND A WOLF 24
THE LION, THE JACKAL, AND THE MAN 25
THE WORLD'S REWARD 28
THE LION AND THE JACKAL 33
TINK-TINKJE 42
THE LION AND JACKAL 45
THE LION AND JACKAL 48
THE HUNT OF LION AND JACKAL 53
THE STORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL 56
THE LIONESS AND THE OSTRICH 62
CROCODILE'S TREASON 64
THE STORY OF A DAM 73
THE DANCE FOR WATER OR RABBITS'
TRIUMPH 79
JACKAL AND MONKEY 84
LION'S SHARE 87
JACKAL'S BRIDE 92
THE STORY OF HARE 94
THE WHITE MAN AND SNAKE 101
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE 103
CLOUD EATING 105
LION'S ILLNESS 107
JACKAL, DOVE, AND HERON 109
COCK AND JACKAL 111
ELEPHANT AND TORTOISE 112
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE 115
TORTOISE HUNTING OSTRICHES 117
THE JUDGMENT OF BABOON 118
LION AND BABOON 121
THE ZEBRA STALLION 122
WHEN LION COULD FLY 124
LION WHO THOUGHT HIMSELF WISER THAN
HIS MOTHER 126
LION WHO TOOK A WOMAN'S SHAPE 129
WHY HAS JACKAL A LONG BLACK STRIPE
ON HIS BACK? 137
HORSE CURSED BY SUN 138
LION'S DEFEAT 139
THE ORIGIN OF DEATH 141
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE 143
A THIRD VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE 144
A FOURTH VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE 146
A ZULU VERSION OF THE LEGEND OF THE
"ORIGIN OF DEATH" 147
LITERATURE ON SOUTH-AFRICAN FOLK-LORE 148
SOUTH-AFRICAN FOLK-TALES
INTRODUCTION
In presenting these stories, which are of deep interest and value to
South Africans, I hope they may prove of some value to those Americans
who have either an interest in animals or who appreciate the folklore of
other countries.
Many of these tales have appeared among English collections previous to
1880, others have been translated from the Dutch, and a few have been
written from childhood remembrance. Consequently they do not pretend to
be original or unique. Care has been taken not to spoil the ethnological
value for the sake of form or structure; and in all cases they are as
nearly like the original as a translation from one tongue to another
will allow. They are all South-African folklore tales and mainly from
the Bushmen. Some are perverted types from what were originally Bushmen
tales, but have been taken over by Hottentots or Zulus; a few are from
the Dutch. Most of these last named will show a European influence,
especially French.
Some of the animal stories have appeared in American magazines under the
author's name, but this is the first time that a complete collection has
appeared since Dr. Bleek published his stories in 1864. The object has
been to keep the stories apart from those which have a mythological or
religious significance, and especially to keep it an animal collection
free from those in which man appears to take a part.
There will be found several versions of the same story, and as far as
possible these will be put in the order of their importance in relation
to the original. The author does not pretend to be an authority on
South-African folklore, but has only a South-African-born interest in
what springs from that country of sunshine. It is a difficult task to
attempt to trace the origin of these stories, as there is no country
where there have been so many distinct and primitive races dwelling
together.
The Bushmen seem to trace back to the earliest Egyptian days, when
dwarfs were pictured on the tombs of the kings and were a distinct race.
From then until now it has been their pride to say that before men were
men, they were; or, to put it clearer, before Africa was inhabited by
other races, they were there. As represented by some of these stories of
the Bushmen, what races have not, then, had their influence on the
folklore? According to Stow, they were a wandering primitive race of
small men, painters and sculptors, hunters and herdsmen, and withal a
race showing traces of wonderful reasoning and adaptability, with a keen
sense of justice and a store of pride. Mythological some of their
stories are, but whether this is due to the influence of the Hottentots,
a later race, it is difficult to say. And, lastly, there are the Kaffirs
spread over the whole of South Africa, domineering, but backward. The
varied influences which may have affected these stories before they
reached us show what enormous possibilities there are for error in
tracing the origin of the animal tales here presented. Bleek finds that
a greater congeniality exists between the Hottentot and European mind
than is found between the latter and any other of the black races of
Africa. Whether he means that this indicates a European origin of the
fables, I cannot say. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bushmen came
from the north and were the primitive race of south and tropical Africa,
the dwarfs of Livingstone, Stanley, and other explorers. Considering,
then, the great antiquity of this race, it naturally follows that if
these stories are not original with the Bushmen, they are at least so
modified as to bear no resemblance to Egyptian, Phoenician, or any other
ancient race which the Bushmen may have come in contact with. Herodotus
described a race on the upper Nile which corresponds with later
descriptions of the Bushmen in tropical and southern Africa.
I agree with what the _South-African Folklore Journal_ stated twenty
years or more ago, that with the "vast strides South Africa is making in
the progress of civilization, the native races will either be swept away
or so altered as to lose many of their ancient habits, customs,
traditions, or at least greatly to modify them."
Knowing that by a collection of this kind these stories could best be
preserved, and feeling that others had not read them, I began this
collection ten years ago. There is so much done now to preserve what is
still Bushmen folklore that I feel this small volume is indeed only a
small addition to the folklore world.
"South-African folklore is," the _South-African Folklore Journal_ says,
"in its very nature plain, and primitive in its simplicity; not adorned
with the wealth of palaces and precious stones to be met with in the
folklore of more civilized nations, but descriptive in great measure of
the events of everyday life, among those in a low state of civilization;
and with the exception of evidences of moral qualities, and of such
imagery as is connected with the phenomena of nature, very little that
is grand or magnificent must be looked for in it."
Bain gives a story related by a Kaffir which shows "the distribution of
animals after the creation." This story could not become typically
Kaffir until after the Kaffir came in contact with the European in the
last two or three hundred years. However, the story will serve to
illustrate the people whose stories appear in this volume and to close
the Introduction.
Teco, in Kaffir, is the Supreme Being. Teco had every description of
stock and property.
There were three nations created, viz., the Whites, the Amakosa, or
Kaffirs, and the Amalouw, or Hottentots. A day was appointed for them to
appear before the Teco to receive whatever he might apportion to each
tribe. While they were assembling, a honey bird, or honey guide, came
fluttering by, and all the Hottentots ran after it, whistling and making
the peculiar noise they generally do while following this wonderful
little bird. The Teco remonstrated with them about their behavior, but
to no purpose. He thereupon denounced them as a vagrant race that would
have to exist on wild roots and honey beer, and possess no stock
whatever.
When the fine herds of cattle were brought, the Kaffirs became very much
excited--the one exclaiming, "That black and white cow is mine!" and
another, "That red cow and black bull are mine!" and so on, till at last
the Teco, whose patience had been severely taxed by their shouts and
unruly behavior, denounced them as a restless people, who would only
possess cattle.
The Whites patiently waited until they received cattle, horses, sheep,
and all sorts of property. Hence, the old Kaffir observed, "You Whites
have got everything. We Kaffirs have only cattle, while the Amalouw, or
Hottentots, have nothing."
James A. Honey.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., June, 1910.
ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCE IN MODES OF LIFE BETWEEN HOTTENTOTS AND BUSHMEN
In the beginning there were two. One was blind, the other was always
hunting. This hunter found at last a hole in the earth from which game
proceeded and killed the young. The blind man, feeling and smelling
them, said, "They are not game, but cattle."
The blind man afterwards recovered his sight, and going with the hunter
to this hole, saw that they were cows with their calves. He then quickly
built a kraal (fence made of thorns) round them, and anointed himself,
just as Hottentots (in their native state) are still wont to do.
When the other, who now with great trouble had to seek his game, came
and saw this, he wanted to anoint himself also. "Look here!" said the
other, "you must throw the ointment into the fire, and afterwards use
it." He followed this advice, and the flames flaring up into his face,
burnt him most miserably; so that he was glad to make his escape. The
other, however, called to him: "Here, take the kirri (a knobstick), and
run to the hills to hunt there for honey."
Hence sprung the race of Bushmen.
THE LOST MESSAGE
The ant has had from time immemorial many enemies, and because he is
small and destructive, there have been a great many slaughters among
them. Not only were most of the birds their enemies, but Anteater lived
almost wholly from them, and Centipede beset them every time and at all
places when he had the chance.
So now there were a few among them who thought it would be well to hold
council together and see if they could not come to some arrangement
whereby they could retreat to some place of safety when attacked by
robber birds and animals.
But at the gathering their opinions were most discordant, and they could
come to no decision.
There was Red-ant, Rice-ant, Black-ant, Wagtail-ant, Gray-ant,
Shining-ant, and many other varieties. The discussion was a true babel
of diversity, which continued for a long time and came to nothing.
A part desired that they should all go into a small hole in the ground,
and live there; another part wanted to have a large and strong dwelling
built on the ground, where nobody could enter but an ant; still another
wanted to dwell in trees, so as to get rid of Anteater, forgetting
entirely that there they would be the prey of birds; another part seemed
inclined to have wings and fly.
And, as has already been said, this deliberation amounted to nothing,
and each party resolved to go to work in its own way, and on its own
responsibility.
Greater unity than that which existed in each separate faction could be
seen nowhere in the world; each had his appointed task, each did his
work regularly and well. And all worked together in the same way. From
among them they chose a king--that is to say some of the groups did--and
they divided the labor so that all went as smoothly as it possibly
could.
But each group did it in its own way, and not one of them thought of
protecting themselves against the onslaught of birds or Anteater.
The Red-ants built their house on the ground and lived under it, but
Anteater leveled to the ground in a minute what had cost them many days
of precious labor. The Rice-ants lived under the ground, and with them
it went no better. For whenever they came out, Anteater visited them and
took them out sack and pack. The Wagtail-ants fled to the trees, but
there on many occasions sat Centipede waiting for them, or the birds
gobbled them up. The Gray-ants had intended to save themselves from
extermination by taking to flight, but this also availed them nothing,
because the Lizard, the Hunting-spider, and the birds went a great deal
faster than they.
When the Insect-king heard that they could come to no agreement he sent
them the secret of unity, and the message of Work-together. But
unfortunately he chose for his messenger the Beetle, and he has never
yet arrived at the Ants, so that they are still to-day the embodiment of
discord and consequently the prey of enemies.
THE MONKEY'S FIDDLE
Hunger and want forced Monkey one day to forsake his land and to seek
elsewhere among strangers for much-needed work. Bulbs, earth beans,
scorpions, insects, and such things were completely exhausted in his own
land. But fortunately he received, for the time being, shelter with a
great uncle of his, Orang Outang, who lived in another part of the
country.
When he had worked for quite a while he wanted to return home, and as
recompense his great uncle gave him a fiddle and a bow and arrow and
told him that with the bow and arrow he could hit and kill anything he
desired, and with the fiddle he could force anything to dance.
The first he met upon his return to his own land was Brer Wolf. This old
fellow told him all the news and also that he had since early morning
been attempting to stalk a deer, but all in vain.
Then Monkey laid before him all the wonders of the bow and arrow that he
carried on his back and assured him if he could but see the deer he
would bring it down for him. When Wolf showed him the deer, Monkey was
ready and down fell the deer.
They made a good meal together, but instead of Wolf being thankful,
jealousy overmastered him and he begged for the bow and arrow. When
Monkey refused to give it to him, he thereupon began to threaten him
with his greater strength, and so when Jackal passed by, Wolf told him
that Monkey had stolen his bow and arrow. After Jackal had heard both of
them, he declared himself unqualified to settle the case alone, and he
proposed that they bring the matter to the court of Lion, Tiger, and the
other animals. In the meantime he declared he would take possession of
what had been the cause of their quarrel, so that it would be safe, as
he said. But he immediately brought to earth all that was eatable, so
there was a long time of slaughter before Monkey and Wolf agreed to
have the affair in court.
Monkey's evidence was weak, and to make it worse, Jackal's testimony was
against him. Jackal thought that in this way it would be easier to
obtain the bow and arrow from Wolf for himself.
And so fell the sentence against Monkey. Theft was looked upon as a
great wrong; he must hang.
The fiddle was still at his side, and he received as a last favor from
the court the right to play a tune on it.
He was a master player of his time, and in addition to this came the
wonderful power of his charmed fiddle. Thus, when he struck the first
note of "Cockcrow" upon it, the court began at once to show an unusual
and spontaneous liveliness, and before he came to the first waltzing
turn of the old tune the whole court was dancing like a whirlwind.
Over and over, quicker and quicker, sounded the tune of "Cockcrow" on
the charmed fiddle, until some of the dancers, exhausted, fell down,
although still keeping their feet in motion. But Monkey, musician as he
was, heard and saw nothing of what had happened around him. With his
head placed lovingly against the instrument, and his eyes half closed,
he played on, keeping time ever with his foot.
Wolf was the first to cry out in pleading tones breathlessly, "Please
stop, Cousin Monkey! For love's sake, please stop!"
But Monkey did not even hear him. Over and over sounded the resistless
waltz of "Cockcrow."
After a while Lion showed signs of fatigue, and when he had gone the
round once more with his young lion wife, he growled as he passed
Monkey, "My whole kingdom is yours, ape, if you just stop playing."
"I do not want it," answered Monkey, "but withdraw the sentence and give
me my bow and arrow, and you, Wolf, acknowledge that you stole it from
me."
"I acknowledge, I acknowledge!" cried Wolf, while Lion cried, at the
same instant, that he withdrew the sentence.
Monkey gave them just a few more turns of the "Cockcrow," gathered up
his bow and arrow, and seated himself high up in the nearest camel thorn
tree.
The court and other animals were so afraid that he might begin again
that they hastily disbanded to new parts of the world.
THE TIGER, THE RAM, AND THE JACKAL
Tiger (leopard) was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he
lighted on the kraal of Ram. Now, Tiger had never seen Ram before, and
accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, "Good day, friend! What
may your name be?"
The other in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot,
said, "I am Ram. Who are you?"
"Tiger," answered the other, more dead than alive, and then, taking
leave of Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.
Jackal lived at the same place as Tiger did, and the latter going to
him, said, "Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead
with fright, for I have just seen a terrible looking fellow, with a
large and thick head, and on my asking him what his name was, he
answered, 'I am Ram.'"
"What a foolish fellow you are," cried Jackal, "to let such a nice piece
of flesh stand! Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it
together."
Next day the two set off for the kraal of Ram, and as they appeared over
a hill, Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating
where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he
immediately went to his wife and said, "I fear this is our last day, for
Jackal and Tiger are both coming against us. What shall we do?"
"Don't be afraid," said the wife, "but take up the child in your arms,
go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry." Ram
did so as the confederates came on.
No sooner did Tiger cast his eyes on Ram than fear again took possession
of him, and he wished to turn back. Jackal had provided against this,
and made Tiger fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, "Come
on," when Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same
time, "You have done well, Friend Jackal, to have brought us Tiger to
eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food."
On these dreadful words Tiger, notwithstanding the entreaties of Jackal
to let him go, to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragged
Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks,
and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and
half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so Ram escaped.
THE JACKAL AND THE WOLF
Once on a time Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a
wagon returning from the seaside laden with fish; he tried to get into
the wagon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before and lay
in the road as if dead. The wagon came up to him, and the leader cried
to the driver, "Here is a fine kaross for your wife!"
"Throw it into the wagon," said the driver, and Jackal was thrown in.
The wagon traveled on, through a moonlight night, and all the while
Jackal was throwing out the fish into the road; he then jumped out
himself and secured a great prize. But stupid old Wolf (hyena), coming
by, ate more than his share, for which Jackal owed him a grudge, and he
said to him, "You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of
a wagon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens."
"So!" mumbled Wolf.
Accordingly, when the next wagon came from the sea, Wolf stretched
himself out in the road. "What ugly thing is this?" cried the leader,
and kicked Wolf. He then took a stick and thrashed him within an inch of
his life. Wolf, according to the directions of Jackal, lay quiet as long
as he could; he then got up and hobbled off to tell his misfortune to
Jackal, who pretended to comfort him.
"What a pity," said Wolf, "I have not got such a handsome skin as you
have!"
A JACKAL AND A WOLF
Jackal and Wolf went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants.
In the middle of the night Jackal rose and smeared Wolf's tail with some
fat, and then ate all the rest of it in the house. In the morning the
man missed the fat, and he immediately accused Jackal of having eaten
it. "Look at Wolf's tail," said the rogue, "and you will see who is the
thief." The man did so, and then thrashed Wolf till he was nearly dead.
THE LION, THE JACKAL, AND THE MAN
It so happened one day that Lion and Jackal came together to converse on
affairs of land and state. Jackal, let me say, was the most important
adviser to the king of the forest, and after they had spoken about these
matters for quite a while, the conversation took a more personal turn.
Lion began to boast and talk big about his strength. Jackal had,
perhaps, given him cause for it, because by nature he was a flatterer.
But now that Lion began to assume so many airs, said he, "See here,
Lion, I will show you an animal that is still more powerful than you
are."
They walked along, Jackal leading the way, and met first a little boy.
"Is this the strong man?" asked Lion.
"No," answered Jackal, "he must still become a man, O king."
After a while they found an old man walking with bowed head and
supporting his bent figure with a stick.
"Is this the wonderful strong man?" asked Lion.
"Not yet, O king," was Jackal's answer, "he has been a man."
Continuing their walk a short distance farther, they came across a young
hunter, in the prime of youth, and accompanied by some of his dogs.
"There you have him now, O king," said Jackal. "Pit your strength
against his, and if you win, then truly you are the strength of the
earth."
Then Jackal made tracks to one side toward a little rocky kopje from
which he would be able to see the meeting.
Growling, growling, Lion strode forward to meet the man, but when he
came close the dogs beset him. He, however, paid but little attention to
the dogs, pushed and separated them on all sides with a few sweeps of
his front paws. They howled aloud, beating a hasty retreat toward the
man.
Thereupon the man fired a charge of shot, hitting him behind the
shoulder, but even to this Lion paid but little attention. Thereupon the
hunter pulled out his steel knife, and gave him a few good jabs. Lion
retreated, followed by the flying bullets of the hunter.
"Well, are you strongest now?" was Jackal's first question when Lion
arrived at his side.
"No, Jackal," answered Lion, "let that fellow there keep the name and
welcome. Such as he I have never before seen. In the first place he had
about ten of his bodyguard storm me. I really did not bother myself much
about them, but when I attempted to turn him to chaff, he spat and blew
fire at me, mostly into my face, that burned just a little but not very
badly. And when I again endeavored to pull him to the ground he jerked
out from his body one of his ribs with which he gave me some very ugly
wounds, so bad that I had to make chips fly, and as a parting he sent
some warm bullets after me. No, Jackal, give him the name."
THE WORLD'S REWARD
Once there was a man that had an old dog, so old that the man desired to
put him aside. The dog had served him very faithfully when he was still
young, but ingratitude is the world's reward, and the man now wanted to
dispose of him. The old dumb creature, however, ferreted out the plan of
his master, and so at once resolved to go away of his own accord.
After he had walked quite a way he met an old bull in the veldt.
"Don't you want to go with me?" asked the dog.
"Where?" was the reply.
"To the land of the aged," said the dog, "where troubles don't disturb
you and thanklessness does not deface the deeds of man."
"Good," said the bull, "I am your companion."
The two now walked on and found a ram.
The dog laid the plan before him, and all moved off together, until they
afterwards came successively upon a donkey, a cat, a cock, and a goose.
These joined their company, and the seven set out on their journey.
Late one night they came to a house and through the open door they saw a
table spread with all kinds of nice food, of which some robbers were
having their fill. It would help nothing to ask for admittance, and
seeing that they were hungry, they must think of something else.
Therefore the donkey climbed up on the bull, the ram on the donkey, the
dog on the ram, the cat on the dog, the goose on the cat, and the cock
on the goose, and with one accord they all let out terrible
(threatening) noises (cryings).
The bull began to bellow, the donkey to bray, the dog to bark, the ram
to bleat, the cat to mew, the goose to giggle gaggle, and the cock to
crow, all without cessation.
The people in the house were frightened perfectly limp; they glanced
out through the front door, and there they stared on the strange sight.
Some of them took to the ropes over the back lower door, some
disappeared through the window, and in a few counts the house was empty.
Then the seven old animals climbed down from one another, stepped into
the house, and satisfied themselves with the delicious food.
But when they had finished, there still remained a great deal of food,
too much to take with them on their remaining journey, and so together
they contrived a plan to hold their position until the next day after
breakfast.
The dog said, "See here, I am accustomed to watch at the front door of
my master's house," and thereupon flopped himself down to sleep; the
bull said, "I go behind the door," and there he took his position; the
ram said, "I will go up on to the loft"; the donkey, "I at the middle
door"; the cat, "I in the fireplace"; the goose, "I in the back door";
and the cock said, "I am going to sleep on the bed."
The captain of the robbers after a while sent one of his men back to
see if these creatures had yet left the house.
The man came very cautiously into the neighborhood, listened and
listened, but he heard nothing; he peeped through the window, and saw in
the grate just two coals still glimmering, and thereupon started to walk
through the front door.
There the old dog seized him by the leg. He jumped into the house, but
the bull was ready, swept him up with his horns, and tossed him on to
the loft. Here the ram received him and pushed him off the loft again.
Reaching ground, he made for the middle door, but the donkey set up a
terrible braying and at the same time gave him a kick that landed him in
the fireplace, where the cat flew at him and scratched him nearly to
pieces. He then jumped out through the back door, and here the goose got
him by the trousers. When he was some distance away the cock crowed. He
thereupon ran so that you could hear the stones rattle in the dark.
Purple and crimson and out of breath, he came back to his companions.
"Frightful, frightful!" was all that they could get from him at first,
but after a while he told them.
"When I looked through the window I saw in the fireplace two bright
coals shining, and when I wanted to go through the front door to go and
look, I stepped into an iron trap. I jumped into the house, and there
some one seized me with a fork and pitched me up on to the loft, there
again some one was ready, and threw me down on all fours. I wanted to
fly through the middle door, but there some one blew on a trumpet, and
smote me with a sledge hammer so that I did not know where I landed; but
coming to very quickly, I found I was in the fireplace, and there
another flew at me and scratched the eyes almost out of my head. I
thereupon fled out of the back door, and lastly I was attacked on the
leg by the sixth with a pair of fire tongs, and when I was still running
away, some one shouted out of the house, 'Stop him, stop h--i--m!'"
THE LION AND JACKAL
Not because he was exactly the most capable or progressive fellow in the
neighborhood, but because he always gave that idea--that is why Jackal
slowly acquired among the neighbors the name of a "progressive man." The
truly well-bred people around him, who did not wish to hurt his
feelings, seemed to apply this name to him, instead of, for instance,
"cunning scamp," or "all-wise rat-trap," as so many others often dubbed
him. He obtained this name of "a progressive man" because he spoke most
of the time English, especially if he thought some of them were present
who could not understand it, and also because he could always hold his
body so much like a judge on public occasions.
He had a smooth tongue, could make quite a favorable speech, and
especially with good effect could he expatiate on the backwardness of
others. Underneath he really was the most unlettered man in the
vicinity, but he had perfect control over his inborn cunningness, which
allowed him for a long time to go triumphantly through life as a man of
great ability.
One time, for instance, he lost his tail in an iron trap. He had long
attempted to reach the Boer's goose pen, and had framed many good plans,
but when he came to his senses, he was sitting in front of the goose pen
with his tail in the iron trap, the dogs all the time coming for him.
When he realized what it meant, he mustered together all his strength
and pulled his tail, which he always thought so much of, clean off.
This would immediately have made him the butt of the whole neighborhood
had he not thought of a plan. He called together a meeting of the
jackals, and made them believe that Lion had issued a proclamation to
the effect that all jackals in the future should be tailless, because
their beautiful tails were a thorn in the eyes of more unfortunate
animals.
In his smooth way he told them how he regretted that the king should
have the barbaric right to interfere with his subjects. But so it was;
and he thought the sooner he paid attention to it the safer. Therefore
he had had his tail cut off already and he should advise all his friends
to do the same. And so it happened that once all jackals for a long time
were without tails. Later on they grew again.
It was about the same time that Tiger hired Jackal as a schoolmaster.
Tiger was in those days the richest man in the surrounding country, and
as he had had to suffer a great deal himself because he was so
untutored, he wanted his children to have the best education that could
be obtained.
It was shortly after a meeting, in which it was shown how important a
thing an education was, that Tiger approached Jackal and asked him to
come and teach his children.
Jackal was very ready to do this. It was not exactly his vocation, he
said, but he would do it to pass time and just out of friendship for his
neighbor. His and Tiger's farm lands lay next each other.
That he did not make teaching his profession and that he possessed no
degree was of no account in the eyes of Tiger.
"Do not praise my goodness so much, Cousin Jackal," laughed he. "We know
your worth well enough. Much rather would I intrust my offspring to you
than to the many so-called schoolmasters, for it is especially my wish,
as well as that of their mother, to have our children obtain a
progressive education, and to make such men and women of them that with
the same ability as you have they can take their lawful places in this
world."
"One condition," said Jackal, "I must state. It will be very
inconvenient for me, almost impossible, to come here to your farm and
hold school. My own farm would in that case go to pieces, and that I
cannot let happen. It would never pay me."
Tiger answered that it was not exactly necessary either. In spite of
their attachment to the little ones, they saw that it would probably be
to their benefit to place them for a while in a stranger's house.
Jackal then told of his own bringing up by Wolf. He remembered well how
small he was when his father sent him away to study with Wolf.
Naturally, since then, he had passed through many schools, Wolf was only
his first teacher. And only in his later days did he realize how much
good it had done him.
"A man must bend the sapling while it is still young," said he. "There
is no time that the child is so open to impressions as when he is
plastic, about the age that most of your children are at present, and I
was just thinking you would be doing a wise thing to send them away for
quite a while."
He had, fortunately, just then a room in his house that would be suited
for a schoolroom, and his wife could easily make some arrangement for
their lodging, even if they had to enlarge their dwelling somewhat.
It was then and there agreed upon. Tiger's wife was then consulted about
one thing and another, and the following day the children were to leave.
"I have just thought of one more thing," remarked Jackal, "seven
children, besides my little lot, will be quite a care on our hands, so
you will have to send over each week a fat lamb, and in order not to
disturb their progress, the children will have to relinquish the idea of
a vacation spent with you for some time. When I think they have become
used to the bit, I will inform you, and then you can come and take them
to make you a short visit, but not until then.
"It is also better," continued he, "that they do not see you for the
first while, but your wife can come and see them every Saturday and I
will see to all else."
On the following day there was an unearthly howling and wailing when the
children were to leave. But Tiger and their mother showed them that it
was best and that some day they would see that it was all for their
good, and that their parents were doing it out of kindness. Eventually
they were gone.
The first Saturday dawned, and early that morning Mrs. Tiger was on her
way to Jackal's dwelling, because she could not defer the time any
longer.
She was still a long way off when Jackal caught sight of her. He always
observed neighborly customs, and so stepped out to meet her.
After they had greeted each other, Mrs. Tiger's first question was:
"Well, Cousin Jackal, how goes everything with the small team? Are they
still all well and happy, and do they not trouble you, Cousin Jackal,
too much?"
"Oh, my goodness, no, Mrs. Tiger," answered Jackal enthusiastically,
"but don't let us talk so loud, because if they heard you, it certainly
would cause them many heartfelt tears and they might also want to go
back with you and then all our trouble would have been for nothing."
"But I would like to see them, Cousin Jackal," said Mrs. Tiger a little
disturbed.
"Why certainly, Mrs. Tiger," was his answer, "but I do not think it is
wise for them to see you. I will lift them up to the window one by one,
and then you can put your mind at rest concerning their health and
progress."
After Mr. and Mrs. Jackal and Mrs. Tiger had sat together for some time
drinking coffee and talking over one thing and another, Jackal took
Tiger's wife to a door and told her to look through it, out upon the
back yard. There he would show her the children one by one, while they
would not be able to see her. Everything was done exactly as Jackal had
said, but the sixth little tiger he picked up twice, because the
firstborn he had the day before prepared in pickle for their Sunday
meal.
And so it happened every Saturday until the last little tiger--which was
the youngest--had to be lifted up seven times in succession.
And when Mrs. Tiger came again the following week all was still as death
and everything seemed to have a deserted appearance on the estate. She
walked straight to the front door, and there she found a letter in the
poll grass near the door, which read thus:
"We have gone for a picnic with the children. From there we
will ride by Jackalsdance for New Year. This is necessary for
the completion of their progressive education."
JACKAL.
Saturday after Saturday did Mrs. Tiger go and look, but every time
Jackal's house seemed to look more deserted; and after a while there was
a spider's web over the door and the trail of Snake showed that he, too,
had taken up his abode there.
TINK-TINKJE
The birds wanted a king. Men have a king, so have animals, and why
shouldn't they? All had assembled.
"The Ostrich, because he is the largest," one called out.
"No, he can't fly."
"Eagle, on account of his strength."
"Not he, he is too ugly."
"Vulture, because he can fly the highest."
"No, Vulture is too dirty, his odor is terrible."
"Peacock, he is so beautiful."
"His feet are too ugly, and also his voice."
"Owl, because he can see well."
"Not Owl, he is ashamed of the light."
And so they got no further. Then one shouted aloud, "He who can fly the
highest will be king." "Yes, yes," they all screamed, and at a given
signal they all ascended straight up into the sky.
Vulture flew for three whole days without stopping, straight toward the
sun. Then he cried aloud, "I am the highest, I am king."
"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie," he heard above him. There Tink-tinkje was flying.
He had held fast to one of the great wing feathers of Vulture, and had
never been felt, he was so light. "T-sie, t-sie, t-sie, I am the
highest, I am king," piped Tink-tinkje.
Vulture flew for another day still ascending. "I am highest, I am king."
"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie, I am the highest, I am king," Tink-tinkje mocked.
There he was again, having crept out from under the wing of Vulture.
Vulture flew on the fifth day straight up in the air. "I am the highest,
I am king," he called.
"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie," piped the little fellow above him. "I am the
highest, I am king."
Vulture was tired and now flew direct to earth. The other birds were mad
through and through. Tink-tinkje must die because he had taken
advantage of Vulture's feathers and there hidden himself. All flew after
him and he had to take refuge in a mouse hole. But how were they to get
him out? Some one must stand guard to seize him the moment he put out
his head.
"Owl must keep guard; he has the largest eyes; he can see well," they
exclaimed.
Owl went and took up his position before the hole. The sun was warm and
soon Owl became sleepy and presently he was fast asleep.
Tink-tinkje peeped, saw that Owl was asleep, and z-zip away he went.
Shortly afterwards the other birds came to see if Tink-tinkje were still
in the hole. "T-sie, t-sie," they heard in a tree; and there the little
vagabond was sitting.
White-crow, perfectly disgusted, turned around and exclaimed, "Now I
won't say a single word more." And from that day to this White-crow has
never spoken. Even though you strike him, he makes no sound, he utters
no cry.
THE LION AND JACKAL
Lion had now caught a large eland which lay dead on the top of a high
bank. Lion was thirsty and wanted to go and drink water. "Jackal, look
after my eland, I am going to get a drink. Don't you eat any."
"Very well, Uncle Lion."
Lion went to the river and Jackal quietly removed a stone on which Lion
had to step to reach the bank on his return. After that Jackal and his
wife ate heartily of the eland. Lion returned, but could not scale the
bank. "Jackal, help me," he shouted.
"Yes, Uncle Lion, I will let down a rope and then you can climb up."
Jackal whispered to his wife, "Give me one of the old, thin hide ropes."
And then aloud he added, "Wife, give me one of the strong, buffalo
ropes, so Uncle Lion won't fall."
His wife gave him an old rotten rope. Jackal and his wife first ate
ravenously of the meat, then gradually let the rope down. Lion seized it
and struggled up. When he neared the brink Jackal gave the rope a jerk.
It broke and down Lion began to roll--rolled the whole way down, and
finally lay at the foot near the river.
Jackal began to beat a dry hide that lay there as he howled, cried, and
shouted: "Wife, why did you give me such a bad rope that caused Uncle
Lion to fall?"
Lion heard the row and roared, "Jackal, stop beating your wife. I will
hurt you if you don't cease. Help me to climb up."
"Uncle Lion, I will give you a rope." Whispering again to his wife,
"Give me one of the old, thin hide ropes," and shouting aloud again,
"Give me a strong, buffalo rope, wife, that will not break again with
Lion."
Jackal gave out the rope, and when Lion had nearly reached the top, he
cut the rope through. Snap! and Lion began to roll to the bottom. Jackal
again beat on the hide and shouted, "Wife, why did you give me such a
rotten rope? Didn't I tell you to give me a strong one?" Lion roared,
"Jackal, stop beating your wife at once. Help me instantly or you will
be sorry."
"Wife," Jackal said aloud, "give me now the strongest rope you have,"
and aside to her, "Give me the worst rope of the lot."
Jackal again let down a rope, but just as Lion reached the top, Jackal
gave a strong tug and broke the rope. Poor old Lion rolled down the side
of the hill and lay there roaring from pain. He had been fatally hurt.
Jackal inquired, "Uncle Lion, have you hurt yourself? Have you much
pain? Wait a while, I am coming directly to help you." Jackal and his
wife slowly walked away.
LION AND JACKAL
The Lion and the Jackal agreed to hunt on shares, for the purpose of
laying in a stock of meat for the winter months for their families.
As the Lion was by far the more expert hunter of the two, the Jackal
suggested that he (himself) should be employed in transporting the game
to their dens, and that Mrs. Jackal and the little Jackals should
prepare and dry the meat, adding that they would take care that Mrs.
Lion and her family should not want.
This was agreed to by the Lion, and the hunt commenced.
After a very successful hunt, which lasted for some time, the Lion
returned to see his family, and also to enjoy, as he thought, a
plentiful supply of his spoil; when, to his utter surprise, he found
Mrs. Lion and all the young Lions on the point of death from sheer
hunger, and in a mangy state. The Jackal, it appeared, had only given
them a few entrails of the game, and in such limited quantities as
barely to keep them alive; always telling them that they (i. e., the
Lion and himself) had been most unsuccessful in their hunting; while his
own family was reveling in abundance, and each member of it was sleek
and fat.
This was too much for the Lion to bear. He immediately started off in a
terrible fury, vowing certain death to the Jackal and all his family,
wherever he should meet them. The Jackal was more or less prepared for a
storm, and had taken the precaution to remove all his belongings to the
top of a krantz (i. e., a cliff), accessible only by a most difficult
and circuitous path, which he alone knew.
When the Lion saw him on the krantz, the Jackal immediately greeted him
by calling out, "Good morning, Uncle Lion."
"How dare you call me uncle, you impudent scoundrel," roared out the
Lion, in a voice of thunder, "after the way in which you have behaved to
my family?"
"Oh, Uncle! How shall I explain matters? That beast of a wife of mine!"
Whack, whack was heard, as he beat with a stick on dry hide, which was a
mere pretence for Mrs. Jackal's back; while that lady was preinstructed
to scream whenever he operated on the hide, which she did with a
vengeance, joined by the little Jackals, who set up a most doleful
chorus. "That wretch!" said the Jackal. "It is all her doing. I shall
kill her straight off," and away he again belabored the hide, while his
wife and children uttered such a dismal howl that the Lion begged of him
to leave off flogging his wife. After cooling down a little, he invited
Uncle Lion to come up and have something to eat. The Lion, after several
ineffectual attempts to scale the precipice, had to give it up.
The Jackal, always ready for emergencies, suggested that a reim should
be lowered to haul up his uncle. This was agreed to, and when the Lion
was drawn about halfway up by the whole family of Jackals, the reim was
cleverly cut, and down went the Lion with a tremendous crash which hurt
him very much. Upon this, the Jackal again performed upon the hide with
tremendous force, for their daring to give him such a rotten reim, and
Mrs. Jackal and the little ones responded with some fearful screams and
yells. He then called loudly out to his wife for a strong buffalo reim
which would support any weight. This again was lowered and fastened to
the Lion, when all hands pulled away at their uncle; and, just when he
had reached so far that he could look over the precipice into the pots
to see all the fat meat cooking, and all the biltongs hanging out to
dry, the reim was again cut, and the poor Lion fell with such force that
he was fairly stunned for some time. After the Lion had recovered his
senses, the Jackal, in a most sympathizing tone, suggested that he was
afraid that it was of no use to attempt to haul him up onto the
precipice, and recommended, instead, that a nice fat piece of eland's
breast be roasted and dropped into the Lion's mouth. The Lion, half
famished with hunger, and much bruised, readily accepted the offer, and
sat eagerly awaiting the fat morsel. In the mean time, the Jackal had a
round stone made red-hot, and wrapped a quantity of inside fat, or suet,
round it, to make it appear like a ball of fat. When the Lion saw it
held out, he opened his capacious mouth to the utmost extent, and the
wily Jackal cleverly dropped the hot ball right into it, which ran
through the poor old beast, killing him on the spot.
It need hardly be told that there was great rejoicing on the precipice
that night.
THE HUNT OF LION AND JACKAL
Lion and Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for Eland. Lion
shot (with a bow) and missed, but Jackal hit and sang out, "Hah! hah!"
Lion said, "No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit."
Jackal answered, "Yea, my father, thou hast hit."
Then they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut
it up. Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to Lion, hit his nose so
that the blood ran on the spoor of the eland, and followed their track
thus, in order to cheat Lion. When he had gone some distance, he
returned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its
carcass, cut out all the fat.
Meanwhile Lion followed the blood-stained spoor of Jackal, thinking
that it was eland blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he
find out that he had been deceived. He then returned on Jackal's spoor,
and reached the dead eland, where, finding Jackal in its carcass, he
seized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.
Lion upbraided Jackal with these words: "Why do you cheat me?"
Jackal answered: "No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I
think. I prepared this fat for you, father."
Lion said: "Then take the fat and carry it to your mother" (the
lioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and
children.
When Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to Lion's wife, but to his
own wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to Lion's wife, and
he pelted Lion's little children with the lungs, saying:
"You children of the big-pawed one!
You big-pawed ones!"
He said to Lioness, "I go to help my father" (the lion); but he went far
away with his wife and children.
STORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL
Little Jackal one day went out hunting, when he met Lion. Lion proposed
that they should hunt together, on condition that if a small antelope
was killed it was to be Little Jackal's, and if a large one was killed
it was to be Lion's. Little Jackal agreed to this.
The first animal killed was a large eland. Lion was very glad, and said
to Little Jackal: "I will continue hunting while you go to my house and
call my children to carry the meat home."
Little Jackal replied: "Yes, I agree to that."
Lion went away to hunt. When he had gone, Little Jackal went to his own
house and called his own children to carry away the meat. He said: "Lion
takes me for a fool if he thinks I will call his children while my own
are dying with hunger."
So Little Jackal's children carried the meat to their home on the top of
a high rock, where the only way to get to their house was by means of a
rope.
Lion caught nothing more, and after a time he went home and asked his
wife where the meat was. She told him there was no meat. He said: "Did
not Little Jackal bring a message to my children to carry meat?"
His wife replied: "No, he was not here. We are still dying with hunger."
Lion then went to Little Jackal's house, but he could not get up the
rock to it. So he sat down by the water, waiting. After a time Little
Jackal went to get some water. He was close to the water when he saw
Lion. He at once ran away, and Lion ran after him. He ran into a hole
under a tree, but Lion caught his tail before he got far in. He said to
him: "That is not my tail you have hold of; it is a root of the tree. If
you do not believe me, take a stone and strike it, and see if any blood
comes."