each denied the charge. Then he addressed the following words to them,
and said,
"Wood, beat Dog.
Fire, burn Wood.
Water, quench Fire.
Elephant, drink Water.
Ant, bite Elephant in his most tender parts."
They did so, and since that day they cannot any longer agree with each
other.
Ant enters into Elephant's most tender parts and bites him.
Elephant swallows Water.
Water quenches Fire.
Fire consumes Wood.
Wood beats Dog.
Dog bites Cat.
And Cat bites Mouse.
Through this judgment Itkler got satisfaction and addressed Baboon in
the following manner:
"Yes! Now I am content, since I have received satisfaction, and with all
my heart I thank thee, Baboon, because thou hast exercised justice on my
behalf and given me redress."
Then Baboon said, "From to-day I will not any longer be called Jan, but
Baboon shall be my name."
Since that time Baboon walks on all fours, having probably lost the
privilege of walking erect through this foolish judgment.
LION AND BABOON
Baboon, it is said, once worked bamboos, sitting on the edge of a
precipice, and Lion stole upon him. Baboon, however, had fixed some
round, glistening, eye-like plates on the back of his head. When,
therefore, Lion crept upon him, he thought, when Baboon was looking at
him, that he sat with his back towards him, and crept with all his might
upon him. When, however, Baboon turned his back towards him, Lion
thought that he was seen, and hid himself. Thus, when Baboon looked at
him, he crept upon him.[4] When he was near him Baboon looked up, and
Lion continued to creep upon him. Baboon said (aside), "Whilst I am
looking at him he steals upon me, whilst my hollow eyes are on him."
When at last Lion sprung at him, he lay (quickly) down upon his face,
and Lion jumped over him, falling down the precipice, and was dashed to
pieces.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] Whilst Baboon did this, Lion came close upon him.
THE ZEBRA STALLION
The Baboons, it is said, used to disturb the Zebra Mares in drinking.
But one of the Mares became the mother of a foal. The others then helped
her to suckle (the young stallion), that he might soon grow up.
When he was grown up and they were in want of water, he brought them to
the water. The Baboons, seeing this, came, as they formerly were used to
do, into their way, and kept them from the water.
While the Mares stood thus, the Stallion stepped forward, and spoke to
one of the Baboons, "Thou gum-eater's child!"
The Baboon said to the Stallion, "Please open thy mouth, that I may see
what thou livest on." The Stallion opened his mouth, and it was milky.
Then the Stallion said to the Baboon, "Please open thy mouth also, that
I may see." The Baboon did so, and there was some gum in it. But the
Baboon quickly licked some milk off the Stallion's tongue. The Stallion
on this became angry, took the Baboon by his shoulders, and pressed him
upon a hot, flat rock. Since that day the Baboon has a bald place on his
back.
The Baboon said, lamenting, "I, my mother's child, I, the gum-eater, am
outdone by this milk-eater!"
WHEN LION COULD FLY
Lion, it is said, used once to fly, and at that time nothing could live
before him. As he was unwilling that the bones of what he caught should
be broken into pieces, he made a pair of White Crows watch the bones,
leaving them behind at the kraal whilst he went a-hunting. But one day
Great Frog came there, broke the bones in pieces, and said, "Why can men
and animals live no longer?" And he added these words, "When he comes,
tell him that I live at yonder pool; if he wishes to see me, he must
come there."
Lion, lying in wait (for game), wanted to fly up, but found he could not
fly. Then he got angry, thinking that at the kraal something was wrong,
and returned home. When he arrived he asked, "What have you done that I
cannot fly?" Then they answered and said, "Some one came here, broke the
bones into pieces, and said, 'If he want me, he may look for me at
yonder pool!'" Lion went, and arrived while Frog was sitting at the
water's edge, and he tried to creep stealthily upon him. When he was
about to get hold of him, Frog said, "Ho!" and, diving, went to the
other side of the pool, and sat there. Lion pursued him; but as he could
not catch him he returned home.
From that day, it is said, Lion walked on his feet, and also began to
creep upon (his game); and the White Crows became entirely dumb since
the day that they said, "Nothing can be said of that matter."
LION WHO THOUGHT HIMSELF WISER THAN HIS MOTHER
It is said that when Lion and Gurikhoisip (the Only man), together with
Baboon, Buffalo, and other friends, were playing one day at a certain
game, there was a thunderstorm and rain at Aroxaams. Lion and
Gurikhoisip began to quarrel. "I shall run to the rain-field," said
Lion. Gurikhoisip said also, "I shall run to the rain-field." As neither
would concede this to the other, they separated (angrily). After they
had parted, Lion went to tell his Mother those things which they had
both said.
His Mother said to him, "My son! that Man whose head is in a line with
his shoulders and breast, who has pinching weapons, who keeps white
dogs, who goes about wearing the tuft of a tiger's tail, beware of him!"
Lion, however, said, "Why need I be on my guard against those whom I
know?" Lioness answered, "My Son, take care of him who has pinching
weapons!" But Lion would not follow his Mother's advice, and the same
morning, when it was still pitch dark, he went to Aroxaams, and laid
himself in ambush. Gurikhoisip went also that morning to the same place.
When he had arrived he let his dogs drink, and then bathe. After they
had finished they wallowed. Then also Man drank; and, when he had done
drinking, Lion came out of the bush. Dogs surrounded him as his Mother
had foretold, and he was speared by Gurikhoisip. Just as he became aware
that he was speared, the Dogs drew him down again. In this manner he
grew faint. While he was in this state, Gurikhoisip said to the Dogs,
"Let him alone now, that he may go and be taught by his Mother." So the
Dogs let him go. They left him, and went home as he lay there. The same
night he walked towards home, but whilst he was on the way his strength
failed him, and he lamented:
"Mother! take me up!
Grandmother! take me up! Oh me! Alas!"
At the dawn of day his Mother heard his wailing, and said--
"My Son, this is the thing which I have told thee:
"'Beware of the one who has pinching weapons,
Who wears a tuft of tiger's tail,
Of him who has white dogs!
Alas! thou son of her who is short-eared,
Thou, my short-eared child!
Son of her who eats raw flesh,
Thou flesh-devourer;
Son of her whose nostrils are red from the prey,
Thou with blood-stained nostrils!
Son of her who drinks pit-water,
Thou water-drinker!'"
LION WHO TOOK A WOMAN'S SHAPE
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