“I am a cock that ought not to be killed—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
I have come to intimate about Tangalimlibo—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Tangalimlibo is dead—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
She dipped water for a person that cannot be
named—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
It was tried to send an ox; it bellowed—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
It was tried to send a dog; it barked—Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
The chief said: “That is good, my cock, go now.”
As the cock was going on his way, some boys who were tending calves saw
him.
One of them said to the others: “Come here, come here, boys; there is a
cock for us to kill.”
Then the cock stood up, and sang his song.
The boys said: “Sing again, we did not hear you plainly.”
So he sang again:
“I am a cock that ought not to be killed—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
I have come to intimate about Tangalimlibo—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Tangalimlibo is dead—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
She dipped water for a person that cannot be
named—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
It was tried to send an ox; it bellowed—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
It was tried to send a dog; it barked—Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Then the boys let him go on his way.
He travelled far from that place and came to a village, where the men
were sitting in the kraal. He flew up on the back of the kraal to rest
himself, and the men saw him.
They said: “Where does this cock come from? We thought all the cocks
here were killed. Make haste, boys, and kill him.”
The cock began to sing his song.
Then the men said: “Wait, boys, we wish to hear what he says.”
They said to him: “Begin again, we did not hear you.”
The cock said: “Give me some food, for I am very hungry.”
The men sent a boy for some millet, and gave it to him. When he had
eaten, he sang his song.
The men said: “Let him go;” and he went on his way.
Then he came to the village of the father of Tangalimlibo, to the house
of those he was seeking. He told the message he was sent to carry. The
mother of Tangalimlibo was a woman skilful in the use of medicines.
She said to her husband: “Get a fat ox to go with us.”
They arrived at the river, and killed the ox.
Then that woman worked with her medicines while they put the meat in
the water. There was a great shaking and a rising up of the river, and
Tangalimlibo came out. There was great joy among those people when they
took her home to her husband.