saying, “Come, let us kill him”. So they killed Namzimu with their bows.
Then Kalikalanje returned to the village and met with his mother, and
spoke to her, saying, “Mother, you wanted a wild beast to eat me, now I
kill you”. So Kalikalanje killed his mother.
39. THE MAN AND THE LION.
There was a man that had four dogs for catching meat, and one day the man
was very hungry and he said to his wife, “I go to the bush to kill meat”.
His wife said, “Yes, go and kill meat, my husband”.
The man took his dogs and his spear and went to the bush. As he hunted he
killed five buck.
Suddenly there came a lion and spoke with the man and said,
“Take these buck, give your dogs to eat. When they have eaten you must
eat your dogs, then let me eat you.” The man said “No. I do not want to
give my meat to the dogs”. Whereupon there arose a great quarrel between
the man and the lion. Suddenly there came a rabbit (fox) with his bag,
and found them quarrelling. The rabbit asked them saying, “What are you
quarrelling over?” The man explained to the rabbit the reason of the
quarrelling saying, “We quarrel about meat that I have caught with my
dogs”.
Then the rabbit spoke with the lion saying, “Why do you want to eat your
fellow-creature without a reason against him.” The lion said, “The reason
of it is that this bush is mine, and he has come to kill meat here. Now I
want him to give this meat to his dogs, then his dogs will eat the meat,
then he must eat his dogs, and I shall eat him.” The rabbit said, “Lion
you must not eat your fellow-creature because of his buck. Come here I
shall give you good meat, which is in a pit-fall.” The rabbit had seen
a great pit-fall where a serpent dwelt, and he said to the lion, “Enter
this pit-fall.” When the lion entered, the rabbit called the man and
said, “Come with fire, now he who wanted to eat you has gone into a pit,
now come and let us kill him”. The rabbit and the man lighted a fire at
the pit and killed the lion. After the lion died, the man and the rabbit
entered into a compact of eternal friendship.
40. THE ROASTED SEEDS.
There was an elephant and a rabbit that contracted friendship. They
agreed saying, “Let us go and hoe our gardens;” so they hoed. Then the
rabbit said, “But let us plant roasted seeds”. The rabbit cheated the
elephant, and the elephant assented saying, “Yes, we shall roast them,”
so he roasted. But the rabbit hid some of his seeds, then he roasted
a few and said, “Come let us plant,” and the elephant planted roasted
seeds, but the rabbit planted seeds that were not roasted, and ate his
roasted seeds.
The rain came; the seeds of the rabbit grew, but those of the elephant
did not grow, and he asked the rabbit, “Well, when will my seed grow?”
And the rabbit said, “Wait, they will grow”. In the garden of the rabbit
many pumpkins bare fruit, and the elephant said, “My friend has deceived
me”. Then the elephant went to the garden of the rabbit at night to steal
the rabbit’s pumpkins.
In the morning the rabbit said, “I wonder who has stolen my pumpkins”.
The elephant said, “I do not know”. The rabbit made a drum and went
secretly to his garden, and entered a large pumpkin[36] with his drum.
At night the elephant went and ate pumpkins. Next day the rabbit was in
the stomach of the elephant, and he beat his drum; he beat and said, “You
were finishing my pumpkins, I have caught you myself”. Then the elephant
was very ill and died.
People came and said, “Meat has died for us here,” and they opened the
body and said, “Look at this pumpkin!” Others said, “Split it,” and they
split it,—it broke—they found the rabbit. The rabbit on seeing people,
ran away. And the people said, “Yes! this is what killed the elephant. No
wonder the elephant died!”
41. ROMBAO.
There was a man who had a wife and he took his fish trap and went to the
water to catch fish, and he caught a large one. The fish said to the man,
“Go inside me, and you will find a knife and a bundle of millet, fetch
them and come here with them”. So the man went inside the fish and found
a knife and a bundle of millet, and he fetched them and came out with
them. The fish said, “Cut off my upper lip,” and the man cut it off.
Then the fish said, “Take that meat, give it to your wife that she may
eat it alone, while you eat the millet”.
So he went to the village. He found his wife and gave her the meat
saying, “My wife eat this meat alone. When you have eaten throw the bones
of it out there.” The man went to put the millet in the lake, when it
became soft he went and ate it alone, for five days, and his wife ate the
fish five days!
After this the woman bare two children with their two dogs, and two
spears, and two guns, and their names were the one Rombao, and the other
Antonyo.[37] Then they went to the bush and found many birds and many
buck, and they began to fire their guns, and the buck ran to one place
and the children followed them. On their following there they met the
owner, and he asked them saying, “What do you want?” They said, “We
want meat”. The owner said, “What do you give me, and I shall give you
my meat?” They replied, “We will not give you anything, but come let us
fight, and whoever dies, the meat belongs to him that killed him”. They
began to fight and the owner of the meat died, and they took the land and
built houses and settled there.
One day Rombao talked with his brother, and said, “You stay here, I
go yonder to kill meat”. Then he met with a whale. He wanted to drink,
and the whale said, “Why should you drink my water?” Rombao said, “I am
thirsty”. The whale said, “Pay me a price for my water”. He refused, and
said, “Come, let us fight”. Then they began to fight, and the whale died,
and Rombao cut off his tongue and put salt on it.
Now at that land there was a celebrated chief, the owner of the country,
and he gave up his own daughter to buy water from the whale. The whale
was dead, and three days passed without the wind coming as a token (that
the girl had been eaten). So the chief sent his captain and his soldiers,
and said, “Go and see whether the whale has come to eat my child”. The
captain went with his soldiers to see the whale, and came to where it was
and found it dead.
Then the captain said to the soldiers, “Come let us fire guns for two
days, and go to the village and tell that it was I that killed the whale.
Then the chief will give me his daughter to wed, and I will pay you with
much goods.” They said, “Yes, what he says is good”. So they fired guns
for two days, and went back to the village with the girl and found the
chief, and said, “The captain has killed the whale”. The chief said to
him, “Very well, I will give you my daughter to wed”.
When the marriage day came Rombao sent his younger brother, saying,
“Go and see the wedding”. He returned, and said, “The marriage feast
is ready”. Then Rombao went to the village of the chief and found the
people all assembled. The girl was speechless, and her mother asked her,
“Do you wish that captain to marry you”. The girl did not answer, but
continued weeping. Her father said, “But you will marry that captain”.
Rombao asked, “Why is the captain going to marry her?” They said,
“Because he has killed the whale”. Rombao said, “But where’s the tongue
of the whale?” All the people said, “Yes, we want to see its tongue”. So
the captain sent his soldiers to bring its tongue, and they went to look
for the tongue and found that the tongue was wanting. So they returned,
and said, “The whale has not a tongue—it is rotten”. Rombao said, “That’s
false, that captain did not kill the whale—it was I. Wait now, I will go
and fetch its tongue.” He returned with the tongue to the chief. Then the
chief said, “Very well, do you take my daughter to be your wife”. Then
the chief took much goods and gave Rombao. Then he killed that captain
and his men likewise.
42. THE HYENA AND THE BEES.
A hyena and a fox went a journey; they found honey (lit. bees) on a tree,
but at the foot of the tree were the cubs (lit. children) of the fox. The
hyena said, “Give me my bag,” and he got it; and the fox climbed the tree
to fetch the honey. Then the hyena took the children of the fox, saying,
“he would shew them to his brethren,” and he put them in his bag. But
the fox quickly observed that the hyena took her children, and the fox
took much honey (lit. bees) and came down with it. Then the hyena ate the
honey, but the fox said, “Give me the bag to carry for you”. The hyena
said, “Take it”. So the fox took the hyena’s bag. Then the fox said, “I
have forgotten my knife”. The hyena said, “Go and fetch it”. The fox went
back to the foot of the tree, and took out her cubs. Then she took many
living bees,[38] and put in the hyena’s bag, and went back to the hyena
himself. Then the hyena said, “Have you found your knife?” The fox said,
“Yes, I have found it”. But the hyena did not know that she had taken
her children out of his bag. Then they came to the village, and he said,
“Give me my bag. Good-bye. Now we have reached my village.” The fox gave
it him.
The hyena then went to his brethren, and said, “Have you ever seen the
children of a fox?” His brethren said, “No”. The hyena said, “There are
in my bag here!” His brethren said, “Give it us that we may see them”.
The hyena said, “No, we must be in the house”. So they went into the
house and shut the door, and then undid the bag. Then his brethren said,
“So these are the children of a fox? Are they not bees?” They were stung.
The hyena’s brethren roared terribly, and the fox heard their roaring,
and came to the door, and said, “What’s the matter?” The hyena’s brethren
said, “The hyena has deceived us, saying ‘Come and see a fox’s children’.
We said, ‘No’”. The fox said, “Oh, hyena, you took my children, did you?
I put living bees in your bag. You knew it not. Now they sting (lit.
bite) you!” So the hyena and his brethren died.[39]
43. THE CROCODILE.
There was a man that lived by setting traps, and he set his trap on a
meadow by a stream and caught meat. Then came a crocodile and took out
(untied) his meat and ate it, and went home. Next morning the owner of
the trap found that his meat had been eaten. Then was he sad at heart,
and said, “Who is this that has eaten my meat?” He set his trap again and
went back to the village. And meat[40] came and was caught (tied) again,
and again the crocodile ate it. Next morning the owner was sad at heart.
Then he set the trap at another place, and the crocodile came again to
eat the meat, but did not find anything, and he began to search, and was
caught in the trap himself. Next morning the owner of the trap came and
found the crocodile caught in the trap. So he took a spear and wanted to
kill the crocodile, but the crocodile said, “Please don’t kill me, but
let me go out, I will go home and pay you because I have been a thief”.
Then the crocodile said, “Carry me, we shall go to my home,” and it leapt
on the man’s back, its claws (ikalawesa) entering his body.
Then a hare saw them moving in the water and said, “You, man—where are
you going?” The man answered, “I set my trap, and caught my buck, and
this gentleman (chief) used to come and steal, but to-day he was caught
in my trap himself and said, ‘Let me out, I will go home and pay you for
your goods’”.
The hare said, “I don’t hear you, what do you say?” Then the man said the
same words. Then the hare said, “Are you abusing me? I don’t hear what
you say. Come near, come near.”[41] Then the man said to the crocodile,
“Chief, listen, the hare says we must go back a little”. Then the man
repeated the same words to the hare. The hare said to the crocodile,
“Yes, that is right. But first come off his back there.” Then the hare
asked the man, “How did you set your trap? Let me see it.” Then the man
set it. The hare then asked the crocodile, “And chief, pray, how did you
get in? Let me see.” The crocodile said, “I passed here, and I passed
here, and I went Gwede!” there the crocodile was caught.[42] The hare
said, “Now, do you, O man, kill that vermin. It wanted to eat you.” The
man killed the crocodile, but to this day remains a feud between the
crocodile and man.
44. THE HARE AND THE BANGLES.
A hyena and a hare went to a village[43] to marry. They found women and
said, “We want to marry”. The women assented, but their mother said, “We
don’t wear calico,[44] but the skins of lions, leopards and pythons”. The
hyena and the hare said, “Very well, give us salt and bangles,” and she
gave them.
The hyena and the hare then went away, and on the road they found a dead
elephant. The hyena said, “I will stay here,” but the hare said, “No,
chief, but let us wait one day (without touching the meat)”. The hyena
said, “You are bad, such is your nature. Then you may look for the skins
of lions, leopards, and pythons. But the lion is terrible.” The hare
said, “I will try to kill a lion that my wife may rejoice and say the
hare is strong.”
Then the hare took his bag of salt, and arrived at the lion’s village
wearing bangles on his legs.[45] When the chief lion saw the hare
disguised like a woman he said, “You are my wife”. The hare consented
and said, “Yes, but your chief wife abuses me”. Then the lion killed his
chief wife and all her children. The hare said, “Take off their skins”.
The lion then took off the skins of his own kindred—and the hare and he
were left alone. Then the hare said,[46] “My husband, your eyes terrify
me”. The lion said, “Take them out”. The Hare then put out the eyes of
the lion, and killed him and took off his skin, and took it and hid it by
the road, and then went to the village of the leopard.
When the leopard saw him, he said, “You are my wife”. The hare said,
“Very well—but your chief wife abuses me”. The leopard then killed his
chief wife and all her children. The hare said “Take off their skins”.
So the leopard took off the skins of his relatives. Then the hare said,
“My husband, I want pythons’ skins”. The leopard went and killed pythons.
The hare said, “That is right, only your eyes terrify me”. The leopard
then said, “Put them out,” then the hare put out his eyes, and killed the
leopard and took his skin. The hare was then very glad, and said, “I have
been clever”. Then he took the skins of the lions, leopards and pythons,
and went away and met the hyena. The hyena was astonished, and said,
“Ugwi! How have you, O hare, slain ——. The skins of lions, leopards and
pythons!” The hare answered, “I have slain them with my bag of salt”.
The hyena said, “I will go to kill my skins”. The hare said, “I am going
for my wife”. He said, “Yes, I will meet you there”. The hare went to his
wife. She was very glad, and said, “My husband is clever,”[47] and she
put on the lions’ skins. The hyena attacked a lion, the lions were angry,
and said, “O hyena, is it war that you want?” and they killed the hyena.
The hyena’s wife asked the hare, “Where is my husband”? The hare said,
“He is dead”.
Then the hare staid at that village and was a great chief.
45. THE HUNTER.
There was a man that used to kill game, and he went to the bush to kill
game, and shot a buffalo in the evening. He cut it through the middle and
took the two hind legs, and left the other two and its horns, and said,
“I will take them to-morrow”. So he went back where his companions were,
and found them, and said, “Well, I have killed a buffalo and taken these
two legs, I left the other legs and the horns, but we shall go and fetch
them to-morrow”. His friends said, “Yes, that is best (good)”. At night
there came a hyena and found the buffalo, and went round about it and put
his head into the breast (ribs) of the buffalo, and took it and went with
it to his village.
Next morning the owner of the meat called his friends, and said, “Come
now, let us go and cut up our meat”. They went to the bush and found the
meat carried off by a hyena. Then the owner followed after in the track
in which the hyena had gone, and at noon he met with the hyena going with
his meat. When it heard his tread it sang, “Go in the path where it is
pleasant,” and began to try to get out its head, but the meat had dried
on its hair. And it sang again the same strain, trying to get out its
head but not succeeding.
The owner laid hold of the horns of the buffalo. When the hyena felt
that the meat was stuck, it asked, “Who is it that is catching me?” The
owner said, “I, the hunter,” and he scolded the hyena, and said, “Where
did you take this meat from?” Then the hyena began to speak with him, and
said, “Please, hunter, do not kill me, but release me, and I will pay you
when I go home”.[48] So the hunter took his knife and cut the ribs of the
buffalo, and said, “Now come to your home,” and they went to the cave,
and the hyena said, “My wife is with children. Go now to your home, but
when this moon has finished, return, come here and I will give you three
children[49] because of your meat.” The hunter said, “I understand, I go
home”. So he took his meat and went home with it.
After this the hyena went and met with a lion, and said, “Well, chief,
if I give you an animal (meat) without hair, what will you pay me?” The
lion said, “I will pay you whatever you want”. Then the hyena took the
lion and conducted him to his cave, and said, “Do you, lion, go into
this cave, and at the end of the moon (month) there shall come an animal
without hair”. The lion asked, and said, “Where lives an animal without
hair? In the bush here all the animals have hair. But where will the
animal without hair come from? Do you mean a man?” The hyena said, “I
mean a man”. So the lion entered the cave and waited for his meat.
At the end of the month there came the man to receive payment for his
meat, and he found at the cave the footprints of a lion, and he began
to be astonished, and said, “Has that hyena changed to a lion?” He was
strong in heart and went into the cave: but when he met the lion and his
wife in the cave he wanted to go back. The lion began to be fierce, and
said, “Why do you go back, my meat?” The man said, “I am not your meat,
but you ate my meat, and said, ‘Come at the end of the month and I will
pay you with three children’”. The lion said, “No, I did not eat your
meat. It was a hyena, and he told me to dwell in this cave, and promised
to give me meat without hair.”
The man objected, and there arose a great quarrel, and the hare came and
found them quarrelling, and said, “Pray, chiefs, leave off this dispute
of yours. O lion, your elder brother[50] sent me to go and tell his
younger brother not to eat the man.” The lion was angry with the hare,
and said, “Get away”. The hare said, “You are angry, but I was sent by
your elder brother to ask you not to eat the man”. The lion said, “Well!
but what am I to do with the man?” The hare said, “Give him to me, I
will conduct him to the path”. Then the hare took out a vessel of honey
and snuff (lit. tobacco for the nostrils), and took, and the lion said,
“Give me[51] that I may taste your snuff”. The hare gave him, and the
lion took (ate) it, and said, “It is good”. The hare then took the honey
into his hands and began to eat, and asked the lion, “Do you want these
sweets that I am eating”. The lion said, “Yes,” and he gave him a little
and told him to lick it. Then the lion licked it, and said, “It is good,
give me more”.[52] The hare said, “Well, I am willing to give you, but
you must first give me your tails, and I will tie them together”. Then
the lion assented, and asked his wife, saying, “Listen, my wife, do you
want to eat sweets?” His wife said “Yes”. The hare said, “Come, I will
tie your tails together,” and the wife came and gave her tail. Then the
hare tied them together. Next he took the man and went out with him. The
lion said, “Are you going away without giving me my sweets?” The hare
laughed at him, saying, “Ah! I will never give you”. Then he took a stone
and threw into the cave and closed it, and the lions died.
46. THE ELEPHANT AND THE HARE.
The elephant and the hare formed a friendship. The elephant said, “Friend
let us go and hoe a field”. The hare said, “Come let us cut handles (for
our hoes)”. When they had cut the handles they said, “Come let us put
on our hoes”.[53] When they had put on the hoes, they said, “Come let us
hoe”. As they were hoeing the hoe of the hare came out, and it said, “I
am here, my chief, I have come to you to put in my hoe”. The elephant
said, “How will you put it in!” The hare said, “I will put it in on your
head, I will use it (your head) for a stone. When your hoe comes out, you
will come to me”. The elephant said, “Fix it in”. So the hare knocked his
hoe in, on the elephant’s head. Soon the hare’s hoe fell out again and
the hare came once more to the elephant and said, “O chief, I have come
to put in my hoe on your head,” and it put it in on the elephant’s head
and then went away.
As they hoed, the hoe of the elephant fell out. The elephant said. “Hare,
O chief, my hoe has fallen out! I will fasten it in on your head.”[54]
The hare said, “Wait for me a little:” and it ran off. When the elephant
went to look he saw no one.
47. THE FISH EAGLE AND THE MNG’OMBA.
A fish eagle and a mng’omba (a large bird that feeds on shells)
contracted friendship, and the fish eagle said, “Friend, let us go and
marry wives”. They went to a village and found a woman that had two
girls. The fish eagle said, “We have come to marry”. The man said, “Very
well. You have found girls here.” So the fish eagle married his wife and
his comrade married also his wife.
Then the fish eagle said one day to his companion, “Come and let us kill
fish”. So they went to a lake to kill fish. The fish eagle killed many
fish and the mng’omba killed many shells. At night they said, “Let us go
home”. So the fish eagle tied up his fish and the mng’omba his shells,
and set out to return to their village.[55] When they were half-way, the
mng’omba persuaded the fish eagle saying, “Give me your fish, I will
carry them for you”. So the fish eagle gave him his fish while he took
his comrade’s shells.
Then the mng’omba went on before[56] and ran fast and arrived at the
village and took the fish eagle’s fishes and gave to his mother-in-law.
Afterwards the fish eagle came and found that the mng’omba had divided
his fishes. But the fish eagle did not speak a word, he preserved
silence.[57] His mother-in-law said, “You told us you were going out to
catch fish, but where are they?” But the fish eagle did not answer his
mother-in-law. Then she kept abusing him and said, “You are not a good
husband. I will take my daughter from you and give her to the other man.”
The fish eagle went to his house to sleep without speaking a word.
Next morning the fish eagle said to his comrade, “Come again to the
lake to catch fish”. They went. The fish eagle killed many fishes, the
mng’omba many shells. On their way back[58] when they were half way
to the village the mng’omba wished to persuade the fish eagle again.
But the fish eagle refused and said, “No. You cheated me yesterday and
said, ‘Give me your fish and I will carry them for you,’ and I gave
them and you ran away with them and went to the village and gave your
mother-in-law saying, ‘I have killed these fishes,’ and my mother-in-law
laughed at me yesterday, but to-day I don’t want to give you my fishes, I
will carry them myself”. The mng’omba was very angry and said, “You are
not good,” and the fish eagle asked, “How?”
Then they came to the village and the fish eagle gave his fishes to his
mother-in-law, and she was glad and said, “Now! you are indeed a good
son-in-law”. But with the mng’omba she was angry and said, “Yesterday you
came with fishes, but to-day where are they?” The mng’omba told a lie and
said, “The fish eagle took my fish from me”. The fish eagle heard the
words that the mng’omba spake.
Next morning the fish eagle called his father-in-law.[59] “To-day I want
five men to go with me to the lake to fetch fish”. His father-in-law
said, “Very well,” and gave him five men. The mng’omba said also, “Give
me five men to carry fish”. His father-in-law said, “Very well,” and gave
him five men. Then they both went to the lake and the fish eagle said to
his men, “Put up tents (of grass), let us dry our fishes (in the sun),”
and they put up (tied)[60] three tents. The mng’omba told his people
saying, “Put up three tents, let us dry our fishes”.
The fish eagle went into the lake and began to kill fishes and killed
many. His men opened them up and dried them. The mng’omba went into the
lake and began to kill many shell fish, and he called his men and said,
“Bring baskets and put in the shellfish”. His men said, “We don’t want to
carry shells (or shellfish.[61]) At the village you spoke saying, ‘I go
to kill fish,’ but where are your fish?”
Then the mng’omba began to be angry and abused the fish eagle. The fish
eagle became angry too, and they began to fight.[62] The fish eagle
scratched the mng’omba on the face (eyes) and on the neck, and the
mng’omba was ill and cried, saying, “Mh’m mh’m mh’m!”
Then they all went back to the village. The fish eagle gave many fishes
to his mother-in-law,[59] but the mng’omba gave nothing. Then his
father-in-law[59] drove him away, saying, “Go from our home. I don’t want
you.[63] I want the fish eagle.” Then the mng’omba went away and the fish
eagle remained.
48. THE LAD THAT FED ON AIR.
There was a lad that went to a large village to seek (a girl) in
marriage, and he found a woman that had a female child. He asked the
woman and said, “Please give me your daughter, that I may marry her”. The
woman said, “Yes, I will give her to you”. Then the lad was happy, and
built his house and married his wife.
Then his mother-in-law cooked porridge, and gave him, but he refused,
saying, “I don’t eat porridge, but air (mp’epo)”. The mother-in-law was
surprised, and said, “My son-in-law does not eat porridge, but air!”
One day his mother-in-law sent him to the garden to hoe, and he was
seized with hunger, but his mother-in-law did not give him porridge
because he never ate porridge.
At midnight he arose and went to the mortar and put in his head and
licked all the flour (food) where the women had been pounding. But his
head stuck fast in the mortar, and remained there. His (little) wife went
outside to seek him, and found him in the mortar, and told her mother,
saying, “Mother, come here and see what my husband has done”. Her mother
came and found her son-in-law in the mortar, and said, “Son-in-law, why
did you refuse to eat porridge, lo! your head has stuck in the mortar,
and what am I to do?” The son-in-law was much ashamed and did not speak.
The mother-in-law took an axe and split the mortar: the son-in-law came
out, and went into the house and did not go out again.
[A similar tale is told of a woman whose husband did not make her a
proper mortar. At night she went to lick any flour that might be left in
the mortars of the other wives. Her head stuck, but by her efforts to
disengage herself she turned the mortar over, when it rolled down the
hill, woman and all, greatly to the alarm of the villagers, who all got
up to see what could be the matter.]
49. THE GIRL OF CLAY.[64]
There was a woman that took clay and made a child, and clothed her with
fine calico, and said, “My child, I have made you of clay, if you see
rain, run to the village”. The girl assented to her mother. One day
there came other girls, and said to their companion, “Companion, come
and play”. They went to play. They came to a lake, and took off their
clothing, and began to bathe. They spoke to their companion, and said,
“Come and bathe,” she refused. They said, “You are not good. Why do you
refuse to bathe? Are you ill?” She said, “I am not ill”.
Next day they went to a distant lake, and took off their clothes, and
they said to her, “Come and play in the lake”. Her mother had forbidden
her. But she went into the lake, and began to melt with the water, and
cried, “O mother, come and take me”. Her mother refused, saying, “I told
you long ago not to go into the water, but you have disobeyed”. Then she
died.
50. THE PYTHON.
There was a python, and it caught the child of a buck (Ndogolo). It
happened that the bush was burning, and a flock of buck passed. The
python said, “Hoe to save me at the side here”. The buck said, “What have
you fed on? (What are you stuffed with?)” The python said, “I have not
fed on anything”. The buck replied, “But we should be burned”. Then the
flock of buck passed on.
Then came a man with an axe in his hand. The Python said, “O chief, hoe
to save me”.[65] The man said, “Why, if I hoed to save you, you would
devour me”. The python said, “No, I would not devour you”. The man came
and hoed beside the python. The python then said to the man, “Stay
(sleep) four days, on the fifth come back”. He said, “Yes, I understand,
I will come back”. So he went home and staid four days; on the fifth he
went back, and found that the python had vomited—vomited everything—and
had become a young lad. It said, “Draw near, chief, that we may converse
over our business”. The man drew near, and the lad said, “Put me on
your shoulders”. He put him on his shoulders, then they both entered a
hole; in that hole they went on for three days. On the fourth day they
came to the home of the python, and he put down the python. The latter
said, “I should have died but for this man, he hoed by my side. Those
fellows of buck all refused to hoe for me. He came and hoed to save me,
else I should have died.” The python then brewed beer, and they set to
drinking, and drinking, and drinking. The man then said, “I go home now”.
The python said, “Wait,” and he gave him four bales of calico, and also
a bottle, saying, “Should you encounter war, turn this bottle upon your
enemies, and you will find that they are dead”. The man said, “Stay,
friend,” the latter said, “Go”.[66]
When the man arrived at his home, he found that it was deserted—that war
had been made against it.[67] On reaching his village he encountered
enemies. Then he brought out his bottle, and pointed towards his enemies.
They were all pupulu (!)—dead and gone (!) (Wosepe ’wo pupulu! kumala
kuwa!)
Then the man went to his fields. While hoeing went on an army had
gathered against his village[67]. The enemy pursued him to the fields
where he was. When the man saw the army—let him try ever so much to shew
his bottle—it happened that he had left it at the village, and the enemy
had taken it. Now the enemy caught the man and tied him with ropes (of
bark), and took him to their home. The capturers said, “Don’t kill him
now, we shall kill to-morrow when the people assemble”. Then they went
to put him in the slave-stick. As he lay there, a Rat came, and the man
said, “Who is it that is gnawing at my feet?”[68] The Rat answered and
said, “I am a Rat”. The man said, “If you are a Rat, go into the house of
the chief, and if you find his basket, make a hole in it, when you have
made a hole, if you find a bottle bring it and come here”. So the Rat set
off and went into the house of the chief and found the basket. It was
lying so. Then came the Rat and made a hole in the basket and took the
bottle and went with it to the bondman. The bondman said, “I will pay you
in the morning”.
In the morning as soon as it was dawn, the king assembled all his people,
and went to bring forth the man from his prison. He had his bottle with
him. He was set down in the forum. Some said, “Fetch the spear to kill
him”. He produced his bottle. The people who sat there when he held it up
were dead and gone! The man took all the property and called his friend
the Rat and divided it with him.
51. HIDE AND SEEK.
The honey bird and the bat formed a friendship. The honey bird said, “Let
us play at hiding”. So the bat went under the trees near the river (or
lake) (nyasa). Then came the likuse and swallowed the bat, a crocodile
swallowed the likuse, and a hippopotamus swallowed the crocodile.[69] The
honey bird was going about in search of his friend, but without finding
him. As he was returning from his search he met a hippopotamus and shot
it. The hippopotamus died. The honey bird went away to the village to
call the people to cut up the meat. Many people collected and went to
that meat. As they were cutting it up, they found the crocodile in the
inside (chitumbo) of the hippopotamus. On opening the crocodile they
found the likuse, on opening the likuse they found the bat. The bat came
forth and said, “You have gained”.
Next the honey bird went away. It went into a hole (in a tree) of bees.
The bat then went about in search of its friend. In returning from this,
it found bees. The bat then said, “I will go away to the village”. Then
it took fire and said, “I will fetch my bees (honey) I found there”. It
carried the fire to the tree and began to fell the tree, which came down.
As it looked at the bees, it found the honey bird there. It said, “Take
care, take care, we are going to burn”. So the honey bird came out of the
tree. The bat and the honey bird then sang. Both went home to the village
laughing. When they arrived porridge[70] was cooked and they feasted.
The honey bird and the bat said, “Let us hide again”. The honey bird had
a gun, the bat had a bow. The honey bird went to the bush, and killed a
buffalo, and then went inside his gun, and the meat just lay there. The
bat came and found the meat lying, but did not see where its owner had
gone. Though he called, all was silent—the owner came not. The bat went
to the village to call the people, saying, “I have found meat yonder,
which the honey bird has slain, but I have not found where he has gone
himself, only the gun is lying there”. An offering was then pounded by
his wives and put on the top of the buffalo he had slain. The honey bird
then came out of the gun, and cut up the buffalo, and it was carried to
the village. The honey bird said, “Cook the hearts[71] that we may eat,”
and they were cooked. All the people that carried ate the hearts (mitima).
Next the bat went away with his bow to the bush, and shot a buck
(ndogolo) and it died. The bat itself then went into the reed of the
arrow. The honey bird found the meat of the bat. Though he tried to see
where it had gone itself, he failed, and he said, “I must just go back
to the village to tell that the bat has slain meat”. Then the honey bird
went away to the village to tell many people. The bat’s wives prepared an
offering, and put on the head of the buck. The bat then came out of the
reed. The buck was cut open and carried to the village, and the bat said,
“Cook its heart” (hearts), and the heart was cooked and all eaten.
Then they were happy together saying, “We have played at hiding every
day”.
52. THE MAN WITH DOGS.
There was a man that had ten dogs. Early in the morning he had porridge
cooked for them, and went away to the bush, and killed ten marsh-pigs.
When they were running after another it began to rain, and the man ran to
a cave with his dogs.
Before he was well seated he saw an aged one coming, and the aged one
began to ask, “Who is sitting in the cave?” The man then came out of the
cave and climbed a tree. The aged one said, “Now you are eaten,” and
began to fell the tree.[72] When the tree was about to fall they heard
a bird (Mlamba) saying, “The tree of God shall never fall”. The old man
again began to fell it; they heard the same little bird saying, “The tree
for the Offering will never fall”.
They heard a mpuli[73] crying, “Puli!” when one dog died—“Puli!” another
dog died, and so all the dogs were finished. The man then began to call
the dog at the village which wore the beads. Let the mpuli try to sing
again—they heard the dog call “Puli!” and the aged one died.
[At the end of this tale the narrator gave the advice to keep dogs found
in tale 36. The native dogs look so unpromising that recommendations of
this kind are not uncalled for.]
53. THE GIRL THAT REFUSED A HUSBAND.
There was a girl that refused men,[74] and there came a hyena and married
her. The hyena said, “I will conduct her to my home that she may pay a
visit”. His mother-in-law said, “She does not pound. She only pounds
castor-oil beans.”[75] The son-in-law said, “Yes,” and she accompanied
him on the journey and arrived at the village. At the village they staid
(slept) four days: then the husband said, “I will go and cut bark (to
make cloth)”. He told his chief wife saying, “That girl does not pound”.
When the husband went away, his wife went for the husked grain and said,
“Girl, pound this”. The girl said, “I do not pound, I can only pound
castor-oil beans”. She said, “Who will pound for you? Take the mortar,
put in your grain, and pound”. As she pounded water appeared up to her
loins, she pounded again, and it was at her neck, as she tried again, she
was covered over.
A little bird followed after her master, saying, “Your wife is dead”.
When he returned from his bark cloth he found the water everywhere. The
man then took his small sticks, and said, “Piti, piti, ukosolya mbinji”.
As for the water it was not seen where it had gone. The people then came
out, and the man said, “What did I tell you then? I said that the girl
could not pound. What you won’t hear, you hear when your head is boiling
in a pot.”[76]
54. THE GUINEA FOWL.[77]
As the guinea-fowl flew, it found bamboos springing up, and it called the
partridge and the dove, and all the birds and said, “This is springing
up, come together and look at it, it will destroy people. Come let us
peck it while it grows.” The partridge refused and said, “I will look out
for myself”. The guinea fowl said, “I have warned you now”. So they left
the bamboos growing. When they were grown then came men and found the
foot-prints of guinea fowl and said, “Come let us set traps,” and they
said, “Go and cut bamboos,” so they cut bamboos and set traps.
As the guinea fowl passed, it found the partridge caught, and said, “Ah!
I warned you saying, ‘Come let us peck that which was springing up’. When
you objected it sprung up, and now people have taken it and made a trap,
and you are caught.” The partridge said, “It was for you they set it, and
you have escaped”. The partridge continued, “Release me, peck the cord,
peck it with your beak, when it is broken let us flee and escape.” As the
guinea fowl pecked, the partridge was pecked in the eye and died.
Then came a man. The guinea fowl flew away. He said, “A guinea fowl was
here and has fled”. He took off his belt and set for the guinea-fowls.
Then he went off to return to the village, and he took the partridge.
He found the river swollen.[78] As he crossed, the water took away his
clothes. When he came to the village they said, “Where did you put your
calico”. He said, “It was taken away by the water”. They said, “You did
not make it firm with your belt”. He replied, “I left my belt to snare
guinea fowl.”
They plucked the partridge and cooked it. While his wife was cooking it,
she went out to the stream for water. The man took a plate and took off a
leg and went to a chamber saying, “I will eat it in the chamber”. But the
woman came and washed the ladle and took a plate, and took off one leg,
and went to the chamber. The man then went away before he had eaten, and
said, “She will see me, I must hide my plate”. The woman said (aside), “I
must hide my plate, lest he see it”. She said to him, “Let me pass, let
me pass to the door”. The man said, “Where are you going?” She said, “Let
me pass,” and the plates met—thwack! and were broken. She said, “What did
you carry?” He said, “What did you carry?”[79] She said, “Eating a relish
alone! I was tasting it.” He said, “And I was tasting it too!”
The man took goods and gave the woman, and said, “Do not bring disgrace
on me”. The woman brewed beer, and gave the man, and the matter ended.
[The native husband is highly susceptible to ridicule. The next story has
a similar conclusion].
55. THE MAN WITH THE BRAN PORRIDGE.
There was a man that did not eat bran-porridge, and he married at a
village, and built a house with rooms. Then he killed an elephant, and
carried its tusks to the coast. “Good-bye, my wife; I go a journey to buy
goods”. “Take bran, eat it on the way.” “I don’t eat bran, but flour”;
and he set off to the coast, and sold his ivory; and he got a _fez_—he
got it to the bargain.
“Now, good-bye, my friend,” the other said—“Good-bye; you will meet us
next year; bring more ivory again. We shall sell you more goods. We shall
tell you the price of goods; come to say farewell.” He went to the house
to say farewell, and went off for his home in the Yao country. He arrived
at the village there, and they rejoiced that the caravan had come and
brought goods.
The woman pounded corn[80] and put the bran in a plate, and went to the
stream to wash the husked grain. The man took the bran and put it in his
hat (the new _fez_), and took water, and put it in, and stirred, and ate.
The woman then came to the door, and he took the hat and covered his head
to hide the bran-porridge; lest his wife should see him. “There, I said
I did not eat bran-porridge; my wife will laugh at me.” His wife said,
“What is that on your head, that you are hiding?” He said, “Medicine that
I prepared—for the journey”.
As the bran-porridge trickled down, he said, “Oh, my wife, hunger,
hunger. Some hunger eats weeds of the field, some hunger eats what is
bad. After hoeing for food, we shall eat what is nice at a feast. My
wife, do not tell people that I was seen with bran-porridge on my head.
I will pay you with goods.” So he paid her with goods. The woman brewed
beer, and people collected, and danced and feasted.
56. DISOBEDIENCE.
A man and his wife went to the garden to hoe. The wife saw a nang’kabai
(a bird), and told her husband. He shot it and gave the children to cook.
As they were cooking the bird sang a song, “Roast me well, roast me
well!” They took it to their father, and it sang again, “Roast me well,
te, le; te, le, roast me well!” He said, “It is nothing, I will eat it”.
Then he called his wife and said, “Now, that food is cooked, divide it
for me. I will eat it.” So his wife divided it for him and he ate it to
his porridge.[81]
Next morning they went to the field and said to their children, “You
must wait to cook the porridge for breakfast to which the party will
return at mid-day. See that you don’t eat of that bird.” They said, “We
understand, we will not eat it”.
After that the daughter cooked porridge, and brought some[82] and gave
her brother fowl for a relish. Then her brother refused the fowl and
said, “I will eat of the bird to my porridge”. As he ate he began to grow
the horns of a rhinoceros, and a tail. His sister heard[82] a breaking of
plates and cried, “Tembo, what are you doing?” Then he came out of the
house and began to chase his sister. His sister began to sing, “Mother
you are in the field, Tembo has become a rhinoceros. But your daughter
is not a rhinoceros.” The woman said, “My husband, a person is coming
and singing a song: perhaps it is our children”. But her husband struck
her[83] and said, “You are lazy, you do not want to hoe”. The wife said,
“No, I am not lazy,” and soon they heard it again. And they saw their
daughter coming running from a rhinoceros. The father took his gun and
killed the rhinoceros.[84] Such was the fate of the disobedient boy.[85]
FOOTNOTES
[1] After the subject of Civil Jurisdiction was re-adjusted by
Commissioners sent out for the purpose, criminal cases were specially
considered by a lay superintendent in the Mission, and the offenders were
kept in slave-sticks by the headman of some of the Blantyre villages.
Any headman performed this task with great zest when the offender
was an alien, but when obliged to confine one of his own people (his
‘brothers’), he grumbled very much.
[2] One of the last cases where a flogging was proposed, took place in
the following manner:—A drunk man threatened to make a martyr of one
Englishman whom he attacked with an axe. After a struggle, however, he
was caught and laid past for a flogging. When told of the matter I was
very anxious that the poor fellow should be spared this. He was a native
doctor—a man of some standing among his tribe. Fortunately the white man
that had been assaulted was one who could make allowance for a native.
Next night I got hold of an interpreter and went to reason with the
prisoner, pointing out that he had forgotten himself, and was most likely
to feel the consequences. I explained that I was sorry for him, but that
I could do nothing to help him, and that the only way of escaping was to
tell the injured party that he was sorry for what had happened. I don’t
know how he worded his apology, but next morning he was described as
having been let off because he was so very penitent!
[3] Often spelt Zambesi. Where my spelling of African names differs from
what is sometimes seen in English books, I had a reason. My attention
was directed to the subject in the following manner:—One day I spent a
long time in setting down the derivations of several African names. To
my great annoyance, I felt that in many cases I was busying myself about
words which no African native _had ever heard_! Hence, although sometimes
complying with use and wont, I have often given what I think the more
correct spelling. The Portuguese are more fortunate in spelling native
names than English writers are. Only when a man like Luther could spell
his own name in four different ways (Luther, Ludher, Lutter, Lother),
people that are not etymologists or phonographers, may excuse some laxity
in writing African words.
[4] (I-am) the-driver-away-of-the-pigs: but owing to the abridged
notation the gentleman would go down on the roll-book as Mr. Pigs.
[5] The translation “Deliver as from the Evil One,” adopted in the
Revised Version, is not so easily understood by persons that hear the
prayer for the first time. But (as will be seen from the 3rd and 4th
chapters of Vol. I., as well as from the Native Tales in the Appendix)
the supernatural world of the African is by no means tenantless.
Moreover, the negro is very eager to hear all that the European has to
say on this subject. When a Missionary rendered the well-known words
addressed to Nathanael, “Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the
angels of God _crawling up_ and _crawling down_ upon the Son of Man,”
he was soon asked to explain what he meant by “angels”! The moment
the native understood they were spirits, he was able to improve the
translation which had led him to place them in a different category.
[6] Our stockades were formed of growing trees.
[7] This sentence of mine was published in the Church Missionary Record,
but the words, _and truly_, were inadvertently omitted. They were,
however, in the original letter.
[8] Since my return to England, I was told in a letter from a native that
this man still figures as a kidnapper, and that he recently lighted a
great fire and threw some children into it, who were reduced to ashes.
[9] Although many native females saw the disturbance, they did not come
to speak (§ 68).
[10] Page 218.
[11] Even one of the Deputation publicly declared that blame was due
not “on account of wrong doing, but of want of action”. Now the one
object that I had aimed at, was to act towards the Committee’s colony
at Blantyre exactly as clergymen act towards colonies in all parts of
the world, while I understood that the Lay Missionaries were to go on
with the colonial work in the same way as they had been doing before my
arrival. According to the minute of appointment, I had been sent out as
“Clerical Head of the Mission,” and I had always given the Committee
credit for knowing the laws of the Church too well to make me anything
else. But now it appeared that we had been playing at cross purposes:
for the Directors began to insist that “Clerical Head of the _Mission_”
really meant “Civil Governor of the _Colony_”.
[12] On one occasion there was a great conflagration at Zomba, in which
a house was burned down. Although the danger was great a certain native
was not afraid to mount on the roof. He then called for water, but the
only method available was to hand up some in an old tea-kettle, which his
companions did. He might as well have hoped to extinguish the flames by
throwing on a pinch of snuff. Still he persevered, but, which was more
ridiculous, when the fire came nearer, the man became very thirsty, and
had to drink a large percentage of the water with which he expected to
extinguish the flames!
[13] The Anyasa name for a hippopotamus is _mvu_, the Yao name is
_ndomondo_. The first word is undoubtedly taken from the snorting of the
animal, while the second word may be taken from the splash with which the
animal returns to the river after feeding on the bank.
[14] On such a journey as ours the traveller may make every day so much
of a Sabbath or so little of a Sabbath (as the case may be) that he loses
his reckoning. It is exceedingly easy for a person to do this, and having
nothing to refer to he becomes quite helpless. We were told that on one
occasion, on Lake Nyassa, a party of Missionaries mistook their days, and
while “one day in seven” was diligently observed by them, “the first day
of the week” was profaned!
[15] The longer one labours in Africa the more does he feel what a call
there is in that land for Missionary effort. Christian agency could
effect a great deal more if better directed. Here we have a land teeming
with population. Each Missionary has a field for himself alone, perhaps
as extensive as Great Britain which has its thousands of Clergy. In a
quiet rural parish of Scotland we may have the United Presbyterian,
the Free Church, and the Church of Scotland (all three Presbyterian.)
This gives us three clergymen doing a work which one clergyman could
easily accomplish. In the interests of Christ’s Kingdom this is surely a
pernicious arrangement which is all the worse if the various Christian
bodies instead of fighting with Home Heathenism fight with each other.
What a great deal might be done “to make disciples of all nations” by
employing existing agents! But it is said “Clergymen are unwilling to go
to heathen lands”. This raises the question, ‘What encouragement have
they to become Missionaries?’ The Church of England, for instance, has
no difficulty in finding Clergymen who will become Bishops. A great deal
depends upon the inducements that are held out, and we may say so without
implying that the English Bishop is more mercenary or less self-denying
than a city Missionary.
[16] Since the above was written we have received the sad news that this
devoted servant of God has been called away. His death will be a great
loss not only to his own Mission, but to the whole cause of African
Missions. While at Blantyre we occasionally corresponded with him, and it
was with interest and sympathy that he looked upon our work in the region
once occupied by one of his predecessors. Indeed he had himself laboured
for a short time as far inland as Morumbala. His contributions to the
study of African languages are of the greatest value.
[17] Clapping the hands is a form of salutation. His elder brother whom
he succeeded is now his god.
[18] Besides regarding the strength of armies, the natives look greatly
to the cleverness of those that possess tempting property, believing, as
they do, that a clever man is sure to have a powerful war-medicine.
[19] Here we may trace some hazy idea about the use of spectacles.
[20] We translate the sorcerer’s name.
[21] Simwe was the name of the chief.
[22] The fruit of a native tree. The creation of these men reminds us
of the story of Cadmus, while a disappearance of this kind is common in
other native tales; sometimes the people go away because “called by their
birth names” (§ 52).
[23] Parenthetical remark made by the narrator.
[24] This character is always given to the hyena (litunu), which
corresponds to the wolf in European tales.
[25] Nothing is commoner than to see natives carrying porridge in leaves.
[26] The original is Rabbit or Hare.
[27] This would be the certain result of shouting “war”.
[28] Monkeys are an article of food.
[29] A native version of “Once upon a time there lived a man”.
[30] A similar story is found in Bishop Callaway’s Zulu collection. The
name of the hero there is Uthlakanyana.
[31] I translated this from Chinyasa, I had also several Yao versions of
the tale, one of which says that the occasion of the bargain was that
they had knocked their hoes together.
[32] The word for “roast” in Chiyao is Kalanga, hence the name
Kalikalanje.
[33] Or field.
[34] It is quite common to see this mode of wearing the hair. As the
natives wear so little clothing, it is difficult to describe a person so
as to make identification easy.
[35] Perhaps preparatory to hoeing.
[36] In some of the largest native pumpkins a rabbit might be concealed.
[37] This story comes from a native of Quilimane, and resembles a
European tale found in Grimm’s Collection.
[38] The Anyasa have the same word for bees as for honey. If we were to
translate the above so as to make this evident, we should have “much
honey of life,” or, “much living honey”. The Yao have two different words.
[39] Many tales speak of fatal results from bees. The unclothed native
we might think, would be peculiarly helpless among them. Still, by using
fire, he soon secures the honey.
[40] Nyama applies to the animal when alive, as well as to the flesh.
[41] In this way it is usual for villagers on the river banks to
challenge canoes. It would be very unusual for the crews to pass on
without heeding the call, for then the villagers might fire on them. It
is no excuse to speak of “being in a hurry” in this land. The same rule
applies in the case of strangers passing a village. Europeans, however,
are understood to be always in great haste, and are seldom interrupted.
[42] The Hottentots have tales whose main feature is an incident like
this.
[43] A man stays at his wife’s village.
[44] A present of calico is usual at betrothals.
[45] The ordinary dress does not distinguish a male from a female,
bangles would.
[46] All these arrangements are concessions that the hare obtains
_before_ the “marriage.”
[47] A cleverness like this is much prized and practised by the natives.
[48] The man is allowed his meat and the compensation besides. But for
the promise made by the thief, his life would not have been spared. All
these fables are in exact accordance with native customs.
[49] This is one way in which the natives may “over-draw their bills”.
The promise does not seem in the least strange to those acquainted with
the slave system.
[50] The elder brother is the head of the family or small clan (97).
[51] A general that led an army against the Scotch Highlanders was said
to have committed a great mistake in putting his baggage behind his
army, and not in front. If the goods had been in front, they would have
absorbed all his enemy’s attention! The appearance of eatables will
divert the mind of a native king amidst the most pressing civil cases.
[52] Anything sweet is greatly liked. We often used to give the natives
sweetmeats. At first they were afraid to taste them. After a time,
however, their desire for these things became insatiable.
[53] We should rather speak of putting on the handle (see H).
[54] Simple humour like this is greatly enjoyed by the natives. I suppose
their hares (sungula) like English ones, are most easily killed by a
stroke on the head.
[55] The village according to native law (97), would belong to their
father-in-law, and neither they nor their wives could succeed him. The
father-in-law even if he had no younger brothers, would be succeeded by
the children of his eldest sister.
[56] People always march in Indian or rather in African file. The paths
do not admit of two going abreast. Even after a wide road is made, the
natives still march behind each other (one by one), in a long line.
[57] Natives often act thus, knowing perhaps that the value of their word
is very little.
[58] Abridged. In the native tales we always have repetitions like what
are found in Homer’s Iliad and such ancient books.
[59] In these genderless languages, we have for father-in-law and
mother-in-law the same word in the original. But for native glosses, I
should have been inclined to translate ‘father-in-law’ all through.
[60] “Tie” is always used for “build”. Their houses are “tied” together.
Even in the houses built for the mission there was not a single iron nail.
[61] Same word.
[62] Private parties often settle differences thus. Two women will roll
in the mud biting and scratching each other like furies. They don’t tear
each other’s hair, their hair being so short; but their comparative
nudity makes biting convenient.
[63] A good specimen of native divorce.
[64] This tale is exceedingly common—in various versions.
[65] Hoeing is one method of self-preservation, when one is caught by a
bush fire. These fires are exceedingly dangerous. The smoke accompanying
them is quite blinding. On one occasion I was rescued by natives from
considerable danger.
[66] The usual good-bye.
[67] A common experience in these unsettled lands.
[68] The natives sleep through this treatment. The European awakes with a
scream!
[69] Natives are fond of working out a long series of this kind.
[70] A great element in native rejoicings. It is the negro’s bread.
[71] The word here includes heart, lungs, liver, stomach, entrails—all
the inner part of the animal. The natives eat these first, and may
preserve the rest of the meat.
[72] Many Zulu stories have incidents like the above. In another version
I was told that the instrument used by the old man was his teeth.
[73] The great number of birds have their names formed from their notes,
the root being often doubled as ngwale-gwale.
[74] A tale which is very common under various form. Such tales are
meant to impress the mind of the young African girl with the danger of
not taking the husband that she has been bound to. They are used in
connection with the mysteries, and have built up a public opinion which
is too strong for any poor girl to resist. Many young girls applied at
the mission to be freed from this kind of bondage.
[75] Used for anointing (ornamenting) the person.
[76] This is a native proverb which applies to people that are not moved
by the _prospect_ of danger.
[77] Communicated by Mr. Buchanan.
[78] In the rainy season, streams that one can easily leap over, become
in a few hours quite impassible.
[79] There being no windows it is very dark inside native huts.
[80] Natives do not keep food or even flour in readiness, and the slow
cooking is a great trial to a hungry man.
[81] Their porridge like our bread is seldom eaten alone—but milk is not
used to it.
[82] The brother and sister, though sharing their food with each other,
eat apart.
[83] When a man goes to hoe, one of his reasons is that he may be on the
spot to keep his wives from trifling!
[84] The natives have two names for a rhinoceros according to the number
of its horns. Similarly they have one word for a black cat and quite
a different word for a red cat. If we try to derive the names of all
animals, &c., from sounds produced by them or associated with them we
meet a difficulty here. The natives have about twenty different names for
_beads_ according as they are _black_, _blue_, &c., &c. The scarcity of
adjectives makes this necessary to some extent.
[85] Such stories, stupid as they seem, are valued by the guardians of
children and impress the infant mind with lessons of obedience.