V.

[Contents]V.VARIOUS FABLES.THE ELEPHANT.Thou tall acacia full of branches,Thou ebony tree with leaves spread round about.[Contents]27. HOW A NAMA WOMAN OUTWITTED THE ELEPHANTS.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 1, 3.)An Elephant, it is said, was married to a Nama Hottentot woman, whose two brothers came to her secretly, because they were afraid of her husband. Then she went out as if to fetch wood, and putting them within the wood, she laid them on the stage.1Then she said, “Since I married into this kraal, has a wether been slaughtered also for me?” And her blind mother-in-law[94]answered, “Umph! things are said by the wife of my eldest son, which she never said before.”Thereupon the Elephant, who had been in the field, arrived, and smelling something, rubbed against the house. “Ha,” said his wife, “what I should not have done formerly, I do now. On what day did you slaughter a wether for me?” Then the mother-in-law said to him: “As she says things which she did not say (before), do it now.”In this manner a wether was slaughtered (for her), which she roasted whole, and then, in the same night (after supper), asked her mother-in-law the following questions:—“How do you breathe when you sleep the sleep of life? (light sleep, half-conscious.) And how when you sleep the sleep of death?” (deep sleep.)Then the mother-in-law said, “Umph, an evening full of conversation! When we sleep the sleep of death, we breathe thus: ‘sũi sũi!’ and when we sleep the sleep of life we breathe thus: ‘Χou ǃáwaba! Χou ǃáwaba!’ ”2Thus the wife made everything right whilst they fell asleep. Then she listened to their snoring, and[95]when they slept thus,sũi sũi, she rose and said to her two brothers, “The sleep of death is over them, let us make ready.” They rose and went out, and she broke up the hut3(to carry away all that she could), and took the necessary things, and said, “That thing which makes any noise wills my death.” So they kept altogether quiet.When her two brothers had packed up, she went with them between the cattle, but she left at home one cow, one ewe, and one goat, and directed them, saying to the cow, “You must not low as if you were by yourself alone, if you do not wish for my death;” and she taught the ewe and the goat the same.Then they departed with all the other cattle, and those who were left behind lowed during the night as if they were many, and as they lowed as if they were still all there, the Elephant thought, “They are all there.” But when he rose in the morning, he saw that his wife and all the cattle were gone. Taking his stick into his hands, he said to his mother, “If I fall the earth will tremble.” With these words he followed them. When they saw him approaching, they ran fast to the side, against a piece of rock (at a[96]narrow spot), and she said, “We are people, behind whom a large (travelling) party comes. Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself for us.” Then the rock divided itself, and when they had passed through it, it closed again (behind them).Then came the Elephant, and said to the rock, “Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself also for me.” The rock divided itself again, but when he had entered, it closed upon him. Thus died the Elephant, and the earth trembled. The mother at her hut said then, “As my eldest son said, it has happened. The earth shakes.”[97][Contents]28. A BAD SISTER.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 15, 16.)Copper and Weather, it is said, were man and wife, and begat a daughter, who married amongst other people.Her three brothers came to visit her; and she did not know them (as such), though the people said, “Do not you see they are your brothers?” She determined to kill them at night. They had, however, a Guinea-fowl to watch them.When the Copper-Weather relative crept near, in order to kill the men, the Guinea-fowl made a noise to put them on their guard. They were thus warned of the danger; but afterwards they fell asleep again. Then she stole again upon them. The Guinea-fowl made a noise, but broke the rope by which it had been fastened, and ran home. She then killed her brothers. When the Guinea-fowl came near home it wept:—[98]“The Copper-Weather relative has killed her brothers!Alas! she has killed her brothers!”The wife heard it, and said to her husband—“Do not you hear what the bird weeps for?You who sit here upon the ground working bamboos.”The man said, “Come and turn yourself into a mighty thunderstorm, and I will be a strong wind.”So they transformed themselves accordingly, and when they came near to the kraal (where their sons had been killed), they combined and became a fire, and as a fiery rain they burnt the kraal and all its inhabitants.[99]1VideNote to Fable 24, p. 56.↑2Χis the Germanch, andǃthe cerebral click of the Hottentot language, which is “sounded by sending up the tip of the tongue against the roof of the palate, and withdrawing it forcibly and suddenly.”—Tindall.↑3Hottentot huts being merely made of skins stretched over a frame, are carried about by the people in their wanderings.↑

V.VARIOUS FABLES.THE ELEPHANT.Thou tall acacia full of branches,Thou ebony tree with leaves spread round about.

THE ELEPHANT.Thou tall acacia full of branches,Thou ebony tree with leaves spread round about.

Thou tall acacia full of branches,

Thou ebony tree with leaves spread round about.

[Contents]27. HOW A NAMA WOMAN OUTWITTED THE ELEPHANTS.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 1, 3.)An Elephant, it is said, was married to a Nama Hottentot woman, whose two brothers came to her secretly, because they were afraid of her husband. Then she went out as if to fetch wood, and putting them within the wood, she laid them on the stage.1Then she said, “Since I married into this kraal, has a wether been slaughtered also for me?” And her blind mother-in-law[94]answered, “Umph! things are said by the wife of my eldest son, which she never said before.”Thereupon the Elephant, who had been in the field, arrived, and smelling something, rubbed against the house. “Ha,” said his wife, “what I should not have done formerly, I do now. On what day did you slaughter a wether for me?” Then the mother-in-law said to him: “As she says things which she did not say (before), do it now.”In this manner a wether was slaughtered (for her), which she roasted whole, and then, in the same night (after supper), asked her mother-in-law the following questions:—“How do you breathe when you sleep the sleep of life? (light sleep, half-conscious.) And how when you sleep the sleep of death?” (deep sleep.)Then the mother-in-law said, “Umph, an evening full of conversation! When we sleep the sleep of death, we breathe thus: ‘sũi sũi!’ and when we sleep the sleep of life we breathe thus: ‘Χou ǃáwaba! Χou ǃáwaba!’ ”2Thus the wife made everything right whilst they fell asleep. Then she listened to their snoring, and[95]when they slept thus,sũi sũi, she rose and said to her two brothers, “The sleep of death is over them, let us make ready.” They rose and went out, and she broke up the hut3(to carry away all that she could), and took the necessary things, and said, “That thing which makes any noise wills my death.” So they kept altogether quiet.When her two brothers had packed up, she went with them between the cattle, but she left at home one cow, one ewe, and one goat, and directed them, saying to the cow, “You must not low as if you were by yourself alone, if you do not wish for my death;” and she taught the ewe and the goat the same.Then they departed with all the other cattle, and those who were left behind lowed during the night as if they were many, and as they lowed as if they were still all there, the Elephant thought, “They are all there.” But when he rose in the morning, he saw that his wife and all the cattle were gone. Taking his stick into his hands, he said to his mother, “If I fall the earth will tremble.” With these words he followed them. When they saw him approaching, they ran fast to the side, against a piece of rock (at a[96]narrow spot), and she said, “We are people, behind whom a large (travelling) party comes. Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself for us.” Then the rock divided itself, and when they had passed through it, it closed again (behind them).Then came the Elephant, and said to the rock, “Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself also for me.” The rock divided itself again, but when he had entered, it closed upon him. Thus died the Elephant, and the earth trembled. The mother at her hut said then, “As my eldest son said, it has happened. The earth shakes.”[97][Contents]28. A BAD SISTER.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 15, 16.)Copper and Weather, it is said, were man and wife, and begat a daughter, who married amongst other people.Her three brothers came to visit her; and she did not know them (as such), though the people said, “Do not you see they are your brothers?” She determined to kill them at night. They had, however, a Guinea-fowl to watch them.When the Copper-Weather relative crept near, in order to kill the men, the Guinea-fowl made a noise to put them on their guard. They were thus warned of the danger; but afterwards they fell asleep again. Then she stole again upon them. The Guinea-fowl made a noise, but broke the rope by which it had been fastened, and ran home. She then killed her brothers. When the Guinea-fowl came near home it wept:—[98]“The Copper-Weather relative has killed her brothers!Alas! she has killed her brothers!”The wife heard it, and said to her husband—“Do not you hear what the bird weeps for?You who sit here upon the ground working bamboos.”The man said, “Come and turn yourself into a mighty thunderstorm, and I will be a strong wind.”So they transformed themselves accordingly, and when they came near to the kraal (where their sons had been killed), they combined and became a fire, and as a fiery rain they burnt the kraal and all its inhabitants.[99]

27. HOW A NAMA WOMAN OUTWITTED THE ELEPHANTS.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 1, 3.)An Elephant, it is said, was married to a Nama Hottentot woman, whose two brothers came to her secretly, because they were afraid of her husband. Then she went out as if to fetch wood, and putting them within the wood, she laid them on the stage.1Then she said, “Since I married into this kraal, has a wether been slaughtered also for me?” And her blind mother-in-law[94]answered, “Umph! things are said by the wife of my eldest son, which she never said before.”Thereupon the Elephant, who had been in the field, arrived, and smelling something, rubbed against the house. “Ha,” said his wife, “what I should not have done formerly, I do now. On what day did you slaughter a wether for me?” Then the mother-in-law said to him: “As she says things which she did not say (before), do it now.”In this manner a wether was slaughtered (for her), which she roasted whole, and then, in the same night (after supper), asked her mother-in-law the following questions:—“How do you breathe when you sleep the sleep of life? (light sleep, half-conscious.) And how when you sleep the sleep of death?” (deep sleep.)Then the mother-in-law said, “Umph, an evening full of conversation! When we sleep the sleep of death, we breathe thus: ‘sũi sũi!’ and when we sleep the sleep of life we breathe thus: ‘Χou ǃáwaba! Χou ǃáwaba!’ ”2Thus the wife made everything right whilst they fell asleep. Then she listened to their snoring, and[95]when they slept thus,sũi sũi, she rose and said to her two brothers, “The sleep of death is over them, let us make ready.” They rose and went out, and she broke up the hut3(to carry away all that she could), and took the necessary things, and said, “That thing which makes any noise wills my death.” So they kept altogether quiet.When her two brothers had packed up, she went with them between the cattle, but she left at home one cow, one ewe, and one goat, and directed them, saying to the cow, “You must not low as if you were by yourself alone, if you do not wish for my death;” and she taught the ewe and the goat the same.Then they departed with all the other cattle, and those who were left behind lowed during the night as if they were many, and as they lowed as if they were still all there, the Elephant thought, “They are all there.” But when he rose in the morning, he saw that his wife and all the cattle were gone. Taking his stick into his hands, he said to his mother, “If I fall the earth will tremble.” With these words he followed them. When they saw him approaching, they ran fast to the side, against a piece of rock (at a[96]narrow spot), and she said, “We are people, behind whom a large (travelling) party comes. Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself for us.” Then the rock divided itself, and when they had passed through it, it closed again (behind them).Then came the Elephant, and said to the rock, “Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself also for me.” The rock divided itself again, but when he had entered, it closed upon him. Thus died the Elephant, and the earth trembled. The mother at her hut said then, “As my eldest son said, it has happened. The earth shakes.”[97]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 1, 3.)

An Elephant, it is said, was married to a Nama Hottentot woman, whose two brothers came to her secretly, because they were afraid of her husband. Then she went out as if to fetch wood, and putting them within the wood, she laid them on the stage.1Then she said, “Since I married into this kraal, has a wether been slaughtered also for me?” And her blind mother-in-law[94]answered, “Umph! things are said by the wife of my eldest son, which she never said before.”

Thereupon the Elephant, who had been in the field, arrived, and smelling something, rubbed against the house. “Ha,” said his wife, “what I should not have done formerly, I do now. On what day did you slaughter a wether for me?” Then the mother-in-law said to him: “As she says things which she did not say (before), do it now.”

In this manner a wether was slaughtered (for her), which she roasted whole, and then, in the same night (after supper), asked her mother-in-law the following questions:—“How do you breathe when you sleep the sleep of life? (light sleep, half-conscious.) And how when you sleep the sleep of death?” (deep sleep.)

Then the mother-in-law said, “Umph, an evening full of conversation! When we sleep the sleep of death, we breathe thus: ‘sũi sũi!’ and when we sleep the sleep of life we breathe thus: ‘Χou ǃáwaba! Χou ǃáwaba!’ ”2

Thus the wife made everything right whilst they fell asleep. Then she listened to their snoring, and[95]when they slept thus,sũi sũi, she rose and said to her two brothers, “The sleep of death is over them, let us make ready.” They rose and went out, and she broke up the hut3(to carry away all that she could), and took the necessary things, and said, “That thing which makes any noise wills my death.” So they kept altogether quiet.

When her two brothers had packed up, she went with them between the cattle, but she left at home one cow, one ewe, and one goat, and directed them, saying to the cow, “You must not low as if you were by yourself alone, if you do not wish for my death;” and she taught the ewe and the goat the same.

Then they departed with all the other cattle, and those who were left behind lowed during the night as if they were many, and as they lowed as if they were still all there, the Elephant thought, “They are all there.” But when he rose in the morning, he saw that his wife and all the cattle were gone. Taking his stick into his hands, he said to his mother, “If I fall the earth will tremble.” With these words he followed them. When they saw him approaching, they ran fast to the side, against a piece of rock (at a[96]narrow spot), and she said, “We are people, behind whom a large (travelling) party comes. Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself for us.” Then the rock divided itself, and when they had passed through it, it closed again (behind them).

Then came the Elephant, and said to the rock, “Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself also for me.” The rock divided itself again, but when he had entered, it closed upon him. Thus died the Elephant, and the earth trembled. The mother at her hut said then, “As my eldest son said, it has happened. The earth shakes.”[97]

[Contents]28. A BAD SISTER.(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 15, 16.)Copper and Weather, it is said, were man and wife, and begat a daughter, who married amongst other people.Her three brothers came to visit her; and she did not know them (as such), though the people said, “Do not you see they are your brothers?” She determined to kill them at night. They had, however, a Guinea-fowl to watch them.When the Copper-Weather relative crept near, in order to kill the men, the Guinea-fowl made a noise to put them on their guard. They were thus warned of the danger; but afterwards they fell asleep again. Then she stole again upon them. The Guinea-fowl made a noise, but broke the rope by which it had been fastened, and ran home. She then killed her brothers. When the Guinea-fowl came near home it wept:—[98]“The Copper-Weather relative has killed her brothers!Alas! she has killed her brothers!”The wife heard it, and said to her husband—“Do not you hear what the bird weeps for?You who sit here upon the ground working bamboos.”The man said, “Come and turn yourself into a mighty thunderstorm, and I will be a strong wind.”So they transformed themselves accordingly, and when they came near to the kraal (where their sons had been killed), they combined and became a fire, and as a fiery rain they burnt the kraal and all its inhabitants.[99]

28. A BAD SISTER.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 15, 16.)Copper and Weather, it is said, were man and wife, and begat a daughter, who married amongst other people.Her three brothers came to visit her; and she did not know them (as such), though the people said, “Do not you see they are your brothers?” She determined to kill them at night. They had, however, a Guinea-fowl to watch them.When the Copper-Weather relative crept near, in order to kill the men, the Guinea-fowl made a noise to put them on their guard. They were thus warned of the danger; but afterwards they fell asleep again. Then she stole again upon them. The Guinea-fowl made a noise, but broke the rope by which it had been fastened, and ran home. She then killed her brothers. When the Guinea-fowl came near home it wept:—[98]“The Copper-Weather relative has killed her brothers!Alas! she has killed her brothers!”The wife heard it, and said to her husband—“Do not you hear what the bird weeps for?You who sit here upon the ground working bamboos.”The man said, “Come and turn yourself into a mighty thunderstorm, and I will be a strong wind.”So they transformed themselves accordingly, and when they came near to the kraal (where their sons had been killed), they combined and became a fire, and as a fiery rain they burnt the kraal and all its inhabitants.[99]

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 15, 16.)

Copper and Weather, it is said, were man and wife, and begat a daughter, who married amongst other people.

Her three brothers came to visit her; and she did not know them (as such), though the people said, “Do not you see they are your brothers?” She determined to kill them at night. They had, however, a Guinea-fowl to watch them.

When the Copper-Weather relative crept near, in order to kill the men, the Guinea-fowl made a noise to put them on their guard. They were thus warned of the danger; but afterwards they fell asleep again. Then she stole again upon them. The Guinea-fowl made a noise, but broke the rope by which it had been fastened, and ran home. She then killed her brothers. When the Guinea-fowl came near home it wept:—[98]

“The Copper-Weather relative has killed her brothers!Alas! she has killed her brothers!”

“The Copper-Weather relative has killed her brothers!

Alas! she has killed her brothers!”

The wife heard it, and said to her husband—

“Do not you hear what the bird weeps for?You who sit here upon the ground working bamboos.”

“Do not you hear what the bird weeps for?

You who sit here upon the ground working bamboos.”

The man said, “Come and turn yourself into a mighty thunderstorm, and I will be a strong wind.”

So they transformed themselves accordingly, and when they came near to the kraal (where their sons had been killed), they combined and became a fire, and as a fiery rain they burnt the kraal and all its inhabitants.[99]

1VideNote to Fable 24, p. 56.↑2Χis the Germanch, andǃthe cerebral click of the Hottentot language, which is “sounded by sending up the tip of the tongue against the roof of the palate, and withdrawing it forcibly and suddenly.”—Tindall.↑3Hottentot huts being merely made of skins stretched over a frame, are carried about by the people in their wanderings.↑

1VideNote to Fable 24, p. 56.↑

2Χis the Germanch, andǃthe cerebral click of the Hottentot language, which is “sounded by sending up the tip of the tongue against the roof of the palate, and withdrawing it forcibly and suddenly.”—Tindall.↑

3Hottentot huts being merely made of skins stretched over a frame, are carried about by the people in their wanderings.↑

Back to Index Next