"There, Boer is coming," shouted Jackal.
"Jackal, free me of this, or I'll break your playthings."
"No, there Boer is coming with his gun; you rest a while in the noose."
"Jackal, quickly make me free."
"No, here's Boer already, and he's got his gun. Good morning." And with
these parting words he ran away as fast as he could. Boer came and saw
Monkey in the wip.
"So, so, Monkey, now you are caught. You are the fellow who has been
stealing my lambs, hey?"
"No, Boer, no," screamed Monkey, "not I, but Jackal."
"No, I know you; you aren't too good for that."
"No, Boer, no, not I, but Jackal," Monkey stammered.
"Oh, I know you. Just wait a little," and Boer, raising his gun, aimed
and shot poor Monkey dead.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] _Wip_: A Dutch word for springle, consisting of a bent green stick,
to which a noose is attached at one end; the trap is delicately adjusted
by a cross stick, which when trod on releases the bent bough, pulling
the noose quickly around the animal and into the air.
LION'S SHARE
Lion and Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. Lion
shot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but Jackal hit the
game, and joyfully cried out, "It has hit."
Lion looked at him with his two large eyes; Jackal, however, did not
lose his countenance, but said, "No, uncle, I mean to say that you have
hit." Then they followed the game, and Jackal passed the arrow of Lion
without drawing the latter's attention to it. When they arrived at a
crossway, Jackal said: "Dear uncle, you are old and tired; stay here."
Jackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let
the blood drop from it like traces of game. "I could not find anything,"
he said, "but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to
look for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way."
Jackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured
the best portion; but his tail remained outside, and when Lion arrived,
he got hold of it, pulled Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with
these words: "You rascal!"
Jackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked,
"What have I now done, dear uncle? I was busy cutting out the best
part."
"Now let us go and fetch our wives," said Lion, but Jackal entreated his
dear uncle to remain at the place because he was old. Jackal then went
away, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife,
but the best part for the wife of Lion. When Jackal arrived with the
flesh, the children of Lion, seeing him, began to jump, and clapping
their hands, cried out: "There comes cousin with flesh!" Jackal threw,
grumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, "There, you brood of the
big-eyed one!" Then he went to his own house and told his wife
immediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was.
Lioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that Lion
would himself come to fetch her.
When Jackal, with his wife and children, arrived in the neighborhood of
the killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that
it bled, and thus made his appearance before Lion, to whom he said, "Ah!
what a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I
told her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I
cannot bring her." Lion went home very angry. Then Jackal said, "Quick,
let us build a tower." They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone,
stone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to
the top of it. When Jackal saw Lion approaching with his wife and
children, he cried out to him:
"Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be
better able to see game."
"All right," said Lion; "but let me come up to you."
"Certainly, dear uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let
down a thong for you."
Lion tied the thong around his body and Jackal began drawing him up, but
when nearly to the top Jackal cried to Lion, "My, uncle, how heavy you
are!" Then, unseen by Lion, he cut the thong. Lion fell to the ground,
while Jackal began loudly and angrily to scold his wife, and then said,
"Go, wife, fetch me a new thong"--"an old one," he said aside to her.
Lion again tied himself to the thong, and, just as he was near the top,
Jackal cut the thong as before; Lion fell heavily to the bottom,
groaning aloud, as he had been seriously hurt.
"No," said Jackal, "that will never do: you must, however, manage to
come up high enough so that you may get a mouthful at least." Then aloud
he ordered his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he told her to
make a stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew Lion up once
more, and complaining how heavy he was to hold, told him to open his
mouth, and thereupon threw the hot stone down his throat. Lion fell to
the ground and lay there pleading for water, while Jackal climbed down
and made his escape.
JACKAL'S BRIDE
Jackal, it is said, married Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to
the ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered
her, he put the cowskin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on
which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was
forked) the hearth for the cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts
of delicious food. There came also Lion, and wished to go up. Jackal,
therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could
pull Lion up; and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near
to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that Lion tumbled down.
Then Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: "Why do you
give me such an old thong?" And he added, "Give me a fresh thong." She
gave him a new thong, and he pulled Lion up again, and when his face
came near the pot, which stood on the fire, he said, "open your mouth."
Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled
together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus
died Lion.
There came also the ants running after the cow, and when Jackal saw them
he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. Hyena,
believing that it was Jackal, said:
"You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough? Have you
no more loving game than this?"
But when she had bitten a hole through the cowskin, she saw that they
were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet made her
escape.
THE STORY OF HARE
Once upon a time the animals made a kraal and put some fat in it. They
agreed that one of their number should remain to be the keeper of the
gate. The first one that was appointed was the coney (imbila). He agreed
to take charge, and all the others went away. In a short time the coney
fell asleep, when the inkalimeva (a fabulous animal) went in and ate all
the fat. After doing this, he threw a little stone at the coney.
The coney started up and cried out: "The fat belonging to all the
animals has been eaten by the inkalimeva."
It repeated this cry several times, calling out very loudly. The animals
at a distance heard it, they ran to the kraal, and when they saw that
the fat was gone they killed the coney.
They put fat in the kraal a second time, and appointed the muishond
(ingaga) to keep the gate. The muishond consented, and the animals went
away as before. After a little time the inkalimeva came to the kraal,
bringing some honey with it. It invited the keeper of the gate to eat
honey, and while the muishond was enjoying himself the inkalimeva went
in and stole all the fat. It threw a stone at the muishond, which caused
him to look up.
The muishond cried out: "The fat belonging to all the animals has been
eaten by the inkalimeva."
As soon as the animals heard the cry, they ran to the kraal and killed
the muishond.
They put fat in the kraal a third time, and appointed the duiker
(impunzi) to be the keeper of the gate. The duiker agreed, and the
others went away. In a short time the inkalimeva made its appearance. It
proposed to the duiker that they should play hide and look for. The
duiker agreed to this. Then the inkalimeva hid itself, and the duiker
looked for it till he was so tired that he lay down and went to sleep.
When the duiker was asleep, the inkalimeva ate up all the fat.
Then it threw a stone at the duiker, which caused him to jump up and cry
out: "The fat belonging to all the animals has been eaten by the
inkalimeva."
The animals, when they heard the cry, ran to the kraal and killed the
duiker.
They put fat in the kraal the fourth time, and appointed the bluebuck
(inputi) to be the keeper of the gate. When the animals went away, the
inkalimeva came as before.
It said: "What are you doing by yourself?"
The bluebuck answered: "I am watching the fat belonging to all the
animals."
The inkalimeva said: "I will be your companion. Come, let us scratch
each other's heads."
The bluebuck agreed to this. The inkalimeva sat down and scratched the
head of the other till he went to sleep. Then it arose and ate all the
fat. When it had finished, it threw a stone at the bluebuck and awakened
him.
The bluebuck saw what had happened and cried out: "The fat belonging to
all the animals has been eaten by the inkalimeva."
Then the animals ran up and killed the bluebuck also.
They put fat in the kraal the fifth time, and appointed the porcupine
(incanda) to be the keeper of the gate. The animals went away, and the
inkalimeva came as before.
It said to the porcupine, "Let us run a race against each other."
It let the porcupine beat in this race.
Then it said, "I did not think you could run so fast, but let us try
again." They ran again, and it allowed the porcupine to beat the second
time. They ran till the porcupine was so tired that he said, "Let us
rest now."
They sat down to rest, and the porcupine went to sleep. Then the
inkalimeva rose up and ate all the fat. When it had finished eating, it
threw a stone at the porcupine, which caused him to jump up.
He called out with a loud voice, "The fat belonging to all the animals
has been eaten by the inkalimeva."
Then the animals came running up and put the porcupine to death.
They put fat in the kraal the sixth time, and selected the hare
(umvundla) to be the keeper of the gate. At first the hare would not
consent.
He said, "The coney is dead, and the muishond is dead, and the duiker is
dead, and the bluebuck is dead, and the porcupine is dead, and you will
kill me also."
They promised him that they would not kill him, and after a good deal of
persuasion he at last agreed to keep the gate. When the animals were
gone he laid himself down, but he only pretended to be asleep.
In a short time the inkalimeva went in, and was just going to take the
fat when the hare cried out: "Let the fat alone."
The inkalimeva said, "Please let me have this little bit only."
The hare answered, mocking, "Please let me have this little bit only."
After that they became companions. The hare proposed that they should
fasten each other's tail, and the inkalimeva agreed. The inkalimeva
fastened the tail of the hare first.
The hare said, "Don't tie my tail so tight."
Then the hare fastened the tail of the inkalimeva.
The inkalimeva said, "Don't tie my tail so tight," but the hare made no
answer. After tying the tail of the inkalimeva very fast, the hare took
his club and killed it. The hare took the tail of the inkalimeva and ate
it, all except a little piece which he hid in the fence.
Then he called out, "The fat belonging to all the animals has been eaten
by the inkalimeva."
The animals came running back, and when they saw that the inkalimeva was
dead they rejoiced greatly. They asked the hare for the tail, which
should be kept for the chief.
The hare replied, "The one I killed had no tail."
They said, "How can an inkalimeva be without a tail?"
They began to search, and at length they found a piece of the tail in
the fence. They told the chief that the hare had eaten the tail.
He said, "Bring him to me!"
All the animals ran after the hare, but he fled, and they could not
catch him. The hare ran into a hole, at the mouth of which the animals
set a snare, and then went away. The hare remained in the hole for many
days, but at length he managed to get out without being caught.
He went to a place where he found a bushbuck (imbabala) building a hut.
There was a pot with meat in it on the fire.
He said to the bushbuck, "Can I take this little piece of meat?"
The bushbuck answered, "You must not do it."
But he took the meat and ate it all. Afterwards he whistled in a
particular manner, and there fell a storm of hail which killed the
bushbuck. Then he took the skin of the bushbuck, and made for himself a
mantle.
After this the hare went into the forest to procure some weapons to
fight with. While he was cutting a stick the monkeys threw leaves upon
him. He called to them to come down and beat him. They came down, but he
killed them all with his weapons.
THE WHITE MAN AND SNAKE
A white man, it is said, met Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen
and covered her so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the
stone off Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The
White Man said, "Stop! let us both go first to some wise people." They
went to Hyena, and the White Man asked him, "Is it right that Snake
should want to bite me, when I helped her as she lay under a stone and
could not rise?"
Hyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man's body) said,
"If you were bitten what would it matter?"
Then Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again, "Wait a
little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this
is right."
They went and met Jackal. The White Man said to Jackal, "Is it right
for Snake to want to bite me, when I lifted up the stone which lay upon
her?"
Jackal replied, "I do not believe that Snake could be covered by a stone
so she could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not
believe it. Therefore, come let us go and see the place where you say it
happened whether it can be true."
They went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. Jackal said,
"Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered."
Snake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although
she exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man
wanted again to release Snake, but Jackal interfered, and said, "Do not
lift the stone. She wanted to bite you, therefore she may rise by
herself."
Then they both went away and left Snake under the stone.
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE
A Dutchman was walking by himself and saw Snake lying under a large
stone. Snake implored his help; but when she had become free she said,
"Now I shall eat you."
The Man answered, "That is not right. Let us first go to Hare."
When Hare had heard the affair, he said, "It is right."
"No," said the Man, "let us ask Hyena."
Hyena declared the same, saying, "It is right."
"Now let us ask Jackal," said the Man in his despair.
Jackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole
affair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was
able to lift the stone. Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth
of his account, put the stone again over her.
When she was fast, Jackal said, "Now let her lie there."
CLOUD-EATING
Jackal and Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose.
Jackal descended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.
When he wanted to come down, he said to Hyena, "My sister, as I am going
to divide with thee, catch me well." So she caught him, and broke his
fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the
cloud.
When she was satisfied, she said, "My greyish brother, now catch me
well." The greyish rogue said to his friend, "My sister, I shall catch
thee well. Come therefore down."
He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was
near, Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), "My sister, do
not take it ill. Oh me! Oh me! A thorn has pricked me and sticks in me."
Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.
Since that day, it is said that Hyena's hind feet have been shorter and
smaller than the front ones.
LION'S ILLNESS
Lion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his
suffering. But Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who
went to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by Hyena,
who said, "Though I go to look, yet Jackal does not want to come and
look at the man's sufferings."
Then Lion let Hyena go, in order that she might catch Jackal; and she
did so, and brought him.
Lion asked Jackal: "Why did you not come here to see me?"
Jackal said, "Oh, no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went
to the witch (doctor) to consult him, whether and what medicine would be
good for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, 'Go and tell
your uncle to take hold of Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on
while it is still warm. Then he will recover.' Hyena is one who does not
care for my uncle's sufferings."
Lion followed his advice, got hold of Hyena, drew the skin over her
ears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.
JACKAL, DOVE, AND HERON
Jackal, it is said, came once to Dove, who lived on the top of a rock,
and said, "Give me one of your little ones."
Dove answered, "I shall not do anything of the kind."
Jackal said, "Give me it at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you."
Then she threw one down to him.
He came back another day and demanded another little one, and she gave
it to him. After Jackal had gone, Heron came, and asked, "Dove, why do
you cry?"
Dove answered him, "Jackal has taken away my little ones; it is for this
that I cry." He asked her, "In what manner did he take them?" She
answered him, "When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, 'I
shall at once fly up, therefore give me it,' I threw it down to him."
Heron said, "Are you such a fool as to give your young ones to Jackal,
who cannot fly?" Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went
away.
Jackal came again, and said, "Dove, give me a little one." Dove refused,
and told him that Heron had told her that he could not fly up. Jackal
said, "I shall catch him."
So when Heron came to the banks of the water, Jackal asked him: "Brother
Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?" He
turned his neck towards him and said, "I stand thus, bending my neck on
one side." Jackal asked him again, "When a storm comes and when it
rains, how do you stand?" He said to him: "I stand thus, indeed, bending
my neck down."
Then Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.
Since that day Heron's neck is bent.
COCK AND JACKAL
Cock, it is said, was once overtaken by Jackal, and caught. Cock said to
Jackal, "Please, pray first (before you kill me), as the white man
does."
Jackal asked, "In what manner does he pray? Tell me."
"He folds his hands in praying," said Cock. Jackal folded his hands and
prayed. Then Cock spoke again: "You ought not to look about you as you
do. You had better shut your eyes." He did so; and Cock flew away,
upbraiding at the same time Jackal with these words, "You rogue! do you
also pray?"
There sat Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.
ELEPHANT AND TORTOISE
Two powers, Elephant and Rain, had a dispute. Elephant said, "If you say
that you nourish me, in what way is it that you say so?" Rain answered,
"If you say that I do not nourish you, when I go away, will you not
die?" And Rain then departed.
Elephant said, "Vulture! cast lots to make rain for me."
Vulture said, "I will not cast lots."
Then Elephant said to Crow, "Cast lots!" who answered, "Give the things
with which I may cast lots." Crow cast lots and rain fell. It rained at
the lagoons, but they dried up, and only one lagoon remained.
Elephant went a-hunting. There was, however, Tortoise, to whom Elephant
said, "Tortoise, remain at the water!" Thus Tortoise was left behind
when Elephant went a-hunting.
There came Giraffe, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise
answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Zebra, who said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise
answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Gemsbok, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise
answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Wildebeest, and said, "Give me water!" Tortoise said, "The
water belongs to Elephant."
There came Roodebok, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise
answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Springbok, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise
said, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Jackal, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise said,
"The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Lion, and said, "Little Tortoise, give me water!" When little
Tortoise was about to say something, Lion got hold of him and beat him;
Lion drank of the water, and since then the animals drink water.
When Elephant came back from the hunting, he said, "Little Tortoise, is
there water?" Tortoise answered, "The animals have drunk the water."
Elephant asked, "Little Tortoise, shall I chew you or swallow you down?"
Little Tortoise said, "Swallow me, if you please!" and Elephant
swallowed him whole.
After Elephant had swallowed Little Tortoise, and he had entered his
body, he tore off his liver, heart, and kidneys. Elephant said, "Little
Tortoise, you kill me."
So Elephant died; but little Tortoise came out of his dead body, and
went wherever he liked.
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE
Giraffe and Tortoise, they say, met one day. Giraffe said to Tortoise,
"At once I could trample you to death." Tortoise, being afraid, remained
silent. Then Giraffe said, "At once I could swallow you." Tortoise said,
in answer to this, "Well, I just belong to the family of those whom it
has always been customary to swallow." Then Giraffe swallowed Tortoise;
but when the latter was being gulped down, he stuck in Giraffe's throat,
and as the latter could not get it down, he was choked to death.
When Giraffe was dead, Tortoise crawled out and went to Crab (who is
considered as the mother of Tortoise), and told her what had happened.
Then Crab said:
"The little Crab! I could sprinkle it under its arm with Boochoo,[3]
The crooked-legged little one, I could sprinkle under its arm."
Tortoise answered its mother and said:
"Have you not always sprinkled me,
That you want to sprinkle me now?"
Then they went and fed for a whole year on the remains of Giraffe.
FOOTNOTES:
[3] (In token of approval, according to a Hottentot custom.)
TORTOISES HUNTING OSTRICHES
One day, it is said, the Tortoises held a council how they might hunt
Ostriches, and they said, "Let us, on both sides, stand in rows near
each other, and let one go to hunt the Ostriches, so that they must flee
along through the midst of us." They did so, and as they were many, the
Ostriches were obliged to run along through the midst of them. During
this they did not move, but, remaining always in the same places, called
each to the other, "Are you there?" and each one answered, "I am here."
The Ostriches hearing this, ran so tremendously that they quite
exhausted their strength, and fell down. Then the Tortoises assembled
by-and-by at the place where the Ostriches had fallen, and devoured
them.
THE JUDGMENT OF BABOON
One day, it is said, the following story happened:
Mouse had torn the clothes of Itkler (the tailor), who then went to
Baboon, and accused Mouse with these words:
"In this manner I come to thee: Mouse has torn my clothes, but will not
know anything of it, and accuses Cat; Cat protests likewise her
innocence, and says, 'Dog must have done it'; but Dog denies it also,
and declares Wood has done it; and Wood throws the blame on Fire, and
says, 'Fire did it'; Fire says, 'I have not, Water did it'; Water says,
'Elephant tore the clothes'; and Elephant says, 'Ant tore them.' Thus a
dispute has arisen among them. Therefore, I, Itkler, come to thee with
this proposition: Assemble the people and try them in order that I may
get satisfaction."
Thus he spake, and Baboon assembled them for trial. Then they made the
same excuses which had been mentioned by Itkler, each one putting the
blame upon the other.
So Baboon did not see any other way of punishing them, save through
making them punish each other; he therefore said,
"Mouse, give Itkler satisfaction."
Mouse, however, pleaded not guilty. But Baboon said, "Cat, bite Mouse."
She did so.
He then put the same question to Cat, and when she exculpated herself,
Baboon called to Dog, "Here, bite Cat."