I.

[Contents]I.JACKAL FABLES.[Contents]1. THE LION’S DEFEAT.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 19, 20.)The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at the Lion’s. When the Lion was asleep, the Jackal persuaded the little Fox1to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play the Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to the Lion’s tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When the Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, he said (using this form of conjuration)—[34]“What child of his mother and father’s love,Whose mother and father’s love has tied me?”Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put—“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, I have not done it.”All answered the same; but when he asked the little Fox, the little Fox said—“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”Then the Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after the little Fox. But the Jackal said—“My boy, thou son of the lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.”Truly the Lion was thus beaten in running by the little Fox.[35][Contents]2. THE HUNT OF THE LION AND JACKAL.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 18, 19.)The Lion and the Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for elands. The Lion shot (with the bow) and missed, but the Jackal hit and sang out, “Hah! Hah!” The Lion said, “No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.” The Jackal answered, “Yea, my father, thou hast hit.” Then they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut it up. The Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to the Lion, hit his nose so that the blood ran on the spoor of the elands, and followed their track thus, in order to cheat the Lion. When he had gone some distance, he returned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its carcase, cut out all the fat.Meanwhile the Lion followed the bloodstained spoor of the Jackal, thinking that it was elands’ blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he find out that he had been deceived. He then returned on the[36]Jackal’s spoor, and reached the dead eland, where, finding the Jackal in its carcase, he seized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.The Lion upbraided the Jackal with these words: “Why do you cheat me?” The Jackal answered: “No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I think. I prepared this fat for you, father.” The Lion said: “Then take the fat and bring it to your mother” (the Lioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and children.When the Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to the Lion’s wife, but to his own wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to the Lion’s wife, and he pelted the Lion’s little children with the lungs, saying:“You children of the big-pawed one!You big-pawed ones!”He said to the Lioness, “I go to help my father” (the Lion); but he went quite away with his wife and children.[37][Contents]3. THE LION’S SHARE.(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, viz., H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” pp. 11, 12.)The Lion and the Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. The Lion shot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but the Jackal hit the game, and joyfully cried out, “It has hit.” The Lion looked at him with his two large eyes; the Jackal, however, did not lose his countenance, but said, “No, Uncle, I mean to say that you have hit.” Then they followed the game, and the Jackal passed the arrow of the Lion without drawing the latter’s attention to it. When they arrived at a cross-way, the Jackal said, “Dear Uncle, you are old and tired; stay here.” The Jackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let the blood drop from it like traces of game. “I could not find anything,” he said, “but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to look for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way.” The Jackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured the best portion;[38]but his tail remained outside, and when the Lion arrived, he got hold of it, pulled the Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with these words: “You rascal!” The Jackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked, “What have I then now done, dear Uncle? I was busy cutting out the best part.” “Now let us go and fetch our wives,” said the Lion; but the Jackal entreated his dear Uncle to remain at the place because he was old. The Jackal went then away, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife, but the best part for the wife of the Lion. When the Jackal arrived with the flesh, the children of the Lion saw him, began to jump, and clapping their hands, cried out, “There comes Uncle with flesh!” The Jackal threw, grumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!” Then he went to his own house and told his wife immediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was. The Lioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that the Lion would himself come to fetch her.When the Jackal, with his wife and children, had arrived in the neighbourhood of the killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that it bled, and thus made his appearance before the Lion,[39]to whom he said, “Ah! what a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I told her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I cannot bring her.” The Lion went home very angry. Then the Jackal said, “Quick, let us build a tower.” They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone, stone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to the top of it. When the Jackal saw the Lion approaching with his wife and children, he cried out to him, “Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be better able to see game.” “All right,” said the Lion; “but let me come up to you.” “Certainly, dear Uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let down a thong for you.” The Lion ties himself to the thong, and is drawn up; but when he is nearly at the top the thong is cut by the Jackal, who exclaims, as if frightened, “Oh, how heavy you are, Uncle! Go, wife, fetch me a new thong.” (“An old one,” he said aside to her.) The Lion is again drawn up, but comes of course down in the same manner. “No,” said the Jackal, “that will never do; you must, however, manage to come up high enough, so that you may get a mouthful at least.”Then aloud he orders his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he tells her to make a[40]stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew up the Lion once more, and, complaining that he is very heavy to hold, he tells him to open his mouth, whereupon he throws the hot stone down his throat. When the Lion has devoured it, he entreats and requests him to run as quickly as possible to the water.[41][Contents]4. THE JACKAL’S BRIDE.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 7, 8.)The Jackal, it is said, married the Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered her, he put the cow-skin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was forked) the hearth for cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts of delicious food. There came also the Lion to the spot, and wished to go up. The Jackal, therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could pull the Lion up, and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that the Lion tumbled down. Then the Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: “Why do you give me such an old thong?” And he added, “Give me a fresh thong.” She gave him a new thong, and he pulled the Lion up again, and when his face came near the pot, which stood on[42]the fire, he said, “Open your mouth.” Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus died the Lion.There came also the ants running after the cow, and when the Jackal saw them he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. The Hyena, believing that it was the Jackal, said—“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough?Have you no more loving game than this?”But when she had bitten a hole through the cow-skin, she saw that they were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet she made her escape.[43][Contents]5. THE WHITE MAN AND THE SNAKE.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 5, 6.)A White Man, it is said, met a Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen and covered her, so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the stone off the Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The White Man said, “Stop! let us both go first to some wise people.” They went to the Hyena, and the White Man asked him, “Is it right that the Snake should want to bite me, though I helped her, when she lay under a stone and could not rise?”The Hyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man’s body) said: “If you were bitten what would it matter?”Then the Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again: “Wait a little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this is right.”They went and met the Jackal. The White Man said to the Jackal: “Is it right that the Snake wants[44]to bite me, though I lifted up the stone which lay upon her?”The Jackal replied: “I do not believe that the Snake could be covered by a stone and could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not believe it. Therefore, come let us go and see at the place where you say it happened whether it can be true.”They went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. The Jackal said: “Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered.”The Snake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although she exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man wanted again to release the Snake, but the Jackal interfered, and said: “Do not lift the stone. She wanted to bite you; therefore she may rise by herself.”Then they both went away and left the Snake under the stone.[45][Contents]6. ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE.(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” p. 11.)A Dutchman was walking by himself, and saw a Snake lying under a large stone. The Snake implored his help; but when she had become free, she said, “Now I shall eat you.”The Man answered, “That is not right. Let us first go to the Hare.”When the Hare had heard the affair, he said, “It is right.” “No,” said the Man, “let us ask the Hyena.”The Hyena declared the same, saying, “It is right.”“Now let us at last ask the Jackal,” said the Man in his despair.The Jackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole affair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was able to lift the stone. The Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth of his account, put the stone again over her.When she was fast, the Jackal said, “Now let her lie there.”[46][Contents]7. CLOUD-EATING.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 30, 31.)THE HYENA.Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult!Thou wide, roomy tree!Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!)Thou cow who art strained at the hocks!2Thou who hast a plump round knee!Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair!Thou with the skin dripping as if half-tanned!Thou who hast a round, distended neck!Thou eater of the Namaqua,Thou big-toothed one!The Jackal and the Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. The Jackal ascended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.When he wanted to come down, he said to the Hyena, “My sister, as I am going to divide with[47]thee, catch me well.” So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud.When she was satisfied, she said, “My greyish brother, now catch me well.” The greyish rogue said to his friend, “My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down.”He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, the Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), “My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! oh me! A thorn has pricked me, and sticks in me.” Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.Since that day, it is said, that the Hyena’s left hind foot is shorter and smaller than the right one.[48][Contents]8. FISH-STEALING.(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 246, 247.)THE HYENA.(Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered).The fire threatens,The stone threatens,The assegais threaten,The guns threaten,Yet you seek food from me.My children,Do I get anything easily?Once upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before, and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the leader cried to the driver, “Here is a fine kaross for your wife!”[49]“Throw it into the waggon,” said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown in.The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by, ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he said to her, “You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.”“So!” mumbled the Hyena.Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena stretched herself out in the road.“What ugly thing is this?” cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her.“What a pity,” said the Hyena, “that I have not such a handsome skin as you!”[50][Contents]9. WHICH WAS THE THIEF?(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. p. 250.)A Jackal and a Hyena went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night the Jackal rose and smeared the Hyena’s tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it which was in the house. In the morning the man missed his fat, and he immediately accused the Jackal of having eaten it.“Look at the Hyena’s tail,” said the rogue, “and you will see who is the thief.” The man did so, and then thrashed the Hyena till she was nearly dead.[51][Contents]10. THE LION’S ILLNESS.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 29, 30.)The Lion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his suffering. But the Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who went to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by the Hyena, who said, “ThoughIgo to look, yet the Jackal does not want to come and look at the man’s sufferings.”Then the Lion let the Hyena go, in order that she might catch the Jackal; and she did so, and brought him.The Lion asked the Jackal: “Why did you not come here to see me?” The Jackal said, “Oh no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went to the witch (doctor), to consult him, whether and what medicine would be good for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, ‘Go and tell your uncle to take hold of the Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on while it is still warm. Then he[52]will recover.’ The Hyena is one who does not care for my uncle’s sufferings.”The Lion followed his advice, got hold of the Hyena, drew the skin over her ears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.[53][Contents]11. THE DOVE AND THE HERON.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 13, 14.)The Jackal, it is said, came once to the Dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “Give me one of your little children.” The Dove answered: “I shall not do anything of the kind.” The Jackal said, “Give it me at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.He came back another day, and demanded another little child, and she gave it to him. After the Jackal had gone, the Heron came, and asked, “Dove, why do you cry?” The dove answered him: “The Jackal has taken away my little children; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “In what manner can he take them?” She answered him: “When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, ‘I shall at once fly up, therefore give it me,’ I threw it down to him.” The Heron said, “Are you such a fool as to give your children to the Jackals, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.[54]The Jackal came again, and said, “Dove, give me a little child.” The Dove refused, and told him that the Heron had told her that he could not fly up. The Jackal said, “I shall catch him.”So when the Heron came to the banks of the water, the Jackal asked him: “Brother Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” The Jackal asked him again, “When a storm comes and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him: “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.”Then the Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.Since that day the Heron’s neck is bent.[55][Contents]12. THE COCK.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, p. 29.)The Cock, it is said, was once overtaken by the Jackal and caught. The Cock said to the Jackal, “Please, pray first (before you kill me) as the white man does.” The Jackal asked, “In what manner does he pray? Tell me.” “He folds his hands in praying,” said the Cock. The Jackal folded his hands and prayed. Then the Cock spoke again: “You ought not to look about you as you do. You had better shut your eyes.” He did so; and the Cock flew away, upbraiding at the same time the Jackal with these words: “You rogue! do you also pray?”There sat the Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.[56][Contents]13. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM.(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)A Leopard was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day, friend! what may your name be?”The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, “I am a Ram. Who are you?”“A Leopard,” answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter going to him, said, “Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow, with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was, he answered roughly, “I am a Ram!”“What a foolish Leopard you are!” cried the[57]Jackal, to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! “Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it together!”Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he immediately went to his wife, and said, “I fear this is our last day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall we do?”“Don’t be afraid,” said the wife, “but take up the child in your arms; go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.” The Ram did so as the confederates came on.No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, “Come on!” when the Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same time, “You have done well, friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food!”On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragging the[58]Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so the Ram escaped.[59]1The little Fox, in Nama theǃKamap, a small kind of Jackal, who is a swift runner. The Jackal’s name isǀGirip. (Theǀis the dental and theǃthe cerebral click;videNotes to Fables 23 and 27, pp. 47, 62.)↑2“When the Hyena first starts, it appears to be lame on the hind legs, or gone in the loins, as one would say of a horse.”—L. Layard.↑

I.JACKAL FABLES.

[Contents]1. THE LION’S DEFEAT.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 19, 20.)The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at the Lion’s. When the Lion was asleep, the Jackal persuaded the little Fox1to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play the Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to the Lion’s tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When the Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, he said (using this form of conjuration)—[34]“What child of his mother and father’s love,Whose mother and father’s love has tied me?”Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put—“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, I have not done it.”All answered the same; but when he asked the little Fox, the little Fox said—“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”Then the Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after the little Fox. But the Jackal said—“My boy, thou son of the lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.”Truly the Lion was thus beaten in running by the little Fox.[35][Contents]2. THE HUNT OF THE LION AND JACKAL.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 18, 19.)The Lion and the Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for elands. The Lion shot (with the bow) and missed, but the Jackal hit and sang out, “Hah! Hah!” The Lion said, “No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.” The Jackal answered, “Yea, my father, thou hast hit.” Then they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut it up. The Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to the Lion, hit his nose so that the blood ran on the spoor of the elands, and followed their track thus, in order to cheat the Lion. When he had gone some distance, he returned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its carcase, cut out all the fat.Meanwhile the Lion followed the bloodstained spoor of the Jackal, thinking that it was elands’ blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he find out that he had been deceived. He then returned on the[36]Jackal’s spoor, and reached the dead eland, where, finding the Jackal in its carcase, he seized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.The Lion upbraided the Jackal with these words: “Why do you cheat me?” The Jackal answered: “No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I think. I prepared this fat for you, father.” The Lion said: “Then take the fat and bring it to your mother” (the Lioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and children.When the Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to the Lion’s wife, but to his own wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to the Lion’s wife, and he pelted the Lion’s little children with the lungs, saying:“You children of the big-pawed one!You big-pawed ones!”He said to the Lioness, “I go to help my father” (the Lion); but he went quite away with his wife and children.[37][Contents]3. THE LION’S SHARE.(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, viz., H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” pp. 11, 12.)The Lion and the Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. The Lion shot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but the Jackal hit the game, and joyfully cried out, “It has hit.” The Lion looked at him with his two large eyes; the Jackal, however, did not lose his countenance, but said, “No, Uncle, I mean to say that you have hit.” Then they followed the game, and the Jackal passed the arrow of the Lion without drawing the latter’s attention to it. When they arrived at a cross-way, the Jackal said, “Dear Uncle, you are old and tired; stay here.” The Jackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let the blood drop from it like traces of game. “I could not find anything,” he said, “but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to look for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way.” The Jackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured the best portion;[38]but his tail remained outside, and when the Lion arrived, he got hold of it, pulled the Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with these words: “You rascal!” The Jackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked, “What have I then now done, dear Uncle? I was busy cutting out the best part.” “Now let us go and fetch our wives,” said the Lion; but the Jackal entreated his dear Uncle to remain at the place because he was old. The Jackal went then away, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife, but the best part for the wife of the Lion. When the Jackal arrived with the flesh, the children of the Lion saw him, began to jump, and clapping their hands, cried out, “There comes Uncle with flesh!” The Jackal threw, grumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!” Then he went to his own house and told his wife immediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was. The Lioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that the Lion would himself come to fetch her.When the Jackal, with his wife and children, had arrived in the neighbourhood of the killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that it bled, and thus made his appearance before the Lion,[39]to whom he said, “Ah! what a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I told her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I cannot bring her.” The Lion went home very angry. Then the Jackal said, “Quick, let us build a tower.” They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone, stone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to the top of it. When the Jackal saw the Lion approaching with his wife and children, he cried out to him, “Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be better able to see game.” “All right,” said the Lion; “but let me come up to you.” “Certainly, dear Uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let down a thong for you.” The Lion ties himself to the thong, and is drawn up; but when he is nearly at the top the thong is cut by the Jackal, who exclaims, as if frightened, “Oh, how heavy you are, Uncle! Go, wife, fetch me a new thong.” (“An old one,” he said aside to her.) The Lion is again drawn up, but comes of course down in the same manner. “No,” said the Jackal, “that will never do; you must, however, manage to come up high enough, so that you may get a mouthful at least.”Then aloud he orders his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he tells her to make a[40]stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew up the Lion once more, and, complaining that he is very heavy to hold, he tells him to open his mouth, whereupon he throws the hot stone down his throat. When the Lion has devoured it, he entreats and requests him to run as quickly as possible to the water.[41][Contents]4. THE JACKAL’S BRIDE.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 7, 8.)The Jackal, it is said, married the Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered her, he put the cow-skin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was forked) the hearth for cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts of delicious food. There came also the Lion to the spot, and wished to go up. The Jackal, therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could pull the Lion up, and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that the Lion tumbled down. Then the Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: “Why do you give me such an old thong?” And he added, “Give me a fresh thong.” She gave him a new thong, and he pulled the Lion up again, and when his face came near the pot, which stood on[42]the fire, he said, “Open your mouth.” Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus died the Lion.There came also the ants running after the cow, and when the Jackal saw them he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. The Hyena, believing that it was the Jackal, said—“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough?Have you no more loving game than this?”But when she had bitten a hole through the cow-skin, she saw that they were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet she made her escape.[43][Contents]5. THE WHITE MAN AND THE SNAKE.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 5, 6.)A White Man, it is said, met a Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen and covered her, so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the stone off the Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The White Man said, “Stop! let us both go first to some wise people.” They went to the Hyena, and the White Man asked him, “Is it right that the Snake should want to bite me, though I helped her, when she lay under a stone and could not rise?”The Hyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man’s body) said: “If you were bitten what would it matter?”Then the Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again: “Wait a little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this is right.”They went and met the Jackal. The White Man said to the Jackal: “Is it right that the Snake wants[44]to bite me, though I lifted up the stone which lay upon her?”The Jackal replied: “I do not believe that the Snake could be covered by a stone and could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not believe it. Therefore, come let us go and see at the place where you say it happened whether it can be true.”They went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. The Jackal said: “Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered.”The Snake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although she exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man wanted again to release the Snake, but the Jackal interfered, and said: “Do not lift the stone. She wanted to bite you; therefore she may rise by herself.”Then they both went away and left the Snake under the stone.[45][Contents]6. ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE.(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” p. 11.)A Dutchman was walking by himself, and saw a Snake lying under a large stone. The Snake implored his help; but when she had become free, she said, “Now I shall eat you.”The Man answered, “That is not right. Let us first go to the Hare.”When the Hare had heard the affair, he said, “It is right.” “No,” said the Man, “let us ask the Hyena.”The Hyena declared the same, saying, “It is right.”“Now let us at last ask the Jackal,” said the Man in his despair.The Jackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole affair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was able to lift the stone. The Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth of his account, put the stone again over her.When she was fast, the Jackal said, “Now let her lie there.”[46][Contents]7. CLOUD-EATING.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 30, 31.)THE HYENA.Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult!Thou wide, roomy tree!Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!)Thou cow who art strained at the hocks!2Thou who hast a plump round knee!Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair!Thou with the skin dripping as if half-tanned!Thou who hast a round, distended neck!Thou eater of the Namaqua,Thou big-toothed one!The Jackal and the Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. The Jackal ascended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.When he wanted to come down, he said to the Hyena, “My sister, as I am going to divide with[47]thee, catch me well.” So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud.When she was satisfied, she said, “My greyish brother, now catch me well.” The greyish rogue said to his friend, “My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down.”He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, the Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), “My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! oh me! A thorn has pricked me, and sticks in me.” Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.Since that day, it is said, that the Hyena’s left hind foot is shorter and smaller than the right one.[48][Contents]8. FISH-STEALING.(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 246, 247.)THE HYENA.(Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered).The fire threatens,The stone threatens,The assegais threaten,The guns threaten,Yet you seek food from me.My children,Do I get anything easily?Once upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before, and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the leader cried to the driver, “Here is a fine kaross for your wife!”[49]“Throw it into the waggon,” said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown in.The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by, ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he said to her, “You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.”“So!” mumbled the Hyena.Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena stretched herself out in the road.“What ugly thing is this?” cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her.“What a pity,” said the Hyena, “that I have not such a handsome skin as you!”[50][Contents]9. WHICH WAS THE THIEF?(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. p. 250.)A Jackal and a Hyena went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night the Jackal rose and smeared the Hyena’s tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it which was in the house. In the morning the man missed his fat, and he immediately accused the Jackal of having eaten it.“Look at the Hyena’s tail,” said the rogue, “and you will see who is the thief.” The man did so, and then thrashed the Hyena till she was nearly dead.[51][Contents]10. THE LION’S ILLNESS.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 29, 30.)The Lion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his suffering. But the Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who went to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by the Hyena, who said, “ThoughIgo to look, yet the Jackal does not want to come and look at the man’s sufferings.”Then the Lion let the Hyena go, in order that she might catch the Jackal; and she did so, and brought him.The Lion asked the Jackal: “Why did you not come here to see me?” The Jackal said, “Oh no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went to the witch (doctor), to consult him, whether and what medicine would be good for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, ‘Go and tell your uncle to take hold of the Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on while it is still warm. Then he[52]will recover.’ The Hyena is one who does not care for my uncle’s sufferings.”The Lion followed his advice, got hold of the Hyena, drew the skin over her ears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.[53][Contents]11. THE DOVE AND THE HERON.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 13, 14.)The Jackal, it is said, came once to the Dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “Give me one of your little children.” The Dove answered: “I shall not do anything of the kind.” The Jackal said, “Give it me at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.He came back another day, and demanded another little child, and she gave it to him. After the Jackal had gone, the Heron came, and asked, “Dove, why do you cry?” The dove answered him: “The Jackal has taken away my little children; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “In what manner can he take them?” She answered him: “When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, ‘I shall at once fly up, therefore give it me,’ I threw it down to him.” The Heron said, “Are you such a fool as to give your children to the Jackals, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.[54]The Jackal came again, and said, “Dove, give me a little child.” The Dove refused, and told him that the Heron had told her that he could not fly up. The Jackal said, “I shall catch him.”So when the Heron came to the banks of the water, the Jackal asked him: “Brother Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” The Jackal asked him again, “When a storm comes and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him: “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.”Then the Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.Since that day the Heron’s neck is bent.[55][Contents]12. THE COCK.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, p. 29.)The Cock, it is said, was once overtaken by the Jackal and caught. The Cock said to the Jackal, “Please, pray first (before you kill me) as the white man does.” The Jackal asked, “In what manner does he pray? Tell me.” “He folds his hands in praying,” said the Cock. The Jackal folded his hands and prayed. Then the Cock spoke again: “You ought not to look about you as you do. You had better shut your eyes.” He did so; and the Cock flew away, upbraiding at the same time the Jackal with these words: “You rogue! do you also pray?”There sat the Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.[56][Contents]13. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM.(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)A Leopard was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day, friend! what may your name be?”The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, “I am a Ram. Who are you?”“A Leopard,” answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter going to him, said, “Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow, with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was, he answered roughly, “I am a Ram!”“What a foolish Leopard you are!” cried the[57]Jackal, to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! “Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it together!”Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he immediately went to his wife, and said, “I fear this is our last day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall we do?”“Don’t be afraid,” said the wife, “but take up the child in your arms; go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.” The Ram did so as the confederates came on.No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, “Come on!” when the Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same time, “You have done well, friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food!”On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragging the[58]Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so the Ram escaped.[59]

1. THE LION’S DEFEAT.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 19, 20.)The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at the Lion’s. When the Lion was asleep, the Jackal persuaded the little Fox1to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play the Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to the Lion’s tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When the Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, he said (using this form of conjuration)—[34]“What child of his mother and father’s love,Whose mother and father’s love has tied me?”Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put—“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, I have not done it.”All answered the same; but when he asked the little Fox, the little Fox said—“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”Then the Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after the little Fox. But the Jackal said—“My boy, thou son of the lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.”Truly the Lion was thus beaten in running by the little Fox.[35]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 19, 20.)

The wild animals, it is said, were once assembled at the Lion’s. When the Lion was asleep, the Jackal persuaded the little Fox1to twist a rope of ostrich sinews, in order to play the Lion a trick. They took ostrich sinews, twisted them, and fastened the rope to the Lion’s tail, and the other end of the rope they tied to a shrub. When the Lion awoke, and saw that he was tied up, he became angry, and called the animals together. When they had assembled, he said (using this form of conjuration)—[34]

“What child of his mother and father’s love,Whose mother and father’s love has tied me?”

“What child of his mother and father’s love,

Whose mother and father’s love has tied me?”

Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put—

“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, I have not done it.”

“I, child of my mother and father’s love,

I, mother and father’s love, I have not done it.”

All answered the same; but when he asked the little Fox, the little Fox said—

“I, child of my mother and father’s love,I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”

“I, child of my mother and father’s love,

I, mother and father’s love, have tied thee!”

Then the Lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after the little Fox. But the Jackal said—

“My boy, thou son of the lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.”

Truly the Lion was thus beaten in running by the little Fox.[35]

[Contents]2. THE HUNT OF THE LION AND JACKAL.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 18, 19.)The Lion and the Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for elands. The Lion shot (with the bow) and missed, but the Jackal hit and sang out, “Hah! Hah!” The Lion said, “No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.” The Jackal answered, “Yea, my father, thou hast hit.” Then they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut it up. The Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to the Lion, hit his nose so that the blood ran on the spoor of the elands, and followed their track thus, in order to cheat the Lion. When he had gone some distance, he returned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its carcase, cut out all the fat.Meanwhile the Lion followed the bloodstained spoor of the Jackal, thinking that it was elands’ blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he find out that he had been deceived. He then returned on the[36]Jackal’s spoor, and reached the dead eland, where, finding the Jackal in its carcase, he seized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.The Lion upbraided the Jackal with these words: “Why do you cheat me?” The Jackal answered: “No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I think. I prepared this fat for you, father.” The Lion said: “Then take the fat and bring it to your mother” (the Lioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and children.When the Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to the Lion’s wife, but to his own wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to the Lion’s wife, and he pelted the Lion’s little children with the lungs, saying:“You children of the big-pawed one!You big-pawed ones!”He said to the Lioness, “I go to help my father” (the Lion); but he went quite away with his wife and children.[37]

2. THE HUNT OF THE LION AND JACKAL.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 18, 19.)The Lion and the Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for elands. The Lion shot (with the bow) and missed, but the Jackal hit and sang out, “Hah! Hah!” The Lion said, “No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.” The Jackal answered, “Yea, my father, thou hast hit.” Then they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut it up. The Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to the Lion, hit his nose so that the blood ran on the spoor of the elands, and followed their track thus, in order to cheat the Lion. When he had gone some distance, he returned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its carcase, cut out all the fat.Meanwhile the Lion followed the bloodstained spoor of the Jackal, thinking that it was elands’ blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he find out that he had been deceived. He then returned on the[36]Jackal’s spoor, and reached the dead eland, where, finding the Jackal in its carcase, he seized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.The Lion upbraided the Jackal with these words: “Why do you cheat me?” The Jackal answered: “No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I think. I prepared this fat for you, father.” The Lion said: “Then take the fat and bring it to your mother” (the Lioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and children.When the Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to the Lion’s wife, but to his own wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to the Lion’s wife, and he pelted the Lion’s little children with the lungs, saying:“You children of the big-pawed one!You big-pawed ones!”He said to the Lioness, “I go to help my father” (the Lion); but he went quite away with his wife and children.[37]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 18, 19.)

The Lion and the Jackal, it is said, were one day lying in wait for elands. The Lion shot (with the bow) and missed, but the Jackal hit and sang out, “Hah! Hah!” The Lion said, “No, you did not shoot anything. It was I who hit.” The Jackal answered, “Yea, my father, thou hast hit.” Then they went home in order to return when the eland was dead, and cut it up. The Jackal, however, turned back, unknown to the Lion, hit his nose so that the blood ran on the spoor of the elands, and followed their track thus, in order to cheat the Lion. When he had gone some distance, he returned by another way to the dead eland, and creeping into its carcase, cut out all the fat.

Meanwhile the Lion followed the bloodstained spoor of the Jackal, thinking that it was elands’ blood, and only when he had gone some distance did he find out that he had been deceived. He then returned on the[36]Jackal’s spoor, and reached the dead eland, where, finding the Jackal in its carcase, he seized him by his tail and drew him out with a swing.

The Lion upbraided the Jackal with these words: “Why do you cheat me?” The Jackal answered: “No, my father, I do not cheat you; you may know it, I think. I prepared this fat for you, father.” The Lion said: “Then take the fat and bring it to your mother” (the Lioness); and he gave him the lungs to take to his own wife and children.

When the Jackal arrived, he did not give the fat to the Lion’s wife, but to his own wife and children; he gave, however, the lungs to the Lion’s wife, and he pelted the Lion’s little children with the lungs, saying:

“You children of the big-pawed one!You big-pawed ones!”

“You children of the big-pawed one!

You big-pawed ones!”

He said to the Lioness, “I go to help my father” (the Lion); but he went quite away with his wife and children.[37]

[Contents]3. THE LION’S SHARE.(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, viz., H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” pp. 11, 12.)The Lion and the Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. The Lion shot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but the Jackal hit the game, and joyfully cried out, “It has hit.” The Lion looked at him with his two large eyes; the Jackal, however, did not lose his countenance, but said, “No, Uncle, I mean to say that you have hit.” Then they followed the game, and the Jackal passed the arrow of the Lion without drawing the latter’s attention to it. When they arrived at a cross-way, the Jackal said, “Dear Uncle, you are old and tired; stay here.” The Jackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let the blood drop from it like traces of game. “I could not find anything,” he said, “but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to look for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way.” The Jackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured the best portion;[38]but his tail remained outside, and when the Lion arrived, he got hold of it, pulled the Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with these words: “You rascal!” The Jackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked, “What have I then now done, dear Uncle? I was busy cutting out the best part.” “Now let us go and fetch our wives,” said the Lion; but the Jackal entreated his dear Uncle to remain at the place because he was old. The Jackal went then away, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife, but the best part for the wife of the Lion. When the Jackal arrived with the flesh, the children of the Lion saw him, began to jump, and clapping their hands, cried out, “There comes Uncle with flesh!” The Jackal threw, grumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!” Then he went to his own house and told his wife immediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was. The Lioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that the Lion would himself come to fetch her.When the Jackal, with his wife and children, had arrived in the neighbourhood of the killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that it bled, and thus made his appearance before the Lion,[39]to whom he said, “Ah! what a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I told her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I cannot bring her.” The Lion went home very angry. Then the Jackal said, “Quick, let us build a tower.” They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone, stone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to the top of it. When the Jackal saw the Lion approaching with his wife and children, he cried out to him, “Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be better able to see game.” “All right,” said the Lion; “but let me come up to you.” “Certainly, dear Uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let down a thong for you.” The Lion ties himself to the thong, and is drawn up; but when he is nearly at the top the thong is cut by the Jackal, who exclaims, as if frightened, “Oh, how heavy you are, Uncle! Go, wife, fetch me a new thong.” (“An old one,” he said aside to her.) The Lion is again drawn up, but comes of course down in the same manner. “No,” said the Jackal, “that will never do; you must, however, manage to come up high enough, so that you may get a mouthful at least.”Then aloud he orders his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he tells her to make a[40]stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew up the Lion once more, and, complaining that he is very heavy to hold, he tells him to open his mouth, whereupon he throws the hot stone down his throat. When the Lion has devoured it, he entreats and requests him to run as quickly as possible to the water.[41]

3. THE LION’S SHARE.

(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, viz., H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” pp. 11, 12.)The Lion and the Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. The Lion shot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but the Jackal hit the game, and joyfully cried out, “It has hit.” The Lion looked at him with his two large eyes; the Jackal, however, did not lose his countenance, but said, “No, Uncle, I mean to say that you have hit.” Then they followed the game, and the Jackal passed the arrow of the Lion without drawing the latter’s attention to it. When they arrived at a cross-way, the Jackal said, “Dear Uncle, you are old and tired; stay here.” The Jackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let the blood drop from it like traces of game. “I could not find anything,” he said, “but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to look for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way.” The Jackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured the best portion;[38]but his tail remained outside, and when the Lion arrived, he got hold of it, pulled the Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with these words: “You rascal!” The Jackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked, “What have I then now done, dear Uncle? I was busy cutting out the best part.” “Now let us go and fetch our wives,” said the Lion; but the Jackal entreated his dear Uncle to remain at the place because he was old. The Jackal went then away, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife, but the best part for the wife of the Lion. When the Jackal arrived with the flesh, the children of the Lion saw him, began to jump, and clapping their hands, cried out, “There comes Uncle with flesh!” The Jackal threw, grumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!” Then he went to his own house and told his wife immediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was. The Lioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that the Lion would himself come to fetch her.When the Jackal, with his wife and children, had arrived in the neighbourhood of the killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that it bled, and thus made his appearance before the Lion,[39]to whom he said, “Ah! what a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I told her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I cannot bring her.” The Lion went home very angry. Then the Jackal said, “Quick, let us build a tower.” They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone, stone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to the top of it. When the Jackal saw the Lion approaching with his wife and children, he cried out to him, “Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be better able to see game.” “All right,” said the Lion; “but let me come up to you.” “Certainly, dear Uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let down a thong for you.” The Lion ties himself to the thong, and is drawn up; but when he is nearly at the top the thong is cut by the Jackal, who exclaims, as if frightened, “Oh, how heavy you are, Uncle! Go, wife, fetch me a new thong.” (“An old one,” he said aside to her.) The Lion is again drawn up, but comes of course down in the same manner. “No,” said the Jackal, “that will never do; you must, however, manage to come up high enough, so that you may get a mouthful at least.”Then aloud he orders his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he tells her to make a[40]stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew up the Lion once more, and, complaining that he is very heavy to hold, he tells him to open his mouth, whereupon he throws the hot stone down his throat. When the Lion has devoured it, he entreats and requests him to run as quickly as possible to the water.[41]

(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, viz., H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” pp. 11, 12.)

The Lion and the Jackal went together a-hunting. They shot with arrows. The Lion shot first, but his arrow fell short of its aim; but the Jackal hit the game, and joyfully cried out, “It has hit.” The Lion looked at him with his two large eyes; the Jackal, however, did not lose his countenance, but said, “No, Uncle, I mean to say that you have hit.” Then they followed the game, and the Jackal passed the arrow of the Lion without drawing the latter’s attention to it. When they arrived at a cross-way, the Jackal said, “Dear Uncle, you are old and tired; stay here.” The Jackal went then on a wrong track, beat his nose, and, in returning, let the blood drop from it like traces of game. “I could not find anything,” he said, “but I met with traces of blood. You had better go yourself to look for it. In the meantime I shall go this other way.” The Jackal soon found the killed animal, crept inside of it, and devoured the best portion;[38]but his tail remained outside, and when the Lion arrived, he got hold of it, pulled the Jackal out, and threw him on the ground with these words: “You rascal!” The Jackal rose quickly again, complained of the rough handling, and asked, “What have I then now done, dear Uncle? I was busy cutting out the best part.” “Now let us go and fetch our wives,” said the Lion; but the Jackal entreated his dear Uncle to remain at the place because he was old. The Jackal went then away, taking with him two portions of the flesh, one for his own wife, but the best part for the wife of the Lion. When the Jackal arrived with the flesh, the children of the Lion saw him, began to jump, and clapping their hands, cried out, “There comes Uncle with flesh!” The Jackal threw, grumbling, the worst portion to them, and said, “There, you brood of the big-eyed one!” Then he went to his own house and told his wife immediately to break up the house, and to go where the killed game was. The Lioness wished to do the same, but he forbade her, and said that the Lion would himself come to fetch her.

When the Jackal, with his wife and children, had arrived in the neighbourhood of the killed animal, he ran into a thorn bush, scratched his face so that it bled, and thus made his appearance before the Lion,[39]to whom he said, “Ah! what a wife you have got. Look here, how she scratched my face when I told her that she should come with us. You must fetch her yourself; I cannot bring her.” The Lion went home very angry. Then the Jackal said, “Quick, let us build a tower.” They heaped stone upon stone, stone upon stone, stone upon stone; and when it was high enough, everything was carried to the top of it. When the Jackal saw the Lion approaching with his wife and children, he cried out to him, “Uncle, whilst you were away we have built a tower, in order to be better able to see game.” “All right,” said the Lion; “but let me come up to you.” “Certainly, dear Uncle; but how will you manage to come up? We must let down a thong for you.” The Lion ties himself to the thong, and is drawn up; but when he is nearly at the top the thong is cut by the Jackal, who exclaims, as if frightened, “Oh, how heavy you are, Uncle! Go, wife, fetch me a new thong.” (“An old one,” he said aside to her.) The Lion is again drawn up, but comes of course down in the same manner. “No,” said the Jackal, “that will never do; you must, however, manage to come up high enough, so that you may get a mouthful at least.”Then aloud he orders his wife to prepare a good piece, but aside he tells her to make a[40]stone hot, and to cover it with fat. Then he drew up the Lion once more, and, complaining that he is very heavy to hold, he tells him to open his mouth, whereupon he throws the hot stone down his throat. When the Lion has devoured it, he entreats and requests him to run as quickly as possible to the water.[41]

[Contents]4. THE JACKAL’S BRIDE.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 7, 8.)The Jackal, it is said, married the Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered her, he put the cow-skin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was forked) the hearth for cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts of delicious food. There came also the Lion to the spot, and wished to go up. The Jackal, therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could pull the Lion up, and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that the Lion tumbled down. Then the Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: “Why do you give me such an old thong?” And he added, “Give me a fresh thong.” She gave him a new thong, and he pulled the Lion up again, and when his face came near the pot, which stood on[42]the fire, he said, “Open your mouth.” Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus died the Lion.There came also the ants running after the cow, and when the Jackal saw them he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. The Hyena, believing that it was the Jackal, said—“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough?Have you no more loving game than this?”But when she had bitten a hole through the cow-skin, she saw that they were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet she made her escape.[43]

4. THE JACKAL’S BRIDE.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 7, 8.)The Jackal, it is said, married the Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered her, he put the cow-skin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was forked) the hearth for cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts of delicious food. There came also the Lion to the spot, and wished to go up. The Jackal, therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could pull the Lion up, and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that the Lion tumbled down. Then the Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: “Why do you give me such an old thong?” And he added, “Give me a fresh thong.” She gave him a new thong, and he pulled the Lion up again, and when his face came near the pot, which stood on[42]the fire, he said, “Open your mouth.” Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus died the Lion.There came also the ants running after the cow, and when the Jackal saw them he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. The Hyena, believing that it was the Jackal, said—“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough?Have you no more loving game than this?”But when she had bitten a hole through the cow-skin, she saw that they were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet she made her escape.[43]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 7, 8.)

The Jackal, it is said, married the Hyena, and carried off a cow belonging to ants, to slaughter her for the wedding; and when he had slaughtered her, he put the cow-skin over his bride; and when he had fixed a pole (on which to hang the flesh), he placed on the top of the pole (which was forked) the hearth for cooking, in order to cook upon it all sorts of delicious food. There came also the Lion to the spot, and wished to go up. The Jackal, therefore, asked his little daughter for a thong with which he could pull the Lion up, and he began to pull him up; and when his face came near to the cooking-pot, he cut the thong in two, so that the Lion tumbled down. Then the Jackal upbraided his little daughter with these words: “Why do you give me such an old thong?” And he added, “Give me a fresh thong.” She gave him a new thong, and he pulled the Lion up again, and when his face came near the pot, which stood on[42]the fire, he said, “Open your mouth.” Then he put into his mouth a hot piece of quartz which had been boiled together with the fat, and the stone went down, burning his throat. Thus died the Lion.

There came also the ants running after the cow, and when the Jackal saw them he fled. Then they beat the bride in her brookaross dress. The Hyena, believing that it was the Jackal, said—

“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough?Have you no more loving game than this?”

“You tawny rogue! have you not played at beating long enough?

Have you no more loving game than this?”

But when she had bitten a hole through the cow-skin, she saw that they were other people; then she fled, falling here and there, yet she made her escape.[43]

[Contents]5. THE WHITE MAN AND THE SNAKE.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 5, 6.)A White Man, it is said, met a Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen and covered her, so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the stone off the Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The White Man said, “Stop! let us both go first to some wise people.” They went to the Hyena, and the White Man asked him, “Is it right that the Snake should want to bite me, though I helped her, when she lay under a stone and could not rise?”The Hyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man’s body) said: “If you were bitten what would it matter?”Then the Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again: “Wait a little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this is right.”They went and met the Jackal. The White Man said to the Jackal: “Is it right that the Snake wants[44]to bite me, though I lifted up the stone which lay upon her?”The Jackal replied: “I do not believe that the Snake could be covered by a stone and could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not believe it. Therefore, come let us go and see at the place where you say it happened whether it can be true.”They went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. The Jackal said: “Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered.”The Snake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although she exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man wanted again to release the Snake, but the Jackal interfered, and said: “Do not lift the stone. She wanted to bite you; therefore she may rise by herself.”Then they both went away and left the Snake under the stone.[45]

5. THE WHITE MAN AND THE SNAKE.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 5, 6.)A White Man, it is said, met a Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen and covered her, so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the stone off the Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The White Man said, “Stop! let us both go first to some wise people.” They went to the Hyena, and the White Man asked him, “Is it right that the Snake should want to bite me, though I helped her, when she lay under a stone and could not rise?”The Hyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man’s body) said: “If you were bitten what would it matter?”Then the Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again: “Wait a little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this is right.”They went and met the Jackal. The White Man said to the Jackal: “Is it right that the Snake wants[44]to bite me, though I lifted up the stone which lay upon her?”The Jackal replied: “I do not believe that the Snake could be covered by a stone and could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not believe it. Therefore, come let us go and see at the place where you say it happened whether it can be true.”They went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. The Jackal said: “Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered.”The Snake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although she exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man wanted again to release the Snake, but the Jackal interfered, and said: “Do not lift the stone. She wanted to bite you; therefore she may rise by herself.”Then they both went away and left the Snake under the stone.[45]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 5, 6.)

A White Man, it is said, met a Snake upon whom a large stone had fallen and covered her, so that she could not rise. The White Man lifted the stone off the Snake, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The White Man said, “Stop! let us both go first to some wise people.” They went to the Hyena, and the White Man asked him, “Is it right that the Snake should want to bite me, though I helped her, when she lay under a stone and could not rise?”

The Hyena (who thought he would get his share of the White Man’s body) said: “If you were bitten what would it matter?”

Then the Snake wanted to bite him, but the White Man said again: “Wait a little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this is right.”

They went and met the Jackal. The White Man said to the Jackal: “Is it right that the Snake wants[44]to bite me, though I lifted up the stone which lay upon her?”

The Jackal replied: “I do not believe that the Snake could be covered by a stone and could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I would not believe it. Therefore, come let us go and see at the place where you say it happened whether it can be true.”

They went, and arrived at the place where it had happened. The Jackal said: “Snake, lie down, and let thyself be covered.”

The Snake did so, and the White Man covered her with the stone; but although she exerted herself very much, she could not rise. Then the White Man wanted again to release the Snake, but the Jackal interfered, and said: “Do not lift the stone. She wanted to bite you; therefore she may rise by herself.”

Then they both went away and left the Snake under the stone.[45]

[Contents]6. ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE.(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” p. 11.)A Dutchman was walking by himself, and saw a Snake lying under a large stone. The Snake implored his help; but when she had become free, she said, “Now I shall eat you.”The Man answered, “That is not right. Let us first go to the Hare.”When the Hare had heard the affair, he said, “It is right.” “No,” said the Man, “let us ask the Hyena.”The Hyena declared the same, saying, “It is right.”“Now let us at last ask the Jackal,” said the Man in his despair.The Jackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole affair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was able to lift the stone. The Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth of his account, put the stone again over her.When she was fast, the Jackal said, “Now let her lie there.”[46]

6. ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME FABLE.

(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” p. 11.)A Dutchman was walking by himself, and saw a Snake lying under a large stone. The Snake implored his help; but when she had become free, she said, “Now I shall eat you.”The Man answered, “That is not right. Let us first go to the Hare.”When the Hare had heard the affair, he said, “It is right.” “No,” said the Man, “let us ask the Hyena.”The Hyena declared the same, saying, “It is right.”“Now let us at last ask the Jackal,” said the Man in his despair.The Jackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole affair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was able to lift the stone. The Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth of his account, put the stone again over her.When she was fast, the Jackal said, “Now let her lie there.”[46]

(From a German original Manuscript in Sir G. Grey’s Library, H. C. Knudsen’s “Notes on the Hottentots,” p. 11.)

A Dutchman was walking by himself, and saw a Snake lying under a large stone. The Snake implored his help; but when she had become free, she said, “Now I shall eat you.”

The Man answered, “That is not right. Let us first go to the Hare.”

When the Hare had heard the affair, he said, “It is right.” “No,” said the Man, “let us ask the Hyena.”

The Hyena declared the same, saying, “It is right.”

“Now let us at last ask the Jackal,” said the Man in his despair.

The Jackal answered very slowly and considerately, doubting the whole affair, and demanding to see first the place, and whether the Man was able to lift the stone. The Snake lay down, and the Man, to prove the truth of his account, put the stone again over her.

When she was fast, the Jackal said, “Now let her lie there.”[46]

[Contents]7. CLOUD-EATING.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 30, 31.)THE HYENA.Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult!Thou wide, roomy tree!Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!)Thou cow who art strained at the hocks!2Thou who hast a plump round knee!Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair!Thou with the skin dripping as if half-tanned!Thou who hast a round, distended neck!Thou eater of the Namaqua,Thou big-toothed one!The Jackal and the Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. The Jackal ascended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.When he wanted to come down, he said to the Hyena, “My sister, as I am going to divide with[47]thee, catch me well.” So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud.When she was satisfied, she said, “My greyish brother, now catch me well.” The greyish rogue said to his friend, “My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down.”He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, the Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), “My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! oh me! A thorn has pricked me, and sticks in me.” Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.Since that day, it is said, that the Hyena’s left hind foot is shorter and smaller than the right one.[48]

7. CLOUD-EATING.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 30, 31.)THE HYENA.Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult!Thou wide, roomy tree!Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!)Thou cow who art strained at the hocks!2Thou who hast a plump round knee!Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair!Thou with the skin dripping as if half-tanned!Thou who hast a round, distended neck!Thou eater of the Namaqua,Thou big-toothed one!The Jackal and the Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. The Jackal ascended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.When he wanted to come down, he said to the Hyena, “My sister, as I am going to divide with[47]thee, catch me well.” So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud.When she was satisfied, she said, “My greyish brother, now catch me well.” The greyish rogue said to his friend, “My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down.”He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, the Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), “My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! oh me! A thorn has pricked me, and sticks in me.” Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.Since that day, it is said, that the Hyena’s left hind foot is shorter and smaller than the right one.[48]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 30, 31.)

THE HYENA.Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult!Thou wide, roomy tree!Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!)Thou cow who art strained at the hocks!2Thou who hast a plump round knee!Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair!Thou with the skin dripping as if half-tanned!Thou who hast a round, distended neck!Thou eater of the Namaqua,Thou big-toothed one!

Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult!

Thou wide, roomy tree!

Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!)

Thou cow who art strained at the hocks!2

Thou who hast a plump round knee!

Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair!

Thou with the skin dripping as if half-tanned!

Thou who hast a round, distended neck!

Thou eater of the Namaqua,

Thou big-toothed one!

The Jackal and the Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. The Jackal ascended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat.

When he wanted to come down, he said to the Hyena, “My sister, as I am going to divide with[47]thee, catch me well.” So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud.

When she was satisfied, she said, “My greyish brother, now catch me well.” The greyish rogue said to his friend, “My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down.”

He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, the Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), “My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! oh me! A thorn has pricked me, and sticks in me.” Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.

Since that day, it is said, that the Hyena’s left hind foot is shorter and smaller than the right one.[48]

[Contents]8. FISH-STEALING.(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 246, 247.)THE HYENA.(Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered).The fire threatens,The stone threatens,The assegais threaten,The guns threaten,Yet you seek food from me.My children,Do I get anything easily?Once upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before, and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the leader cried to the driver, “Here is a fine kaross for your wife!”[49]“Throw it into the waggon,” said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown in.The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by, ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he said to her, “You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.”“So!” mumbled the Hyena.Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena stretched herself out in the road.“What ugly thing is this?” cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her.“What a pity,” said the Hyena, “that I have not such a handsome skin as you!”[50]

8. FISH-STEALING.

(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 246, 247.)THE HYENA.(Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered).The fire threatens,The stone threatens,The assegais threaten,The guns threaten,Yet you seek food from me.My children,Do I get anything easily?Once upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before, and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the leader cried to the driver, “Here is a fine kaross for your wife!”[49]“Throw it into the waggon,” said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown in.The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by, ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he said to her, “You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.”“So!” mumbled the Hyena.Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena stretched herself out in the road.“What ugly thing is this?” cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her.“What a pity,” said the Hyena, “that I have not such a handsome skin as you!”[50]

(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 246, 247.)

THE HYENA.

(Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered).

The fire threatens,The stone threatens,The assegais threaten,The guns threaten,Yet you seek food from me.My children,Do I get anything easily?

The fire threatens,

The stone threatens,

The assegais threaten,

The guns threaten,

Yet you seek food from me.

My children,

Do I get anything easily?

Once upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before, and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the leader cried to the driver, “Here is a fine kaross for your wife!”[49]

“Throw it into the waggon,” said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown in.

The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by, ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he said to her, “You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens.”

“So!” mumbled the Hyena.

Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena stretched herself out in the road.

“What ugly thing is this?” cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her.

“What a pity,” said the Hyena, “that I have not such a handsome skin as you!”[50]

[Contents]9. WHICH WAS THE THIEF?(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. p. 250.)A Jackal and a Hyena went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night the Jackal rose and smeared the Hyena’s tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it which was in the house. In the morning the man missed his fat, and he immediately accused the Jackal of having eaten it.“Look at the Hyena’s tail,” said the rogue, “and you will see who is the thief.” The man did so, and then thrashed the Hyena till she was nearly dead.[51]

9. WHICH WAS THE THIEF?

(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. p. 250.)A Jackal and a Hyena went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night the Jackal rose and smeared the Hyena’s tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it which was in the house. In the morning the man missed his fat, and he immediately accused the Jackal of having eaten it.“Look at the Hyena’s tail,” said the rogue, “and you will see who is the thief.” The man did so, and then thrashed the Hyena till she was nearly dead.[51]

(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. p. 250.)

A Jackal and a Hyena went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night the Jackal rose and smeared the Hyena’s tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it which was in the house. In the morning the man missed his fat, and he immediately accused the Jackal of having eaten it.

“Look at the Hyena’s tail,” said the rogue, “and you will see who is the thief.” The man did so, and then thrashed the Hyena till she was nearly dead.[51]

[Contents]10. THE LION’S ILLNESS.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 29, 30.)The Lion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his suffering. But the Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who went to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by the Hyena, who said, “ThoughIgo to look, yet the Jackal does not want to come and look at the man’s sufferings.”Then the Lion let the Hyena go, in order that she might catch the Jackal; and she did so, and brought him.The Lion asked the Jackal: “Why did you not come here to see me?” The Jackal said, “Oh no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went to the witch (doctor), to consult him, whether and what medicine would be good for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, ‘Go and tell your uncle to take hold of the Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on while it is still warm. Then he[52]will recover.’ The Hyena is one who does not care for my uncle’s sufferings.”The Lion followed his advice, got hold of the Hyena, drew the skin over her ears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.[53]

10. THE LION’S ILLNESS.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 29, 30.)The Lion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his suffering. But the Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who went to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by the Hyena, who said, “ThoughIgo to look, yet the Jackal does not want to come and look at the man’s sufferings.”Then the Lion let the Hyena go, in order that she might catch the Jackal; and she did so, and brought him.The Lion asked the Jackal: “Why did you not come here to see me?” The Jackal said, “Oh no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went to the witch (doctor), to consult him, whether and what medicine would be good for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, ‘Go and tell your uncle to take hold of the Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on while it is still warm. Then he[52]will recover.’ The Hyena is one who does not care for my uncle’s sufferings.”The Lion followed his advice, got hold of the Hyena, drew the skin over her ears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.[53]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 29, 30.)

The Lion, it is said, was ill, and they all went to see him in his suffering. But the Jackal did not go, because the traces of the people who went to see him did not turn back. Thereupon, he was accused by the Hyena, who said, “ThoughIgo to look, yet the Jackal does not want to come and look at the man’s sufferings.”

Then the Lion let the Hyena go, in order that she might catch the Jackal; and she did so, and brought him.

The Lion asked the Jackal: “Why did you not come here to see me?” The Jackal said, “Oh no! when I heard that my uncle was so very ill, I went to the witch (doctor), to consult him, whether and what medicine would be good for my uncle against the pain. The doctor said to me, ‘Go and tell your uncle to take hold of the Hyena and draw off her skin, and put it on while it is still warm. Then he[52]will recover.’ The Hyena is one who does not care for my uncle’s sufferings.”

The Lion followed his advice, got hold of the Hyena, drew the skin over her ears, whilst she howled with all her might, and put it on.[53]

[Contents]11. THE DOVE AND THE HERON.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 13, 14.)The Jackal, it is said, came once to the Dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “Give me one of your little children.” The Dove answered: “I shall not do anything of the kind.” The Jackal said, “Give it me at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.He came back another day, and demanded another little child, and she gave it to him. After the Jackal had gone, the Heron came, and asked, “Dove, why do you cry?” The dove answered him: “The Jackal has taken away my little children; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “In what manner can he take them?” She answered him: “When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, ‘I shall at once fly up, therefore give it me,’ I threw it down to him.” The Heron said, “Are you such a fool as to give your children to the Jackals, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.[54]The Jackal came again, and said, “Dove, give me a little child.” The Dove refused, and told him that the Heron had told her that he could not fly up. The Jackal said, “I shall catch him.”So when the Heron came to the banks of the water, the Jackal asked him: “Brother Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” The Jackal asked him again, “When a storm comes and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him: “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.”Then the Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.Since that day the Heron’s neck is bent.[55]

11. THE DOVE AND THE HERON.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 13, 14.)The Jackal, it is said, came once to the Dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “Give me one of your little children.” The Dove answered: “I shall not do anything of the kind.” The Jackal said, “Give it me at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.He came back another day, and demanded another little child, and she gave it to him. After the Jackal had gone, the Heron came, and asked, “Dove, why do you cry?” The dove answered him: “The Jackal has taken away my little children; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “In what manner can he take them?” She answered him: “When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, ‘I shall at once fly up, therefore give it me,’ I threw it down to him.” The Heron said, “Are you such a fool as to give your children to the Jackals, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.[54]The Jackal came again, and said, “Dove, give me a little child.” The Dove refused, and told him that the Heron had told her that he could not fly up. The Jackal said, “I shall catch him.”So when the Heron came to the banks of the water, the Jackal asked him: “Brother Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” The Jackal asked him again, “When a storm comes and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him: “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.”Then the Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.Since that day the Heron’s neck is bent.[55]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 13, 14.)

The Jackal, it is said, came once to the Dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “Give me one of your little children.” The Dove answered: “I shall not do anything of the kind.” The Jackal said, “Give it me at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.

He came back another day, and demanded another little child, and she gave it to him. After the Jackal had gone, the Heron came, and asked, “Dove, why do you cry?” The dove answered him: “The Jackal has taken away my little children; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “In what manner can he take them?” She answered him: “When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, ‘I shall at once fly up, therefore give it me,’ I threw it down to him.” The Heron said, “Are you such a fool as to give your children to the Jackals, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.[54]

The Jackal came again, and said, “Dove, give me a little child.” The Dove refused, and told him that the Heron had told her that he could not fly up. The Jackal said, “I shall catch him.”

So when the Heron came to the banks of the water, the Jackal asked him: “Brother Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” The Jackal asked him again, “When a storm comes and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him: “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.”

Then the Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.

Since that day the Heron’s neck is bent.[55]

[Contents]12. THE COCK.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, p. 29.)The Cock, it is said, was once overtaken by the Jackal and caught. The Cock said to the Jackal, “Please, pray first (before you kill me) as the white man does.” The Jackal asked, “In what manner does he pray? Tell me.” “He folds his hands in praying,” said the Cock. The Jackal folded his hands and prayed. Then the Cock spoke again: “You ought not to look about you as you do. You had better shut your eyes.” He did so; and the Cock flew away, upbraiding at the same time the Jackal with these words: “You rogue! do you also pray?”There sat the Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.[56]

12. THE COCK.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, p. 29.)The Cock, it is said, was once overtaken by the Jackal and caught. The Cock said to the Jackal, “Please, pray first (before you kill me) as the white man does.” The Jackal asked, “In what manner does he pray? Tell me.” “He folds his hands in praying,” said the Cock. The Jackal folded his hands and prayed. Then the Cock spoke again: “You ought not to look about you as you do. You had better shut your eyes.” He did so; and the Cock flew away, upbraiding at the same time the Jackal with these words: “You rogue! do you also pray?”There sat the Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.[56]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, p. 29.)

The Cock, it is said, was once overtaken by the Jackal and caught. The Cock said to the Jackal, “Please, pray first (before you kill me) as the white man does.” The Jackal asked, “In what manner does he pray? Tell me.” “He folds his hands in praying,” said the Cock. The Jackal folded his hands and prayed. Then the Cock spoke again: “You ought not to look about you as you do. You had better shut your eyes.” He did so; and the Cock flew away, upbraiding at the same time the Jackal with these words: “You rogue! do you also pray?”

There sat the Jackal, speechless, because he had been outdone.[56]

[Contents]13. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM.(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)A Leopard was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day, friend! what may your name be?”The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, “I am a Ram. Who are you?”“A Leopard,” answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter going to him, said, “Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow, with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was, he answered roughly, “I am a Ram!”“What a foolish Leopard you are!” cried the[57]Jackal, to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! “Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it together!”Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he immediately went to his wife, and said, “I fear this is our last day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall we do?”“Don’t be afraid,” said the wife, “but take up the child in your arms; go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.” The Ram did so as the confederates came on.No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, “Come on!” when the Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same time, “You have done well, friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food!”On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragging the[58]Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so the Ram escaped.[59]

13. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM.

(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)A Leopard was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day, friend! what may your name be?”The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, “I am a Ram. Who are you?”“A Leopard,” answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter going to him, said, “Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow, with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was, he answered roughly, “I am a Ram!”“What a foolish Leopard you are!” cried the[57]Jackal, to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! “Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it together!”Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he immediately went to his wife, and said, “I fear this is our last day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall we do?”“Don’t be afraid,” said the wife, “but take up the child in your arms; go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.” The Ram did so as the confederates came on.No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, “Come on!” when the Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same time, “You have done well, friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food!”On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragging the[58]Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so the Ram escaped.[59]

(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)

A Leopard was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day, friend! what may your name be?”

The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, “I am a Ram. Who are you?”

“A Leopard,” answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.

A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter going to him, said, “Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow, with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was, he answered roughly, “I am a Ram!”

“What a foolish Leopard you are!” cried the[57]Jackal, to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! “Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it together!”

Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he immediately went to his wife, and said, “I fear this is our last day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall we do?”

“Don’t be afraid,” said the wife, “but take up the child in your arms; go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.” The Ram did so as the confederates came on.

No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, “Come on!” when the Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same time, “You have done well, friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food!”

On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragging the[58]Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so the Ram escaped.[59]

1The little Fox, in Nama theǃKamap, a small kind of Jackal, who is a swift runner. The Jackal’s name isǀGirip. (Theǀis the dental and theǃthe cerebral click;videNotes to Fables 23 and 27, pp. 47, 62.)↑2“When the Hyena first starts, it appears to be lame on the hind legs, or gone in the loins, as one would say of a horse.”—L. Layard.↑

2“When the Hyena first starts, it appears to be lame on the hind legs, or gone in the loins, as one would say of a horse.”—L. Layard.↑

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