{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_38339/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_38339","id":"gutenberg_38339","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38339","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Folklore -- South Africa","Tales -- South Africa"],"text":"Produced by Michael Hale, Suzanne Shell and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This\nfile was produced from images generously made available\nby The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSOUTH-AFRICAN\nFOLK-TALES\n\n\nSOUTH-AFRICAN\nFOLK-TALES\n\nBY\nJames A. Honey, M.D.\n\nNEW YORK\nTHE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY\n1910\n\n\n\n\nCOPYRIGHT, 1910, BY\nTHE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY\n\nPublished, November, 1910\n\nTHE TROW PRESS, NEW YORK\n\n\n\n\nAFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED\nTO\nC. F. H. AND F. I. G.\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n                                              PAGE\n\n    INTRODUCTION                                 1\n\n    ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCE IN MODES OF\n      LIFE BETWEEN HOTTENTOTS AND BUSHMEN        8\n\n    THE LOST MESSAGE                            10\n\n    THE MONKEY'S FIDDLE                         14\n\n    THE TIGER, THE RAM, AND THE JACKAL          19\n\n    THE JACKAL AND THE WOLF                     22\n\n    A JACKAL AND A WOLF                         24\n\n    THE LION, THE JACKAL, AND THE MAN           25\n\n    THE WORLD'S REWARD                          28\n\n    THE LION AND THE JACKAL                     33\n\n    TINK-TINKJE                                 42\n\n    THE LION AND JACKAL                         45\n\n    THE LION AND JACKAL                         48\n\n    THE HUNT OF LION AND JACKAL                 53\n\n    THE STORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL         56\n\n    THE LIONESS AND THE OSTRICH                 62\n\n    CROCODILE'S TREASON                         64\n\n    THE STORY OF A DAM                          73\n\n    THE DANCE FOR WATER OR RABBITS'\n      TRIUMPH                                   79\n\n    JACKAL AND MONKEY                           84\n\n    LION'S SHARE                                87\n\n    JACKAL'S BRIDE                              92\n\n    THE STORY OF HARE                           94\n\n    THE WHITE MAN AND SNAKE                    101\n\n    ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE          103\n\n    CLOUD EATING                               105\n\n    LION'S ILLNESS                             107\n\n    JACKAL, DOVE, AND HERON                    109\n\n    COCK AND JACKAL                            111\n\n    ELEPHANT AND TORTOISE                      112\n\n    ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE          115\n\n    TORTOISE HUNTING OSTRICHES                 117\n\n    THE JUDGMENT OF BABOON                     118\n\n    LION AND BABOON                            121\n\n    THE ZEBRA STALLION                         122\n\n    WHEN LION COULD FLY                        124\n\n    LION WHO THOUGHT HIMSELF WISER THAN\n      HIS MOTHER                               126\n\n    LION WHO TOOK A WOMAN'S SHAPE              129\n\n    WHY HAS JACKAL A LONG BLACK STRIPE\n      ON HIS BACK?                             137\n\n    HORSE CURSED BY SUN                        138\n\n    LION'S DEFEAT                              139\n\n    THE ORIGIN OF DEATH                        141\n\n    ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE          143\n\n    A THIRD VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE          144\n\n    A FOURTH VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE         146\n\n    A ZULU VERSION OF THE LEGEND OF THE\n      \"ORIGIN OF DEATH\"                        147\n\n    LITERATURE ON SOUTH-AFRICAN FOLK-LORE      148\n\n\n\n\n\nSOUTH-AFRICAN FOLK-TALES\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nIn presenting these stories, which are of deep interest and value to\nSouth Africans, I hope they may prove of some value to those Americans\nwho have either an interest in animals or who appreciate the folklore of\nother countries.\n\nMany of these tales have appeared among English collections previous to\n1880, others have been translated from the Dutch, and a few have been\nwritten from childhood remembrance. Consequently they do not pretend to\nbe original or unique. Care has been taken not to spoil the ethnological\nvalue for the sake of form or structure; and in all cases they are as\nnearly like the original as a translation from one tongue to another\nwill allow. They are all South-African folklore tales and mainly from\nthe Bushmen. Some are perverted types from what were originally Bushmen\ntales, but have been taken over by Hottentots or Zulus; a few are from\nthe Dutch. Most of these last named will show a European influence,\nespecially French.\n\nSome of the animal stories have appeared in American magazines under the\nauthor's name, but this is the first time that a complete collection has\nappeared since Dr. Bleek published his stories in 1864. The object has\nbeen to keep the stories apart from those which have a mythological or\nreligious significance, and especially to keep it an animal collection\nfree from those in which man appears to take a part.\n\nThere will be found several versions of the same story, and as far as\npossible these will be put in the order of their importance in relation\nto the original. The author does not pretend to be an authority on\nSouth-African folklore, but has only a South-African-born interest in\nwhat springs from that country of sunshine. It is a difficult task to\nattempt to trace the origin of these stories, as there is no country\nwhere there have been so many distinct and primitive races dwelling\ntogether.\n\nThe Bushmen seem to trace back to the earliest Egyptian days, when\ndwarfs were pictured on the tombs of the kings and were a distinct race.\nFrom then until now it has been their pride to say that before men were\nmen, they were; or, to put it clearer, before Africa was inhabited by\nother races, they were there. As represented by some of these stories of\nthe Bushmen, what races have not, then, had their influence on the\nfolklore? According to Stow, they were a wandering primitive race of\nsmall men, painters and sculptors, hunters and herdsmen, and withal a\nrace showing traces of wonderful reasoning and adaptability, with a keen\nsense of justice and a store of pride. Mythological some of their\nstories are, but whether this is due to the influence of the Hottentots,\na later race, it is difficult to say. And, lastly, there are the Kaffirs\nspread over the whole of South Africa, domineering, but backward. The\nvaried influences which may have affected these stories before they\nreached us show what enormous possibilities there are for error in\ntracing the origin of the animal tales here presented. Bleek finds that\na greater congeniality exists between the Hottentot and European mind\nthan is found between the latter and any other of the black races of\nAfrica. Whether he means that this indicates a European origin of the\nfables, I cannot say. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bushmen came\nfrom the north and were the primitive race of south and tropical Africa,\nthe dwarfs of Livingstone, Stanley, and other explorers. Considering,\nthen, the great antiquity of this race, it naturally follows that if\nthese stories are not original with the Bushmen, they are at least so\nmodified as to bear no resemblance to Egyptian, Phoenician, or any other\nancient race which the Bushmen may have come in contact with. Herodotus\ndescribed a race on the upper Nile which corresponds with later\ndescriptions of the Bushmen in tropical and southern Africa.\n\nI agree with what the _South-African Folklore Journal_ stated twenty\nyears or more ago, that with the \"vast strides South Africa is making in\nthe progress of civilization, the native races will either be swept away\nor so altered as to lose many of their ancient habits, customs,\ntraditions, or at least greatly to modify them.\"\n\nKnowing that by a collection of this kind these stories could best be\npreserved, and feeling that others had not read them, I began this\ncollection ten years ago. There is so much done now to preserve what is\nstill Bushmen folklore that I feel this small volume is indeed only a\nsmall addition to the folklore world.\n\n\"South-African folklore is,\" the _South-African Folklore Journal_ says,\n\"in its very nature plain, and primitive in its simplicity; not adorned\nwith the wealth of palaces and precious stones to be met with in the\nfolklore of more civilized nations, but descriptive in great measure of\nthe events of everyday life, among those in a low state of civilization;\nand with the exception of evidences of moral qualities, and of such\nimagery as is connected with the phenomena of nature, very little that\nis grand or magnificent must be looked for in it.\"\n\nBain gives a story related by a Kaffir which shows \"the distribution of\nanimals after the creation.\" This story could not become typically\nKaffir until after the Kaffir came in contact with the European in the\nlast two or three hundred years. However, the story will serve to\nillustrate the people whose stories appear in this volume and to close\nthe Introduction.\n\nTeco, in Kaffir, is the Supreme Being. Teco had every description of\nstock and property.\n\nThere were three nations created, viz., the Whites, the Amakosa, or\nKaffirs, and the Amalouw, or Hottentots. A day was appointed for them to\nappear before the Teco to receive whatever he might apportion to each\ntribe. While they were assembling, a honey bird, or honey guide, came\nfluttering by, and all the Hottentots ran after it, whistling and making\nthe peculiar noise they generally do while following this wonderful\nlittle bird. The Teco remonstrated with them about their behavior, but\nto no purpose. He thereupon denounced them as a vagrant race that would\nhave to exist on wild roots and honey beer, and possess no stock\nwhatever.\n\nWhen the fine herds of cattle were brought, the Kaffirs became very much\nexcited--the one exclaiming, \"That black and white cow is mine!\" and\nanother, \"That red cow and black bull are mine!\" and so on, till at last\nthe Teco, whose patience had been severely taxed by their shouts and\nunruly behavior, denounced them as a restless people, who would only\npossess cattle.\n\nThe Whites patiently waited until they received cattle, horses, sheep,\nand all sorts of property. Hence, the old Kaffir observed, \"You Whites\nhave got everything. We Kaffirs have only cattle, while the Amalouw, or\nHottentots, have nothing.\"\n\n                                                  James A. Honey.\n\n  CAMBRIDGE, MASS., June, 1910.\n\n\n\n\nORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCE IN MODES OF LIFE BETWEEN HOTTENTOTS AND BUSHMEN\n\n\nIn the beginning there were two. One was blind, the other was always\nhunting. This hunter found at last a hole in the earth from which game\nproceeded and killed the young. The blind man, feeling and smelling\nthem, said, \"They are not game, but cattle.\"\n\nThe blind man afterwards recovered his sight, and going with the hunter\nto this hole, saw that they were cows with their calves. He then quickly\nbuilt a kraal (fence made of thorns) round them, and anointed himself,\njust as Hottentots (in their native state) are still wont to do.\n\nWhen the other, who now with great trouble had to seek his game, came\nand saw this, he wanted to anoint himself also. \"Look here!\" said the\nother, \"you must throw the ointment into the fire, and afterwards use\nit.\" He followed this advice, and the flames flaring up into his face,\nburnt him most miserably; so that he was glad to make his escape. The\nother, however, called to him: \"Here, take the kirri (a knobstick), and\nrun to the hills to hunt there for honey.\"\n\nHence sprung the race of Bushmen.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LOST MESSAGE\n\n\nThe ant has had from time immemorial many enemies, and because he is\nsmall and destructive, there have been a great many slaughters among\nthem. Not only were most of the birds their enemies, but Anteater lived\nalmost wholly from them, and Centipede beset them every time and at all\nplaces when he had the chance.\n\nSo now there were a few among them who thought it would be well to hold\ncouncil together and see if they could not come to some arrangement\nwhereby they could retreat to some place of safety when attacked by\nrobber birds and animals.\n\nBut at the gathering their opinions were most discordant, and they could\ncome to no decision.\n\nThere was Red-ant, Rice-ant, Black-ant, Wagtail-ant, Gray-ant,\nShining-ant, and many other varieties. The discussion was a true babel\nof diversity, which continued for a long time and came to nothing.\n\nA part desired that they should all go into a small hole in the ground,\nand live there; another part wanted to have a large and strong dwelling\nbuilt on the ground, where nobody could enter but an ant; still another\nwanted to dwell in trees, so as to get rid of Anteater, forgetting\nentirely that there they would be the prey of birds; another part seemed\ninclined to have wings and fly.\n\nAnd, as has already been said, this deliberation amounted to nothing,\nand each party resolved to go to work in its own way, and on its own\nresponsibility.\n\nGreater unity than that which existed in each separate faction could be\nseen nowhere in the world; each had his appointed task, each did his\nwork regularly and well. And all worked together in the same way. From\namong them they chose a king--that is to say some of the groups did--and\nthey divided the labor so that all went as smoothly as it possibly\ncould.\n\nBut each group did it in its own way, and not one of them thought of\nprotecting themselves against the onslaught of birds or Anteater.\n\nThe Red-ants built their house on the ground and lived under it, but\nAnteater leveled to the ground in a minute what had cost them many days\nof precious labor. The Rice-ants lived under the ground, and with them\nit went no better. For whenever they came out, Anteater visited them and\ntook them out sack and pack. The Wagtail-ants fled to the trees, but\nthere on many occasions sat Centipede waiting for them, or the birds\ngobbled them up. The Gray-ants had intended to save themselves from\nextermination by taking to flight, but this also availed them nothing,\nbecause the Lizard, the Hunting-spider, and the birds went a great deal\nfaster than they.\n\nWhen the Insect-king heard that they could come to no agreement he sent\nthem the secret of unity, and the message of Work-together. But\nunfortunately he chose for his messenger the Beetle, and he has never\nyet arrived at the Ants, so that they are still to-day the embodiment of\ndiscord and consequently the prey of enemies.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MONKEY'S FIDDLE\n\n\nHunger and want forced Monkey one day to forsake his land and to seek\nelsewhere among strangers for much-needed work. Bulbs, earth beans,\nscorpions, insects, and such things were completely exhausted in his own\nland. But fortunately he received, for the time being, shelter with a\ngreat uncle of his, Orang Outang, who lived in another part of the\ncountry.\n\nWhen he had worked for quite a while he wanted to return home, and as\nrecompense his great uncle gave him a fiddle and a bow and arrow and\ntold him that with the bow and arrow he could hit and kill anything he\ndesired, and with the fiddle he could force anything to dance.\n\nThe first he met upon his return to his own land was Brer Wolf. This old\nfellow told him all the news and also that he had since early morning\nbeen attempting to stalk a deer, but all in vain.\n\nThen Monkey laid before him all the wonders of the bow and arrow that he\ncarried on his back and assured him if he could but see the deer he\nwould bring it down for him. When Wolf showed him the deer, Monkey was\nready and down fell the deer.\n\nThey made a good meal together, but instead of Wolf being thankful,\njealousy overmastered him and he begged for the bow and arrow. When\nMonkey refused to give it to him, he thereupon began to threaten him\nwith his greater strength, and so when Jackal passed by, Wolf told him\nthat Monkey had stolen his bow and arrow. After Jackal had heard both of\nthem, he declared himself unqualified to settle the case alone, and he\nproposed that they bring the matter to the court of Lion, Tiger, and the\nother animals. In the meantime he declared he would take possession of\nwhat had been the cause of their quarrel, so that it would be safe, as\nhe said. But he immediately brought to earth all that was eatable, so\nthere was a long time of slaughter before Monkey and Wolf agreed to\nhave the affair in court.\n\nMonkey's evidence was weak, and to make it worse, Jackal's testimony was\nagainst him. Jackal thought that in this way it would be easier to\nobtain the bow and arrow from Wolf for himself.\n\nAnd so fell the sentence against Monkey. Theft was looked upon as a\ngreat wrong; he must hang.\n\nThe fiddle was still at his side, and he received as a last favor from\nthe court the right to play a tune on it.\n\nHe was a master player of his time, and in addition to this came the\nwonderful power of his charmed fiddle. Thus, when he struck the first\nnote of \"Cockcrow\" upon it, the court began at once to show an unusual\nand spontaneous liveliness, and before he came to the first waltzing\nturn of the old tune the whole court was dancing like a whirlwind.\n\nOver and over, quicker and quicker, sounded the tune of \"Cockcrow\" on\nthe charmed fiddle, until some of the dancers, exhausted, fell down,\nalthough still keeping their feet in motion. But Monkey, musician as he\nwas, heard and saw nothing of what had happened around him. With his\nhead placed lovingly against the instrument, and his eyes half closed,\nhe played on, keeping time ever with his foot.\n\nWolf was the first to cry out in pleading tones breathlessly, \"Please\nstop, Cousin Monkey! For love's sake, please stop!\"\n\nBut Monkey did not even hear him. Over and over sounded the resistless\nwaltz of \"Cockcrow.\"\n\nAfter a while Lion showed signs of fatigue, and when he had gone the\nround once more with his young lion wife, he growled as he passed\nMonkey, \"My whole kingdom is yours, ape, if you just stop playing.\"\n\n\"I do not want it,\" answered Monkey, \"but withdraw the sentence and give\nme my bow and arrow, and you, Wolf, acknowledge that you stole it from\nme.\"\n\n\"I acknowledge, I acknowledge!\" cried Wolf, while Lion cried, at the\nsame instant, that he withdrew the sentence.\n\nMonkey gave them just a few more turns of the \"Cockcrow,\" gathered up\nhis bow and arrow, and seated himself high up in the nearest camel thorn\ntree.\n\nThe court and other animals were so afraid that he might begin again\nthat they hastily disbanded to new parts of the world.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TIGER, THE RAM, AND THE JACKAL\n\n\nTiger (leopard) was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he\nlighted on the kraal of Ram. Now, Tiger had never seen Ram before, and\naccordingly, approaching submissively, he said, \"Good day, friend! What\nmay your name be?\"\n\nThe other in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot,\nsaid, \"I am Ram. Who are you?\"\n\n\"Tiger,\" answered the other, more dead than alive, and then, taking\nleave of Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.\n\nJackal lived at the same place as Tiger did, and the latter going to\nhim, said, \"Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead\nwith fright, for I have just seen a terrible looking fellow, with a\nlarge and thick head, and on my asking him what his name was, he\nanswered, 'I am Ram.'\"\n\n\"What a foolish fellow you are,\" cried Jackal, \"to let such a nice piece\nof flesh stand! Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it\ntogether.\"\n\nNext day the two set off for the kraal of Ram, and as they appeared over\na hill, Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating\nwhere he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he\nimmediately went to his wife and said, \"I fear this is our last day, for\nJackal and Tiger are both coming against us. What shall we do?\"\n\n\"Don't be afraid,\" said the wife, \"but take up the child in your arms,\ngo out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.\" Ram\ndid so as the confederates came on.\n\nNo sooner did Tiger cast his eyes on Ram than fear again took possession\nof him, and he wished to turn back. Jackal had provided against this,\nand made Tiger fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, \"Come\non,\" when Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same\ntime, \"You have done well, Friend Jackal, to have brought us Tiger to\neat, for you hear how my child is crying for food.\"\n\nOn these dreadful words Tiger, notwithstanding the entreaties of Jackal\nto let him go, to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragged\nJackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks,\nand never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and\nhalf-dead Jackal to his place again. And so Ram escaped.\n\n\n\n\nTHE JACKAL AND THE WOLF\n\n\nOnce on a time Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a\nwagon returning from the seaside laden with fish; he tried to get into\nthe wagon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before and lay\nin the road as if dead. The wagon came up to him, and the leader cried\nto the driver, \"Here is a fine kaross for your wife!\"\n\n\"Throw it into the wagon,\" said the driver, and Jackal was thrown in.\n\nThe wagon traveled on, through a moonlight night, and all the while\nJackal was throwing out the fish into the road; he then jumped out\nhimself and secured a great prize. But stupid old Wolf (hyena), coming\nby, ate more than his share, for which Jackal owed him a grudge, and he\nsaid to him, \"You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of\na wagon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.\"\n\n\"So!\" mumbled Wolf.\n\nAccordingly, when the next wagon came from the sea, Wolf stretched\nhimself out in the road. \"What ugly thing is this?\" cried the leader,\nand kicked Wolf. He then took a stick and thrashed him within an inch of\nhis life. Wolf, according to the directions of Jackal, lay quiet as long\nas he could; he then got up and hobbled off to tell his misfortune to\nJackal, who pretended to comfort him.\n\n\"What a pity,\" said Wolf, \"I have not got such a handsome skin as you\nhave!\"\n\n\n\n\nA JACKAL AND A WOLF\n\n\nJackal and Wolf went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants.\nIn the middle of the night Jackal rose and smeared Wolf's tail with some\nfat, and then ate all the rest of it in the house. In the morning the\nman missed the fat, and he immediately accused Jackal of having eaten\nit. \"Look at Wolf's tail,\" said the rogue, \"and you will see who is the\nthief.\" The man did so, and then thrashed Wolf till he was nearly dead.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, THE JACKAL, AND THE MAN\n\n\nIt so happened one day that Lion and Jackal came together to converse on\naffairs of land and state. Jackal, let me say, was the most important\nadviser to the king of the forest, and after they had spoken about these\nmatters for quite a while, the conversation took a more personal turn.\n\nLion began to boast and talk big about his strength. Jackal had,\nperhaps, given him cause for it, because by nature he was a flatterer.\nBut now that Lion began to assume so many airs, said he, \"See here,\nLion, I will show you an animal that is still more powerful than you\nare.\"\n\nThey walked along, Jackal leading the way, and met first a little boy.\n\n\"Is this the strong man?\" asked Lion.\n\n\"No,\" answered Jackal, \"he must still become a man, O king.\"\n\nAfter a while they found an old man walking with bowed head and\nsupporting his bent figure with a stick.\n\n\"Is this the wonderful strong man?\" asked Lion.\n\n\"Not yet, O king,\" was Jackal's answer, \"he has been a man.\"\n\nContinuing their walk a short distance farther, they came across a young\nhunter, in the prime of youth, and accompanied by some of his dogs.\n\n\"There you have him now, O king,\" said Jackal. \"Pit your strength\nagainst his, and if you win, then truly you are the strength of the\nearth.\"\n\nThen Jackal made tracks to one side toward a little rocky kopje from\nwhich he would be able to see the meeting.\n\nGrowling, growling, Lion strode forward to meet the man, but when he\ncame close the dogs beset him. He, however, paid but little attention to\nthe dogs, pushed and separated them on all sides with a few sweeps of\nhis front paws. They howled aloud, beating a hasty retreat toward the\nman.\n\nThereupon the man fired a charge of shot, hitting him behind the\nshoulder, but even to this Lion paid but little attention. Thereupon the\nhunter pulled out his steel knife, and gave him a few good jabs. Lion\nretreated, followed by the flying bullets of the hunter.\n\n\"Well, are you strongest now?\" was Jackal's first question when Lion\narrived at his side.\n\n\"No, Jackal,\" answered Lion, \"let that fellow there keep the name and\nwelcome. Such as he I have never before seen. In the first place he had\nabout ten of his bodyguard storm me. I really did not bother myself much\nabout them, but when I attempted to turn him to chaff, he spat and blew\nfire at me, mostly into my face, that burned just a little but not very\nbadly. And when I again endeavored to pull him to the ground he jerked\nout from his body one of his ribs with which he gave me some very ugly\nwounds, so bad that I had to make chips fly, and as a parting he sent\nsome warm bullets after me. No, Jackal, give him the name.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WORLD'S REWARD\n\n\nOnce there was a man that had an old dog, so old that the man desired to\nput him aside. The dog had served him very faithfully when he was still\nyoung, but ingratitude is the world's reward, and the man now wanted to\ndispose of him. The old dumb creature, however, ferreted out the plan of\nhis master, and so at once resolved to go away of his own accord.\n\nAfter he had walked quite a way he met an old bull in the veldt.\n\n\"Don't you want to go with me?\" asked the dog.\n\n\"Where?\" was the reply.\n\n\"To the land of the aged,\" said the dog, \"where troubles don't disturb\nyou and thanklessness does not deface the deeds of man.\"\n\n\"Good,\" said the bull, \"I am your companion.\"\n\nThe two now walked on and found a ram.\n\nThe dog laid the plan before him, and all moved off together, until they\nafterwards came successively upon a donkey, a cat, a cock, and a goose.\n\nThese joined their company, and the seven set out on their journey.\n\nLate one night they came to a house and through the open door they saw a\ntable spread with all kinds of nice food, of which some robbers were\nhaving their fill. It would help nothing to ask for admittance, and\nseeing that they were hungry, they must think of something else.\n\nTherefore the donkey climbed up on the bull, the ram on the donkey, the\ndog on the ram, the cat on the dog, the goose on the cat, and the cock\non the goose, and with one accord they all let out terrible\n(threatening) noises (cryings).\n\nThe bull began to bellow, the donkey to bray, the dog to bark, the ram\nto bleat, the cat to mew, the goose to giggle gaggle, and the cock to\ncrow, all without cessation.\n\nThe people in the house were frightened perfectly limp; they glanced\nout through the front door, and there they stared on the strange sight.\nSome of them took to the ropes over the back lower door, some\ndisappeared through the window, and in a few counts the house was empty.\n\nThen the seven old animals climbed down from one another, stepped into\nthe house, and satisfied themselves with the delicious food.\n\nBut when they had finished, there still remained a great deal of food,\ntoo much to take with them on their remaining journey, and so together\nthey contrived a plan to hold their position until the next day after\nbreakfast.\n\nThe dog said, \"See here, I am accustomed to watch at the front door of\nmy master's house,\" and thereupon flopped himself down to sleep; the\nbull said, \"I go behind the door,\" and there he took his position; the\nram said, \"I will go up on to the loft\"; the donkey, \"I at the middle\ndoor\"; the cat, \"I in the fireplace\"; the goose, \"I in the back door\";\nand the cock said, \"I am going to sleep on the bed.\"\n\nThe captain of the robbers after a while sent one of his men back to\nsee if these creatures had yet left the house.\n\nThe man came very cautiously into the neighborhood, listened and\nlistened, but he heard nothing; he peeped through the window, and saw in\nthe grate just two coals still glimmering, and thereupon started to walk\nthrough the front door.\n\nThere the old dog seized him by the leg. He jumped into the house, but\nthe bull was ready, swept him up with his horns, and tossed him on to\nthe loft. Here the ram received him and pushed him off the loft again.\nReaching ground, he made for the middle door, but the donkey set up a\nterrible braying and at the same time gave him a kick that landed him in\nthe fireplace, where the cat flew at him and scratched him nearly to\npieces. He then jumped out through the back door, and here the goose got\nhim by the trousers. When he was some distance away the cock crowed. He\nthereupon ran so that you could hear the stones rattle in the dark.\n\nPurple and crimson and out of breath, he came back to his companions.\n\n\"Frightful, frightful!\" was all that they could get from him at first,\nbut after a while he told them.\n\n\"When I looked through the window I saw in the fireplace two bright\ncoals shining, and when I wanted to go through the front door to go and\nlook, I stepped into an iron trap. I jumped into the house, and there\nsome one seized me with a fork and pitched me up on to the loft, there\nagain some one was ready, and threw me down on all fours. I wanted to\nfly through the middle door, but there some one blew on a trumpet, and\nsmote me with a sledge hammer so that I did not know where I landed; but\ncoming to very quickly, I found I was in the fireplace, and there\nanother flew at me and scratched the eyes almost out of my head. I\nthereupon fled out of the back door, and lastly I was attacked on the\nleg by the sixth with a pair of fire tongs, and when I was still running\naway, some one shouted out of the house, 'Stop him, stop h--i--m!'\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND JACKAL\n\n\nNot because he was exactly the most capable or progressive fellow in the\nneighborhood, but because he always gave that idea--that is why Jackal\nslowly acquired among the neighbors the name of a \"progressive man.\" The\ntruly well-bred people around him, who did not wish to hurt his\nfeelings, seemed to apply this name to him, instead of, for instance,\n\"cunning scamp,\" or \"all-wise rat-trap,\" as so many others often dubbed\nhim. He obtained this name of \"a progressive man\" because he spoke most\nof the time English, especially if he thought some of them were present\nwho could not understand it, and also because he could always hold his\nbody so much like a judge on public occasions.\n\nHe had a smooth tongue, could make quite a favorable speech, and\nespecially with good effect could he expatiate on the backwardness of\nothers. Underneath he really was the most unlettered man in the\nvicinity, but he had perfect control over his inborn cunningness, which\nallowed him for a long time to go triumphantly through life as a man of\ngreat ability.\n\nOne time, for instance, he lost his tail in an iron trap. He had long\nattempted to reach the Boer's goose pen, and had framed many good plans,\nbut when he came to his senses, he was sitting in front of the goose pen\nwith his tail in the iron trap, the dogs all the time coming for him.\nWhen he realized what it meant, he mustered together all his strength\nand pulled his tail, which he always thought so much of, clean off.\n\nThis would immediately have made him the butt of the whole neighborhood\nhad he not thought of a plan. He called together a meeting of the\njackals, and made them believe that Lion had issued a proclamation to\nthe effect that all jackals in the future should be tailless, because\ntheir beautiful tails were a thorn in the eyes of more unfortunate\nanimals.\n\nIn his smooth way he told them how he regretted that the king should\nhave the barbaric right to interfere with his subjects. But so it was;\nand he thought the sooner he paid attention to it the safer. Therefore\nhe had had his tail cut off already and he should advise all his friends\nto do the same. And so it happened that once all jackals for a long time\nwere without tails. Later on they grew again.\n\nIt was about the same time that Tiger hired Jackal as a schoolmaster.\nTiger was in those days the richest man in the surrounding country, and\nas he had had to suffer a great deal himself because he was so\nuntutored, he wanted his children to have the best education that could\nbe obtained.\n\nIt was shortly after a meeting, in which it was shown how important a\nthing an education was, that Tiger approached Jackal and asked him to\ncome and teach his children.\n\nJackal was very ready to do this. It was not exactly his vocation, he\nsaid, but he would do it to pass time and just out of friendship for his\nneighbor. His and Tiger's farm lands lay next each other.\n\nThat he did not make teaching his profession and that he possessed no\ndegree was of no account in the eyes of Tiger.\n\n\"Do not praise my goodness so much, Cousin Jackal,\" laughed he. \"We know\nyour worth well enough. Much rather would I intrust my offspring to you\nthan to the many so-called schoolmasters, for it is especially my wish,\nas well as that of their mother, to have our children obtain a\nprogressive education, and to make such men and women of them that with\nthe same ability as you have they can take their lawful places in this\nworld.\"\n\n\"One condition,\" said Jackal, \"I must state. It will be very\ninconvenient for me, almost impossible, to come here to your farm and\nhold school. My own farm would in that case go to pieces, and that I\ncannot let happen. It would never pay me.\"\n\nTiger answered that it was not exactly necessary either. In spite of\ntheir attachment to the little ones, they saw that it would probably be\nto their benefit to place them for a while in a stranger's house.\n\nJackal then told of his own bringing up by Wolf. He remembered well how\nsmall he was when his father sent him away to study with Wolf.\nNaturally, since then, he had passed through many schools, Wolf was only\nhis first teacher. And only in his later days did he realize how much\ngood it had done him.\n\n\"A man must bend the sapling while it is still young,\" said he. \"There\nis no time that the child is so open to impressions as when he is\nplastic, about the age that most of your children are at present, and I\nwas just thinking you would be doing a wise thing to send them away for\nquite a while.\"\n\nHe had, fortunately, just then a room in his house that would be suited\nfor a schoolroom, and his wife could easily make some arrangement for\ntheir lodging, even if they had to enlarge their dwelling somewhat.\n\nIt was then and there agreed upon. Tiger's wife was then consulted about\none thing and another, and the following day the children were to leave.\n\n\"I have just thought of one more thing,\" remarked Jackal, \"seven\nchildren, besides my little lot, will be quite a care on our hands, so\nyou will have to send over each week a fat lamb, and in order not to\ndisturb their progress, the children will have to relinquish the idea of\na vacation spent with you for some time. When I think they have become\nused to the bit, I will inform you, and then you can come and take them\nto make you a short visit, but not until then.\n\n\"It is also better,\" continued he, \"that they do not see you for the\nfirst while, but your wife can come and see them every Saturday and I\nwill see to all else.\"\n\nOn the following day there was an unearthly howling and wailing when the\nchildren were to leave. But Tiger and their mother showed them that it\nwas best and that some day they would see that it was all for their\ngood, and that their parents were doing it out of kindness. Eventually\nthey were gone.\n\nThe first Saturday dawned, and early that morning Mrs. Tiger was on her\nway to Jackal's dwelling, because she could not defer the time any\nlonger.\n\nShe was still a long way off when Jackal caught sight of her. He always\nobserved neighborly customs, and so stepped out to meet her.\n\nAfter they had greeted each other, Mrs. Tiger's first question was:\n\"Well, Cousin Jackal, how goes everything with the small team? Are they\nstill all well and happy, and do they not trouble you, Cousin Jackal,\ntoo much?\"\n\n\"Oh, my goodness, no, Mrs. Tiger,\" answered Jackal enthusiastically,\n\"but don't let us talk so loud, because if they heard you, it certainly\nwould cause them many heartfelt tears and they might also want to go\nback with you and then all our trouble would have been for nothing.\"\n\n\"But I would like to see them, Cousin Jackal,\" said Mrs. Tiger a little\ndisturbed.\n\n\"Why certainly, Mrs. Tiger,\" was his answer, \"but I do not think it is\nwise for them to see you. I will lift them up to the window one by one,\nand then you can put your mind at rest concerning their health and\nprogress.\"\n\nAfter Mr. and Mrs. Jackal and Mrs. Tiger had sat together for some time\ndrinking coffee and talking over one thing and another, Jackal took\nTiger's wife to a door and told her to look through it, out upon the\nback yard. There he would show her the children one by one, while they\nwould not be able to see her. Everything was done exactly as Jackal had\nsaid, but the sixth little tiger he picked up twice, because the\nfirstborn he had the day before prepared in pickle for their Sunday\nmeal.\n\nAnd so it happened every Saturday until the last little tiger--which was\nthe youngest--had to be lifted up seven times in succession.\n\nAnd when Mrs. Tiger came again the following week all was still as death\nand everything seemed to have a deserted appearance on the estate. She\nwalked straight to the front door, and there she found a letter in the\npoll grass near the door, which read thus:\n\n     \"We have gone for a picnic with the children. From there we\n     will ride by Jackalsdance for New Year. This is necessary for\n     the completion of their progressive education.\"\n\n                                                    JACKAL.\n\nSaturday after Saturday did Mrs. Tiger go and look, but every time\nJackal's house seemed to look more deserted; and after a while there was\na spider's web over the door and the trail of Snake showed that he, too,\nhad taken up his abode there.\n\n\n\n\nTINK-TINKJE\n\n\nThe birds wanted a king. Men have a king, so have animals, and why\nshouldn't they? All had assembled.\n\n\"The Ostrich, because he is the largest,\" one called out.\n\n\"No, he can't fly.\"\n\n\"Eagle, on account of his strength.\"\n\n\"Not he, he is too ugly.\"\n\n\"Vulture, because he can fly the highest.\"\n\n\"No, Vulture is too dirty, his odor is terrible.\"\n\n\"Peacock, he is so beautiful.\"\n\n\"His feet are too ugly, and also his voice.\"\n\n\"Owl, because he can see well.\"\n\n\"Not Owl, he is ashamed of the light.\"\n\nAnd so they got no further. Then one shouted aloud, \"He who can fly the\nhighest will be king.\" \"Yes, yes,\" they all screamed, and at a given\nsignal they all ascended straight up into the sky.\n\nVulture flew for three whole days without stopping, straight toward the\nsun. Then he cried aloud, \"I am the highest, I am king.\"\n\n\"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie,\" he heard above him. There Tink-tinkje was flying.\nHe had held fast to one of the great wing feathers of Vulture, and had\nnever been felt, he was so light. \"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie, I am the\nhighest, I am king,\" piped Tink-tinkje.\n\nVulture flew for another day still ascending. \"I am highest, I am king.\"\n\n\"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie, I am the highest, I am king,\" Tink-tinkje mocked.\nThere he was again, having crept out from under the wing of Vulture.\n\nVulture flew on the fifth day straight up in the air. \"I am the highest,\nI am king,\" he called.\n\n\"T-sie, t-sie, t-sie,\" piped the little fellow above him. \"I am the\nhighest, I am king.\"\n\nVulture was tired and now flew direct to earth. The other birds were mad\nthrough and through. Tink-tinkje must die because he had taken\nadvantage of Vulture's feathers and there hidden himself. All flew after\nhim and he had to take refuge in a mouse hole. But how were they to get\nhim out? Some one must stand guard to seize him the moment he put out\nhis head.\n\n\"Owl must keep guard; he has the largest eyes; he can see well,\" they\nexclaimed.\n\nOwl went and took up his position before the hole. The sun was warm and\nsoon Owl became sleepy and presently he was fast asleep.\n\nTink-tinkje peeped, saw that Owl was asleep, and z-zip away he went.\nShortly afterwards the other birds came to see if Tink-tinkje were still\nin the hole. \"T-sie, t-sie,\" they heard in a tree; and there the little\nvagabond was sitting.\n\nWhite-crow, perfectly disgusted, turned around and exclaimed, \"Now I\nwon't say a single word more.\" And from that day to this White-crow has\nnever spoken. Even though you strike him, he makes no sound, he utters\nno cry.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND JACKAL\n\n\nLion had now caught a large eland which lay dead on the top of a high\nbank. Lion was thirsty and wanted to go and drink water. \"Jackal, look\nafter my eland, I am going to get a drink. Don't you eat any.\"\n\n\"Very well, Uncle Lion.\"\n\nLion went to the river and Jackal quietly removed a stone on which Lion\nhad to step to reach the bank on his return. After that Jackal and his\nwife ate heartily of the eland. Lion returned, but could not scale the\nbank. \"Jackal, help me,\" he shouted.\n\n\"Yes, Uncle Lion, I will let down a rope and then you can climb up.\"\n\nJackal whispered to his wife, \"Give me one of the old, thin hide ropes.\"\nAnd then aloud he added, \"Wife, give me one of the strong, buffalo\nropes, so Uncle Lion won't fall.\"\n\nHis wife gave him an old rotten rope. Jackal and his wife first ate\nravenously of the meat, then gradually let the rope down. Lion seized it\nand struggled up. When he neared the brink Jackal gave the rope a jerk.\nIt broke and down Lion began to roll--rolled the whole way down, and\nfinally lay at the foot near the river.\n\nJackal began to beat a dry hide that lay there as he howled, cried, and\nshouted: \"Wife, why did you give me such a bad rope that caused Uncle\nLion to fall?\"\n\nLion heard the row and roared, \"Jackal, stop beating your wife. I will\nhurt you if you don't cease. Help me to climb up.\"\n\n\"Uncle Lion, I will give you a rope.\" Whispering again to his wife,\n\"Give me one of the old, thin hide ropes,\" and shouting aloud again,\n\"Give me a strong, buffalo rope, wife, that will not break again with\nLion.\"\n\nJackal gave out the rope, and when Lion had nearly reached the top, he\ncut the rope through. Snap! and Lion began to roll to the bottom. Jackal\nagain beat on the hide and shouted, \"Wife, why did you give me such a\nrotten rope? Didn't I tell you to give me a strong one?\" Lion roared,\n\"Jackal, stop beating your wife at once. Help me instantly or you will\nbe sorry.\"\n\n\"Wife,\" Jackal said aloud, \"give me now the strongest rope you have,\"\nand aside to her, \"Give me the worst rope of the lot.\"\n\nJackal again let down a rope, but just as Lion reached the top, Jackal\ngave a strong tug and broke the rope. Poor old Lion rolled down the side\nof the hill and lay there roaring from pain. He had been fatally hurt.\n\nJackal inquired, \"Uncle Lion, have you hurt yourself? Have you much\npain? Wait a while, I am coming directly to help you.\" Jackal and his\nwife slowly walked away.\n\n\n\n\nLION AND JACKAL\n\n\nThe Lion and the Jackal agreed to hunt on shares, for the purpose of\nlaying in a stock of meat for the winter months for their families.\n\nAs the Lion was by far the more expert hunter of the two, the Jackal\nsuggested that he (himself) should be employed in transporting the game\nto their dens, and that Mrs. Jackal and the little Jackals should\nprepare and dry the meat, adding that they would take care that Mrs.\nLion and her family should not want.\n\nThis was agreed to by the Lion, and the hunt commenced.\n\nAfter a very successful hunt, which lasted for some time, the Lion\nreturned to see his family, and also to enjoy, as he thought, a\nplentiful supply of his spoil; when, to his utter surprise, he found\nMrs. Lion and all the young Lions on the point of death from sheer\nhunger, and in a mangy state. The Jackal, it appeared, had only given\nthem a few entrails of the game, and in such limited quantities as\nbarely to keep them alive; always telling them that they (i. e., the\nLion and himself) had been most unsuccessful in their hunting; while his\nown family was reveling in abundance, and each member of it was sleek\nand fat.\n\nThis was too much for the Lion to bear. He immediately started off in a\nterrible fury, vowing certain death to the Jackal and all his family,\nwherever he should meet them. The Jackal was more or less prepared for a\nstorm, and had taken the precaution to remove all his belongings to the\ntop of a krantz (i. e., a cliff), accessible only by a most difficult\nand circuitous path, which he alone knew.\n\nWhen the Lion saw him on the krantz, the Jackal immediately greeted him\nby calling out, \"Good morning, Uncle Lion.\"\n\n\"How dare you call me uncle, you impudent scoundrel,\" roared out the\nLion, in a voice of thunder, \"after the way in which you have behaved to\nmy family?\"\n\n\"Oh, Uncle! How shall I explain matters? That beast of a wife of mine!\"\nWhack, whack was heard, as he beat with a stick on dry hide, which was a\nmere pretence for Mrs. Jackal's back; while that lady was preinstructed\nto scream whenever he operated on the hide, which she did with a\nvengeance, joined by the little Jackals, who set up a most doleful\nchorus. \"That wretch!\" said the Jackal. \"It is all her doing. I shall\nkill her straight off,\" and away he again belabored the hide, while his\nwife and children uttered such a dismal howl that the Lion begged of him\nto leave off flogging his wife. After cooling down a little, he invited\nUncle Lion to come up and have something to eat. The Lion, after several\nineffectual attempts to scale the precipice, had to give it up.\n\nThe Jackal, always ready for emergencies, suggested that a reim should\nbe lowered to haul up his uncle. This was agreed to, and when the Lion\nwas drawn about halfway up by the whole family of Jackals, the reim was\ncleverly cut, and down went the Lion with a tremendous crash which hurt\nhim very much. Upon this, the Jackal again performed upon the hide with\ntremendous force, for their daring to give him such a rotten reim, and\nMrs. Jackal and the little ones responded with some fearful screams and\nyells. He then called loudly out to his wife for a strong buffalo reim\nwhich would support any weight. This again was lowered and fastened to\nthe Lion, when all hands pulled away at their uncle; and, just when he\nhad reached so far that he could look over the precipice into the pots\nto see all the fat meat cooking, and all the biltongs hanging out to\ndry, the reim was again cut, and the poor Lion fell with such force that\nhe was fairly stunned for some time. After the Lion had recovered his\nsenses, the Jackal, in a most sympathizing tone, suggested that he was\nafraid that it was of no use to attempt to haul him up onto the\nprecipice, and recommended, instead, that a nice fat piece of eland's\nbreast be roasted and dropped into the Lion's mouth. The Lion, half\nfamished with hunger, and much bruised, readily accepted the offer, and\nsat eagerly awaiting the fat morsel. In the mean time, the Jackal had a\nround stone made red-hot, and wrapped a quantity of inside fat, or suet,\nround it, to make it appear like a ball of fat. When the Lion saw it\nheld out, he opened his capacious mouth to the utmost extent, and the\nwily Jackal cleverly dropped the hot ball right into it, which ran\nthrough the poor old beast, killing him on the spot.\n\nIt need hardly be told that there was great rejoicing on the precipice\nthat night.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HUNT OF LION AND JACKAL\n\n\nLion and Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for Eland. Lion\nshot (with a bow) and missed, but Jackal hit and sang out, \"Hah! hah!\"\n\nLion said, \"No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.\"\n\nJackal answered, \"Yea, my father, thou hast hit.\"\n\nThen they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut\nit up. Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to Lion, hit his nose so\nthat the blood ran on the spoor of the eland, and followed their track\nthus, in order to cheat Lion. When he had gone some distance, he\nreturned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its\ncarcass, cut out all the fat.\n\nMeanwhile Lion followed the blood-stained spoor of Jackal, thinking\nthat it was eland blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he\nfind out that he had been deceived. He then returned on Jackal's spoor,\nand reached the dead eland, where, finding Jackal in its carcass, he\nseized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.\n\nLion upbraided Jackal with these words: \"Why do you cheat me?\"\n\nJackal answered: \"No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I\nthink. I prepared this fat for you, father.\"\n\nLion said: \"Then take the fat and carry it to your mother\" (the\nlioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and\nchildren.\n\nWhen Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to Lion's wife, but to his\nown wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to Lion's wife, and\nhe pelted Lion's little children with the lungs, saying:\n\n    \"You children of the big-pawed one!\n    You big-pawed ones!\"\n\nHe said to Lioness, \"I go to help my father\" (the lion); but he went far\naway with his wife and children.\n\n\n\n\nSTORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL\n\n\nLittle Jackal one day went out hunting, when he met Lion. Lion proposed\nthat they should hunt together, on condition that if a small antelope\nwas killed it was to be Little Jackal's, and if a large one was killed\nit was to be Lion's. Little Jackal agreed to this.\n\nThe first animal killed was a large eland. Lion was very glad, and said\nto Little Jackal: \"I will continue hunting while you go to my house and\ncall my children to carry the meat home.\"\n\nLittle Jackal replied: \"Yes, I agree to that.\"\n\nLion went away to hunt. When he had gone, Little Jackal went to his own\nhouse and called his own children to carry away the meat. He said: \"Lion\ntakes me for a fool if he thinks I will call his children while my own\nare dying with hunger.\"\n\nSo Little Jackal's children carried the meat to their home on the top of\na high rock, where the only way to get to their house was by means of a\nrope.\n\nLion caught nothing more, and after a time he went home and asked his\nwife where the meat was. She told him there was no meat. He said: \"Did\nnot Little Jackal bring a message to my children to carry meat?\"\n\nHis wife replied: \"No, he was not here. We are still dying with hunger.\"\n\nLion then went to Little Jackal's house, but he could not get up the\nrock to it. So he sat down by the water, waiting. After a time Little\nJackal went to get some water. He was close to the water when he saw\nLion. He at once ran away, and Lion ran after him. He ran into a hole\nunder a tree, but Lion caught his tail before he got far in. He said to\nhim: \"That is not my tail you have hold of; it is a root of the tree. If\nyou do not believe me, take a stone and strike it, and see if any blood\ncomes.\"\n\nLion let go the tail, and went for a stone to prove what it was. While\nhe was gone for the stone, Little Jackal went far into the hole. When\nLion returned he could not be found. Lion lay down by the hole and\nwaited. After a long time Little Jackal wanted to come out. He went to\nthe entrance and looked round, but he could not see Lion. To make sure,\nhe said: \"Ho, I see you, my master, although you are in hiding.\"\n\nLion did not move from the place where he lay concealed. Then Little\nJackal went out, and Lion pursued him, but he got away.\n\nLion watched for him, and one day, when Little Jackal was out hunting,\nhe came upon him in a place where he could not escape. Lion was just\nabout to spring upon him, when Little Jackal said softly: \"Be still, do\nyou not see that bushbuck on the other side of the rock? I am glad you\nhave come to help me. Just remain here while I run round and drive him\ntoward you.\"\n\nLion did so, and Little Jackal made his escape.\n\nAt another time there was a meeting of the animals, and Lion was the\nchief at the meeting. Little Jackal wanted to attend, but there was a\nlaw made that no one should be present unless he had horns. So Little\nJackal took wax out of a nest of bees, and made horns for himself with\nit. He fastened the horns on his head, and went to the meeting. Lion did\nnot know him on account of the horns. But he sat near the fire and went\nto sleep, when the horns melted.\n\nLion looked at him and saw who it was. He immediately tried to catch\nhim, but Little Jackal was quick in springing away. He ran under an\noverhanging rock and sang out: \"Help! help! this rock is falling upon\nme!\"\n\nLion went for a pole to prop up the rock that he might get at Little\nJackal. While he was away, Little Jackal escaped.\n\nAfter that they became companions again, and went hunting another time.\nThey killed an ox. Lion said: \"I will watch it while you carry the\npieces away.\"\n\nLion gave him the breast, and said: \"Take this to my wife.\"\n\nLittle Jackal took it to his own wife. When he returned, Lion gave him a\nshin, and said: \"Take this to your wife.\"\n\nLittle Jackal took the shin to Lion's house. Lion's wife said: \"I cannot\ntake this because it should not come here.\"\n\nLittle Jackal thereupon struck Lion's wife in the face, and went back to\nthe place where the ox was killed. Lion gave him a large piece of meat\nand said: \"Take this to my wife.\"\n\nLittle Jackal took it to his own wife. This continued till the ox was\nfinished. Then they both went home. When Lion arrived at his house he\nfound there was weeping in his family.\n\nHis wife said: \"Is it you who sent Little Jackal to beat me and my\nchildren, and is it you who sent this shin? Did I ever eat a shin?\"\n\nWhen Lion heard this he was very angry and at once went to Little\nJackal's house. When he reached the rock, Little Jackal looked down and\nsaid: \"Who are you, and what is your name, and whose son are you, and\nwhere are you from, and where are you going to, and whom do you want,\nand what do you want him for?\"\n\nLion replied: \"I have merely come to see you. I wish you to let down the\nrope.\"\n\nLittle Jackal let down a rope made of mouse skins, and when Lion climbed\na little way up, the rope broke, and he fell and was hurt. He then went\nhome.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LIONESS AND THE OSTRICH\n\n\nIt is said, once a lioness roared, and the ostrich also roared. The\nlioness went toward the place where the ostrich was. They met. The\nlioness said to the ostrich, \"Please to roar.\" The ostrich roared. Then\nthe lioness roared. The voices were equal. The lioness said to the\nostrich, \"You are my match.\"\n\nThen the lioness said to the ostrich, \"Let us hunt game together.\" They\nsaw eland and made toward it. The lioness caught only one; the ostrich\nkilled a great many by striking them with the claw which was on his leg;\nbut the lioness killed only one. When they had met after the hunting\nthey went to the game, and the lioness saw that the ostrich had killed a\ngreat deal.\n\nNow, the lioness also had young cubs. They went to the shade to rest\nthemselves. The lioness said to the ostrich, \"Get up and rip open; let\nus eat.\" Said the ostrich, \"Go and rip open; I shall eat the blood.\" The\nlioness stood up and ripped open, and ate with the cubs. And when she\nhad eaten, the ostrich got up and ate the blood. They went to sleep.\n\nThe cubs played about. While they were playing, they went to the\nostrich, who was asleep. When he went to sleep he also opened his mouth.\nThe young lions saw that the ostrich had no teeth. They went to their\nmother and said, \"This fellow, who says he is your equal, has no teeth;\nhe is insulting you.\" Then the lioness went to wake the ostrich, and\nsaid, \"Get up, let us fight\"; and they fought. And the ostrich said, \"Go\nto that side of the ant-hill, and I will go to this side of it.\" The\nostrich struck the ant-hill, and sent it toward the lioness. But the\nsecond time he struck the lioness in a vulnerable spot, near the liver,\nand killed her.\n\n\n\n\nCROCODILE'S TREASON\n\n\nCrocodile was, in the days when animals still could talk, the\nacknowledged foreman of all water creatures and if one should judge from\nappearances one would say that he still is. But in those days it was his\nespecial duty to have a general care of all water animals, and when one\nyear it was exceedingly dry, and the water of the river where they had\nlived dried up and became scarce, he was forced to make a plan to trek\nover to another river a short distance from there.\n\nHe first sent Otter out to spy. He stayed away two days and brought back\na report that there was still good water in the other river, real\nsea-cow holes, that not even a drought of several years could dry up.\n\nAfter he had ascertained this, Crocodile called to his side Tortoise and\nAlligator.\n\n\"Look here,\" said he, \"I need you two to-night to carry a report to\nLion. So then get ready; the veldt is dry, and you will probably have to\ntravel for a few days without any water. We must make peace with Lion\nand his subjects, otherwise we utterly perish this year. And he must\nhelp us to trek over to the other river, especially past the Boer's farm\nthat lies in between, and to travel unmolested by any of the animals of\nthe veldt, so long as the trek lasts. A fish on land is sometimes a very\nhelpless thing, as you all know.\" The two had it mighty hard in the\nburning sun, and on the dry veldt, but eventually they reached Lion and\nhanded him the treaty.\n\n\"What is going on now?\" thought Lion to himself, when he had read it. \"I\nmust consult Jackal first,\" said he. But to the commissioners he gave\nback an answer that he would be the following evening with his advisers\nat the appointed place, at the big vaarland willow tree, at the farther\nend of the hole of water, where Crocodile had his headquarters.\n\nWhen Tortoise and Alligator came back, Crocodile was exceedingly\npleased with himself at the turn the case had taken.\n\nHe allowed Otter and a few others to be present and ordered them on that\nevening to have ready plenty of fish and other eatables for their guests\nunder the vaarland willow.\n\nThat evening as it grew dark Lion appeared with Wolf, Jackal, Baboon,\nand a few other important animals, at the appointed place, and they were\nreceived in the most open-hearted manner by Crocodile and the other\nwater creatures.\n\nCrocodile was so glad at the meeting of the animals that he now and then\nlet fall a great tear of joy that disappeared into the sand. After the\nother animals had done well by the fish, Crocodile laid bare to them the\ncondition of affairs and opened up his plan. He wanted only peace among\nall animals; for they not only destroyed one another, but the Boer, too,\nwould in time destroy them all.\n\nThe Boer had already stationed at the source of the river no less than\nthree steam pumps to irrigate his land, and the water was becoming\nscarcer every day. More than this, he took advantage of their\nunfortunate position by making them sit in the shallow water and then,\none after the other, bringing about their death. As Lion was, on this\naccount, inclined to make peace, it was to his glory to take this\nopportunity and give his hand to these peace-making water creatures, and\ncarry out their part of the contract, namely, escort them from the\ndried-up water, past the Boer's farm and to the long sea-cow pools.\n\n\"And what benefit shall we receive from it?\" asked Jackal.\n\n\"Well,\" answered Crocodile, \"the peace made is of great benefit to both\nsides. We will not exterminate each other. If you desire to come and\ndrink water, you can do so with an easy mind, and not be the least bit\nnervous that I, or any one of us will seize you by the nose; and so also\nwith all the other animals. And from your side we are to be freed from\nElephant, who has the habit, whenever he gets the opportunity, of\ntossing us with his trunk up into some open and narrow fork of a tree\nand there allowing us to become biltong.\"\n\nLion and Jackal stepped aside to consult with one another, and then Lion\nwanted to know what form of security he would have that Crocodile would\nkeep to his part of the contract.\n\n\"I stake my word of honor,\" was the prompt answer from Crocodile, and he\nlet drop a few more long tears of honesty into the sand.\n\nBaboon then said it was all square and honest as far as he could see\ninto the case. He thought it was nonsense to attempt to dig pitfalls for\none another; because he personally was well aware that his race would\nbenefit somewhat from this contract of peace and friendship. And more\nthan this, they must consider that use must be made of the fast\ndisappearing water, for even in the best of times it was an unpleasant\nthing to be always carrying your life about in your hands. He would,\nhowever, like to suggest to the King that it would be well to have\neverything put down in writing, so that there would be nothing to regret\nin case it was needed.\n\nJackal did not want to listen to the agreement. He could not see that it\nwould benefit the animals of the veldt. But Wolf, who had fully\nsatisfied himself with the fish, was in an exceptionally peace-loving\nmood, and he advised Lion again to close the agreement.\n\nAfter Lion had listened to all his advisers, and also the pleading tones\nof Crocodile's followers, he held forth in a speech in which he said\nthat he was inclined to enter into the agreement, seeing that it was\nclear that Crocodile and his subjects were in a very tight place.\n\nThere and then a document was drawn up, and it was resolved, before\nmidnight, to begin the trek. Crocodile's messengers swam in all\ndirections to summon together the water animals for the trek.\n\nFrogs croaked and crickets chirped in the long water grass. It was not\nlong before all the animals had assembled at the vaarland willow. In the\nmeantime Lion had sent out a few despatch riders to his subjects to\nraise a commando for an escort, and long ere midnight these also were at\nthe vaarland willow in the moonlight.\n\nThe trek then was regulated by Lion and Jackal. Jackal was to take the\nlead to act as spy, and when he was able to draw Lion to one side, he\nsaid to him:\n\n\"See here, I do not trust this affair one bit, and I want to tell you\nstraight out, I am going to make tracks! I will spy for you until you\nreach the sea-cow pool, but I am not going to be the one to await your\narrival there.\"\n\nElephant had to act as advance guard because he could walk so softly and\ncould hear and smell so well. Then came Lion with one division of the\nanimals, then Crocodile's trek with a flank protection of both sides,\nand Wolf received orders to bring up the rear.\n\nMeanwhile, while all this was being arranged, Crocodile was smoothly\npreparing his treason. He called Yellow Snake to one side and said to\nhim: \"It is to our advantage to have these animals, who go among us\nevery day, and who will continue to do so, fall into the hands of the\nBoer. Listen, now! You remain behind unnoticed, and when you hear me\nshout you will know that we have arrived safely at the sea-cow pool.\nThen you must harass the Boer's dogs as much as you can, and the rest\nwill look out for themselves.\"\n\nThereupon the trek moved on. It was necessary to go very slowly as many\nof the water animals were not accustomed to the journey on land; but\nthey trekked past the Boer's farm in safety, and toward break of day\nthey were all safely at the sea-cow pool. There most of the water\nanimals disappeared suddenly into the deep water, and Crocodile also\nbegan to make preparations to follow their example. With tearful eyes he\nsaid to Lion that he was, oh, so thankful for the help, that, from pure\nrelief and joy, he must first give vent to his feelings by a few\nscreams. Thereupon he suited his words to actions so that even the\nmountains echoed, and then thanked Lion on behalf of his subjects, and\npurposely continued with a long speech, dwelling on all the benefits\nboth sides would derive from the agreement of peace.\n\nLion was just about to say good day and take his departure, when the\nfirst shot fell, and with it Elephant and a few other animals.\n\n\"I told you all so!\" shouted Jackal from the other side of the sea-cow\npool. \"Why did you allow yourselves to be misled by a few Crocodile\ntears?\"\n\nCrocodile had disappeared long ago into the water. All one saw was just\na lot of bubbles; and on the banks there was an actual war against the\nanimals. It simply crackled the way the Boers shot them.\n\nBut most of them, fortunately, came out of it alive.\n\nShortly after, they say, Crocodile received his well-earned reward, when\nhe met a driver with a load of dynamite. And even now when the Elephant\ngets the chance he pitches them up into the highest forks of the trees.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF A DAM\n\n\nThere was a great drought in the land; and Lion called together a number\nof animals so that they might devise a plan for retaining water when the\nrains fell.\n\nThe animals which attended at Lion's summons were Baboon, Leopard,\nHyena, Jackal, Hare, and Mountain Tortoise.\n\nIt was agreed that they should scratch a large hole in some suitable\nplace to hold water; and the next day they all began to work, with the\nexception of Jackal, who continually hovered about in that locality, and\nwas overheard to mutter that he was not going to scratch his nails off\nin making water holes.\n\nWhen the dam was finished the rains fell, and it was soon filled with\nwater, to the great delight of those who had worked so hard at it. The\nfirst one, however, to come and drink there, was Jackal, who not only\ndrank, but filled his clay pot with water, and then proceeded to swim\nin the rest of the water, making it as muddy and dirty as he could.\n\nThis was brought to the knowledge of Lion, who was very angry and\nordered Baboon to guard the water the next day, armed with a huge\nknobkirrie. Baboon was concealed in a bush close to the water; but\nJackal soon became aware of his presence there, and guessed its cause.\nKnowing the fondness of baboons for honey, Jackal at once hit upon a\nplan, and marching to and fro, every now and then dipped his fingers\ninto his clay pot, and licked them with an expression of intense relish,\nsaying, in a low voice to himself, \"I don't want any of their dirty\nwater when I have a pot full of delicious honey.\" This was too much for\npoor Baboon, whose mouth began to water. He soon began to beg Jackal to\ngive him a little honey, as he had been watching for several hours, and\nwas very hungry and tired.\n\nAfter taking no notice of Baboon at first, Jackal looked round, and\nsaid, in a patronizing manner, that he pitied such an unfortunate\ncreature, and would give him some honey on certain conditions, viz.,\nthat Baboon should give up his knobkirrie and allow himself to be bound\nby Jackal. He foolishly agreed; and was soon tied in such a manner that\nhe could not move hand or foot.\n\nJackal now proceeded to drink of the water, to fill his pot, and to swim\nin the sight of Baboon, from time to time telling him what a foolish\nfellow he had been to be so easily duped, and that he (Jackal) had no\nhoney or anything else to give him, excepting a good blow on the head\nevery now and then with his own knobkirrie.\n\nThe animals soon appeared and found poor Baboon in this sorry plight,\nlooking the picture of misery. Lion was so exasperated that he caused\nBaboon to be severely punished, and to be denounced as a fool.\n\nTortoise hereupon stepped forward, and offered his services for the\ncapture of Jackal. It was at first thought that he was merely joking;\nbut when he explained in what manner he proposed to catch him, his plan\nwas considered so feasible that his offer was accepted. He proposed\nthat a thick coating of \"bijenwerk\" (a kind of sticky black substance\nfound on beehives) should be spread all over him, and that he should\nthen go and stand at the entrance of the dam, on the water level, so\nthat Jackal might tread upon him and stick fast. This was accordingly\ndone and Tortoise posted there.\n\nThe next day, when Jackal came, he approached the water very cautiously,\nand wondered to find no one there. He then ventured to the entrance of\nthe water, and remarked how kind they had been in placing there a large\nblack stepping-stone for him. As soon, however, as he trod upon the\nsupposed stone, he stuck fast, and saw that he had been tricked; for\nTortoise now put his head out and began to move. Jackal's hind feet\nbeing still free he threatened to smash Tortoise with them if he did not\nlet him go. Tortoise merely answered, \"Do as you like.\" Jackal thereupon\nmade a violent jump, and found, with horror, that his hind feet were now\nalso fast. \"Tortoise,\" said he, \"I have still my mouth and teeth left,\nand will eat you alive if you do not let me go.\" \"Do as you like,\"\nTortoise again replied. Jackal, in his endeavors to free himself, at\nlast made a desperate bite at Tortoise, and found himself fixed, both\nhead and feet. Tortoise, feeling proud of his successful capture, now\nmarched quietly up to the top of the bank with Jackal on his back, so\nthat he could easily be seen by the animals as they came to the water.\n\nThey were indeed astonished to find how cleverly the crafty Jackal had\nbeen caught; and Tortoise was much praised, while the unhappy Baboon was\nagain reminded of his misconduct when set to guard the water.\n\nJackal was at once condemned to death by Lion; and Hyena was to execute\nthe sentence. Jackal pleaded hard for mercy, but finding this useless,\nhe made a last request to Lion (always, as he said, so fair and just in\nhis dealings) that he should not have to suffer a lingering death.\n\nLion inquired of him in what manner he wished to die; and he asked that\nhis tail might be shaved and rubbed with a little fat, and that Hyena\nmight then swing him round twice and dash his brains out upon a stone.\nThis, being considered sufficiently fair by Lion, was ordered by him to\nbe carried out in his presence.\n\nWhen Jackal's tail had been shaved and greased, Hyena caught hold of him\nwith great force, and before he had fairly lifted him from the ground,\nthe cunning Jackal had slipped away from Hyena's grasp, and was running\nfor his life, pursued by all the animals.\n\nLion was the foremost pursuer, and after a great chase Jackal got under\nan overhanging precipice, and, standing on his hind legs with his\nshoulders pressed against the rock, called loudly to Lion to help him,\nas the rock was falling, and would crush them both. Lion put his\nshoulders to the rock, and exerted himself to the utmost. After some\nlittle time Jackal proposed that he should creep slowly out, and fetch a\nlarge pole to prop up the rock, so that Lion could get out and save his\nlife. Jackal did creep out, and left Lion there to starve and die.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DANCE FOR WATER OR RABBIT'S TRIUMPH\n\n\nThere was a frightful drought. The rivers after a while dried up and\neven the springs gave no water.\n\nThe animals wandered around seeking drink, but to no avail. Nowhere was\nwater to be found.\n\nA great gathering of animals was held: Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Jackal,\nElephant, all of them came together. What was to be done? That was the\nquestion. One had this plan, and another had that; but no plan seemed of\nvalue.\n\nFinally one of them suggested: \"Come, let all of us go to the dry river\nbed and dance; in that way we can tread out the water.\"\n\nGood! Everyone was satisfied and ready to begin instantly, excepting\nRabbit, who said, \"I will not go and dance. All of you are mad to\nattempt to get water from the ground by dancing.\"\n\nThe other animals danced and danced, and ultimately danced the water to\nthe surface. How glad they were. Everyone drank as much as he could, but\nRabbit did not dance with them. So it was decided that Rabbit should\nhave no water.\n\nHe laughed at them: \"I will nevertheless drink some of your water.\"\n\nThat evening he proceeded leisurely to the river bed where the dance had\nbeen, and drank as much as he wanted. The following morning the animals\nsaw the footprints of Rabbit in the ground, and Rabbit shouted to them:\n\"Aha! I did have some of the water, and it was most refreshing and\ntasted fine.\"\n\nQuickly all the animals were called together. What were they to do? How\nwere they to get Rabbit in their hands? All had some means to propose;\nthe one suggested this, and the other that.\n\nFinally old Tortoise moved slowly forward, foot by foot: \"I will catch\nRabbit.\"\n\n\"You? How? What do you think of yourself?\" shouted the others in\nunison.\n\n\"Rub my shell with pitch,[1] and I will go to the edge of the water and\nlie down. I will then resemble a stone, so that when Rabbit steps on me\nhis feet will stick fast.\"\n\n\"Yes! Yes! That's good.\"\n\nAnd in a one, two, three, Tortoise's shell was covered with pitch, and\nfoot by foot he moved away to the river. At the edge, close to the\nwater, he lay down and drew his head into his shell.\n\nRabbit during the evening came to get a drink. \"Ha!\" he chuckled\nsarcastically, \"they are, after all, quite decent. Here they have placed\na stone, so now I need not unnecessarily wet my feet.\"\n\nRabbit trod with his left foot on the stone, and there it stuck.\nTortoise then put his head out. \"Ha! old Tortoise! And it's you, is it,\nthat's holding me. But here I still have another foot. I'll give you a\ngood clout.\" Rabbit gave Tortoise what he said he would with his right\nfore foot, hard and straight; and there his foot remained.\n\n\"I have yet a hind foot, and with it I'll kick you.\" Rabbit drove his\nhind foot down. This also rested on Tortoise where it struck.\n\n\"But still another foot remains, and now I'll tread you.\" He stamped his\nfoot down, but it stuck like the others.\n\nHe used his head to hammer Tortoise, and his tail as a whip, but both\nmet the same fate as his feet, so there he was tight and fast down to\nthe pitch.\n\nTortoise now slowly turned himself round and foot by foot started for\nthe other animals, with Rabbit on his back.\n\n\"Ha! ha! ha! Rabbit! How does it look now? Insolence does not pay after\nall,\" shouted the animals.\n\nNow advice was sought. What should they do with Rabbit? He certainly\nmust die. But how? One said, \"Behead him\"; another, \"Some severe\npenalty.\"\n\n\"Rabbit, how are we to kill you?\"\n\n\"It does not affect me,\" Rabbit said. \"Only a shameful death please do\nnot pronounce.\"\n\n\"And what is that?\" they all shouted.\n\n\"To take me by my tail and dash my head against a stone; that I pray and\nbeseech you don't do.\"\n\n\"No, but just so you'll die. That is decided.\"\n\nIt was decided Rabbit should die by taking him by his tail and dashing\nhis head to pieces against some stone. But who is to do it?\n\nLion, because he is the most powerful one.\n\nGood! Lion should do it. He stood up, walked to the front, and poor\nRabbit was brought to him. Rabbit pleaded and beseeched that he couldn't\ndie such a miserable death.\n\nLion took Rabbit firmly by the tail and swung him around. The white skin\nslipped off from Rabbit, and there Lion stood with the white bit of skin\nand hair in his paw. Rabbit was free.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[1] Black beeswax.\n\n\n\n\nJACKAL AND MONKEY\n\n\nEvery evening Jackal went to the Boer's kraal. He crept through the\nsliding door and stole a fat young lamb. This, clever Jackal did several\ntimes in succession. Boer set a wip[2] for him at the door. Jackal went\nagain and zip--there he was caught around the body by the noose. He\nswung and swayed high in the air and couldn't touch ground. The day\nbegan to dawn and Jackal became uneasy.\n\nOn a stone kopje, Monkey sat. When it became light he could see the\nwhole affair, and descended hastily for the purpose of mocking Jackal.\nHe went and sat on the wall. \"Ha, ha, good morning. So there you are\nhanging now, eventually caught.\"\n\n\"What? I caught? I am simply swinging for my pleasure; it is enjoyable.\"\n\n\"You fibber. You are caught in the wip.\"\n\n\"If you but realized how nice it was to swing and sway like this, you\nwouldn't hesitate. Come, try it a little. You feel so healthy and strong\nfor the day, and you never tire afterwards.\"\n\n\"No, I won't. You are caught.\"\n\nAfter a while Jackal convinced Monkey. He sprang from the kraal wall,\nand freeing Jackal, adjusted the noose around his own body. Jackal\nquickly let go and began to laugh, as Monkey was now swinging high in\nthe air.\n\n\"Ha, ha, ha,\" he laughed. \"Now Monkey is in the wip.\"\n\n\"Jackal, free me,\" he screamed.\n\n\"There, Boer is coming,\" shouted Jackal.\n\n\"Jackal, free me of this, or I'll break your playthings.\"\n\n\"No, there Boer is coming with his gun; you rest a while in the noose.\"\n\n\"Jackal, quickly make me free.\"\n\n\"No, here's Boer already, and he's got his gun. Good morning.\" And with\nthese parting words he ran away as fast as he could. Boer came and saw\nMonkey in the wip.\n\n\"So, so, Monkey, now you are caught. You are the fellow who has been\nstealing my lambs, hey?\"\n\n\"No, Boer, no,\" screamed Monkey, \"not I, but Jackal.\"\n\n\"No, I know you; you aren't too good for that.\"\n\n\"No, Boer, no, not I, but Jackal,\" Monkey stammered.\n\n\"Oh, I know you. Just wait a little,\" and Boer, raising his gun, aimed\nand shot poor Monkey dead.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[2] _Wip_: A Dutch word for springle, consisting of a bent green stick,\nto which a noose is attached at one end; the trap is delicately adjusted\nby a cross stick, which when trod on releases the bent bough, pulling\nthe noose quickly around the animal and into the air.\n\n\n\n\nLION'S SHARE\n\n\nLion and Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. Lion\nshot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but Jackal hit the\ngame, and joyfully cried out, \"It has hit.\"\n\nLion looked at him with his two large eyes; Jackal, however, did not\nlose his countenance, but said, \"No, uncle, I mean to say that you have\nhit.\" Then they followed the game, and Jackal passed the arrow of Lion\nwithout drawing the latter's attention to it. When they arrived at a\ncrossway, Jackal said: \"Dear uncle, you are old and tired; stay here.\"\nJackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let\nthe blood drop from it like traces of game. \"I could not find anything,\"\nhe said, \"but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to\nlook for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way.\"\n\nJackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured\nthe best portion; but his tail remained outside, and when Lion arrived,\nhe got hold of it, pulled Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with\nthese words: \"You rascal!\"\n\nJackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked,\n\"What have I now done, dear uncle? I was busy cutting out the best\npart.\"\n\n\"Now let us go and fetch our wives,\" said Lion, but Jackal entreated his\ndear uncle to remain at the place because he was old. Jackal then went\naway, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife,\nbut the best part for the wife of Lion. When Jackal arrived with the\nflesh, the children of Lion, seeing him, began to jump, and clapping\ntheir hands, cried out: \"There comes cousin with flesh!\" Jackal threw,\ngrumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, \"There, you brood of the\nbig-eyed one!\" Then he went to his own house and told his wife\nimmediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was.\nLioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that Lion\nwould himself come to fetch her.\n\nWhen Jackal, with his wife and children, arrived in the neighborhood of\nthe killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that\nit bled, and thus made his appearance before Lion, to whom he said, \"Ah!\nwhat a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I\ntold her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I\ncannot bring her.\" Lion went home very angry. Then Jackal said, \"Quick,\nlet us build a tower.\" They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone,\nstone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to\nthe top of it. When Jackal saw Lion approaching with his wife and\nchildren, he cried out to him:\n\n\"Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be\nbetter able to see game.\"\n\n\"All right,\" said Lion; \"but let me come up to you.\"\n\n\"Certainly, dear uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let\ndown a thong for you.\"\n\nLion tied the thong around his body and Jackal began drawing him up, but\nwhen nearly to the top Jackal cried to Lion, \"My, uncle, how heavy you\nare!\" Then, unseen by Lion, he cut the thong. Lion fell to the ground,\nwhile Jackal began loudly and angrily to scold his wife, and then said,\n\"Go, wife, fetch me a new thong\"--\"an old one,\" he said aside to her.\n\nLion again tied himself to the thong, and, just as he was near the top,\nJackal cut the thong as before; Lion fell heavily to the bottom,\ngroaning aloud, as he had been seriously hurt.\n\n\"No,\" said Jackal, \"that will never do: you must, however, manage to\ncome up high enough so that you may get a mouthful at least.\" Then aloud\nhe ordered his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he told her to\nmake a stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew Lion up once\nmore, and complaining how heavy he was to hold, told him to open his\nmouth, and thereupon threw the hot stone down his throat. Lion fell to\nthe ground and lay there pleading for water, while Jackal climbed down\nand made his escape.\n\n\n\n\nJACKAL'S BRIDE\n\n\nJackal, it is said, married Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to\nthe ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered\nher, he put the cowskin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on\nwhich to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was\nforked) the hearth for the cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts\nof delicious food. There came also Lion, and wished to go up. Jackal,\ntherefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could\npull Lion up; and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near\nto the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that Lion tumbled down.\nThen Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: \"Why do you\ngive me such an old thong?\" And he added, \"Give me a fresh thong.\" She\ngave him a new thong, and he pulled Lion up again, and when his face\ncame near the pot, which stood on the fire, he said, \"open your mouth.\"\nThen he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled\ntogether with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus\ndied Lion.\n\nThere came also the ants running after the cow, and when Jackal saw them\nhe fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. Hyena,\nbelieving that it was Jackal, said:\n\n\"You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough? Have you\nno more loving game than this?\"\n\nBut when she had bitten a hole through the cowskin, she saw that they\nwere other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet made her\nescape.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF HARE\n\n\nOnce upon a time the animals made a kraal and put some fat in it. They\nagreed that one of their number should remain to be the keeper of the\ngate. The first one that was appointed was the coney (imbila). He agreed\nto take charge, and all the others went away. In a short time the coney\nfell asleep, when the inkalimeva (a fabulous animal) went in and ate all\nthe fat. After doing this, he threw a little stone at the coney.\n\nThe coney started up and cried out: \"The fat belonging to all the\nanimals has been eaten by the inkalimeva.\"\n\nIt repeated this cry several times, calling out very loudly. The animals\nat a distance heard it, they ran to the kraal, and when they saw that\nthe fat was gone they killed the coney.\n\nThey put fat in the kraal a second time, and appointed the muishond\n(ingaga) to keep the gate. The muishond consented, and the animals went\naway as before. After a little time the inkalimeva came to the kraal,\nbringing some honey with it. It invited the keeper of the gate to eat\nhoney, and while the muishond was enjoying himself the inkalimeva went\nin and stole all the fat. It threw a stone at the muishond, which caused\nhim to look up.\n\nThe muishond cried out: \"The fat belonging to all the animals has been\neaten by the inkalimeva.\"\n\nAs soon as the animals heard the cry, they ran to the kraal and killed\nthe muishond.\n\nThey put fat in the kraal a third time, and appointed the duiker\n(impunzi) to be the keeper of the gate. The duiker agreed, and the\nothers went away. In a short time the inkalimeva made its appearance. It\nproposed to the duiker that they should play hide and look for. The\nduiker agreed to this. Then the inkalimeva hid itself, and the duiker\nlooked for it till he was so tired that he lay down and went to sleep.\nWhen the duiker was asleep, the inkalimeva ate up all the fat.\n\nThen it threw a stone at the duiker, which caused him to jump up and cry\nout: \"The fat belonging to all the animals has been eaten by the\ninkalimeva.\"\n\nThe animals, when they heard the cry, ran to the kraal and killed the\nduiker.\n\nThey put fat in the kraal the fourth time, and appointed the bluebuck\n(inputi) to be the keeper of the gate. When the animals went away, the\ninkalimeva came as before.\n\nIt said: \"What are you doing by yourself?\"\n\nThe bluebuck answered: \"I am watching the fat belonging to all the\nanimals.\"\n\nThe inkalimeva said: \"I will be your companion. Come, let us scratch\neach other's heads.\"\n\nThe bluebuck agreed to this. The inkalimeva sat down and scratched the\nhead of the other till he went to sleep. Then it arose and ate all the\nfat. When it had finished, it threw a stone at the bluebuck and awakened\nhim.\n\nThe bluebuck saw what had happened and cried out: \"The fat belonging to\nall the animals has been eaten by the inkalimeva.\"\n\nThen the animals ran up and killed the bluebuck also.\n\nThey put fat in the kraal the fifth time, and appointed the porcupine\n(incanda) to be the keeper of the gate. The animals went away, and the\ninkalimeva came as before.\n\nIt said to the porcupine, \"Let us run a race against each other.\"\n\nIt let the porcupine beat in this race.\n\nThen it said, \"I did not think you could run so fast, but let us try\nagain.\" They ran again, and it allowed the porcupine to beat the second\ntime. They ran till the porcupine was so tired that he said, \"Let us\nrest now.\"\n\nThey sat down to rest, and the porcupine went to sleep. Then the\ninkalimeva rose up and ate all the fat. When it had finished eating, it\nthrew a stone at the porcupine, which caused him to jump up.\n\nHe called out with a loud voice, \"The fat belonging to all the animals\nhas been eaten by the inkalimeva.\"\n\nThen the animals came running up and put the porcupine to death.\n\nThey put fat in the kraal the sixth time, and selected the hare\n(umvundla) to be the keeper of the gate. At first the hare would not\nconsent.\n\nHe said, \"The coney is dead, and the muishond is dead, and the duiker is\ndead, and the bluebuck is dead, and the porcupine is dead, and you will\nkill me also.\"\n\nThey promised him that they would not kill him, and after a good deal of\npersuasion he at last agreed to keep the gate. When the animals were\ngone he laid himself down, but he only pretended to be asleep.\n\nIn a short time the inkalimeva went in, and was just going to take the\nfat when the hare cried out: \"Let the fat alone.\"\n\nThe inkalimeva said, \"Please let me have this little bit only.\"\n\nThe hare answered, mocking, \"Please let me have this little bit only.\"\n\nAfter that they became companions. The hare proposed that they should\nfasten each other's tail, and the inkalimeva agreed. The inkalimeva\nfastened the tail of the hare first.\n\nThe hare said, \"Don't tie my tail so tight.\"\n\nThen the hare fastened the tail of the inkalimeva.\n\nThe inkalimeva said, \"Don't tie my tail so tight,\" but the hare made no\nanswer. After tying the tail of the inkalimeva very fast, the hare took\nhis club and killed it. The hare took the tail of the inkalimeva and ate\nit, all except a little piece which he hid in the fence.\n\nThen he called out, \"The fat belonging to all the animals has been eaten\nby the inkalimeva.\"\n\nThe animals came running back, and when they saw that the inkalimeva was\ndead they rejoiced greatly. They asked the hare for the tail, which\nshould be kept for the chief.\n\nThe hare replied, \"The one I killed had no tail.\"\n\nThey said, \"How can an inkalimeva be without a tail?\"\n\nThey began to search, and at length they found a piece of the tail in\nthe fence. They told the chief that the hare had eaten the tail.\n\nHe said, \"Bring him to me!\"\n\nAll the animals ran after the hare, but he fled, and they could not\ncatch him. The hare ran into a hole, at the mouth of which the animals\nset a snare, and then went away. The hare remained in the hole for many\ndays, but at length he managed to get out without being caught.\n\nHe went to a place where he found a bushbuck (imbabala) building a hut.\nThere was a pot with meat in it on the fire.\n\nHe said to the bushbuck, \"Can I take this little piece of meat?\"\n\nThe bushbuck answered, \"You must not do it.\"\n\nBut he took the meat and ate it all. Afterwards he whistled in a\nparticular manner, and there fell a storm of hail which killed the\nbushbuck. Then he took the skin of the bushbuck, and made for himself a\nmantle.\n\nAfter this the hare went into the forest to procure some weapons to\nfight with. While he was cutting a stick the monkeys threw leaves upon\nhim. He called to them to come down and beat him. They came down, but he\nkilled them all with his weapons.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WHITE MAN AND SNAKE\n\n\nA white man, it is said, met Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen\nand covered her so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the\nstone off Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The\nWhite Man said, \"Stop! let us both go first to some wise people.\" They\nwent to Hyena, and the White Man asked him, \"Is it right that Snake\nshould want to bite me, when I helped her as she lay under a stone and\ncould not rise?\"\n\nHyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man's body) said,\n\"If you were bitten what would it matter?\"\n\nThen Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again, \"Wait a\nlittle, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this\nis right.\"\n\nThey went and met Jackal. The White Man said to Jackal, \"Is it right\nfor Snake to want to bite me, when I lifted up the stone which lay upon\nher?\"\n\nJackal replied, \"I do not believe that Snake could be covered by a stone\nso she could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not\nbelieve it. Therefore, come let us go and see the place where you say it\nhappened whether it can be true.\"\n\nThey went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. Jackal said,\n\"Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered.\"\n\nSnake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although\nshe exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man\nwanted again to release Snake, but Jackal interfered, and said, \"Do not\nlift the stone. She wanted to bite you, therefore she may rise by\nherself.\"\n\nThen they both went away and left Snake under the stone.\n\n\n\n\nANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE\n\n\nA Dutchman was walking by himself and saw Snake lying under a large\nstone. Snake implored his help; but when she had become free she said,\n\"Now I shall eat you.\"\n\nThe Man answered, \"That is not right. Let us first go to Hare.\"\n\nWhen Hare had heard the affair, he said, \"It is right.\"\n\n\"No,\" said the Man, \"let us ask Hyena.\"\n\nHyena declared the same, saying, \"It is right.\"\n\n\"Now let us ask Jackal,\" said the Man in his despair.\n\nJackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole\naffair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was\nable to lift the stone. Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth\nof his account, put the stone again over her.\n\nWhen she was fast, Jackal said, \"Now let her lie there.\"\n\n\n\n\nCLOUD-EATING\n\n\nJackal and Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose.\nJackal descended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.\n\nWhen he wanted to come down, he said to Hyena, \"My sister, as I am going\nto divide with thee, catch me well.\" So she caught him, and broke his\nfall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the\ncloud.\n\nWhen she was satisfied, she said, \"My greyish brother, now catch me\nwell.\" The greyish rogue said to his friend, \"My sister, I shall catch\nthee well. Come therefore down.\"\n\nHe held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was\nnear, Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), \"My sister, do\nnot take it ill. Oh me! Oh me! A thorn has pricked me and sticks in me.\"\nThus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.\n\nSince that day, it is said that Hyena's hind feet have been shorter and\nsmaller than the front ones.\n\n\n\n\nLION'S ILLNESS\n\n\nLion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his\nsuffering. But Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who\nwent to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by Hyena,\nwho said, \"Though I go to look, yet Jackal does not want to come and\nlook at the man's sufferings.\"\n\nThen Lion let Hyena go, in order that she might catch Jackal; and she\ndid so, and brought him.\n\nLion asked Jackal: \"Why did you not come here to see me?\"\n\nJackal said, \"Oh, no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went\nto the witch (doctor) to consult him, whether and what medicine would be\ngood for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, 'Go and tell\nyour uncle to take hold of Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on\nwhile it is still warm. Then he will recover.' Hyena is one who does not\ncare for my uncle's sufferings.\"\n\nLion followed his advice, got hold of Hyena, drew the skin over her\nears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.\n\n\n\n\nJACKAL, DOVE, AND HERON\n\n\nJackal, it is said, came once to Dove, who lived on the top of a rock,\nand said, \"Give me one of your little ones.\"\n\nDove answered, \"I shall not do anything of the kind.\"\n\nJackal said, \"Give me it at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.\"\nThen she threw one down to him.\n\nHe came back another day and demanded another little one, and she gave\nit to him. After Jackal had gone, Heron came, and asked, \"Dove, why do\nyou cry?\"\n\nDove answered him, \"Jackal has taken away my little ones; it is for this\nthat I cry.\" He asked her, \"In what manner did he take them?\" She\nanswered him, \"When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, 'I\nshall at once fly up, therefore give me it,' I threw it down to him.\"\n\nHeron said, \"Are you such a fool as to give your young ones to Jackal,\nwho cannot fly?\" Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went\naway.\n\nJackal came again, and said, \"Dove, give me a little one.\" Dove refused,\nand told him that Heron had told her that he could not fly up. Jackal\nsaid, \"I shall catch him.\"\n\nSo when Heron came to the banks of the water, Jackal asked him: \"Brother\nHeron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?\" He\nturned his neck towards him and said, \"I stand thus, bending my neck on\none side.\" Jackal asked him again, \"When a storm comes and when it\nrains, how do you stand?\" He said to him: \"I stand thus, indeed, bending\nmy neck down.\"\n\nThen Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.\n\nSince that day Heron's neck is bent.\n\n\n\n\nCOCK AND JACKAL\n\n\nCock, it is said, was once overtaken by Jackal, and caught. Cock said to\nJackal, \"Please, pray first (before you kill me), as the white man\ndoes.\"\n\nJackal asked, \"In what manner does he pray? Tell me.\"\n\n\"He folds his hands in praying,\" said Cock. Jackal folded his hands and\nprayed. Then Cock spoke again: \"You ought not to look about you as you\ndo. You had better shut your eyes.\" He did so; and Cock flew away,\nupbraiding at the same time Jackal with these words, \"You rogue! do you\nalso pray?\"\n\nThere sat Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.\n\n\n\n\nELEPHANT AND TORTOISE\n\n\nTwo powers, Elephant and Rain, had a dispute. Elephant said, \"If you say\nthat you nourish me, in what way is it that you say so?\" Rain answered,\n\"If you say that I do not nourish you, when I go away, will you not\ndie?\" And Rain then departed.\n\nElephant said, \"Vulture! cast lots to make rain for me.\"\n\nVulture said, \"I will not cast lots.\"\n\nThen Elephant said to Crow, \"Cast lots!\" who answered, \"Give the things\nwith which I may cast lots.\" Crow cast lots and rain fell. It rained at\nthe lagoons, but they dried up, and only one lagoon remained.\n\nElephant went a-hunting. There was, however, Tortoise, to whom Elephant\nsaid, \"Tortoise, remain at the water!\" Thus Tortoise was left behind\nwhen Elephant went a-hunting.\n\nThere came Giraffe, and said to Tortoise, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise\nanswered, \"The water belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Zebra, who said to Tortoise, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise\nanswered, \"The water belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Gemsbok, and said to Tortoise, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise\nanswered, \"The water belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Wildebeest, and said, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise said, \"The\nwater belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Roodebok, and said to Tortoise, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise\nanswered, \"The water belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Springbok, and said to Tortoise, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise\nsaid, \"The water belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Jackal, and said to Tortoise, \"Give me water!\" Tortoise said,\n\"The water belongs to Elephant.\"\n\nThere came Lion, and said, \"Little Tortoise, give me water!\" When little\nTortoise was about to say something, Lion got hold of him and beat him;\nLion drank of the water, and since then the animals drink water.\n\nWhen Elephant came back from the hunting, he said, \"Little Tortoise, is\nthere water?\" Tortoise answered, \"The animals have drunk the water.\"\nElephant asked, \"Little Tortoise, shall I chew you or swallow you down?\"\nLittle Tortoise said, \"Swallow me, if you please!\" and Elephant\nswallowed him whole.\n\nAfter Elephant had swallowed Little Tortoise, and he had entered his\nbody, he tore off his liver, heart, and kidneys. Elephant said, \"Little\nTortoise, you kill me.\"\n\nSo Elephant died; but little Tortoise came out of his dead body, and\nwent wherever he liked.\n\n\n\n\nANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE\n\n\nGiraffe and Tortoise, they say, met one day. Giraffe said to Tortoise,\n\"At once I could trample you to death.\" Tortoise, being afraid, remained\nsilent. Then Giraffe said, \"At once I could swallow you.\" Tortoise said,\nin answer to this, \"Well, I just belong to the family of those whom it\nhas always been customary to swallow.\" Then Giraffe swallowed Tortoise;\nbut when the latter was being gulped down, he stuck in Giraffe's throat,\nand as the latter could not get it down, he was choked to death.\n\nWhen Giraffe was dead, Tortoise crawled out and went to Crab (who is\nconsidered as the mother of Tortoise), and told her what had happened.\nThen Crab said:\n\n    \"The little Crab! I could sprinkle it under its arm with Boochoo,[3]\n    The crooked-legged little one, I could sprinkle under its arm.\"\n\nTortoise answered its mother and said:\n\n    \"Have you not always sprinkled me,\n    That you want to sprinkle me now?\"\n\nThen they went and fed for a whole year on the remains of Giraffe.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[3] (In token of approval, according to a Hottentot custom.)\n\n\n\n\nTORTOISES HUNTING OSTRICHES\n\n\nOne day, it is said, the Tortoises held a council how they might hunt\nOstriches, and they said, \"Let us, on both sides, stand in rows near\neach other, and let one go to hunt the Ostriches, so that they must flee\nalong through the midst of us.\" They did so, and as they were many, the\nOstriches were obliged to run along through the midst of them. During\nthis they did not move, but, remaining always in the same places, called\neach to the other, \"Are you there?\" and each one answered, \"I am here.\"\nThe Ostriches hearing this, ran so tremendously that they quite\nexhausted their strength, and fell down. Then the Tortoises assembled\nby-and-by at the place where the Ostriches had fallen, and devoured\nthem.\n\n\n\n\nTHE JUDGMENT OF BABOON\n\n\nOne day, it is said, the following story happened:\n\nMouse had torn the clothes of Itkler (the tailor), who then went to\nBaboon, and accused Mouse with these words:\n\n\"In this manner I come to thee: Mouse has torn my clothes, but will not\nknow anything of it, and accuses Cat; Cat protests likewise her\ninnocence, and says, 'Dog must have done it'; but Dog denies it also,\nand declares Wood has done it; and Wood throws the blame on Fire, and\nsays, 'Fire did it'; Fire says, 'I have not, Water did it'; Water says,\n'Elephant tore the clothes'; and Elephant says, 'Ant tore them.' Thus a\ndispute has arisen among them. Therefore, I, Itkler, come to thee with\nthis proposition: Assemble the people and try them in order that I may\nget satisfaction.\"\n\nThus he spake, and Baboon assembled them for trial. Then they made the\nsame excuses which had been mentioned by Itkler, each one putting the\nblame upon the other.\n\nSo Baboon did not see any other way of punishing them, save through\nmaking them punish each other; he therefore said,\n\n\"Mouse, give Itkler satisfaction.\"\n\nMouse, however, pleaded not guilty. But Baboon said, \"Cat, bite Mouse.\"\nShe did so.\n\nHe then put the same question to Cat, and when she exculpated herself,\nBaboon called to Dog, \"Here, bite Cat.\"\n\nIn this manner Baboon questioned them all, one after the other, but they\neach denied the charge. Then he addressed the following words to them,\nand said,\n\n              \"Wood, beat Dog.\n              Fire, burn Wood.\n              Water, quench Fire.\n              Elephant, drink Water.\n    Ant, bite Elephant in his most tender parts.\"\n\nThey did so, and since that day they cannot any longer agree with each\nother.\n\nAnt enters into Elephant's most tender parts and bites him.\n\n              Elephant swallows Water.\n              Water quenches Fire.\n              Fire consumes Wood.\n              Wood beats Dog.\n              Dog bites Cat.\n              And Cat bites Mouse.\n\nThrough this judgment Itkler got satisfaction and addressed Baboon in\nthe following manner:\n\n\"Yes! Now I am content, since I have received satisfaction, and with all\nmy heart I thank thee, Baboon, because thou hast exercised justice on my\nbehalf and given me redress.\"\n\nThen Baboon said, \"From to-day I will not any longer be called Jan, but\nBaboon shall be my name.\"\n\nSince that time Baboon walks on all fours, having probably lost the\nprivilege of walking erect through this foolish judgment.\n\n\n\n\nLION AND BABOON\n\n\nBaboon, it is said, once worked bamboos, sitting on the edge of a\nprecipice, and Lion stole upon him. Baboon, however, had fixed some\nround, glistening, eye-like plates on the back of his head. When,\ntherefore, Lion crept upon him, he thought, when Baboon was looking at\nhim, that he sat with his back towards him, and crept with all his might\nupon him. When, however, Baboon turned his back towards him, Lion\nthought that he was seen, and hid himself. Thus, when Baboon looked at\nhim, he crept upon him.[4] When he was near him Baboon looked up, and\nLion continued to creep upon him. Baboon said (aside), \"Whilst I am\nlooking at him he steals upon me, whilst my hollow eyes are on him.\"\n\nWhen at last Lion sprung at him, he lay (quickly) down upon his face,\nand Lion jumped over him, falling down the precipice, and was dashed to\npieces.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[4] Whilst Baboon did this, Lion came close upon him.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ZEBRA STALLION\n\n\nThe Baboons, it is said, used to disturb the Zebra Mares in drinking.\nBut one of the Mares became the mother of a foal. The others then helped\nher to suckle (the young stallion), that he might soon grow up.\n\nWhen he was grown up and they were in want of water, he brought them to\nthe water. The Baboons, seeing this, came, as they formerly were used to\ndo, into their way, and kept them from the water.\n\nWhile the Mares stood thus, the Stallion stepped forward, and spoke to\none of the Baboons, \"Thou gum-eater's child!\"\n\nThe Baboon said to the Stallion, \"Please open thy mouth, that I may see\nwhat thou livest on.\" The Stallion opened his mouth, and it was milky.\n\nThen the Stallion said to the Baboon, \"Please open thy mouth also, that\nI may see.\" The Baboon did so, and there was some gum in it. But the\nBaboon quickly licked some milk off the Stallion's tongue. The Stallion\non this became angry, took the Baboon by his shoulders, and pressed him\nupon a hot, flat rock. Since that day the Baboon has a bald place on his\nback.\n\nThe Baboon said, lamenting, \"I, my mother's child, I, the gum-eater, am\noutdone by this milk-eater!\"\n\n\n\n\nWHEN LION COULD FLY\n\n\nLion, it is said, used once to fly, and at that time nothing could live\nbefore him. As he was unwilling that the bones of what he caught should\nbe broken into pieces, he made a pair of White Crows watch the bones,\nleaving them behind at the kraal whilst he went a-hunting. But one day\nGreat Frog came there, broke the bones in pieces, and said, \"Why can men\nand animals live no longer?\" And he added these words, \"When he comes,\ntell him that I live at yonder pool; if he wishes to see me, he must\ncome there.\"\n\nLion, lying in wait (for game), wanted to fly up, but found he could not\nfly. Then he got angry, thinking that at the kraal something was wrong,\nand returned home. When he arrived he asked, \"What have you done that I\ncannot fly?\" Then they answered and said, \"Some one came here, broke the\nbones into pieces, and said, 'If he want me, he may look for me at\nyonder pool!'\" Lion went, and arrived while Frog was sitting at the\nwater's edge, and he tried to creep stealthily upon him. When he was\nabout to get hold of him, Frog said, \"Ho!\" and, diving, went to the\nother side of the pool, and sat there. Lion pursued him; but as he could\nnot catch him he returned home.\n\nFrom that day, it is said, Lion walked on his feet, and also began to\ncreep upon (his game); and the White Crows became entirely dumb since\nthe day that they said, \"Nothing can be said of that matter.\"\n\n\n\n\nLION WHO THOUGHT HIMSELF WISER THAN HIS MOTHER\n\n\nIt is said that when Lion and Gurikhoisip (the Only man), together with\nBaboon, Buffalo, and other friends, were playing one day at a certain\ngame, there was a thunderstorm and rain at Aroxaams. Lion and\nGurikhoisip began to quarrel. \"I shall run to the rain-field,\" said\nLion. Gurikhoisip said also, \"I shall run to the rain-field.\" As neither\nwould concede this to the other, they separated (angrily). After they\nhad parted, Lion went to tell his Mother those things which they had\nboth said.\n\nHis Mother said to him, \"My son! that Man whose head is in a line with\nhis shoulders and breast, who has pinching weapons, who keeps white\ndogs, who goes about wearing the tuft of a tiger's tail, beware of him!\"\nLion, however, said, \"Why need I be on my guard against those whom I\nknow?\" Lioness answered, \"My Son, take care of him who has pinching\nweapons!\" But Lion would not follow his Mother's advice, and the same\nmorning, when it was still pitch dark, he went to Aroxaams, and laid\nhimself in ambush. Gurikhoisip went also that morning to the same place.\nWhen he had arrived he let his dogs drink, and then bathe. After they\nhad finished they wallowed. Then also Man drank; and, when he had done\ndrinking, Lion came out of the bush. Dogs surrounded him as his Mother\nhad foretold, and he was speared by Gurikhoisip. Just as he became aware\nthat he was speared, the Dogs drew him down again. In this manner he\ngrew faint. While he was in this state, Gurikhoisip said to the Dogs,\n\"Let him alone now, that he may go and be taught by his Mother.\" So the\nDogs let him go. They left him, and went home as he lay there. The same\nnight he walked towards home, but whilst he was on the way his strength\nfailed him, and he lamented:\n\n    \"Mother! take me up!\n    Grandmother! take me up! Oh me! Alas!\"\n\nAt the dawn of day his Mother heard his wailing, and said--\n\n\"My Son, this is the thing which I have told thee:\n\n    \"'Beware of the one who has pinching weapons,\n    Who wears a tuft of tiger's tail,\n    Of him who has white dogs!\n    Alas! thou son of her who is short-eared,\n    Thou, my short-eared child!\n    Son of her who eats raw flesh,\n    Thou flesh-devourer;\n    Son of her whose nostrils are red from the prey,\n    Thou with blood-stained nostrils!\n    Son of her who drinks pit-water,\n    Thou water-drinker!'\"\n\n\n\n\nLION WHO TOOK A WOMAN'S SHAPE\n\n\nSome Women, it is said, went out to seek roots and herbs and other wild\nfood. On their way home they sat down and said, \"Let us taste the food\nof the field.\" Now they found that the food picked by one of them was\nsweet, while that of the others was bitter. The latter said to each\nother, \"Look here! this Woman's herbs are sweet.\" Then they said to the\nowner of the sweet food, \"Throw it away and seek for other.\" So she\nthrew away the food, and went to gather more. When she had collected a\nsufficient supply, she returned to join the other Women, but could not\nfind them. She went therefore down to the river, where Hare sat lading\nwater, and said to him, \"Hare, give me some water that I may drink.\" But\nhe replied, \"This is the cup out of which my uncle (Lion) and I alone\nmay drink.\"\n\nShe asked again: \"Hare, draw water for me that I may drink.\" But Hare\nmade the same reply. Then she snatched the cup from him and drank, but\nhe ran home to tell his uncle of the outrage which had been committed.\n\nThe Woman meanwhile replaced the cup and went away. After she had\ndeparted Lion came down, and, seeing her in the distance, pursued her on\nthe road. When she turned round and saw him coming, she sang in the\nfollowing manner:\n\n    \"My mother, she would not let me seek herbs,\n    Herbs of the field, food from the field. Hoo!\"\n\nWhen Lion at last came up with the Woman, they hunted each other round a\nshrub. She wore many beads and arm-rings, and Lion said, \"Let me put\nthem on!\" So she lent them to him, but he afterwards refused to return\nthem to her.\n\nThey then hunted each other again round the shrub, till Lion fell down,\nand the Woman jumped upon him, and kept him there. Lion (uttering a form\nof conjuration) said:\n\n    \"My Aunt! it is morning, and time to rise;\n    Pray, rise from me!\"\n\nShe then rose from him, and they hunted again after each other round the\nshrub, till the Woman fell down, and Lion jumped upon her. She then\naddressed him:\n\n    \"My Uncle! it is morning, and time to rise;\n    Pray, rise from me!\"\n\nHe rose, of course, and they hunted each other again, till Lion fell a\nsecond time. When she jumped upon him he said:\n\n    \"My Aunt! it is morning, and time to rise;\n    Pray, rise from me!\"\n\nThey rose again and hunted after each other. The Woman at last fell\ndown. But this time when she repeated the above conjuration, Lion said:\n\n\"He Kha! Is it morning, and time to rise?\"\n\nHe then ate her, taking care, however, to leave her skin whole, which he\nput on, together with her dress and ornaments, so that he looked quite\nlike a woman, and then went home to her kraal.\n\nWhen this counterfeit woman arrived, her little sister, crying, said,\n\"My sister, pour some milk out for me.\" She answered, \"I shall not pour\nyou out any.\" Then the Child addressed their Mother: \"Mama, do pour out\nsome for me.\" The Mother of the kraal said, \"Go to your sister, and let\nher give it to you!\" The little Child said again to her sister, \"Please,\npour out for me!\" She, however, repeated her refusal, saying, \"I will\nnot do it.\" Then the Mother of the kraal said to the little One, \"I\nrefused to let her (the elder sister) seek herbs in the field, and I do\nnot know what may have happened; go therefore to Hare, and ask him to\npour out for you.\"\n\nSo then Hare gave her some milk; but her elder sister said, \"Come and\nshare it with me.\" The little Child then went to her sister with her\nbamboo (cup), and they both sucked the milk out of it. Whilst they were\ndoing this, some milk was spilt on the little one's hand, and the elder\nsister licked it up with her tongue, the roughness of which drew blood;\nthis, too, the Woman licked up.\n\nThe little Child complained to her Mother: \"Mama, sister pricks holes in\nme and sucks the blood.\" The Mother said, \"With what Lion's nature your\nsister went the way that I forbade her, and returned, I do not know.\"\n\nNow the Cows arrived, and the elder sister cleansed the pails in order\nto milk them. But when she approached the Cows with a thong (in order to\ntie their fore-legs), they all refused to be milked by her.\n\nHare said, \"Why do not you stand before the Cow?\" She replied, \"Hare,\ncall your brother, and do you two stand before the Cow.\" Her husband\nsaid, \"What has come over her that the Cows refuse her? These are the\nsame Cows she always milks.\" The Mother (of the kraal) said, \"What has\nhappened this evening? These are Cows which she always milks without\nassistance. What can have affected her that she comes home as a woman\nwith a Lion's nature?\"\n\nThe elder daughter then said to her Mother, \"I shall not milk the\nCows.\" With these words she sat down. The Mother said therefore to Hare,\n\"Bring me the bamboos, that I may milk. I do not know what has come over\nthe girl.\"\n\nSo the Mother herself milked the cows, and when she had done so, Hare\nbrought the bamboos to the young wife's house, where her husband was,\nbut she (the wife) did not give him (her husband) anything to eat. But\nwhen at night time she fell asleep, they saw some of the Lion's hair,\nwhich was hanging out where he had slipped on the Woman's skin, and they\ncried, \"Verily! this is quite another being. It is for this reason that\nthe Cows refused to be milked.\"\n\nThen the people of the kraal began to break up the hut in which Lion lay\nasleep. When they took off the mats, they said (conjuring them), \"If\nthou art favourably inclined to me, O Mat, give the sound 'sawa'\"\n(meaning, making no noise).\n\nTo the poles (on which the hut rested) they said, \"If thou art\nfavourably inclined to me, O Pole, thou must give the sound 'gara.'\"\n\nThey addressed also the bamboos and the bed-skins in a similar manner.\n\nThus gradually and noiselessly they removed the hut and all its\ncontents. Then they took bunches of grass, put them over the Lion, and\nlighting them, said, \"If thou art favourably inclined to me, O Fire,\nthou must flare up, 'boo boo,' before thou comest to the heart.\"\n\nSo the Fire flared up when it came towards the heart, and the heart of\nthe Woman jumped upon the ground. The Mother (of the kraal) picked it\nup, and put it into a calabash.\n\nLion, from his place in the fire, said to the Mother (of the kraal),\n\"How nicely I have eaten your daughter.\" The Woman answered, \"You have\nalso now a comfortable place!\"\n\nNow the Woman took the first milk of as many Cows as had calves, and put\nit into the calabash where her daughter's heart was; the calabash\nincreased in size, and in proportion to this the girl grew again inside\nit.\n\nOne day, when the Mother (of the kraal) went out to fetch wood, she said\nto Hare, \"By the time that I come back you must have everything nice\nand clean.\" But during her Mother's absence, the girl crept out of the\ncalabash, and put the hut in good order, as she had been used to do in\nformer days, and said to Hare, \"When Mother comes back and asks, 'Who\nhas done these things?' you must say, 'I, Hare, did them.'\" After she\nhad done all, she hid herself on the stage.\n\nWhen the Mother of the kraal came home, she said, \"Hare, who has done\nthese things? They look just as they used when my daughter did them.\"\nHare said, \"I did the things.\" But the Mother would not believe it, and\nlooked at the calabash. Seeing it was empty, she searched the stage and\nfound her daughter. Then she embraced and kissed her, and from that day\nthe girl stayed with her Mother, and did everything as she was wont in\nformer times; but she now remained unmarried.\n\n\n\n\nWHY HAS JACKAL A LONG BLACK STRIPE ON HIS BACK?\n\n\nThe Sun, it is said, was one day on earth, and the men who were\ntravelling saw him sitting by the wayside, but passed him without\nnotice. Jackal, however, who came after them, and saw him also sitting,\nwent to him and said, \"Such a fine little child is left behind by the\nmen.\" He then took Sun up, and put it into his awa-skin (on his back).\nWhen it burnt him, he said, \"Get down,\" and shook himself; but Sun stuck\nfast to his back, and burnt Jackal's back black from that day.\n\n\n\n\nHORSE CURSED BY SUN\n\n\nIt is said that once Sun was on earth, and caught Horse to ride it. But\nit was unable to bear his weight, and therefore Ox took the place of\nHorse, and carried Sun on its back. Since that time Horse is cursed in\nthese words, because it could not carry Sun's weight:\n\n    \"From to-day thou shalt have a (certain) time of dying.\n    This is thy curse, that thou hast a (certain) time of dying.\n    And day and night shalt thou eat,\n    But the desire of thy heart shall not be at rest,\n    Though thou grazest till morning and again until sunset.\n    Behold, this is the judgment which I pass upon thee,\" said Sun.\n\nSince that day Horse's (certain) time of dying commenced.\n\n\n\n\nLION'S DEFEAT\n\n\nThe wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at Lion's. When Lion\nwas asleep, Jackal persuaded Little Fox to twist a rope of ostrich\nsinews, in order to play Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted\nthem, and fastened the rope to Lion's tail, and the other end of the\nrope they tied to a shrub. When Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up,\nhe became angry, and called the animals together. When they had\nassembled, Lion said (using this form of conjuration)--\n\n    \"What child of his mother and father's love,\n    Whose mother and father's love has tied me?\"\n\nThen answered the animal to whom the question was first put--\n\n    \"I, child of my mother and father's love,\n    I, mother and father's love, I have not done it.\"\n\nAll answered the same; but when he asked Little Fox, Little Fox said--\n\n    \"I, child of my mother and father's love,\n    I, mother and father's love, have tied thee!\"\n\nThen Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after Little Fox. But\nJackal said:\n\n    \"My boy, thou son of lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.\"\n\nTruly Lion was thus beaten in running by Little Fox.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ORIGIN OF DEATH\n\n\nThe Moon, it is said, sent once an Insect to Men, saying, \"Go thou to\nMen, and tell them, 'As I die, and dying live, so ye shall also die, and\ndying live.'\" The Insect started with the message, but whilst on his way\nwas overtaken by the Hare, who asked: \"On what errand art thou bound?\"\nThe Insect answered: \"I am sent by the Moon to Men, to tell them that as\nshe dies, and dying lives, they also shall die, and dying live.\" The\nHare said, \"As thou art an awkward runner, let me go\" (to take the\nmessage). With these words he ran off, and when he reached Men, he said,\n\"I am sent by the Moon to tell you, 'As I die, and dying perish, in the\nsame manner ye shall also die and come wholly to an end.'\" Then the Hare\nreturned to the Moon, and told her what he had said to Men. The Moon\nreproached him angrily, saying, \"Darest thou tell the people a thing\nwhich I have not said?\" With these words she took up a piece of wood,\nand struck him on the nose. Since that day the Hare's nose is slit.\n\n\n\n\nANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE\n\n\nThe Moon dies, and rises to life again. The Moon said to the Hare, \"Go\nthou to Men, and tell them, 'Like as I die and rise to life again, so\nyou also shall die and rise to life again.'\" The Hare went to the Men,\nand said, \"Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall\nalso die, and not rise to life again.\" When he returned the Moon asked\n\"What hast thou said?\" \"I have told them, 'Like as I die and do not rise\nto life again, so you shall also die and not rise to life again.'\"\n\"What,\" said the Moon, \"hast thou said that?\" And she took a stick and\nbeat the Hare on his mouth, which was slit by the blow. The Hare fled,\nand is still fleeing.\n\n\n\n\nA THIRD VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE\n\n\nThe Moon, on one occasion, sent the Hare to the earth to inform Men that\nas she (the Moon) died away and rose again, so mankind should die and\nrise again. Instead, however, of delivering this message as given, the\nHare, either out of forgetfulness or malice, told mankind that as the\nMoon rose and died away, so Man should die and rise no more. The Hare,\nhaving returned to the Moon, was questioned as to the message delivered,\nand the Moon, having heard the true state of the case, became so enraged\nwith him that she took up a hatchet to split his head; falling short,\nhowever, of that, the hatchet fell upon the upper lip of the Hare, and\ncut it severely. Hence it is that we see the \"Hare-lip.\" The Hare, being\nduly incensed at having received such treatment, raised his claws, and\nscratched the Moon's face; and the dark spots which we now see on the\nsurface of the Moon are the scars which she received on that occasion.\n\n\n\n\nA FOURTH VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE\n\n\nThe Moon, they say, wished to send a message to Men, and the Hare said\nthat he would take it. \"Run, then,\" said the Moon, \"and tell Men that as\nI die and am renewed, so shall they also be renewed.\" But the Hare\ndeceived Men, and said, \"As I die and perish, so shall you also.\"\n\n\n\n\nA ZULU VERSION OF THE LEGEND OF THE \"ORIGIN OF DEATH\"\n\n\nGod (Unknlunkuln) arose from beneath (the seat of the spiritual world,\naccording to the Zulu idea), and created in the beginning men, animals,\nand all things. He then sent for the Chameleon, and said, \"Go,\nChameleon, and tell Men that they shall not die.\" The Chameleon went,\nbut it walked slowly, and loitered on the way, eating of a shrub called\nBukwebezane.\n\nWhen it had been away some time, God sent the Salamander after it,\nordering him to make haste and tell Men that they should die. The\nSalamander went on his way with this message, outran the Chameleon, and,\narriving first where the Men were, told them that they must die.\n\n\n\n\nLITERATURE\n\n\n    Geschiedenis van\n      Zuid Afrika              Geo. McCall Theal\n\n    Kafir Folk-lore            Geo. McCall Theal   1882\n\n    African Native\n      Literature               S. W. Koelle        1854\n\n    South African\n      Folk-lore Journal\n      Hottentot Fables\n      and Tales                W. H. I. Bleek      1864\n\n    An expedition of\n      Discovery into\n      the Interior of\n      Africa                   James Alexander     1838\n\n    South Africa a\n      Century Ago              Anna Barnard        1901\n\n    An account of travels\n      into the interior of\n      South Africa             John Barrow         1802\n\n    Travels in South\n      Africa                   John Campbell       1816\n\n    The Childhood of Man       Leo Frobenius       1909\n\n    Travels and Adventure\n      in Eastern Africa        Nathaniel Isaacs    1836\n\n    Narrative of Discovery\n      and Adventure\n      in Africa                Jameson, etc.       1830\n\n    Voyage dans L'interieur\n      de l'Afrique             F. Le Vaillant      1796\n\n    Missionary Travels\n      and Researches in\n      South Africa             D. Livingstone      1858\n\n    Scenes in Africa           Capt. Marryat       1851\n\n    Missionary Labors\n      and Scenes in\n      South Africa             R. Moffat           1845\n\n    A New Gazetteer\n      of the Asia,\n      Africa, etc.,\n      Continents               J. Morse            1802\n\n    South African Native       S. A. Native Races\n      Races                    Committee           1909\n\n    Researches into\n      the Physical\n      History of\n      Mankind                  J. C. Prichard      1841\n\n    Memorials of\n      South Africa             B. Shaw             1841\n\n    Wanderings and\n      Adventures in\n      the Interior of\n      South Africa             A. Stedman          1835\n\n    Notes on the\n      Bushmen                  E. & D. Bleek       1909\n\n    Africa                     K. Johnston         1878\n\n    A Voyage to the\n      Cape of Good\n      Hope                     A. Sparrmann        1785\n\n    Travels in South\n      Africa                   Henry Lichtenstein  1800\n\n    The Dwarfs of\n      Mount Atlas              R. G. Haliburton    1891\n\n    The Native Races\n      of South Africa          G. W. Stow          1905\n\n    Description du\n      Cap de Bonne\n      Esperance                Pierre Kolbe        1741\n\n    Specimens of Dialects      John Clarke         1849\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Note:\n\nPuncutation has been standardised.\n\nChapter headings in the Contents do not always match the headings\nin the body of the book.\n\nBoth Folk-lore and Folklore appear in the text.\n\n  Page 24\n  Wolf's tale,\" said the rogue\n  Wolf's tail,\" said the rogue\n\n  Page 38\n  Paragraph inserted before \"It is also better,\"\n\n  Page 150\n  Voyage dans l'Interieur\n  Voyage dans l'Interieur","title":"South-African Folk-Tales","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":22568}