South African Folklore Tales

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SOUTH AFRICAN

FOLK-LORE

TALES

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OUTA KAREL'S STORIES

MACMILLAN AND LONDON

CO., LIMITED

BOMBAY CALCUTTA MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY YORK DALLAS

BOSTON CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO

NF.W

THE MACMILLAN

CO.

OF CANADA,

TORONTO

LTD.

Outa Karcl and

Little Jan

The

Little

Red Tortoise Frontispiece

OUTA KAREL'S STORIES SOUTH AFRICAN FOLK-LORE TALES

BY

SANNI METELERKAMP

WITH ILUjSTKATICNS BY GO.HS1ANCE PENSTONE .

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MACMILLAN AND ST.

' ,

J

CO.,

LIMITED

MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON 1914

'

COPYRIGHT

TO ALL CHILDREN

YOUNG AND OLD

WHO

LOVE A FOLK-LORE STORY '

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FOREWORD. MY

thanks are due to Dr. Maitland Park,

Editor of The Cape Times, and Adv. B. K.

Long, M.L.A., Editor of The State, for their kind permission to republish such of these tales as

have appeared

in their papers. " in Sun "

For the leading idea The "The Stars and the Stars' Road,"

and

I

gladly indebtedness to that monu-

acknowledge my ment of patient labour and research,

mens

of

Bushman

Folk-lore,"

"

Speci-

by the

late Dr.

Bleek and Miss Lucy Lloyd. Further, I lay no claim to originality for

any of the

stories in this collection

at best a

very small proportion of a vast store from which the story-teller of the future may draw,

embodying the ceptions,

the

superstitions, the crude con-

childish

ideas

of a

primitive

and rapidly disappearing people. They are known in some form or other wherever the

FOREWORD

viii

negro has set

of every

property

and are the common

foot,

country child

South

in

Africa.

greatly regret that they appear here in

I

what

No

to them, a foreign tongue.

is,

who has

not heard them

in

the

one

Taal

that

quaint, expressive language of the people-

can have any idea of what they lose through translation,

but,

instance

first

original

having been written

for

in

the

English publications, the

medium was

out of the question.

Clear cold evenings, with a pleasant tang of frost in the air, figure here and there in these pages, but as flit

I

write other scenes, too,

across the lighted screen of

noontides of tropic heat with

sunk

in

Memorythe world

a languorous slumber, glowing sunsets,

throbbing

seemed

all

to

summer

nights

when

the

stars

tremble almost within one's reach,

moonlit spaces filled with soft mystery and the thousand seductive voices of the pulsing

southern night.

And

always, part and parcel

of the passing panorama, the quaint figure of

the old Native with his

little

masters.

FOREWORD It

is

nearly three years

Friend Death

"

ix

now

since

"Old

took him gently by the hand

and

led him away to that far, far country of which he had such vague ideas, so he tells no more stories by the firelight in the gloamand his little masters children no ing ;

claimed

are

longer

wider

interests.

both

little

growth,

by graver

But

in the

ones and

may

find the

tasks

and

hope that others,

children

a larger

of

same pleasure

in

these

tales of a childlike race, they are sent out to

find their

the

own

level

and take

their

chance

workaday world. S.

CAPE TOWN, January,

1914.

M.

in

CONTENTS. PAGE I.

II.

III.

IV. V.

VI.

VII.

THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE

How WHO WHY WHO

JAKHALS FED

WAS KING? THE HYENA

OOM LEEUW LAME

54

THE STARS AND THE

STARS' ROAD-

THE

ANIMALS'

XIV.

XV.

47

THE SUN

X.

XIII.

43

WAS THE THIEF?-

IX.

XII.

12 :?9

is

THE HARE'S NOSE

XL

-

-

WHY How

VIII.

i

is

SLIT

-

THE JACKAL GOT HIS STRIPE

DAM

63 70 78

88

SAVED BY HIS TAIL

101

THE FLYING LION

108

WHY

118

THE HERON HAS A CROOKED NECK

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE-

128

THE OSTRICH HUNT

139

ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE

Outa

and

Karel

Little

Jan

The

Little

Tortoise

"The "

Stars'

Red Frontispiece

Road"

The women

with

64 their

babies

on their backs,

flew"

81

The punishment "

'

Do

you

moment

"The

of Broer Babiaan

know, I

little

Red

Tortoise,

could swallow you

99 in

one

'

Ostriches ran faster and faster"

136

144

GLOSSARY. Awa-skin, skin slung across the back to carry babies in. Askoekies. cakes baked in

Jakhals draaie, tricky turns. Kaross. skin rug. Kierie, a thick stick.

the ash.

Klein koning. little king. Kneehaltered, hobbled.

Baas, master.

Baasje (pronounced Baasie), little

Babiaan. baboon.

Berg

mountain

schilpad.

I

Kopdoek, turban. Kopje, hill. Krantz. precipice.

master.

tor-

Kraal, enclosure.

toise.

Biltong, strips of sun-dried

meat.

Lammervanger. Leeuw, lion.

eagle.

Bolmakissie, head over heels.

Maanhaar. mane.

Bossies, bushes.

Mensevreter, cannibal.

Broer, brother.

Buchu, an aromatic veld herb. Carbonaatje, grilled chop.

Neef, nephew. Nooi, lady or mistress.

Nonnie, young lady. miss.

Dassie. rock-rabbit.

Oom. Eintje,

an edible veld

Gezondheid

!

root.

Your health

uncle.

Outa, old man. prefix to the name of old natives.

!

Pronk, show Haasje,

little

off.

hare.

Hamel, wether.

Reijer, heron.

GLOSSARY.

XVI

Riem, leathern thong. Rustband, couch.

Taai, tough.

Tante, aunt. Tarentaal, Guinea fowl.

or Sessebe, a South

Sassaby

Tover,

toverij, witchcraft.

African antelope.

Schelm, rogue

;

Vaabond, vagabond.

sly.

Schilpad, tortoise. Sjambok, whip of rhino or

Vlakte, plain.

hippo hide. Skraal windje,

denly and violently. Volk, coloured farm labourers.

fine

cutting

wind.

Voertsed, jumping aside sud-

Volstruis, ostrich.

Skrik, to

be startled

fright.

;

also

Vrouw, wife. Vrouwmens, woman.

Slim, cunningly clever.

Smouse, pedlar. Soopje,

tot.

Zandkruiper, sand- crawler.

I.

THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE. was winter

IT

in

The

the Great Karroo.

evening air was so crisp and cutting that one seemed to hear the crick-crack of the

formed on the scant vegetation. skraal windje blew from the distant mounas

frost,

A

tains,

it

bringing with

it

a mingled odour of

karroo-bush, sheep-kraals, and the Kafir huts

smoke from

none, perhaps, desirable in

so blent and purified in that rare, clear atmosphere, and so subservient to

itself,

but

all

the

exhilarating

der

Merwe

freshness,

took several

that

sniffs

Pietie

van

of pleasure

he peered into the pale moonlight over the lower half of the divided door. Then,

as

with a

little

involuntary shiver, he

closed

the upper portion and turned to the ruddy


2

warmth of the purring fire, which Willem was feeding with mealie-cobs from the basket beside him. Little

Jan

sat in the corner of the wide,

old-fashioned rustbank, his large grey eyes

gazing wistfully into the red heart of the fire, while his hand absently stroked Torry, the fox terrier, curled up beside him.

her big Madeira chair at the side table, yawned a little over her book

Mother,

in

;

for,

winter or summer,

the

mistress

of a

karroo farm leads a busy life, and the end of the day finds her ready for a well-earned rest. Pietie held his

hands towards the

blaze,

head now and again towards the the far end of the room. Presently

turning his

door at this

and

opened and father appeared, comfortably

such things as shearing, dipping, and ploughing were no part of his Only the healthy tan, the broad day's work. leisurely, as

if

shoulders, the whole well-developed physique

His proclaimed his strenuous, open-air life. eye rested with pleasure on the scene before

him

the

bright

fire,

throwing gleam and

PLACE AND PEOPLE

3

shadow on painted wall and polished woodwork, and giving a general air of cosiness to everything

meal

;

the table spread for the evening

the group at the fireside

;

and

;

his dear

helpmate who was responsible for the comfort and happiness of his well-appointed home.

He

was followed

in

moment by Cousin

a

the bright-faced

Minnie,

Their

coming

children.

caused

Little

Jan

a

young governess. stir

slowly

the

among withdrew

his

gaze from the fire, and, with more energy than might have been expected from his

dreamy

look,

pushed and prodded the sleep-

make

ing terrier along the rustbank so as to

room

for

Cousin Minnie.

" Now sprang to his father's side. " go and call Outa Karel ? he asked

Pietie

may

I

eagerly,

and

at

an acquiescent

my

"Yes,

boy," away he sped. It

was a strange

bidding,

shuffling,

came

figure that

stooping,

halting,

emerging into the firelight. might have been forgiven for finally

terror, for the

new

at his

and

A stranger fleeing

in

arrival looked like nothing


4

much

so

as an ancient

and muscular

gorilla in

man's clothes, and walking uncertainly on hind legs.

its

He

was not quite four feet in height, with shoulders and hips disproportionately broad, and long arms, the hands of which reached midway between knee and ankle. His lower limbs were clothed in nondescript garments fashioned from wildcat and dassie skins a ;

faded brown coat, which from

its

size

had

evidently once belonged to his master, nearly to his his

shapeless

seen to be

No

knees

;

felt

while,

hung when he removed

a red kopdoek was tightly round his head.

hat,

wound

one had ever seen Outa Karel without

kopdoek, but it was reported that the head it covered was as smooth and devoid of his

hair as an ostrich egg.

His yellow-brown face was a network of wrinkles, across which his flat nose sprawled broadly between high cheekbones his eyes, ;

sunk

far

back into

and beady

his head, glittered

dark

wicked eyes of a snake peeping from the shadow of a hole in like

the

little

PLACE AND PEOPLE

5

His wide mouth twisted

the rocks.

itself

an engaging grin, which extended from ear to ear, as, winking and blinking his into

bright

little

eyes, he twirled his old hat in his

claw-like hands and tried to to his master

and

make obeisance

mistress.

The attempt was

unsuccessful on account

of the stiffness of his joints, failed

to

to

be

it

never

amuse those who, times without

number, had seen witnessed

but

it

it

for the first

remembered

portionate form

;

To

repeated.

time

it

those

who

was something

the

grotesque, disprothe ape-like face, that yet

was so curiously human

the

;

humour and

kindness that gleamed from the cavernous

which seemed designed to express only malevolence and cunning the long waving eyes,

;

arms and crooked

fingers

;

the yellow skin

the world like a crumpled sheet of india-rubber pulled in a dozen different for all

directions.

That he was a consummate to put too fine a point

of the

first

on

it,

actor, and, not

an old humbug

water, goes without saying, for


6 these

are

characteristics

But

native nature.

uncanniness of

his

inherent

in spite of this,

appearance,

in

the

and the

was

there

something about Outa Karel that drew one to him. Of his real devotion to his master

and the "beautiful family Van der Merwe," there could be no question while, above ;

everything, was the

of an outcast race, original

inhabitants

feeling that here

was one

one of the few of the

who had

tide of civilization

survived

the

who, knowing submerging no law but that of possession, had been scared and chased from their happy hunting grounds, ;

by the Hottentots, then by the powerful Bantu, and later by the still more terrifying palefaced tribes from over the seas. Though first

the origin of the

Bushman

is

lost in the mists

of antiquity, the Hottentot conquest of him is

a matter of history, and

that

the

victors

killing off the

were

men,

in

it

well

is

the

habit,

to take unto

known while

themselves

amonoO the women of the vanHence the fact that a perfect quished race. specimen of a Bushman is a rara avis, even wives from

PLACE AND PEOPLE in the localities

known

where the

last

7

remnants are

to linger.

Outa Karel could hardly be specimen of the original

called a perfect

race, for,

though he

always spoke of himself as wholly Bushman, there was a strong strain of the Hottentot about him, chiefly noticeable

He

in

spoke

Dutch,

in

in his build.

the curiously ex-

pressive voice belonging to these people, just

now honey-sweet

with the deference he

felt

for his superiors.

"Ach

Night, Baas.

toch!

Night, Nonnie and that this old

you

Bushman does

the will

;

Thank

stiff.

my little

is

Night, Nooi.

baasjes.

Excuse

not bend to greet

there, but his

you, thank you,

knees are too

my

baasje," as

dragged a low stool, covered with springbok skin, from under the desk in the Pietie

and pushed it towards him. He sethimself on it slowly and carefully, with

recess tled

much creaking

of joints and

many

strange

native ejaculations.

The

group had arranged itself anew. Cousin Minnie was in the cosy corner of the little


8

Jan next her with his head against her, and Torry's head on his lap this attention to make up for his

rustbank near the wall,

late

seeming unkindness

little

in

pushing him away.

Pappa, with his magazine, was at the other end of the rustbank where he could, if he chose, speak to

in

a low tone, or

how

her book was getting Willem had pushed the basket away so

peep over on.

Mamma

to see

as to settle himself

more comfortably against

Cousin Minnie's knee as he sat on the

and

Pietie

of the

was on a

floor,

small chair just in front

fire.

The

centre of attention was the quaint old

who, having relegated his duties to his children and grandchildren, lived as a

native,

privileged pensioner in the van der

Merwe

family he had served so faithfully for three

The

played over his quaint figure with the weirdest effect, lighting generations.

firelight

up now one portion of ing

up

crooked

his

now

another, show-

astonishingly small

fingers, as

incessantly

it,

hands and

he pointed and gesticulated

for these

people speak as

much

PLACE AND PEOPLE by gesture as by sound gerated shadows on the

9

and throwing exagwall.

This was the hour beloved by the children, when the short wintry day had ended, and, in the interval

ness

and

Outa

Karel

between the coming of dark-

the

evening meal, their dear was allowed in to tell them

stories.

And

weird and wonderful stories they were

spooks and giants, of good and bad of animals that talked, of birds, beasts

tales of spirits,

and

insects that exercised marvellous influence

over the destinies of unsuspecting mankind.

But most

thrilling of

all,

perhaps, were Outa

Karel's personal experiences

veld and krantz with crocodile, such as

lion,

no longer

adventures by tiger, jackal fall

and

to the lot of

mortal man.

The

children would listen, wide-eyed and

breathless,

and even

their elders,

sparing a

moment's attention from book or writing, would feel a tremor of excitement, unable to determine where reality ended

and

fiction

began, so inextricably were they intermingled


io as

wove

lago of the desert

old

this

his

romances. "

Now, Outa,

tell

us a nice story, the nicest

you know," said little Jan, nestling closer to Cousin Minnie, and issuing his command as the autocrat of the "

One Thousand and One

Nights" might have done. "

Ach

but

!

black one

klein

baas,

knows no new

this

old

stupid

stories,

only the old

ones of Jakhals and Leeuw, and tell even those when his throat

how can he is

so dry with the dust from the kraals

He

ach,

dry " ?

forced a gurgling cough, and his small

Then suddenly eyes glittered expectantly. he started with well-feigned surprise and beamed on

Pietie,

who

stood beside him with

a soopje in the glass kept for his especial use. This was a nightly performance. The lubrication

was never

forgotten, but

it

often purposely delayed in order to see

pretext

Outa would use

the fact of throat,

its

what

to call attention to

not having been offered.

headache,

was

Sore

stomach-ache, cold, heat,

rheumatism, old age, a birthday (invented

for

PLACE AND PEOPLE

n

the occasion), the killing of a snake or the

breaking-in of a young horse anything served as an excuse for what was a time-

honoured custom. "

Thank

you, thank you, mij klein koning.

Gezondheid

Nonnie, and the

to Baas, Nooi,

beautiful family

He

van der Merwe."

lifted

gulped down the contents, and smacked his lips approvingly. " Ach if a the

glass,

!

Bushman

How down

only had a neck like an ostrich

good would the soopje

Now

!

ready to

tell

I

am

taste all the

strong again

;

now

the story of Jakhals and

!

way I

am

Oom

Leeuw." " About his "

back

Oom Leeuw

"

carrying Jakhals on

asked Willem.

?

No, baasje.

This

is

quite

a different

one."

And

with

imitating

many

strange every action and

gesticulations,

changing

his

voice to suit the various characters, the old

man began

:

II.

HOW JAKHALS FED OOM "

ONE day

in the early

people were

LEEUW.

morning, before any

Jakhals was prowling

awake,

round and prowling round, looking thing to eat. for himself.

hunt

Jakhals

Oh, no

!

is

he

for

some-

not fond of hunting likes to wait

till

the

over, so that he can share in the feast

is

He without having had any of the work. had just dragged himself quietly to the top with his of a kopje so, my baasjes, so the ground, and his ears Outa's backwards and forwards"

stomach close

moving little

to

hands, on either side of the kopdoek,

word

"to hear the

Then he looked

here, he looked

suited the action to the least sound.

there,

he looked

whom do you

all

think

around, and yes, truly

he saw

in

the

!

kloof

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW below

No

?

other than

Oom Leeuw

13

him-

self, clawing a nice big hamel he had just killed a Boer hamel, baasjes, with a beauti-

ful fat tail.

Oh

yes,

Oom Leeuw

had picked

out a good one.

'"Arre"!' thought Jakhals, 'this

and he

is

luck,'

wondering how he could get some of the nice meat for himself. He soon made a plan. A white thing sat

for a minute,

still

fluttered in a little

He

piece of paper.

and so

so

bush near him. picked

and so

'

it

It

was a

up and folded

it

the crooked fingers

were very busy "till it looked like a letter. Then he ran down the kopje in a great hurry and called out, Good morning, Oom.' '

"

'

"

'

"

'

Morning, Neef.' I see Oom has killed a Boer hamel.'

Yes, Neef, a big fat one.' "'Well, here is a letter from Tante,' said Jakhals, giving the piece of paper to Leeuw. '

As

I

was passing she asked me

to give

it

to

Oom.' "

Leeuw took

that way.

He

it

held

and turned it

far

it

this

way,

from him, he held

i


4

it

close to his eyes, but he couldn't

out at

all.

Leeuw was one

See, baasjes,

the old-fashioned sort.

make

it

of

He

grew up before there were so many schools and good teachers"

here Outa's bright eyes winked and blinked flatteringly on Cousin Minnie and her pupils

"he was not

clever;

he could not read.

But he didn't want anyone said "

know

tacles

so he

'

Oom

has forgotten his specyou had better read it out."

;

Hm, hm,

hm,' said Jakhals, pretending

Tante says Oom must Boer hamel and send it home

to read. fat

it,

:

'

Jakhals, "

to

'

kill

at

a nice

once by

She and the children are hungry.' Here is the very 'Well, that's all right. Tante is not very well. The Jew thing.

me.

"

smouse's donkey she ate the other day disagreed with her, so we must coax her a little. I

don't want to say anything, but

vrouwmens in

is

a temper.

hamel

a dangerous thing

So you had

to her at once,

you know a

when she

is

better take this

and then you can have

the offal for your trouble."

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW "

'

Thank

you, noble

Oom, King

15

of Beasts,'

said Jakhals in a fawning voice, promising himself at the same time that he would have

something more than the tunate the

am

King

'

offal.

How

for-

poor humble creature, to have

I,

my

for

uncle,'

and

he trotted

off

with the sheep. "

Leeuw prowled

waving his Outa had a but, as

the

kloof,

tail

from side to side."

Had

tail

he would have wagged

and "

description.

bokje on

its

but

!

looks there, little

up

it,

he had not, his right arm was slowly

flourished to

Ach

further

fro

Here comes a

is

pretty

with

front foot

its

is in

the other goes up

;

It

!

to

for water.

looks

here,

down

;

it

is

On

it

comes,

now

again.

it

One down

large soft eyes.

the air

his

Steen-

little

dam

to a veld

way

it

to give point

;

Outa's hands, bunched up slowly, slowly" to resemble the buck's feet, illustrated each the children following his " with breathless interest. Now step,

listen."

Outa was

rigid as

to catch the least sound.

movements it

stops to

he bent forward

Suddenly he started


16

and the children involuntarily did " Hark what was that ? What the same. violently,

!

coming ? Ach and shivers A is

Great

!

with

their

LEEUW

cruel

eyes

Now

fire.

LEEUW who

!

form

terrible

!

way

how Steenbokje

!

skriks

blocks

the

burn

him

eyes

he knows. stands

in

It

is

the path

!

He

growls and glares at Steenbokje. Steenbokje cannot turn away. They stare at each other

"

just so

so

Outa

glares at each

"

Steenbokje cannot look away, cannot move. He is stiff with fright. His blood is cold. His eyes

fascinated child in turn.

And

are starting out of his head. "

voops

!

the listeners

jump

then

as Outa's long

"one arms suddenly swoop towards them Steenbokje spring and Leeuw is on him. blares

meh, meh,

Leeuw

tears

tip,

meh

the red blood drips

There

dead."

The

is

it

no good.

him and claws him.

runs out like a stream, up.

but

lies

pretty

Outa's voice children

;

little

trails

heave

Tip,

tip,

down s-s-s-s-s, and Leeuw licks

it it

Steenbokje, dead,

away

big

faintly.

sighs.

Little

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW Jan's grey eyes are

17

The old made them

of tears.

full

native's graphic description has

though they had been watching round

feel as

a death-bed.

"Yes,

baasjes,

Leeuw

He

there in the kloof. skr-r-r-r

and

to

for

killed

Steenbokje

tore the skin off

through the bones skrnch, and ate little Steenbokje for skrnch, skrnch his breakfast. Then he went to the krantzes sleep,

light "

began

When

bit

was coming and the

the day

to hurt his eyes.

he awoke

it

was evening, and he

refreshed and rather hungry.

felt

know

a Steenbokje

Oom

Leeuw.

My baasjes

nothing for a meal for But before hunting again he is

thought he would go

home and

see

how

Tante and the children were getting on, and whether they had feasted well on the nice fat

ham el. "

But,

Leeuw

dear land find

?

The

!

What

did poor

children

crying,

Oom Tante

and scratching with rage, everything upside down, and not even the bones of the hamel to be seen.

spluttering

1


8

'"Ohe! ohe! ohe!' wicked Jakhals

bad,

dog!' " But what '

is

Ach, the low, veld

!

the matter?' asked Leeuw.

'Where is Jakhals?' "'Where is he?

How

should

He

has run off with the nice

me

yes, me, the King's wife

with the entrails "

'

Ohe

!

And boxed my '

cubs.

'The

cried Tante.

ohe

!

'

ears

Wah wah wah !

!

!

know?

hamel, and

has he beaten ' !

cried one of the

' !

"

'And pinched my 'Weh! weh! weh

fat

I

tail,'

roared the other.

'

!

"

'

And

left

us nothing but the

Oh,

offal. '

the cunning, smooth-tongued vagabond " And all three fell to weeping and wailing, !

while "

fore

'

Leeuw

roared aloud in his anger. Wait a bit, I'll get him,' he said. the

world wakes to-morrow

he'll

'

Besee

who's baas.' "

He waved

his tail to

and

fro

and stuck

His eyes glared like a dark kloof when there is no moon,

out his strong claws. fire

in

and when he brulled

it

was very

terrible to

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW hear

hoor-r-r-r-r,"

hoor-r-r-r-r,

gave vent

to

several

deep,

and

19

Outa

blood-curdling

roars. "

Very early the next morning, when only a little grey in the sky shewed that the night was

rolling

world,

round to the other side of the

Leeuw took

his strongest

started off to look for Jakhals.

on the top of a krantz with his wife and children. at last

"'Ah!

there you are,

my

sjambok and He spied him

sitting

by a

fine fellow,'

'

thought.

fire

Well and happy are you soon show you

?

he

But

'

wait,

I'll

!

"He

began at once to try and climb the krantz, but it was very steep and high, and so smooth that there was nothing for him to hold

to.

Every time he got up a

his claws just scratched along the

and he came

down

sailing

thought, 'Well, as

I

again.

little

way, hard rock

At

can't climb up,

last

I'll

he

pre-

tend to be nice and friendly, and then perhaps I'll ask him to Jakhals will come down. go

hunting with me.'

Here

Outa's

'

beady

little

eyes

danced


20

"

mischievously.

Baasjes

the

know,

to get the better of a schelm

way

When

too.

schelm,

anyone

must cheat more, or you Ach, yes

!

that

is

will

only to

is

cheats,

be

you

never be baas.

the only way."

(Cousin Minnie would not disturb the course of the tale, but she mentally prescribed

and stored up for future use an antidote this pagan and wordly-wise piece of advice

to

to

her pupils.) "

So Leeuw stood

at the foot of the krantz

and called out quite friendly and kind,

'

Good

morning, Neef Jakhals.' <:

'

"

'

Morning, Oom.' I

thought you might

with me, but

"At any

I

like to

go hunting

see you are busy.'

other time Jakhals would have

skipped with delight, for it was very seldom he had the honour of such an invitation,

now he was blown up

but

having cheated

Oom

with conceit at

and Tante Leeuw so

nicely. "

of

'

Thank

meat

you,

Oom,

just now.

but

I

am

not in want

I'm busy grilling

some

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW nice fat mutton chops for breakfast.

you come and have some, too " is

'

'

Ach

!

in

you up

me

Won't

'

?

Certainly, with pleasure, but this krantz

so steep "

21

how can

'

I

Oom.

that's quite easy,

an eye-wink.

I'll

pull

Here, vrouw, give old rotten one

That

a nice thick riem.

that

?

get up

nearly rubbed through,' he said in a

is

whisper to his wife. " So Mrs. Jakhals,

who was

as slim as her

husband, brought the bad riem, and they set to

work

hoo-ha

to pull '

Oom Leeuw

'

up.

Hoo-ha

!

they sang as they slowly hauled

!

away. "

When

he was about ten

feet

from the

ground, Jakhals called out, Arre but Oom is heavy,' and he pulled the riem this way '

!

and that way along the sharp edge of the " krantz Outa vigorously demonstrated broke right through and kabloops down fell Oom Leeuw to the hard ground

"till

it

!

below. " I

'Oh!

hope

my

Oom

goodness is

!

not hurt.

What

a terrible

How

fall

!

stupid can a


22

vrouwmens be

when

To

!

called for the best

I

me an

give

Now, here

!

Oom can try again.' strong one. " So Leeuw tried and again,

is

a

and

again,

times over, but each time the

many

again,

old riem

rope broke and each time his fall was greater, because Jakhals always pulled him up a little

and a

higher,

out

little

At

higher.

last

he called

:

"

'

very kind of you, Jakhals, but

It's

must give "

Ach

'

it

!

I

up.'

but that's a shame

' !

said Jakhals,

The carbonaatjes pretending to be sorry. alle wereld! are done to a turn, and the smell '

fine

it's

Shall

!

of the meat "

'

Yes

a piece

?

Jakhals,'

please,

eagerly, licking his inside

Oom down

throw

I

'

'

lips.

me and some

I

said

Leeuw

have a big hole

carbonaatjes will

fill

it

nicely.'

"

Ach

my

what did

cunning raked a red-hot carefully stone out of the fire and wrapped a big piece !

Jakhals do

of

fat

?

round

baasjes,

He

it.

Then he peered over

the

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW

23

edge of the krantz and saw Leeuw waiting impatiently. "

'

Now

Oom,' he

called,

'open your mouth It's such a nice

wide and

I'll

big one,

bet you won't want another.'

"

I

drop

And when

this in.

he said

this,

while Mrs. Jakhals and the

up with " " his

'

'

fell

ones doubled

silent laughter at the great joke.

Are you

ready, '

Grr-r-r-r-r

!

Oom ?

'

gurgled Leeuw.

mouth wide open

He

for fear of missing

Jakhals leaned over and took aim. the

tit-bit

swallowed

"And

and

had

to catch the carbonaatje,

and he would not speak "

Jakhals chuckled, little

sluk

sluk

!

!

it.

Down

Leeuw had

it.

then,

my

baasjes, there arose such a

roaring and raving and groaning as had not

been heard since the

hills

The

were made.

dassies crept along the rocky ledges far above,

and peeped timidly down

;

the circling eagles

swooped nearer to find out the cause the meerkats and ant-bears, the porcupines and ;

spring-hares snuggled further into their holes

;

while the frightened springboks and elands


24

fled swiftly

over the plain to seek safety

some other

veld.

in

"

Only wicked Jakhals and his family With their bushy tails waving and rejoiced. their pointed ears standing up, they

round the

"

'

Arre

Arre

!

!

Who

holding hands and singing-

fire,

over and over

danced

:

who is stronger than the King of Beastland ? who sees further than the King of Birdland ? but thick-tailed Jakhals, but the Silver-maned

One? He, the small but sly one ; he, the wise Planmaker. King of Beasts would catch him catch him, claw ;

him,

Ha

!

ha

!

ha

kill

him

kill !

!

would catch him

him

!

Ha

!

ha ha !

!

would

!

But he finds a way out grills the fat-tailed hamel, Feeds the King of Beastland with the juicy tit-bits; Eats the fat-tailed hamel while the King lies dying; ;

Ha!

ha! ha!

now

'

lies

dying!

Ha! ha! ha!

lies

dead

"

!

Outa crooned the Jakhals' triumph song in a weird monotone, and on the last words his voice silence

leaving a momentary the small folk.

quavered

among

out,

Pietie blinked as

though the

firelight

were

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW too

much

his

for

Little

eyes.

Willem cleared

tumultuously.

25

Jan sighed

his throat.

"

Oom

But how did Jakhals know that Leeuw was dead?" he asked suddenly.

"He

peeped over the krantz every time between the dancing and singing like this, Outa's eyes, head and

baasje, just like this."

"

The first time he looked, he saw Oom Leeuw rolling over and over the next time Leeuw was scratching, hands were at work.

;

scratching at the rocky krantz

;

then he was

digging into the ground with his claws he was only blowing himself out so long slow breaths

Oh

!

I

thing.

nicest "

with

but the last time he was

still,

die," said little Jan. little

then

and then Jakhals knew" didut want poor Steenbokje

lying quite "

;

;

Outa,

to

"He this

was such a pretty is not one of your

stories."

It's all

about

killing," said Pietie.

"First

poor Steenbokje, who never did him any harm, and then Jakhals killed Oom Leeuw, who never did kirn any harm. It

Leeuw

killed

was very

cruel

and wicked."


26 "

Ach

yes, baasjes," explained Outa, apolo"

we

getically,

don't

know why,

but

it is

so.

Sometimes the good ones are killed and the bad ones grow fat. In this old world it goes not always so's

must go

it

;

it

just

go

so's

it

goes."

"But," persisted Pietie, "you oughtn't to have let Jakhals kill Oom Leeuw. Oom

Leeuw was much have

killed

Outa's

stronger, so he ought to

naughty Jakhals."

gleamed

eyes

These

pityingly.

What did they know of the young things ups and downs of a hard world where the !

battle

is

not always to the strong, nor the race

to the swift "

the

?

my baasje, Outa He only put in story.

did not

But,

make up

little bits, like

the

newspaper and the spectacles and the Jew But the smouse, that are things of to-day. real story

was made

long, long ago, perhaps

when

baasje's people went about in skins the Rooi Kafirs, and Outa's people were

monkeys been

so,

in

and

the it

bushveld. will

It

like still

has always

always be so

in

the

JAKHALS FED OOM LEEUW story

and

head,

my

wicked world.

in the old

It is

27 the

baasjes, the head," he tapped his

own, "and not the strong arms and legs and teeth, that makes one animal master over

Ach

another.

yes

if

!

the Bushman's head

had been the same as the white man's, arre what a fight there would have been between !

them

" !

And

astonishing train of thought called up by this idea, he sat gazing out lost in the

before him with eyes which saw

many

strange

Then, rousing himself, with a quick change of voice and manner, "Ach! please, " Nooi he said in a wheedling tone, " a span things.

!

of tobacco

just

one

little

span for to-night

and to-morrow." His mistress laughed indulgently, and, unhooking the bunch of keys from her belt,

handed them sinner

" !

to

Cousin Minnie.

she said.

"

We

all

"

The

spoil him,

old

and

who could begin to be strict with him now? Only a small piece, Minnie." " Thank you, thank you, my Nonnie," said

yet

the old man, holding out both

hands, and


28

receiving the coveted span as " That's thing very precious.

if it

were some-

my young lady!

Nonnie can have Outa's skeleton when he dead.

it

to

send

Nonnie

be a

will

Yes,

skeleton

fine

is

for

across the blue water,

far

where she sent the old long-dead Bushman's bones. Ach foei all of him went into a little !

soap boxie " boxie

think

to

just

of

it

a soap

!

!

He

started as a

her appearance.

How

already. is

young coloured "

O

mij lieve

the time goes

!

here

;

night,

Nooi

;

masters.

night,

Sleep well family Van der Merwe

and

fainter,

the distance, as his

away.

and

!

Lys

Night,

the

little

beautiful

" !

His thanks, farewells and fainter

!

Nonnie and

Ach

!

is

when a person

with the baasjes and the noois

Baas

made

girl

flatteries

finally died

grew

away in granddaughter led him

III.

WHO WAS "

KING?

ONCE upon

a time," began Outa Karel, and his audience of three looked up expectantly. " Once upon a time, Oom Leeuw roared

and the

forest

Then, from

shook with the dreadful sound.

far

away over

another roar, and the

little

the vlakte, floated lion

cubs jumped

about and stood on their heads, tumbling over each other in their merriment.

"'Hear/ they Three

Sticks.

our father.

no

said,

'it

is

Volstruis,

old

He tries to imitate the King, He roars well. Truly there is

difference.'

"

When Leeuw

heard

he was very angry, so he roared again, louder than ever. Again came back the sound over the veld, as if it

had been an echo.

this


30 "

'

Ach, no!

Leeuw.

I

pudence. imitators "

do,'

to

King

thought this

im-

and

here,

want none.'

I

and roamed over the

forth

he met old Three

till

Ostrich.

am

alone

I

So he went

vlakte

never

this will

must put a stop

'

Sticks,

the

stood glaring at each other.

They

"

Leeuw's eyes flamed, his mane rose in a huge mass and he lashed his tail angrily. Volstruis spread out his beautiful wings and

swayed from his it

side to side, his

neck twisting

was

pretty, but

beak open and

Ach whip-snake. baasjes could have seen

like a if

!

Baasjes know, Volstruis's eyes are very soft and beautiful like Nonnie's when she tells the Bible stories but now there was his eyes

!

;

only fierceness

in

that looked like "

way

"So

'

We

Volstruis so,

roared,

It

yet.

was

Leeuw came must see who

You, Volstruis, please '

throat,

fight

of meeting.

step nearer and said, baas.

lights

fire.

But there was no

only their

and yellow

them,

to roar a

blowing

Hoo-hoo-hoor-r-r-r

!

It

is

little.'

out

'

a

his

was a

WHO WAS sound

fearsome

makes you

feel

the

KING? sound

of

sort

31 that

streams of cold water run-

down your back when you hear it suddenly and don't know what it is. Yes, ning

baasjes,

you are

if

in

bed you

up and

curl

over your head, and if you are outside you run in and get close to the Nooi or Nonnie." pull the blankets

A

slight

movement, indicative of contra-

passed from one to another of his small hearers, but unless it was a free and diction,

easy, conversational evening

they

made

it

a point of honour never to interrupt Outa in full career. This, like other things, could

await the finish of the story. "

Then Leeuw

were the same. a bigger voice,' or

No '

truly the voices

one could

That

is

'

say,

This

is

a more terrifying

No, they were just equal.

voice.'

"

and

roared,

So Leeuw

are

alike.

Let

it

You

then be

Birds as

I

said to Volstruis,

are

so.

am King

my

You

equal

will

Our

'

in

who

is

roaring.

be King of the

of the Beasts.

us go hunting and see

voices

Now

baas there.'

let


32 "

Out

big

feeding,

Leeuw

some sassaby

the vlakte

in

ones, a

fat

nice

l

were

klompje

started off in one direction

;

so

and Vol-

both kept away from the side the wind came from. Wild bucks struis in the other, but

can smell little

puff

ach toch

when a hunter

them, and at once air

sniff,

sniff,

the wind.

so

!

all

sniff-

Dust

is

good.

;

one

creeping up to the heads are in the is

and they are off like all you see, and when

blown away ach no there are no " the whole veld is empty, empty

that has

bucks

Just

!

!

Outa stretched out them from

his

arms and waved

side to side with an exaggerated

nothing but empty space, his voice mournful with a sense of expression

of

finding

irreparable loss. "

But

"

he took up his "

energy hunters.

nearer 1

with renewed

Leeuw and Volstruis were old They knew how to get nearer and

without

letting

the

bucks

know.

Sassaby (also spelt Sesseby) or Bastard Hartebeest are smaller than the Hartebeest proper, and are found

much in

tale

open veld near

forest country.

WHO WAS Leeuw

trailed himself

KING?

33

along slowly, slowly,

and only when he was moving could you see which was Leeuw and which was sand the colour was just the same. close to the ground,

:

"He

picked out a big buck, well-grown and fat, but not too old to be juicy, and when he got near enough he hunched himself up

very quietly

so,

my

little

masters, just so

ready to spring, and then before you could whistle, he shot through the air like a stone

from a catapult, and

fell, fair

and square, on

to the sassaby's back, his great tearing claws

on

fastened

its

shoulders

and

his

wicked

teeth meeting in the poor thing's neck. "

Ach

!

the

beautiful

big buck

Never

!

again would his pointed horns tear open his enemies Never again would he lead the !

herd, or pronk in the veld in mating time

Never again would danger

his

in the distance,

soft

nostrils

let

go

till

scent

nor his quick hoofs

give the signal for the stampede was really all up with him this time

Oom Leeuw

!

No,

!

!

it

When

gets hold of a thing, he doesn't

it is

dead.


34 "

The

rest of the

Soon they were distance

;

far

herd

ach, but they ran

!

in the

away, only specks

except those that Volstruis had

all

Truly Volstruis was clever Baasjes know, he can run fast faster even than the killed.

!

So when he saw Leeuw getting

sassaby.

ready to spring, he raced up-wind as hard as he could, knowing that was what the

So there he was waiting them, and didn't he play with them See,

herd would do. for

!

baasjes, he stood just so

Outa rose and struck an

"

in his

excitement "

attitude

and when

they streaked past him he jumped like this, striking at them with the hard, sharp claws

on

his

old two toes."

Outa hopped about

a fighting bantam, while the children hugged themselves in silent delight.

like

"

Voerts

kicked to

another!"

there

!

"

was one dead

the right.

"

Voerts

he kicked to the

left

!

!

there "till

Outa was there

was a klomp of bucks lying about the veld Yes, old Two Toes giving their last blare. did his "

work

well that day.

When Leeuw came

up and saw

that Vol-

WHO WAS had

struis

KING?

35

more than he had, he was

killed

not very pleased, but Volstruis soon

made

it

all right.

"

you "

Leeuw

said,

'You have

open and begin

rip

'Oh I

"

most, so

to eat.'

no!' said Volstruis, 'you have cubs

to share the food with, so eat.

killed

you

rip

open and

shall only drink the blood.'

This put Leeuw

in

a good humour

he

;

thought Volstruis a noble, unselfish creature.

But

as

truly,

he had no

Therefore he

was ;

'

said,

You

eat

;

I

only drink the blood.'

"So Leeuw ate

ripped

till

came along

struis

sk-r-r-r-r,

open

and called the cubs, and they Then Volthey were satisfied.

sk-r-r-r-r all

Volstruis

But he didn't want Leeuw

teeth.

know.

will

before,

Baasjes see, he couldn't eat meat

clever.

to

said

I

in

a careless fashion, peck-

pecking as he walked, and drank the Then he and Leeuw lay down in blood. ing,

the

shade

of

some

trees

and went

to

sleep.

"

The

cubs

played

about,

rolling

and


36

As

tumbling over each other. they came "

'

Aha

mouth "

'

'

said

!

they played

where Volstruis

lay.

he sleeps with his

one,

open.'

He

Aha

'

to the place

Volstruis's

into

peeped

'

mouth.

he said again, I see something.' "Another cub came and peeped. " Alle kracht he said, I see something '

!

'

'

'

!

Let us go and

too.

our

tell

father.'

"

So they ran off in great excitement and woke Leeuw. Come, come quickly,' they '

'

said. is

Volstruis

your equal. with

trees

his

have peeped teeth !

"

and behold, he has no

it,

see for yourself.'

Leeuw bounded

off quick-quick with the

tail.

'

nier-r-r-r.

lies

you by saying he sleeping under the

mouth wide open, and we

into

Nier-r-r-r,' '

He

Come and

cubs at his "

insults

he growled, waking Volstruis,

What

is

the meaning of this

?

You

pretend you are my equal, and you haven't even got teeth.' "

'

Teeth or no teeth/

ing up wide awake,

'

I

said Volstruis, stand-

killed

more bucks than

WHO WAS

Teeth or no

you did to-day. to

you "

show who's

Come

'

'

on,' said

No, wait a

Leeuw.

there

and

come out That

Leeuw

fight

'

Who's

afraid

!

said Volstruis.

see

that

?

'

'

I've

ant-heap over it,

stand on the other side, and we'll see

who can push '

I'll

Well, you stand on one side of

?

I'll

"

teeth,

Come on

little,'

You

got a plan.

37

baas.'

I'm just ready for you. "

KING?

it

over

first.

After that we'll

open and fight.' seems an all-right plan,'

into the

said

and he thought to himself, I'm heavier and stronger I can easily send the '

;

;

ant-heap flying on to old Three Sticks, and then spring over and kill him.' "

But wait a

bit!

It

was not as easy as

he thought. Every time he sprang at the ant-heap he clung to it as he was accustomed to cling to his prey. He had no other way of doing things.

And

then Volstruis would

take the opportunity of kicking high into the air, sending the sand and stones into Leeuw's face,

rage.

and making him howl and splutter with


38 "

Sometimes he would stand

still

and

roar,

and Volstruis would send a roar back from the other side. "

So they went on

till

the top of the ant-

heap was quite loosened by the kicks and Leeuw was getting angrier and blows. angrier,

and he could hardly see

were so

full

He

of dust.

his eyes

gathered himself

together for a tremendous spring, but, before he could make it, Volstruis bounded into the

and kicked the whole top Arre, but the dust was thick

air

"

When

off the ant-heap. !

cleared away, there lay Leeuw,

it

groaning and coughing, with the great heap of earth and stones on top of him. "

my

Ohe

ohe!' wailed the cubs, 'get up, father. Here he comes, the Toothless '

One!

!

He who

Get up and "

slay him.'

Leeuw shook

and sprang full

has teeth only on his feet!

of sand

he missed. struis

shot

himself free of the earth

but his eyes were he could not see properly, so

at Volstruis, ;

As he came down out

his

strong

heavily, Vol-

right

leg

and

WHO WAS caught Leeuw

in

the side.

the skin, and goops

Oom

KING?

Leeuw, with

the teeth of old

!

39

Sk-r-r-r-r

goops

over

!

!

fell

went poor

Volstruis's terrible claws

Two Toes

fastened into

him. "

Volstruis danced on him,

flapping and

waving his beautiful black and white wings, and tearing the life out of Oom Leeuw. "

When

it

was

all

he cleaned his

over,

claws in the sand and waltzed

away slowly over the veld to where his mate sat on the nest.

"

Only the cubs were left wailing over the dead King of the Forest."

The

usual babel of question and

broke out at the close of the Pietie's

story,

comment till

decided young voice detached

at last itself

from the general chatter. "

Outa, what

made you say

that about pull-

ing the blankets over one's head and running

near to get o

Mammie

bellowing at night that none of us

?

if

one heard Volstruis

You know

would ever do

it."

quite well


40 "

Yes, yes,

my

baasje,

know," said Outa,

I

"

never meant anyone who But other belongs to the land of Volstruise. I

soothingly.

little

who

masters,

know

did not

the voice of

Three Sticks

old

mam-mas "

Oh,

if

they would run to their they heard him."

see,"

I

said

accepting the was sure you could

Pietie,

"

I apology graciously. not mean a karroo farm boy."

"Is your story a parable, Outa?" asked little Jan, who had been doing some hard thinking for the last minute.

"Ach

"A "

!

and what

kind of

is

a

Yes, that's what

fable,

"

it is,

a sort of nice

But a parable

master?"

Outa."

fable,

baasje," said Outa,

word he understood,

gladly seizing on the "

my little

that,

little

fable."

an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, and when Cousin Minnie tells us parables she always finds the mean-

What

ing for

us.

of

Outa?"

this,

is

is

the heavenly meaning

grey eyes were earnestly fixed on Outa's face, as though to read Little Jan's innocent

WHO WAS from

it

was nonplussed.

He

rubbed

kopdoek, laid a crooked finger thought-

against his

fully

41

For once

the explanation he sought.

the old native his red

KING?

nose, scratched his sides,

flat

monkey-fashion, and finally once more to the kopdoek. failed

expedients

to

had But

recourse all

these

him with the

inspire

heavenly meaning of the story he had just Ach these dear little ones, to think of told. !

such strange things There they all were, He must get waiting for his next words. out of it somehow. !

<(

Baasjes," he began, smoothly, "there

a beautiful

meaning

to the story, but

hasn't

time

tell

got

now.

it

Outa," broke

in

Willem,

"you know you only want that

Outa

Another

"

time "

to

is

you can go

to

reprovingly,

get

away so

to the old tramp-floor,

where

the volk are dancing to-night." "

No,

"And

my I

baasje, truly

no

" !

wouldn't be surprised to hear that

you had danced, too, after the way you have been jumping about here."


42 " "

'

so

with

fine," said Pietie, is

one dead

!

Voerts

relish. !

there

'

Outa, you always say you are but you can still kick well."

stiff,

"

there

!

another

is

"

Yes, that was

Voerts

!

Aja, baasje," returned Outa, modestly;

was a great dancer. No one could do the Vastrap better and the Hondekrap and the Valsrivier. Arre, those were in

my

day

the times

I

" !

He

gave a little hop at the remembrance of those mad and merry days, and yet another and another, always towards the passage leading to the kitchen. "

But the meaning,

meaning!"

cried

little

Outa, Jan.

the

heavenly

"You

haven't

told us."

"

No, my little baas, not to-night. Ask the Nonnie she will tell you. Here she comes." ;

And

as Cousin Minnie entered the room,

the wily old native, with an agility not to

be expected from his cramped and crooked limbs, skipped away, leaving her to bear the brunt of his inability to explain his

own

story.

IV.

WHY THE HYENA "

IS

LAME.

was Tante Hyena that Jakhals cheated more than anyone," said Outa. " She always IT

forgot about the last time he had played a

on her, so she was quite ready to believe him when he came along with another story.

trick

Some

people are

kindness, p'raps

so,

my

it's

only stupidness

baasjes.

P'raps ;

it's

Outa

doesn't know.

"One day

Jakhals and Hyena were out walking together when a white cloud came up behind the kopjes and floated over the veld quite close to them. cloud, just like white

on

to

it

and

Then he "

'

sat looking

bit pieces

Arre"

!

fat,

It

was a nice thick

and Jakhals climbed

down over

out of

but this white

it,

the edge.

and ate them.

fat is nice,'

he

said.


44 '

N-yum, n-yum, n-yum,' and he chewed round

the cloud like a caterpillar chews a leaf. " Hyena licked her lips and looked up at

him. "

'

"

'

Throw me down some, please,' she said. Ach my Brown Sister, will I then be greedy as to throw you down little bits ? !

so

Wait

till

get down, and then

eat for

to

up

I

I'll

help you

But come a

yourself.

nearer so that you can

catch

little

me when

I

jump.' "

So

stood

Hyena

and

Jakhals a that he knocked her such way jumped into the sand. He fell soft, because he was ready,

in

on

top,

but foei

knocked

breath

poor

!

out

of

Hyena had her and

all

she

the

was

covered with dust.

"'Ach! but

I

'but never mind, "

am now

clumsy!' said Jakhals; I'll

help you.'

So when she had got up and dusted

her-

he helped her to climb on to the cloud. There she sat, biting pieces off and eating

self,

them,

'

N-yum, n-yum, n-yum,

white fat!'

it's

just like

WHY THE HYENA "

After

a

time

she

"

'

Please catch

"

how

He

Ola

shall

I

I

to

do

!

to

Sister,

come

catch you.

one

side,

Grey come

jump.' on.

So-o-o.'

held out his arms, but just as

Ola

!

I'll

nicely

jumped he sprang 1

me when

Ach, certainly Brown

Just see

out,

want

I

45

'

called

Brother, I've had enough.

down.

LAME

IS

Hyena

calling out,

a thorn has pricked me. What what shall I do ? and he hopped '

?

about holding one leg up. "

Woops

as she

Down

!

fell

Brown

she put out her

fell

left

and

Sister,

leg to save

doubled up under her and was She lay in a bundle in the nearly broken. sand, crying, My leg is cracked my leg is herself, but

it

'

!

'

cracked

!

"Jakhals came along very slowly jump, jump, on three legs. Surely the thorn, that wasn't there, was hurting him very "

'

Grey "

my sick

'

Oo

oo

My

And mine

leg

is

up,

broken.'

has a thorn in

How

!

it.

Foei toch,

can the sick help the only plan is for us to get home

sister

The

much

Hyena, 'help me

cried

!

Brother.

poor ?

!

'

!


46

in the best will visit

right/ "

And

way we

Good-bye, and

can.

you to-morrow

to see

if

you are

I

all

he went

jump, jump, on three legs very slowly; but as soon as Old Brown Sister could not see him, he put down the off

other one and

he shot over the

sh-h-h-h

veld and got

home

nice supper of

young ducks

just

time to have a

in

that Mrs. Jakhals

and the children had caught Niekerk's dam.

at

Oubaas van

"

But poor Brown Sister lay in the sand crying over her sore places, and from that

day she walks lame, because her foot 1

is

smaller than the right one."

The Hyena, on

legs fable.

left

hind

l

first starting, appears lame in the hind a fact accounted for by the Hottentots in the foregoing

V.

WHO WAS THE "

YES,

my

baasjes, so

was

THIEF?

Oom

Jakhals

he

:

always made as if he forgot all about what he had done, and he made as if he thought

He

the others forgot too, quick-quick.

all

is

maar so schelm."

Here Outa took

advantage of the pinch of snuff he held between his right forefinger and thumb, sneezed with evi-

enjoyment two

dent

continued

"When well, "

full

or

times,

and

Hyena was

quite

three

:

Jakhals thought

he went to

visit her.

'

'

very dull here in the veld,' he said, and food is so scarce, so I'm going to hire It's

myself to a farmer. eat

He'll give

me

and drink, and when I'm nice and

lots fat

to I'll


48

come home too, "

Brown

Would you

again.

like

to

go

Sister ?"

Hyena smacked

her

when she heard She thought it

lips

about the nice things to eat. a very good plan. So they went to a farm,

and Jakhals talked so nicely that the farmer hired them both to work for him.

"Ach!

was a

it

chickens and

sheep with melted out

beautiful

little

large for

He

of

could be

that

tails

soap and candles, and eggs,

and doves and pigeons hals liked.

lots

and Afrikander

ducks, fat

place;

all

things that Jak-

stomach that

just felt in his

he was going to have a

jolly

life.

" in

During the day Jakhals peeped all about, this corner, in that corner, and he found

out where the farmer kept the nice fat that

was melted out of the sheep's

tails.

In the

middle of the night, when all the people were fast asleep, he got up and went quietly, my baasjes, quietly, like a to the place

shadow on the ground,

where the

fat

was.

He

took a

big lump and smeared it all over Brown Then he Sister's tail while she was asleep.

WHO WAS THE ate

and went "

was

that

all

left

THIEF?

49

n-yum, n-yum, n-yum

to sleep in the

waggon-house.

morning, when the farmer went out to milk the cows, he missed the fat.

Early

"

Lieve land

'

'

said.

But "

in the

Where

!

'

is all

my

fat

?

he

must be that vagabond Jakhals. I'll get him !'

It

wait,

He

took a thick riem and his sjambok, and went to the waggon- house to catch Jak-

asked about the little

"

'

fat,

Jakhals spoke

Ach

the

no,

Baas

!

And

?

look at

I

my

then do such tail.

There's

tail is full

turned round and waved his

that there

'

Would

The one whose

the farmer's face, and

'

little,

of fat

thief.'

"He

"

a

in

voice.

an ugly thing no fat on it. is

But when he

and give him a beating.

hals

was no

But the

someone

fat

must

fat is

anyone could on it.

tail in

easily see

gone,' said the farmer,

have

stolen

went on hunting, hunting

in

it,'

the

and

he

waggon-

house.

"At

last

he came to where Hyena was D


50

sleeping, just like a baby, baasjes, so nicely,

and snoring a

little

:

not the loud snoring

like

sawing planks gorr-korrr, gorr-korr but nice soft snoring like people do when they sleep very the

deepest

fast

and her

Aha

!

was sticking out behind

tail

here

!

is

and he began

farmer,

is

when a person snores Hyena's head was on some

her, stiff with fat " '

It

sleep

see-uw, see-uw. chaff,

see-uw, see-uw.

the

said

thief,'

to tie the riem

the

round

her. "

Old Brown '

eyes.

Sister sat

up and rubbed her

What's the matter

had a beautiful dream. eating "

'

fat

And

'

?

she asked.

I

dreamt

you were

my

fat/

"

was

I

said

farmer, and he pulled the rope tighter.

now

I

'

the whole night, and so

'

the

'And

I'm going to teach you not to steal again.'

Poor old

Brown

Sister

jumped about

when she found out what he was oa-oinoo

to do;

she ran round and round the waggon-house trying to get away she called out, and she ;

called out that she did not

know about

the

WHO WAS THE had

she

that

fat,

THIEF?

never

had never even seen

tasted

But

it.

51

and

it,

was no

it

good. "

'

Look

at

your

tail,'

'

said the farmer.

you tell me that your tail went by rubbed itself in the fat ?

itself

Will

and

'

"

So he

tied her to the

beat her, and beat her

"

ach

!

she was quite

and she screamed and screamed, and

sore last

waggon wheel and at

he drove her away from the farm.

Poor old Brown Sister

have the

from her

fat

She

!

didn't

to eat,

tail

even

because,

baasjes see, with the running round and the beating,

it

was

all

rubbed

went

to live

quite

good enough

for her."

Is that the end,

Outa?

"

"

Yes,

my

can't help

"And

it.

on a farm again

baasje. It

It's

But she never

off.

"

;

the veld was

asked Willem.

a bad end, but Outa

does maar end so."

where was Jakhals

all

the time?"

enquired Pietie, severely. "Jakhals,

my

baasje,

was

sitting

on the

waggon saying his prayers so, my baasjes." Outa put his crooked hands together and cast


52 his

twinkling eyes

upwards

till

only

the

yellows showed. "

'

Bezie, bezie, brame,

Hou jouw

handjes same.'

1

And

every time Hyena screamed, Jakhals begged her not to steal again, but to try and behave like a good Christian." "

But Jakhals was the thief," said little Jan, indignantly. "He was always the wicked How was one, and he was never punished. that,

Outa

A

" ?

whimsical

man's

smile

and though

face,

over the old

played

his eyes

danced as

wickedly as ever, his voice was sober as he answered. "

Ach my !

It is

maar so

little

master,

how can Outa

in this old world.

funny thing Baas Willem saw that runs

down

It's like

in the

a place so quickly that

tell?

the 2

Kaap, it

just

runs up on the other side, and then it can't stop, but it has to run down again, and 1(<

Berry, berry, blackberry,

Hold your hands 2

The Kaap

together."

Cape Town.

WHO WAS THE so

it

on

keeps

up

and

THIEF? down,

53

and

up

down." "

You

mean

the

switchback

'

?

asked

Willem. "

Ach, yes baasje, Outa means so. And the world it is the same up and down, up !

in

and down.

And

good ones are down and the bad ones are up. But the thing

Outa

and

often the

can't get the

name

right

goes

on, goes on, and by-and-by the good ones are up and the bad ones are down." " But Jakhals seemed always to be up," it

remarked Willem. "

Yes,

my

baasje,"

said

the

old

man,

"

Jakhals seemed always to be up. It goes so sometimes, it goes so," but his eyes suddenly had a far-away look, and one

soberly.

could not be certain that he was thinking of Jakhals.

VI.

THE

SUN.

A BUSHMAN LEGEND.

OUTA, having disposed of his nightly tot, held his crooked hands towards the cheerful blaze

and turned

nately on

it

and

his

engaging smile

alter-

his little masters.

"

Ach what it is to keep a bit of the Sun even when the Sun is gone Long ago Outa's people, the Bushmen, did not know about fire. No, my baasjes, when the Big Fire, that makes the world warm and bright, !

!

walked across the sky, they were happy. They hunted, and danced, and feasted.

They

shot the fine big bucks with their

little

poisoned arrows, and they tore pieces off and ate the flesh with the red blood dripping from it they had no fire to make it dry up. And :

THE SUN

55

the roots and eintjes that they their sharp stones

dug out with

those, too, they ate just

as they were.

did the

They did not cook, for they not know how to make fire. But when white man came, then they learnt. Baas-

jes see, Outa's

Baas's head

head

big bigger than the but that does not help. It's is

the inside that matters, and the white man's

head inside here "

forehead

"In

Alia

"

!

-Outa tapped but

his wrinkled

can hold a

it

lot

!

when Outa's people

the olden days,

were cold they crept into caves and covered themselves with skins, for they had no fire to sit

Yes, they were sorry

by.

Man down

in the

when

the Old

sky put down his arms and lay

to sleep."

"What Old Man?"

asked

Pietie.

"Do

you mean the Sun?" "

Aja Don't baasjes then know that the Sun was once a man? It was long, long !

ago, before Outa's people lived in the world

:

perhaps in the days of the Early Race that were before even the Flat Bushmen, who

were

the

first

people

we

really

know


56

In those days at a certain

anything about.

place lived a man, from

When

ness streamed.

him was

light

only shone ;

it

when he

but

;

the light shone

"

lifted

bright-

one arm, the

light

when he

;

the other arm, the place on that side of

lifted

lived

he

him was

place on that side of

it

whose armpits

lifted

both arms,

around about him.

all

But

around the place where he

did not reach to other places.

Sometimes the people asked him

on a stone, so that

to stand

his light could

go farther and sometimes he climbed on a kopje and

lifted

his

up

streamed out for miles

arms far, far,

and

miles.

ach

:

then

!

;

the

light

and lighted up the veld For the higher he went,

the farther the light shone. "

Then

the people said

' :

We

see now, the

shines. the farther his light he goes higher o o o If only we could put him very high, his light

would go out over the whole "

So they

a wise old

tried to

woman

make

world.'

a plan, and at last

called the

young people must You and said go to this together man from whose armpits the light streams. '

:

THE SUN When

he

is

57

you must go

asleep,

;

and the

strongest of you must take him under the armpits, and

lift

and

so

fro

so

him

and swing him to and throw him as high as up,

you can into the sky, so that he above the kopjes, light

down

stream

arms

lifting his

to

warm

may

be

to let the

the earth and

make green things to grow in summer.' " So the young men went to the place where the man lay sleeping. Quietly they went,

my

baasjes, creeping along in the red

sand so as not to wake him.

deep

sleep,

men took him under

and swung him to and old woman had told them.

pits

swung him, they threw him "

and there he

The

in

a

fro,

the arm-

as the wise

Then, as they

into the air, high,

stuck.

next morning, when he awoke and

stretched light

was

and before he could wake the

strong young

high,

He

up his arms, the streamed out from under them and

brightened

himself,

all

lifting

the world,

warming

the earth,

and making the green things grow. And so it went on day after day. When he put up


58

his arjns,

was

it

bright,

he put down one arm, weather was not clear.

it it

was day. When was cloudy, the

And when he

down both arms and turned over was no

sleep, there it

was

night.

light at all

:

to

put

go

to

was dark

it

But when he awoke and

;

lifted

day came again and the world was warm and bright.

his arms, the

"

Sometimes he

Then

it

comes

is

cold

:

is

far

it is

away from

But when he

winter.

near, the earth gets

the earth.

warm

again

;

the

green things grow and the fruit ripens it is summer. And so it goes on to this day, my ;

baasjes winter,

:

the

and

all

day and

night,

because the Old

summer and

Man

with the

bright armpits was thrown into the sky." "

But the Sun

downright

is

Willem,

not a man, Outa," said

"and

he

hasn't

any

arms."

"No, my baasje, not now. He is not a man any more. But baasjes must remember how long he has been up in the sky spans, and spans, and spans of years, always rolling round, and rolling round, from the time he

THE SUN wakes

the morning

in

59

he

till

lies

down

And

sleep at the other side of the world.

with

the

he has

baasjes,

rolling,

to

all

got

rounder and rounder, and the light that at first came only from under his arms has been

round him,

now he

a big ball rolling from one side of the sky to

rolled right

of light,

till

is

the other."

Cousin Minnie, who had been listening

in

a desultory way to the fireside chatter, as she wrote at the side-table, started and leant

toward the

but a single glance was enough to show that so interested were the children in the personal aspect of the tale that there

little

was no

group

;

fear of confusion arising in

minds from Outa's decided subversion

their

of an elementary fact which she had been at

some pains

to get

them

understand and

to

accept.

"And

his arms, Outa," inquired

in his earnest

now

way,

Jan,

"do they never come

out

^ r

Outa beamed upon him proudly. that

little

is

my

little

master

!

Always

"

Ach

!

to ask a


60

Yes, baasje, sometimes they come When it is a dark day, then he has put

big thing out.

his

arms

!

He

out.

is

holding them down, and

spreading his hands before the it

can't shine

And

on the world.

he gets up

just before

before he goes

to

in the

at

sleep

light,

so that

sometimes,

morning, and night,

haven't

baasjes seen long bright stripes coming from " the round ball of light ? o

"Yes, yes," assented

his

little

listeners,

eagerly.

"Those

are the long fingers of the Sun.

His arms are

rolled

up

inside the fiery ball,

but he sticks his long fingers out and they make bright roads into the sky, spreading out all round him. The Old Man is peeping at the earth

through

his

fingers.

must count them next time he out,

and see

if

they are

all

there

ones, those are the fingers ones for the thumbs."

;

Baasjes

sticks

them

eight long

and two short

Outa's knowledge of arithmetic was limited to the

number

of his crooked digits,

and the

smile with which he announced the extent of

THE SUN

61

mathematical attainments was a ludicrous

his

cross

between proud triumph and modest

reluctance. "

When

Then

he

lies

down, he

pulls

them

in.

the world grows dark and the people

all

to sleep."

go

"

But, Outa,

Pietie

it

isn't

always dark at night," "

reminded him.

There are the Stars

and the Moon, you know." "

Ach, yes

The

!

Outa

Moon.

will tell

another night, but quick and

When

let

friend

!

but

baasjes,

the baasjes about

them

now he must go quick

it

stiff,

can

and the rheumatism

pinch

Outa cooks

Therefore,

!

my

bossies from the veld to

buchu and kookamakranka and

rub on karroo

bossies.

buchu

is

outside,

Lady

Lys rub his back with buchu. Old Ao-e o comes the back bends

and the bones get foei

Stars and the

little

the

They best.

are

Yes,

and the Baas's

all

good,

buchu

fire-water

but

for

the

for

the

inside !"

He

looked longingly at the cupboard, but wood and glass are unresponsive until acted

62


on by human agency

;

so,

possessing

no

"Open, Sesame" for that unyielding lock, Outa contented himself by smacking his lips as he toddled away.

VII.

THE STARS AND THE DARKLY-BLUE and

STARS' ROAD.

illimitable, the arc of the

sky hung over the great Karroo of softest velvet, for

background

like

a canopy

making a deep, mysterious the

myriad

which

stars,

twinkled brightly at a frosty world.

The

three

gathered at the window, pointed out to each other the constellations with which Cousin Minnie had

made them

and were deep in a disthe nature and number of the

composing the Milky

shuffled "

Way when

Outa

in.

Outa, do you think there are a billion

up there Willem. stars

"

boys,

familiar,

cussion as to stars

little

A

billion,

in

the

Milky

Way

" ?

you know," explained

asked

Pietie,


64

"is a thousand million, and

months

to

"

Aja,

would take

it

count even one million."

baasje," said the old

man

word and making

it

his

"

own,

readily,

unknown

seizing, with native adroitness, the

then there

surely be a billion stars up there.

will

Perhaps,"

he added, judicially considering the matter, "two billion, but no one knows, because no

one can ever count them.

And

many. the sky

He little

"

is

are

They

too

to think that that bright road in

made

settled

of

wood

ashes, after all."

himself on his stool, and his

audience came to attention.

Yes,

baasjes," he

my

"

went

on,

long,

long ago, the sky was dark at night when the Old Man with the bright armpits lay down to sleep, but people learned in time to make fires to light

a

girl,

who

up the darkness sat

warming

;

and one night

herself

by a wood

She took the played with the ashes. ashes in her hands and threw them up to see fire,

how the

pretty they were air.

And

when they

as they floated

green bushes on the

fire

and

floated in

away she put

stirred

it

with a

"The

Stars'

Road" Face page 64

THE STARS

65

Bright sparks flew out and went high, high, mixing with the silver ashes, and they all hung in the air and made a bright road stick.

And

across the sky. call

Baasjes it

there

the Milky

it

to this day.

it is

Way, but Outa

calls

the Stars' Road.

"Ai! but the

was pleased! She clapped

girl

her hands and danced, shaking herself like Outa's people do when they are happy, and singing '

:

The

The tiny stars a for other stars. make road They Ash of wood-fire Dust of the Sun They call the Dawn when Night is done little stars

!

!

!

"

!

Then she took some

' !

of the roots she had

been eating and threw them into the sky, and there they hung and turned into large stars.

The

old roots turned into stars that

gave a red

and the young roots turned into stars that gave a golden light. There they all hung, winkYes, singing, ing and twinkling and singing. light,

my

baasjes, '

and

We

this is

what they sang

are children of the

It's

so

!

It's

so

!

Sun

It's

so

!

!

:


66

Him we It's

so

when Night

call

so

It's

!

!

done!

is

so

It's

!

Bright we sail across the sky By the Stars' Road, high, so high;

And

we, twinkling, smile at you,

As we It's

"

sail

so

across the blue It's

!

so

when

Baasjes know,

!

It's

!

so

the stars twinkle up

there in the sky they are like

nodding It's

so!

' !

little

children

heads and saying, 'It's so! so!' At each repetition Outa

their It's

nodded and winked, and the

children, with

antics of approval, followed suit. "

Baasjes have sometimes seen a star

Three "

heads nodded

little

When

a star "

pressively,

For the fails

1

It

star

tell

and

im-

died.

person's heart it

falls

from the

those at a distance that someone

know has is

man

someone has

knows when a dies,

?"

in concert.

said the old

us

tells

and the person

sky to they

it

falls,"

fall

died.

1

both curious and interesting to find the identical

amongst races so widely different as the Scandinavians of Northern Europe and the Bushmen of South Africa. See Hans Andersen's Little Match Girl:

belief obtaining

"

Her Grandmother had

told her that

a soul mounted up to God."

when a

star

fell

down

THE STARS "

One

star

grew and grew

larger than the others. Star, and, singing,

He

67

he was much

till

He

was the Great

he named the other

stars.

one by name, till they all had their names, and in this way they knew that he was the Great Star. No other could have called each

done

Then when he had

so.

finished, they

sang together and praised the Great who had named them.

all

Star,

1

"

Now, when

the day

is

done, they walk

across the sky on each side of the Stars'

Road.

shows them the way. And when over, they turn back and sail again

It

Night

is

by the

Stars'

Road

to call the

Daybreak, that

goes before the Sun. The Star that leads He is called the way is a big bright star. the Dawn's- Heart Star, and in the dark, dark hour, before the Stars have called the

ach

he shines behold

!

The

baasjes, he

!

wife

and the

Dawn's- Heart Star are

1

"

When

beautiful to child

They

sail

the morning stars sang together, and

God shouted

for joy."

Job

of the

pretty, too, but not

so big and bright as he.

of

is

Dawn,

xxxviii. 7.

all

on

in

the sons


68

and then they wait wait for the other Stars to turn back and sail along the Stars' front,

Road,

Sun

to

Dawn, and

calling, calling the

come up from under

for the

the world, where

he has been lying asleep. "

They

and

call

twinkling as they

sing,

sing :'

We

call across

Dawn

the sky,

Come, Dawn

!

You, that are like a

Rubbing the

!

young maid newly

sleep from your eyes

You, that come stretching bright hands Pointing the way for the Sun

risen,

!

to the sky,

!

Before whose smile the Stars faint and grow pale,

And the Stars' Road melts Dawn Come Dawn !

We And

call across the sky,

the Dawn's-Heart Star

It's

"

away.

!

so

!

So they

It's

so

!

It's

so

sing, baasjes,

is

waiting.

' !

because they

know

they are soon going out. " Then slowly the Dawn comes, rubbing her eyes, smiling, stretching out bright fingers,

chasing the darkness away. faint

and the

Stars'

Road

The

Stars

grow

fades, while the

THE STARS

69

Dawn makes At

a bright pathway for the Sun. he comes with both arms lifted high,

last

and the brightness, streaming from under them, makes day for the world, and wakes people to their work and play. " But the little Stars wait till he sleeps Sumagain before they begin their singing.

mer now, will

the time

is if

when they sing

best, but

baasjes look out of the

even

window they

see the Stars, twinkling and singing."

The

children ran to the

out into the

starlit

window and gazed

heavens.

The

last sight

Outa had, as he drained the soopje glass the Baas was just in time to hand him, was of heads bobbing up and down in time to the immemorial music of the Stars, three

little

while

little

"

Yes,

'It's

it's

so!

Jan's

excited

treble

quite true, Outa. It's

so!

It's

so!'"

rang out

They

:

do say,

VIII.

WHY THE THE

HARE'S NOSE

IS SLIT.

had not yet been drawn nor the shutters closed, and little Jan looked with curtains

wide serious eyes serenely

in

at

the

the cold sky.

full

moon

sailing

Then he sighed

as

though thoughts too big for expression stirred within him, and turned absently towards the purring "

fire.

And why

does the big man make such "It is like a sighing?" asked Outa Karel. the wind in the mealie land at sun-under." eyes slowly withdrew their from some inward vision and became gaze o " conscious of the old native. Outa," he Little

said,

Jan's

"why

is

the

moon

so beautiful, and so golden "

Ach

!

to hear

him now

so far away, and " ?

!

How

can Outa

WHY tell ?

and

HARE'S NOSE

It is

maar

fire is hot,

beautiful

so.

so the

IS

SLIT

Just like grass

Moon

and golden.

is

far

But she

lady sometimes, too, and

is

71

green

away and is

a cruel

through her that the poor Little Hare runs about with a slit in his nose to-day." "Tell

us,

Outa."

it

Little

is

Jan dropped on

to the rug beside the basket of mealie-cobs,

and the others edged nearer. " And why do you call the Moon a lady asked Pietie of the inquiring mind. " But doesn't baasje know that the

" ?

Moon

O

a lady ? yes, and for all her beauty she can be cross and cruel sometimes like other is

ladies, as "

you

will hear."

Long, long ago, when the world was quite young, the Lady Moon wanted some-

one to take a message to Men. She tried first one creature and then another, but no !

they were all too busy, they couldn't go. At last she called the Crocodile. He is very slow and not much good, but the Lady Moon

thought she would pinch his tail and him go quickly. So she said to him

make ' :

Go


72

down

message shall

Men

to

"

As

:

you

at I

once and give them

this

die and, dying, live, so also

die, and, dying, live."

"

Baasjes know how the Moon is some" times big and round so and Outa's diminutive hands described a wide circle and

remained suspended

now

in the air

smaller and smaller, so "

clap

is

Then every

in the sky.

till

"like she

so

night she gets so so so

the crooked fingers

!

come

to-

"there's no more Moon: gether with a bang she is dead. Then one night a silver horn

hangs

in the

new Moon

sky

thin,

that grows,

very thin.

It is

the

and grows, and gets

and golden." By the aid of the small claw-like hands the moon grew to the beautiful

full

"

before

And

ing, "

so

it

children's

goes on, always

and dying, and

So

the

Crocodile's

he

the

started

interested living,

eyes.

and grow-

living again.

pinched old Oom and he gave one jump and off

Lady Moon tail,

with

quickly while the

the

message.

He

Moon watched

soon he came to a bend

in the road.

went

him, but

Round

WHY

HARE'S NOSE

IS

SLIT

73

he went with a great turn, for a Crocodile's back is stiff like a plank, he can't bend it ;

and then, when he thought he was out of drif-drafsight, he went slower and slower drippity-drif-draf,

drif-draf-drippity-drif-draf,

lazy. "

All of a

'Ha! ha! ha!' he meaning of

Where

toch too

sudden there was a noise

and there was the

sh-h-h-h-h

this

laughed,

Hare.

Little

'what

is

'

the

drif-draf-drippity-drif-draf?

are you going in such a hurry,

Crocodile "

He was

a knee-haltered horse.

like

Oom

'

?

Neef

can't

stop

to

Haasje,' said

Oom

Crocodile, trying to look

I

speak

to

you,

The Lady busy and to hurry up. has sent me with a message to Men.' '

"

'

And what

the message,

is

Moon

Oom

Cro-

'

codile

?

"'It's a very important one:

and, dying,

live,

"As

I

die

so also shall you die and,

dying, live." "

you

'

Ach, but that

is

can't ever run,

a stupid message.

Oom, you

And

are so slow.


74

You

can only go drif-draf-drippity-drif-draf like a knee-haltered horse, but I go sh-h-h-h-h like the wind. I

" '

take

will

Give the message

to

me and

it.'

'

Very

said

well,'

but you must say

it

the

lazy

over

first

Crocodile,

and get

it

right.'

"

So Neef Haasje

and over, and then

message over sh-h-h-h-h he was off

said the

Here he was!

like the wind.

there he was!

and you could only see the white of his tail and his little behind legs getting small in the distance.

"

At

last

he came to Men, and he called

them together and

said

' :

Listen,

Sons of the

man comes with a Lady Moon I am sent to

Baboon, a wise the

By As

"

you

:

die and, dying, perish, so shall you

I

also die "

message. tell

and come wholly

Then Men looked

to at

an end." each other and

shivered.

All of a sudden the flesh on their

arms was

like goose-flesh.

do

?

Moon

What

is

this

has sent

?

'

What

shall

we

message that the Lady "

As

I

die

and, dying,

WHY

HARE'S NOSE

perish, so shall

to

also die

you

IS

SLIT

75

and come wholly

an end." "

They

shivered again, and the goose-flesh

crept right

and

up

their hair

wide

smile

hair,

up on their heads but Outa forgets, these to rise

know how

baasjes don't the

began

ach no,

like

just

backs and into their

their

it is

which accompanied

words hid the expression of

And

to feel so."

sly teasing

these

which

sparkled in Outa's dancing black eyes, for he knew what it was to be taken to task for

impugning

the

courage of his young

lis-

teners. "

Neef Haasje did not

But

He

care.

danced away on his behind legs, and laughed and laughed to think how he had cheated

Men. "

Then he

returned again to the Moon,

and she asked

' :

What have you

said

to

Men?' "

O, Lady Moon, I have given them your " Like as I die and, dying, perish, message '

:

so also shall you die and

an end," and they are

all

come wholly stiff

with

to

fright.


;6

Ha of

ha ha

!

Haasje laughed

!'

!

at the

thought

it.

"

'

What

did you

donkey "

!

tell J !

cried the

them

?

!

Child of the devil's

Lady Moon

the

She took a big

angry.

what

you must be punished.' but

Ach,

that

'

Lady Moon,

stick,

was very a

kierie

much bigger than the one Outa used lions with when he was young and could have hit him, then"

to kill if

she

Outa shook

his

"

there would have been head hopelessly no more Little Hare his head would have :

But he been cracked right through. slim kerel. When he saw the big near, one, two, three, he

coming

slipped away, and

it

is

a

stick

ducked and

caught him only on the

nose. "

Foei

the at 1

but

that

forgot yelled

!

it

the

was sore

Moon was

and screamed

air

once

;

;

According

the donkey.

!

;

Neef Haasje a

Lady.

He

he jumped high into

he jumped with all his four feet and scratch, scratch, scratch, he to a Hottentot legend, the hare

is

related to

WHY

HARE'S NOSE

IS

SLIT

77

was kicking, and hitting and clawing the Moon's face till the pieces flew. "

Then he

felt

hard as he could,

and ran away as holding his broken nose better

with both hands. "

And

with a

that

is

split nose,

why

to-day he goes about

and the golden

Lady Moon has long dark "

Yes,

baasjes,

face of the

scars.

fighting

is

miserable

a

over.

does not end when the fight is Afterwards there is a sore place ach,

for so

long

thing.

It

!

and even when

it

is

well, the

ugly marks remain to show what has happened. The best, my little masters, is not to fight at all."

IX.

HOW THE JACKAL GOT

HIS STRIPE.

"THE Sun was a strange little child," said " He never had any Pap-pa or MamOuta. ma. No one knew where he came from. He was

just found

by the roadside.

"In the olden days when the men of the Ancient Race the old, old people that lived were trekking

so long ago

in

search of game,

It they heard a little voice calling, calling. was not a springbokkie, it was not a tarentaal, it

was not a

what

it

little ostrich.

was.

Outa's head

But

it

nodded

They

couldn't think

kept on, it kept on." in time to his repeti-

tions.

"

Why

didn't they

go and look

" ?

asked

Willem. "

They

did,

my

baasje.

They hunted about

HOW JACKAL GOT

HIS STRIPE

79

amongst the milk-bushes by the roadside, and at last under one of them they found a nice

brown baby.

He was

still

looking about him, not like a baby, baasjes, but like an old child, and sparks of light, as bright as lying quite

the sparks from Outa's tinderbox,

When

out of his eyes.

fly

seemed

to

he saw the men,

he began calling again. "

'

Carry me, carry

me

carry

Pick

!

me up and

!

"'Arre! he can a fine

me

'

child

little

talk, 'said

the man.

'What

Where have your people

!

'

gone ? and why did they leave you here ? " But the little Sun wouldn't answer them. All he said was,

I'm tired "

One

;

I

'

Put

me

can't walk.'

of the

men went

when he got near he

to take '

said,

the heat comes out of him. "

'

How

man.

'

can you be so

7'11

Soe

/

!

him

up, but

but he's hot

;

won't take him.' '

silly

?

said another

carry him.'

"

'

your awa-skin.

in

But when he got near, he started back. Fire comes out of them.' Alia what eyes !

And

!

he, too, turned

away.


8o

"Then

he said

small,'

Sun under '

Ohe

baby on toverij

"

his arms. '

The

others

come

didn't

ohe"

!

It is like

me when

burns

very can easily put him in my stooped and took the little

!

he

to the red sand.

!

is

I

;

ohe"

!

'He

went.

'

He

awa-skin.'

"

man

a third

I

cried, '

dropping the

What

is

this for

He

under his arms.

fire

take him up.'

all

came round

too near,

my

to see.

They

baasjes, because they

were frightened, but they wanted to see the strange brown baby that could talk, and that burned

like a fire.

"All on a sudden he stretched himself; he turned his head and put up his little arms. Bright sparks flew from his eyes, and yellow light

streamed from under his arms, and

hierr, skierr

the

Men

of the Early

Race

fell

over each other as they ran through the milkbushes back to the road. My but they were !

frightened "

!

The women were

babies

on

husbands.

their

sitting there with their

backs,

waiting

for

their

HOW JACKAL GOT "

Come

HIS STRIPE

81

See that Hurry hurry along you get away from here/ said the men, with'

!

!

!

out stopping. " "

The women began to run, too. What was it ? What did you

"

'

A

'

terrible something,' said the '

running.

know

it is

It

his

in

a mensevreter.

There

awa-skin, but as tries

?

men,

pretends to be a baby, but

sand, begging one of us to pick it

'

find

to

burn us

near,

it

make

haste and get

;

it

it

lies in

still

we the

up and put

soon as we go

and

away from

if

we

here,

don't it

will

certainly catch us.' "

Then they ran faster than ever. Baasjes know ach no " corrected Outa, with a sly " Outa means baasjes don't know smile !

;

how

people's feet,

the

makes wings grow on So so that they seem to fly.

frightenness

Men

of the Early Race, and the

women

with their babies on their backs, flew, and

very soon they were far from the place where the "

little

Sun was

lying.

But someone had

been watching, baasjes, watching from a bush near by.

my It


82

was Jakhals, with his bright eyes and his sharp nose, and his stomach close to the

When

ground.

people had

the

had made them

crept out to see what

to

leaf stirred, not a

where the "

'

little

Ach, what a

behind by the

it

Sun

lay.

has been

fine little child

men

shame

really a

run.

sound was heard, he crept along under the milk-bushes

Hardly a so softly

he

gone,

'

he

!

that

Now

'

said.

left

that

is

none of them would put

into his awa-skin.' "

'

Carry me, carry

awa-skin,' said the

"

'

I

you on the

in

your

Sun.

'but

my

if

you can hold

on,

I'll

carry

back.'

So Jakhals lay flat on his stomach, and little Sun caught hold of his maanhaar,

and "

little

me

Put

!

haven't got an awa-skin, baasje,' said

Jakhals, "

me

rolled '

round on

his back.

Where do you want

'

to

go

?

asked Jak-

hals.

"

'

There, where

it

far

is,'

said the baby,

sleepily.

"

Jakhals trotted off with his nose to the

HOW JACKAL GOT

HIS STRIPE

83

ground and a sly look in his eye. He didn't he was care where the baby wanted to go ;

carry him off to the krantz just going where Xante and the young Jakhalses lived. to

could have seen his face

If baasjes

Alle

!

he was smiling, and when Oom Jakhals smiles, it is the wickedest sight in the wereld

!

He

was very pleased to think what he was taking home fat brown babies are world.

;

as nice as fat sheep-tails, so he went along quite jolly. "

But only at first. Soon his back began burn where the baby's arms went round

to

The

it.

heat got worse and worse, until he

couldn't hold " '

Soe

'

Soe

!

down

out any longer.

it

!

Baasje burns me,' he cried.

a

little

neck can get

cool.'

Sail

"

The

held fast

further, baasje, so that

my

Sun slipped further down and again, and Jakhals trotted on. little

"

But soon he called out again, Soe Now the middle of my back burns. Soe '

!

!

Sail

down

"The

still

little

a

little further.'

Sun went

further

down and


84

And

held fast again,

so

it

went

on.

Every

time Jakhals called out that he was burning, the baby slipped a little further, and a little further,

the

tail,

he had hold of Jakhals by and then he wouldn't let go. Even at last

till

when Jakhals tail

Jakhals's

quite black

called

out,

he held on, and

burnt and burnt.

!

it

was

!

"'Help! help!' he screamed Get off! Let go devil's child !

you

My

for this!

I'll

bite

' !

!

I'll

you!

Ach, you

I'll

punish

gobble you

Help! Help!' And he jumped, and bucked, and rushed about the up!

veld,

My tail is burning! till

at last the

"Then

Jakhals voertsed

at the little

up.

baby had

Sun

to bite

1

to let go.

round, and ran

him and gobble him

But when he got near, a funny thing

Yes truly, just when happened, my baasjes. he was going to bite, he stopped halfway, and shivered back as if someone had beaten At

he had growled with crossness, but now he began to whine from frightenness. him.

first

Voertsed. Evidently a word of Outa's jump round suddenly and violently.

1

to

coining,

meaning

HOW JACKAL GOT "

And why was

HIS STRIPE

my

it,

baasjes

85

Because

?

from under the baby's arms streamed brightness and

and

hotness,

out

of

the

baby's

eyes came streaks of fire, so that Jakhals winked and blinked, and tried to make him-

Every time he opened like slits, there was the

self small in the sand.

his eyes a

little,

just

baby sitting straight in front of him, staring at him so that he had to shut them again quick, quick. "

'

"

'

Come and

punish me,' said the baby. said Jakhals No, baasje, ach no '

!

'

a small,

little

voice,

why

should

I

in

punish

'

you

?

"

'

"

'

it.'

Come and

bite me,' said the baby.

No, baasje, no, Jakhals

made

could never think of

I

himself

still

a

little

smaller

in the sand. "

'

Come and

gobble

me

up,' said the

baby. a and tried to yell Jakhals gave crawl further back. "

Then

"'Such a to

make

fine little child,'

his voice sweet,

such a wicked thing

'

?

'

he

said, trying

who would ever do


86 "

You

'

would,' said the

little

'

Sun.

When

you had carried me safely to your krantz, you would have gobbled me up. You are toch so sometimes you

clever, Jakhals, but

your match. "

but

Now, look

at

me

was

just as

if

my

baasjes,

something made

his eyes

go open, and he lay there staring and the baby stared at him so, "

just so

-Outa

meet

well.'

Jakhals didn't want to look, it

will

at the baby,

my

baasjes,

stretched his eyes to their

utmost and held each

fascinated

child

in

turn. "

'

You'll

know me again when you '

said the baby,

you be able

see me,'

but never, never again

to look

me

in

the

face.

will

And

now you can go' "

Fierce light shot from his eyes, and he blew at Jakhals with all his might his breath ;

burning flame, and Jakhals, half dead with frightenness, gave a great howl

was

and "

like a

fled

away over

From

that

day,

black stripe right of his

tail.

the vlakte.

And

my

down

baasjes,

he has a

back

to the tip

his

he cannot bear the Sun,

HOW JACKAL GOT

HIS STRIPE

87

but hides

only at

away all day with shut eyes, and night when the Old Man with the

bright armpits has gone to sleep, does he come out to hunt and look for food, and play tricks on the other animals."

X.

THE ANIMALS' DAM. "

ACH

!

it

was dry,"

said Outa,

last

"as dry as For a long

year's springbok biltong. time the Old Man in the sky shot

strong light and sucked

From morning

the veld.

down hotness on rolled

round

and blew again.

all

to

down

the water out of

he poured the world, and when he

sleep,

and blew

to night

a hot till

wind blew-

he woke to shine

The karroo bushes

dried

up,

the

had no water, and the poor animals began to die from thirst. It was such a drought, my little masters, as you have never

rivers

seen. "

At

last

Oom Leeuw

called the animals

make a plan. The Sun had gone under, and

together to "

the

Lady

THE ANIMALS' DAM Moon was

sailing in the sky

she always

is,

world.

Oom

beautiful, as

and looking down on the hot Leeuw sat under a krantz on

the morning side of a kopje, where little cool,

and the others

watermelon

89

sat

it

round him

was a like

a

slice.

Leopard, Hyena, Babiaan, Jakhals, Hare and Tortoise were in front The smaller ones, they were the chief ones. ;

like Dassie, Mierkat,

the

sides

at

and Zebra, Springbok, Ostrich

;

and Giraffe waited news.

and Hedgehog, were in

the veld to hear the

They pretended

to be eating, but

all

the time their ears went backwards and for-

wards,

backwards to

catch

and

forwards little

so,

my

sound,

and

every were at the first sign of danger they ready

baasjes,

to

race away, kicking up the dust so that

Oom Leeuw

would not be able

to see

them.

"

But they needn't have been afraid. Oom Leeuw was too hot and tired and weak to

He just sat against the anything. krantz with his dry tongue hanging out, and the others just lay round about in the water-

catch

melon

slice

with their dry tongues hanging


90

and every time they looked at the sky to see if any clouds were coming up. But no out,

!

The sky was

just like a big, hot soap-pot

turned over above their heads, with the Lady Moon making a silver road across it, and the stars shining like bits

little

hot

There

Sun.

was

broken

off the big,

that

nothing

even

looked like a cloud. "

At

and

Oom Leeuw

last

rolled

off.

dryness

began "

'

it

to

about

When

pulled in his tongue

in his it

mouth

stopped

rattling,

he

talk.

Friends and brothers and nephews,' he

said

yes, just like that

Oom Leeuw

he was so miserable that he

them

all.

felt

began

;

friendly with

'Friends and brothers and nephews,

time to

it is

to get the

make

a plan.

You know how

it

with a drought when it is at its worst, the bottom of the clouds falls out, and the water is

;

away fast, fast, to the sea, where there is much water already, and the poor karroo

runs too

Even if a landagain without any. rain comes, it just sinks in, because the ground is

left

is

too loose and dry to hold

it,

so

we must

THE ANIMALS' DAM

91

a plan to keep the water, and my plan But it's no use for one or to dig a dam.

make is

two

to

work

;

What do

everyone must help.

'

you say

?

"

'

Certainly,' said Leopard.

"

'

Certainly/ said Hyena.

"

'

Certainly/ said Ant-bear.

"

'

Certainly/ said Jakhals, but he winked his eye at the Lady Moon, and then put his

nose into the

warm sand

so that no one could

see his sly smile. "

All the other animals

and then they began

said

to talk

'

Certainly/

about the dam.

A

person would never have said Each one had a their throats were dry.

Dear land

!

and each one talked without

different plan,

listening to the other.

bazaar

yes,

It

was

baasjes, long

like a

Church

ago when Outa

was young he was on a bazaar in the village, but he was glad, my baasjes, when he could creep into the veld again and get the noise out of his ears. "

At

wise

last the

little

Water Tortoise

head under

his

he with the

patchwork

shell


92

'

said,

Let us go now while

is

it

and

cool,

look for a place for the dam.' "

So they hunted about and found a nice place, and soon they began to make the dam. Baasjes,

but those animals worked

They

!

scratched, they dug, they poked, they bored,

they pushed and they rolled

dam

their best, so that the

when

the others,

Why

'

don't

should

nails off for

"

did

could be ready

'

at last

till

they asked, '

you do

I

'

'

?

it

yourself?

But Jakhals only laughed

why

all

Only lazy Jakhals did He just roamed round saying to Why don't you do this ? Why

don't you do that "

and they

the rain came.

not work.

'

;

at them.

'And

be so foolish as to scratch

your old

dam

'

he

?

my

said.

"

But you said Certainly," too, when Oom asked us, didn't you ? they asked. '

'

"

'

Then

Jakhals laughed more than ever. Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha! I then a slave

of

Am

my word ?

That was

last night.

Don't

you know yet that a thing is one colour by moonlight, and quite another colour when the sun shines on

it ?

Ha

!

ha ha !

' !

THE ANIMALS' DAM "

So he went about bothering

93

the

poor

animals that were at

laughing

working o so hard, and them when they got hot and

tired.

"

What's the use of working so hard Those who do not work will also drink.' '

"

'

"

'

How

Wait a

winking "

do you know

At

?'

they asked.

see,' said sly

bit, you'll

last the

the

till

began

Jakhals,

his eye again.

dam was

finished,

very night the rain began. on,

?

dam was

to run

great big

away over

dam

Mother of

quite

all

high kopje. truth-telling

down

so

to the is

the

broad,

my

can't see the wall at

you

Yes, so

and the water

the veld,

and

water,

the other side, even

kept on and

the Sea, that

called

baasjes, that truly

full

It

and that

when you stand on a Outa has heard from

The milk-bushes and

people.

karroo-bushes grew green again, and the little veld flowers burst out of the hard ground, and

opened

their white,

and

purple eyes to look at like

and pink, and the Sun. They were blue,

variegated karosses spread out on the

94


veld,

and the Old any more

fierce

;

Man

sky was not so he did not burn them with in the

his hotness, but looked at "

And

kindly.

odad for the animals were toch so o

the water the "

them

dam

From

!

far

and near they came

to

to drink.

But Jakhals was before them all. Soon after the Sun went down baasjes know, the wild animals sleep in the daytime and hunt in the night

dam and drank

he went to the

as

much water as he wanted, and filled his clay pot with some to take home. Then he swam round and round to get cool, making the water muddy and dirty, and when the other animals came to drink, he slipped over the dam wall and was lost in the veld as if he had

been a large "

"

My

!

but

pin.

Oom Leeuw

'

What

Hoorr-rr-rr,'

he

was very angry '

roared,

!

hoorr-rr-rr

!

a thing ? Does the lazy one think he can share with the workers ? Who is

this for

ever heard of such a thing?

Here, Broer Babiaan, take hide yourself by the

dam

Hoorr-rr-rr!

this big kierie

and

to-night, so that

THE ANIMALS' DAM you can catch

this

95

Water-

this

Vagabond,

stealer.'

"

Early that night, there was Jakhals again.

He

peeped

this

way and

that

so,

my

was old Broer

and, yes truly, there

baasjes,

way

Babiaan lying amongst the bushes. But Jakhals was too schelm for him. He made as if

He

he didn't see him. hind legs, at the

all in

danced along on

the round,

in

all

edge of the dam, singing

his

the round,

:

'

Hing-ting-ting

My "

He

Honna-mak-a-ding

!

sweet, sweet water

!

' !

over and over, and every time he came to the end of a line, he dipped his

sang

fingers

this

into

his

clay

pot

and

sucked

them.

"'Aha! but my honey licking his lips.

old dirty water,

'

What do

when

of nice sweet water "

I

is I

he

said,

want with

their

nice.'

have a whole potful

' !

Baasjes know, baboons will do anything

honey, and when old Broer Babiaan heard Jakhals he forgot he was there to guard the

for

dam.

He

crept out from his hiding-place, a

96


little

nearer,

and a

little

nearer,

and

at last

he couldn't keep quiet any longer. When Jakhals came dancing along again, he called out in a great hurry,

me

Please give

a

'

Good

little

evening, Jakhals

!

of your sweet water,

too!' "

'

Arre

'

said

!

Jakhals,

and pretending

side

to

a schrik you gave me here, Broer Babiaan ?' !

"

Ach no

'

walk. "

'

"

'

"

'

It's

Only

'

startled.

What

Do

What

are you doing

Jakhals, I'm just taking a

little

such a fine night.' kierie ?'

to dig out eintjes.'

you

really

want some of

sweet

my

'

?

Yes, please, Jakhals,' said Broer Babiaan,

licking his lips. " And what will '

"

one

to '

But why have you got that big

water "

!

be

jumping

'

I'll

let

you

fill

you give

me

'

for

it ?

your pot with water from

the dam.' "

'

Ach

!

I

don't

want any of that

know how fond you

dam

water, but

this

sweet water, Broer, so

I

dirty old

I'll

let

are of

you drink

THE ANIMALS' DAM some.

Here,

I'll

97

hold your kierie while you

drink.' "

Boer Babiaan was

such a hurry to get to the honey that he just threw the kierie to Jakhals, but just as he was going to put his in

fingers into the pot, Jakhals pulled it away. " I'll No, wait a bit, Broer,' he said. '

'

show you a nicer " '

"

'

don't

of

if

you

better way. lie

Ach no Yes, lie

It will taste

much

down.' '

!

really,

Jakhals

really,' said

down

'

Jakhals.

at once,

my sweet water.' He spoke quite

?

And

if

you

you won't get a drop

"

crossly,

and Babiaan was

so tame by this time that he was ready to believe anything, so he lay down, and Jakhals

stood over him with his knapsack riem. "

'

riem, "

'

Now,

Brother,

and then

I'll

first

I'll

tie

you with

my

feed you with the honey.'

Yes, yes,' said Broer Babiaan quickly.

"His mouth was watering

for the

honey and he ;

he couldn't think of anything else, had long ago forgotten all about looking after It goes so, my baasjes, when a the dam.


98

person thinks only of what he wants and not of what he must. So he let Jakhals tie his

hands and

and even

feet,

his

tail,

and then

he opened his mouth wide. " But Jakhals only danced round and round,

and licking

sticking his fingers into the pot

them, and singing

:

'

Hing-ting-ting

My " '

'

You

Where's mine said

'

from

'

?

!

' !

called Broer Babiaan.

you would feed me.

sweet water "

Honna-mak-a-ding

!

sweet, sweet water

Where's

my

'

?

the sweet water you'll get

Here's

all

me,'

said

Jakhals,

and

he

kraaks

gave poor Broer Babiaan a hard

hit

with

the kierie. "

'

Borgom

!

Borgom

!

Help

Broer Babiaan, and tried to

!'

screamed

away. But there was no one to help him, so he could only scream and roll over, and each time he rolled over, Jakhals hit "

roll

him again

kraaks

!

he squeezed the clay pot and baasjes can believe me it had never had any honey in it at all over Broer Babiaan's

At

last

o

h

THE ANIMALS' DAM

99

much

head, while he ran off and drank as

water as he wanted, and swam, and stirred

Then he took

up the mud.

Broer Babiaan's head,

and danced

off,

the clay pot off

filled

singing

it

with water,

:

'

Hing-ting-ting

My "

'

hope from

Honna-mak-a-ding

!

sweet, sweet water

!

Good-bye, Brother/ he called you'll

Oom

!

'

'

out.

I

enjoy the sweet water you'll get Leeuw when he sees how well

you have looked after the dam.' " Poor Old Broer Babiaan was, ach

!

so

was even more unhappy Leeuw had punished him and set

miserable, but he after

Oom

him on a large stone

mock in

at.

Baasjes,

was sad

it

a long string, big ones and

each one stopped

and stuck out and stuck out to

for the other

in

!

animals to

They came

little

ones,

front of the big stone

his tongue, then turned his tail

Broer Babiaan,

and

till

round

yes, so rude they

were

the poor old animal

got ashameder and ashameder, and sat all in a heap, hanging down his head and trying not to see how they were mocking at him.


ioo "

When

all

animals had

passed on untied Broer

the

and drunk water, Oom Leeuw Babiaan and let him go, and off he went the krantzes as fast as he could, with his

between "

And

It is

to

tail

his legs.

that

is

all

for to-night,

too long to finish now.

Lys with the

my

baasjes.

See, here

baasjes' supper,

comes

and Outa can

smell that his askoekies are burning by the hut."

Evading the children's detaining hands, Outa sidled away, turning in the passage doorway

to

paw

the

air

with his crooked

fingers in token of a final farewell.

XI.

SAVED BY HIS "

THE

TAIL.

end, Outa, please," said

end of The Animals Dam.

"

little

You

Jan,

said

it

the

was

too long to finish last night." "

my

Aja,

and

that's

it's full

baasje,

why

is

it

of jakkals draaie,

so long, but

it's

near the

end now. "

The

night was old by the time the animals

had finished with old Broer Babiaan, and the stars were going out. Only the Big Star, that lasts the longest,

by the began

Stars'

to

travelling quickly

call

the

Dawn.

to get light already at the place

Old

the shining that

meant

fade

away

"

Road

was

it

Man

It

where

gets up every day, and

was time

for

the animals to

to their sleeping-places.

Oom Leeuw

looked

round

on

them.


102 '

Who

will

look after the

will,'

said a

dam

'

?

to-night

he

asked. "

'

I

'

little

voice, quickly.

this

that speaks from

Peep

!

'

peep

!

And who

'

'

ground

is

asked

?

Com.

'

Let

us

find

the this

brave one.' "

They looked about

in the sand,

and

there,

under a milk-bush near the dam, sat the Water

He

Tortoise.

big as the

lid

was nice and

big, baasjes, as

of the soap-pot, and his skinny

He

legs were very strong.

stretched out his

skinny neck and twinkled his little black eyes. "Vll look after the dam, Oom, and 7'11 catch the Water-Spoiler for you.'

"'Ha!

How

ha! ha!

Oom Leeuw. If Oom will just

will

you do that?'

asked "

'

let

someone rub

back with the sticky black floor of the hives, will

"

then

Oom

stuff

my

from the

will see

what

man,' said

Oom

happen.' '

This

is

a wise

little

Leeuw, and he ordered Old Brown Sister

Hyena

she with the limp in the

left

hind

SAVED BY HIS TAIL

the

stuff.

sticky "

That

went

Water Tortoise with

rub the

to

leg

103

but no

dam

when Jakhals

baasjes,

he peeped about,

to drink,

was no one

there

!

my

night,

to the

to

guard the dam

;

only a large black stone lay near the edge of the water. "

'

Arre

!

'

this is lucky,' said Jakhals.

a nice large stone

I'll

!

stand on

it

Such

while

I

drink.' "

He

know

didn't

had a

that the stone

strong skinny neck, and, on the end of the neck, a head with little bright eyes that could see everything that was going on. So he

down he came gave a jump, and woops on to the stone with his two front feet, and !

there they stuck fast to the sticky black

He

and he could not move them. he

tried,

"

'

but

Toever

me go

it ' !

was no

stuff,

tried,

and

use.

he screamed,

'

toever

!

Let

' !

'"Peep! peep!'

said a

little

voice, 'don't

be frightened.'

"'Who

says

I'm

frightened,

you

old


io 4

'

toever

hind

"

Jakhals. I

can

still

Though

kick with

feet.'

Kick, kick, kick, and stick

'

fast,'

said the

voice.

little

So Jakhals kicked and

hind feet stuck "

'

asked

?

front feet are fast,

my my

"

stone

kicked,

and

his

fast.

like

There was a funny sound under the water, It was water bubbling through a reed.

the

Water Tortoise

"

'

Nier-r-r

very cross you with it.'

'

;

"

Beat, little

"

still

got a

beat,

beat,

and

with

tail,

and

stick

fast,'

beat

said

voice. beat,

and

his

tail

fast.

he said again, very angry got a mouth, and I'll bite you

Nier-r-r still

!

;

it.' '

little

Bite bite, bite,

and

stick fast,' said the

voice.

"Jakhals opened his mouth, and bit,

I'll

'

'

I've

"

I've

said Jakhals, getting

!

So Jakhals beat and

stuck

*

'

nier-r-r

!

'

the "

laughing.

and

his

mouth stuck

fast.

bit

and

There he

SAVED BY HIS TAIL

105

a bundle, sticking altogether fast to the black stone, and the more he tried to all

was,

in

get free, the more he stuck "

fast.

'

'

Peep, peep

Water

said the

!

Tortoise,

head and laughing. Then he the top of the dam-wall where

his

poking up marched to

everyone could see the strange sight, and there he sat, all quiet and good, till the other animals came. "

'

Arre

Jakhals

They be

a

held

Sister's

to

sticking

killed,

"

they were glad

!

Council and ordered

and

Broer

husband

was

They loosened

sticky

stuff,

the

when they saw Water Tortoise. old

Hyena

be the

to

Jakhal's

him

to

Brown

killer.

mouth from the

so that he could talk for the last

He was

His very sorry for himself. voice was thick with sorriness, and he could

time.

hardly get the words out.

"'Thank

you,

Oom,' he

I'm a wicked creature. to die than to live

It's

said.

'I

know

better for

me

and trouble everyone so

much.' "

Oom Leeuw

and the other animals were


io6

wondering what kind of death the Waterstealer should die. "

Chop my head

'

said Jakhals

off,'

' ;

throw

me in the fountain, but please, ach! please don't shave my tail and hit me on the big stone.' "

Oom Leeuw

and the others were

still

putting their heads together. "

Beat

'

me

with kieries, drown

me

in the

dam,' said Jakhals, 'but don't, ach! please don't smear my tail with fat and hit me on the big stone.' "

Oom Leeuw

and the others made as

they were taking no notice of him. " Chop me in little pieces, beat '

thorn

ach

me

branches,'

please don't take

!

on the big

"At "

said

'

last

tail,'

fat,

and

me

Jakhals,

but please,

me by

tail

Oom Leeuw

the

and

hit

it

turned round.

shall

be done.

he said to the others, 'smear hit his

with

stone.'

Just as you say,

his

'

if

head on the big stone.

Shave it

with

Let

it

be done.' " still

'

So

was done, and Jakhals stood very and sad while his tail was being shaved it

SAVED BY HIS TAIL

107

But when Hyena swung him one, two, three, pht away he slipped

and smeared. round

!

and ran over the veld as

fast as

he could.

All

the others ran after him, but they were only

running to catch and he was running to live, so he went like the wind, and soon they were left far

"

behind.

He

never stopped till he came to a mountain where a krantz hung over and made a

The first to him was Oom Leeuw, who had run

kind of cave, and

come

after

in

he crept.

crawling

and when Oom's head touched the

in,

top of the cave, he ran out, calling "

'

Oom

Jakhals watched

faster than the others.

Oom, Oom,

don't hold

it

the krantz

up, you'll

is

:

falling.

If

Oom

run and get a pole to prop it up, but must please wait till I come back.' I'll

"He

left

Oom

the krantz to

you

be crushed to death.

plastering his head against

hold

it

up,

while

shot away, and never stopped

pht

!

he

he got safe home, where he rolled bolmakissie over and over, laughing to think all

the animals again."

till

how he had

cheated

XII.

THE FLYING "

ONCE

a

upon "

thoughtfully, "

O-o-o-oh

and

their

Yes,

!

remarked

Oom Leeuw

used to

said the children

eyes widened with

picture called "

"

time,"

LION.

my

Brother Bat,

fly."

together,

terror at the

up by Outa's words. baasjes, and then nothing could

live before him.

with feathers

all

Outa,

:

all

His wings were not covered they were like the wings of skin and ribs

;

but they were

very big, and very thick, and very strong, and when he wasn't flying they were folded flat

he

against his sides. let

the

points

When

down

to

he was angry the

ground

Oubaas Turkey when he gobblegobble-gobbles and struts before his wives tr-r-r-r

tr-r-r-r,

like

and when he wanted

to rise

from the

THE FLYING LION

109

ground he spread them out and flapped them up and down slowly at first so, my baasjes

;

then faster and faster

made

so,

so

so,

till

a big wind with them and sailed

he

away

into the air."

Outa, flapping his crooked arms and puffing out his disproportionate chest, seemed about to follow suit, but suddenly subsided again

on

to his stool. "

Ach, but

it

was a

terrible sight

when he was high above look down for something

Then,

!

the earth, he would to

If

kill.

he saw a

along till he was just over them, and pick out a nice fat one then he would stretch out his iron claws,

herd of springbokke he would

fly

;

down he would wings and woops on the poor bokkie before it had time to

fold his fall

!

jump away. Yes, that was the way Leeuw hunted in the olden times.

Oom

" of,

There was only one thing he was afraid and that was that the bones of the animals

he caught and ate would be broken to pieces. No one knew why, and everyone was too frightened of

Oom Leeuw to try

and

find out.


no He

used to keep them all at his home in the krantzes, and he had crows to look after them,

two

at a time

not like the ugly black crows

that build in the willow-trees near the

but White Crows, the kind that

once

in

many

years.

As soon

dam,

come only as a white

crow baby was found it was taken to Oom Leeuw that was his order then he kept it ;

krantzes of the mountains and

in the

grow big

let

it

and when the old White Crows

;

died the next eldest became watchmen, and so there were always White

when

to

watch

Oom Leeuw

went hunting. But one day while he was away Brother

the bones "

Crows

Big Bullfrog came along, hop-hop-hoppityhop, hop-hop-hoppity-hop, and said

do you

Crows "

here

the

White Crows

'

?

And

to look after the "

Why

day, you Whitehead

sit

all

' :

bones

for

said

' :

Oom

We sit here

Leeuw.'

Ach, but you must be tired of sitting !' said Brother Big Bullfrog, You fly away a '

'

little

and

and look

stretch your wings. after the bones.'

I

will sit

here

THE FLYING LION

in

"

The White Crows looked this way and that way, up and down and all round, but no!

Oom

they couldn't see '

thought a fly.' "

:

Now

So they

is

Leeuw, and

they

our chance to get away for

said

'

'

Cr-r-raw, cr-r-raw

and

!

stretched out their wings and flew away. " Brother Big Bullfrog called out after

them

'

Don't hurry back.

like.

you "

' :

I

will

Stay as long as

take care of the bones.'

But as soon as they were gone he said

Now

I

shall find out

:

why Oom Leeuw keeps

the bones from being broken.

Now

I

shall

why men and

And

animals can live no longer.' he went from one end to the other of

Oom

Leeuw's house at the bottom of the

see

krantz, breaking "

Ach,

all

the bones he could find.

but he worked quickly

crack, crack, crack

broke bones.

!

!

Crack

!

Wherever he went he

Then when he had

finished he

hopped away, hop-hop-hoppity-hop, hop-hophoppity-hop, as fast as he could.

When

he

had nearly reached his dam in the veld, the White Crows overtook him. They had been


ii2

they were frightened the broken bones.

to the krantz and, foei

when they saw "

'

all

Craw, craw

Bullfrog,

why

!

' !

'

you so wicked

are

be so angry. He nice white heads craw, craw

Leeuw

a head,

will

who can

Brother Big

they said,

Oom

?

will bite off

our

and without

!

'

live

?

"

But Brother Big Bullfrog pretended he didn't hear. He just hopped on as fast as he could, and the White Crows went after him. "

'

It's

no good hopping

Bullfrog,' they said.

'

away,

Oom Leeuw

Brother will

find

you wherever you are, and with one blow of his iron claws he will kill you.' "

But old Brother Big Bullfrog didn't take any notice. He just hopped on, and when he came to his dam he sat back at the edge of the water and blinked the beautiful eyes in his

ugly old head, and said

Leeuw comes

tell

broke the bones.

dam, and here.'

if

him Tell

I

' :

am him

he wants to see

me

When Oom

the I

man who

live

in

this

he must come

THE FLYING LION

113

"

The White Crows were very cross. They flew down quickly to peck Brother Big Bullbut they only dug their beaks into the mud, because Brother Big Bullfrog

frog,

soft

wasn't sitting there any longer.

Kabloops

!

he had dived into the dam, and the White

Crows could only see the place

rings round the

where he had made a hole

in

the

water. "

Oom Leeuw

was

far

in the veld,

away

At last he waiting for food, waiting for food. saw a herd of zebras the little striped horses very fond of and he tried to fly up so that he could fall on one of them, but he that he

is

couldn't.

He

He

tried again, but no,

spread out his wings and flapped them,

but they

were

quite

weak,

umbrella when the ribs are "

Then Oom Leeuw knew

like

there must be

at his house,

toch too angry.

He

the

ground

baasjes'

broken.

something wrong into

he couldn't.

and he was

struck his iron claws

and roared and roared.

Softly he began, like thunder far

away

rolling

through the kloofs, then louder and louder, H

OUT A KAREL'S STORIES

n4 till

hoor-rr-rr-rr,

the earth

hoor-rr-rr-rr

beneath him seemed to shake. noise.

terrible "

was a

It

But

couldn't

all fly,

he

his roaring did not help him,

and

He

walk home.

he had

at last

the

up and poor White

fright,

but they soon

found

Crows nearly dead with

to get

found out that he could no longer were not afraid of him.

fly,

so they

"'Hoor-rr-rr-rr, hoor-rr-rr-rr!' he roared. '

What have you done

weak "

to

so

?

And

they said

' :

And Oom Leeuw

here to watch them. they are broken,

going to

and

Oom

While

someone came and broke "

make my wings

'

It

the bones.'

all

said

' :

is

was away

You were your

fault

to punish

you I your stupid white heads

bite

put that

am off.

'

Hoor-rr-rr-rr

!

"He

sprang towards them, but now that they knew he couldn't fly they were not afraid of him.

round

They

flew

away and

sailed

over his head, just too high 'Ha! for him to reach, and they called out in the air

:

THE FLYING LION ha

ha

!

Oom

!

cannot catch us

115

The bones

!

are broken, and his wings are useless.

Now

We

will fly

men and

animals can live again.

away and "

tell

them the good news.'

Oom Leeuw

sprang into the air, first to one side and then to the other, striking at them, but he couldn't reach them, and when he found

all

his efforts

were

in vain,

he rolled

on the ground and roared louder than ever. " The White Crows flew round him in rings,

and

no longer

called out fly

He

!

' :

Ha

!

only

ha

ha

!

!

he can

and roars

rolls

!

"

If The man who broke the bones said Oom Leeuw wants me he can come and look for me at the dam." Craw, craw,' and :

away they " Then

flew.

Oom Leeuw

'

Wait, I'll thought get hold of the one who broke the bones. I'll So he went to the dam, and get him.' there

was old

:

Brother Bullfrog sitting

the sun at the water's edge.

in

Oom Leeuw

crept up slowly, quietly, like a skelm, behind

Brother Bullfrog. "

'

Ha now !

I've got him,'

he thought, and


n6

made a spring, but Brother Bullfrog said, Ho!' and dived in kabloops and came '

!

up

at the other side of the

dam, and

sat there

blinking in the sun. "

Oom Leeuw

could,

and was just going

kabloops

the

at

when

to spring,

Brother Bullfrog dived

!

came up

and

ran round as hard as he

other

in

again

of

side

the

dam. "

And

when

so

went

it

on.

Each

time, just

Oom Leeuw

had nearly caught him, Brother Bullfrog dived in kabloops and called out 'Ho!' from the other side of the !

dam. "

Then

at last

Oom Leeuw

saw

it

was no

use trying to catch Brother Bullfrog, so he

went home bones.

to see

if

he could mend the broken

But he could

and from

that

day he could no longer fly, only walk upon his iron claws. Also, from that day he learned to creep quietly like a skelm after his game,

and though he them, he

is

he could

fly.

still

not,

catches them and eats

not as dangerous as he was

when

THE FLYING LION "And speak.

the

117

White Crows can no longer

They can

'

only say,

Craw, craw.'

"

But old Brother Big Bullfrog still goes hop-hop-hoppity-hop round about the dam,

and whenever he sees '

says loops

!

Ho as

' !

Oom Leeuw

he just and dives into the water kab-

fast

as

he can,

laughing when he hears with anger."

and

sits

Oom Leeuw

there roar

XIII.

WHY THE HERON HAS THE

A CROOKED NECK.

flames leapt gaily upward in the wide

throwing strange shadows on the painted walls and gleaming on the polished wood of floor and beam and cupboard. Little fireplace,

Jan basked contentedly

now

dozing curled

absently

in the

warmth, almost the

stroking

up beside him, now running

terrier

his fingers

through the softer fur of the rug on which It was made of silver-jackal skins he lay. a dozen of them, to judge from the six bushy tails

spread out on either side

;

and as Outa

Karel's gaze rested on them, he remarked

reminiscently"

No

Arre

!

but

Oom

Jakhals was a slim kerel

!

one ever got the better of him without

paying

for it."

HERON HAS CROOKED NECK In an instant

little

Jan was

upright, every

symptom

from his face

the

;

119 bolt

sitting

of sleep

banished

book from which Willem

gain some idea of the physical features of Russia was while flung to the far end of the rustbank

had been laboriously trying

to

;

Pietie,

for

suspending

a brief

moment

his

the whittling of a catapult stick, slid along floor to get within better sight and sound of the story-teller. "

Yes,

my

little

Oom Leeuw

masters, sometimes

he cheated, sometimes

Oubaas Babiaan or

was

it

was

Wolf, and once

it

Dove, and that is what think of how he was cheated him-

was the poor

made me

Oom

it

little

self."

"

Did the

little

Dove

Pietie eagerly. " No, baasje, the

Dove

cheat him ?" asked

is

too frightened

not stupid, baasje, but like people are when they are too gentle and kind and believe

She was everything other people tell them. sitting on her nest one day singing to her '

little

children,

Coo-oo, coo-oo coo-oo,'

when


120

Oom

Jakhals prowled along under the tree and heard her. "

'

wereld

Alia

Good morning,

such

and

Tante.

for

I

me

out,

hear you have Please

children.

little

pretty

them down "

have a nice

I'll

he thought, and he called

breakfast/ '

Now

!

bring

to see.'

But the Tante was frightened of Jakhals, '

I'm sorry,

said,

to-day, "

and

I

Oom, they

must keep them

are not well

at home.'

Then

Jakhals lost his temper, and called Nonsense, I'm hungry and want some-

'

out,

down one

thing to eat, so throw

of your

little

children at once.' "

Baasjes know, sometimes crossness drives away frightenness and Tante was so cross ;

Oom

with

her

Jakhals for wanting to eat one of children that she called out, No, '

little

you bad Jakhals, I shall do nothing of Go away and look for other food.' the sort.

no,

" all,'

'

If

you

said

once.'

don't,

I'll '

Jakhals.

And

up and eat them Throw one down at fly

he stamped about and made

such a horrible noise that the poor Tante

HERON HAS CROOKED NECK

121

thought he was really flying up. She looked at her babies there wasn't one she wanted :

but

to give,

have them

and fell

eaten

all

;

so she shut her eyes

and Jakhals caught

out,

Ach

one than

to lose

about the nest

fluttered

and carried "

was better

it

till

one of them

mouth

in his

it

off to his hole to eat.

it

but the poor Tante was sad

!

She

!

spread her wings over her other children and never slept all night, but looked about this

way and every

that

little

trying to

way with her

noise she heard

up

fly

to

soft eyes, thinking

was

Oom Jakhals

her nest to gobble up

all

her babies. "

The

next morning there was '

hals again.

juicy

haste,

and eat you "

'

Jak-

Tante, your child was a nice,

mouthful.

And make

Oom

Throw me down do you hear

?

or

another. I'll

fly

up

all.'

Coo-oo,

coo-oo,

coo-oo,'

said

Tante,

'

won't give you one.' But it was no use, and in the end she did what

crying,

no,

I

she had done before fluttered

just shut her eyes

round and round

till

a baby

fell

and out


122

She thought there was no help and, like some people are, she thought

of the nest. for

it,

what the eye feel

didn't see the heart wouldn't

but her heart was very sore, and she

;

more sadly than

cried

she said,

'

and

ever,

Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo-oo

sad and sorrowful to listen to

'

It

!

'

time

this

was very

Oo-oo, oo-oo,

'

oo-oo "

!

Here came

old

Oom

Reijer.

He

is

a

kind old bird, though he holds his neck so crooked and looks like there was nothing to smile at in the whole wide world. "

Ach why do you cry so sadly, Tante nearly gives me a stitch in my side.' '

!

It

"'Oo-oo!

I'm

very

Jakhals has eaten two of

and to-morrow he soon "

'

"

'

I

shall

will

have none

miserable.

my

come

little

?

Oom

children,

and

for another,

left.' '

But why did you let him eat them ? Because he said if I didn't give him one '

up and eat them all. Oo-oo-oo "Then Oom Reijer was very angry. He flapped his wings, and stretched out his long

he would

neck

!

fly

so,

my

baasjes, just so

"

(the children


123

hugged themselves in silent delight at Outa's " and he opened and shut his fine acting) long beak to show how he would like to peck out Oom Jakhals's wicked eyes if he could only catch him. " tell

That vervlakste Jakhals

'

such

lies

!

But, Tante,

Don't you know Now listen to me.

Oom

' !

he

you are

Jakhals

When

To

'

said.

stupid.

can't

fly ?

he comes again,

him you know he can't fly, and that you won't give him any more of your children.' " The next day there came Oom Jakhals

tell

again with his old story, but Tante just laughed at him. "

'

Ach, no! you story-telling Bushytail won't give you any more of children, and you needn't say you'll '

she said, little

I

up and eat them, because

I

know you

'

"'Nier-r-r, '

growling, "

'

Oom '

Tante.

mother "

My

nier-r-r

said

!

how do you know

Oom that

' !

my fly

can't.'

Jakhals, '

? '

Reijer told

And you

me, so there

can

just

go

!

to

said

your

' !

!

but Tante was getting brave

now


i2 4

knew she and her little children were That was the worst insult you can ever

that she safe.

give a grown-up jakhals, and growled more than ever. "

Oom

Jakhals

Never mind,' he said at last, Tante is I won't bother with her only a vrouwmens '

'

;

any more. But wait till I catch Oom Reijer. He'll be sorry he poked his long nose into my business, the old meddler,' and he trotted off to look for him.

"

He

hunted and hunted, and at

last

he

found him standing on one leg at the side of the river, with his long neck drawn in and his

head resting on " '

'

Good

How "

'

is

I'm

day,

Oom all

his shoulders.

Oom

Reijer,'

he said

politely.

'

to-day

?

answered

Oom

Reijer without an inch. shortly, moving " Jakhals spoke in a little small voice

ach this

!

right,'

toch so humble.

way a

little

:

c

Oom,

please

come

I'm so stupid, but you are

so wise and clever, and

want

to ask

your

Reijer began to listen.

It is

maar

I

advice about something.'

"Oom


125

when people hear about themselves. He put down his other leg, stretched out his so

neck, and asked over his shoulder, did you say, eh

"'Come over there

'

?

toch this is

What

'

a

way

me

too soft for

little;

the

mud

to stand on.

I

want your valuable advice about the wind. The other people all say I must ask you, because no one "

is

as wise as you.'

Truly Jakhals was a slim kerel

knew how

to stroke

Oom

Reijer's

He

!

feathers

the right way. " Oom Reijer

came slowly over the mud a person mustn't show he is too pleased he :

even stopped to swallow a little frog on the way, and then he said, carelesslike, Yes, I '

you all about the wind and weather. Ask what you like, Jakhals.' His long neck can

tell

twisted about with pride. "

Oom, when

the wind

from the west, how must one hold one's head ? is

'

'"Is that all?' said so.'

east.

And

he

turned

Oom his

'Just

Reijer.

head

to

the


126 " is

'

Thank

you,

from the east "

'

Oom.

And when

Reijer

bent his neck

?

Oom

So.'

the wind

'

the

other way. "

'

Thank

you,

Oom/

and humble.

voice, so grateful

there

how "

So

small

little '

But when

a storm and the rain beats down,

is

'

then '

said the

? '

!

Oom

said

neck down

till

and he bent

Reijer,

head nearly touched

his

his his

toes.

"

My

little

as quickly as a

masters, just

whip-snake shoots into his hole, so Jakhals shot out his arm and caught Oom Reijer on the bend of his neck the poor old

bird

crack

was

and

!

in

a minute

rolling in the

weak

with his neck nearly broken, and so that he couldn't even

lift

his

beak

to

mud

peck

at

the false wicked eyes that were staring at him. "

O

!

how

laughed screamed

waved his

his

till

glad was cruel

he

couldn't

Jakhals any more.

!

He He He

and danced with pleasure. bushy tail, and the silver mane on

back bristled as he jumped about.

HERON HAS CROOKED NECK "

Oom

Ha! ha! ha!

'

a bad turn, but

wise as

Oom

find out

how

ha

!

Reijer, eh to

me

thought to do

teach people not to inter-

I'll

Ha

me.

fere with

127

mend

!

ha

No

Then he

?

his

!

one

is

will

broken neck.

as

soon

Ha!

ha! ha!' "

Jakhals gave one

poor

Oom

spring right over

and danced

off to his

den

Xante Jakhals and the Jakhalsjes how he had cheated Oom

in the little

kopjes to

Reijer. "

And

neck

and

Reijer,

last

is

tell

from that day, baasjes, Oom Reijer's crooked he can't hold it straight :

;

it's

through trying to interfere with That is why I said Jakhals is a

all

Jakhals. slim kerel.

Whether he walks on

or on

the best

two,

is

maar

four legs

to leave

him

alone because he can always make a plan, and no one ever gets the better of him

without paying for

it

in the end."

XIV.

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE. "

No

said fire.

Jakhals story to-night, please, Outa," little

"

Jan, as they gathered round the

We

all

think

Jakhals was a cruel

horrid creature, eating the poor

little

Doves

and cracking the good Heron's neck." " " he was always Yes," chimed in Pietie, playing wicked tricks, so no more Jakhals for

What

us.

will

you

"

"

tell

Something really and not unkind."

Outa?"

us to-night,

nice,"

suggested Willem,

Outa's beady black eyes twinkled from one to another of his little masters, while an affectionate smile spread over his yellow face,

accentuatingo the wrinkles which criss-crossed it

in

"

every direction.

Ach

!

the

soft

young

hearts

!

Outa's

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE heart

was

shook

his

that "

like

head

if

it

7

person

in this old

-he

of no use to a

is

He

hard world."

on the

shapeless hat

but

too,

the heart doesn't get a

taai like a biltong-, o

little

his

once,

129

"

floor,

deposited

tapped his

red kopdoek with a clawlike forefinger, and

waited for an inspiration.

It

came from an

unexpected quarter, for suddenly there was a commotion at the end of his old coat, the of which

tails

hung down nearly his

diving into

and,

pocket,

to the floor,

the

old

man

triumphantly produced a squirming tortoise. "

See what Outa caught

near the Klip little

put

Kop 1

berg schilpad. it

in

his

this

Now

for the baasjes

afternoon

a nice

Baas Willem can

kraal with the others

and

let

young, but it will grow --yes, so big." A cart-wheel might have been comfortably contained in the circle described by Outa's arms. it

lay

It

eggs.

It

is

still

was a knobbly, darkly-marked

quite unlike those the

found

in

little

tortoise,

boys generally

the veld near the house, and they Mountain I

tortoise.

1


30

took possession of it with delight and sugAfter discussion, gestions as to a name.

honours were

equally in

Retief" and " Mrs.

favour of " Piet

Van Riebeeck,"and

it

was

decided that the casting vote should be left to Cousin Minnie, the children's governess.

For a long time they had kept tortoises of all sorts and sizes in their schilpad-kraal, and so tame and intelligent had

creatures called,

grown and big

about at

will,

that they would

old

"

of these

come when

Woltemade

"

roamed

often disappearing for a time,

and returning days

some

to his

companions

after a few

in the veld.

Outa turned the new

acquisition

on

its

back on the jackalskin rug, where it lay wriggling and going through the strangest contortions.

"

Ach

!

the wise

little

man.

Is

mother sprinkled it with buchu, 1 He touched the there, just under its arm ?" skinny under-side of one of its forelegs. there

it

1

An

its

aromatic veld herb, from which a decoction is made. arm is a Hottentot custom in

Sprinkling buchu under the token of approval.

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE "

Here,

boxie

Baas Willem, put to-morrow.

till

been a red

A

And have

a red one

is

a thousand

news

!

is

echoed Pietie and

!

hurried

about

all

little

back from the

it.

the baasjes then never heard

of a red tortoise

the

"

red tortoise

passage to hear "

Ach if only it had how glad Outa would

!

while Willem

Jan,

the soap-

in

"

have been "

tortoise,

it

131

Yes, certainly, sometimes

?

only once in

born, but not often

years

;

and when

this

sent round, because

it

happens is

such a

wonderful thing and the whole nation of those frogs with bony shields and Schilpads ;

hard the

glad because they know red one has come to help them

beaks little

are

against their enemies. "

Once a

long time ago a mother Schilpad laid an egg in a shallow hole in the long,

warm

sand, just where the sun could

the day, and she scraped a so that no one could see

was

afraid

of thieves.

little

it.

It

round, and so large that she

it

sand over

See

all it,

baasjes, she

was white and felt

very proud

1


32

of

it,

and she often went

One

getting on.

place she heard a

to see

So she

voice

little

Her

'

called out,

your mam-ma.'

it

was

day, as she got near the

Mam-ma, mam-ma, come and "

how

My

!

'

Peep

:

!

Peep

!

find me.'

Kindje, kindje, here's but she walked fast !

short legs just went so

"

-Outa's arms

worked vigorously "and when she got to the karroo-bush where she had put the egg the shell was broken and a little Red Tortoise was

sitting alongside of

"His

was

it

!

and you could see everything inside of him, and how the blood went this way and that way but never mind, shell

soft,

:

it

is

fine

maar so with

little

tortoises.

He

was

and healthy, and everything about him

was quite was proud

Alle wereld

red. !

She went and

and they came from

Red

little

toises,

Tortoise.

and vlakte

and even water

!

told

old all

sides

all

Mam-ma

her friends, to

There were

see

the

beroo tor-

and zand-kruipers, young and old, and

tortoises,

tortoises,

round and praised him and gave him good advice and nice things to eat. they

all

sat

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE "

He

and ate

listened to everything

133

all

the

and grew bigger and redder and harder, but he didn't talk much, and the Old Ones nodded to each other and nice

things,

'

said,

'

Ach, but he

Young Ones

is

sensible

But the

!

Ach, but he is stuckand they went away and crawled in the up But it was red clay to make themselves red. '

said,

'

!

no good. "

At

home

In a

last

little

while

the visitor

all

But the

again.

rubbed

it all

off.

went

Schilpads

Red Tortoise

little

Mam-ma, and went on grow-

stayed with his

ing bigger and redder and harder, and his

Mam-ma was toch so proud of him " When he walked in the veld and young tortoises said to him, show you the way to do things so,

so

and you must do if

And

you

like,

but

I'll

so,'

he

'

;

the other

Come, we'll you must do

You can do my own way

said,

do things

!

'

!'

Wait, Stuck-up Red Thing Giraffe will But Oubaas get you they left they said

'

!

'

!

him alone, and although they were red, they did not crawl

more: they knew

it

all

wished they

in the clay

was no good.

It

any was

i


34

only from outside, so the

little

it

soon rubbed

off,

Red One's redness was from

but

inside;

and baasjes know, for a thing to be any good it must be on the inside." He glanced inthe wall-cupboard where

voluntarily at

soopje was safely locked up not be any good, in his

his

would certainly opinion, till it was on :

it

the inside of him. "

But when the Old Tortoises gave him advice, the little Red Tortoise listened and

He

thanked them.

He knew when

was a wise

little

man.

speak and when to hold

to

his tongue.

"At toise

that time,

nation

Oubaas

my

baasjes, the

was having a hard time with that old horse with the longo

Giraffe

neck and the unequal legs, who and black like a burnt thornbush on

sitting is

whole Tor-

it.

He

is x

all

with crows

gives blue ashes

when he

he called the Blue One.

burnt, therefore

is

"He

to eating tortoises.

didn't

had taken

know what

a plan, but no 1

!

white

to do.

They

tried to

They make

they could find no remedy.

The Mimosa, which

is

white

when burnt by

the sun.

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE Whenever Oubaas

picked

it

pulled

its

and

could

saw a nice young

easily

swallow,

he

up in his mouth, and from fright it head and all its feet into its shell,

goops

down

he

that

tortoise

Giraffe

135

one swallow and

!

it

had sailed

the Blue One's long throat, just like

baasjes

down

sail

the plank at the side of the

skeer-kraal. "

The

Red

little

Tortoise listened to the

plans that were made, and at last he thought of a Lplan. He was not sure how it would go, o

but he was a brave '

by himself,

more

little

If

it

and he thought goes wrong, there will be no little

Red Tortoise

one,

:

but

if it

then the whole Tortoise nation

goes right, be able

will

to live again.'

"So what crawled out

did he do, far

in

baasjes?

He

the veld and sat in the

path where the Old Blue

Soon he heard

my One

goof, goof, goof,

liked to walk.

coming nearer

Then the noise stopped. The Red One peeped from under his shell.

and nearer. little

Yes, there was the great Blue One, standing over him and looking very fierce.

1


36 "

Do

you know,

moment " The for this

I

little

Red

Tortoise, in one

could trample you to death

little

Red One was very

was not

'

?

frightened,

he said nothing. Red Tortoise, in one

his plan, but

"'Do you know, little moment I could swallow you ? " Ach! how glad was the little Red '

But he only said noble Blue One,

in I

a small

belong

!

'

little

voice,

Yes,

to the nation

whom

the custom to swallow.

it is

Tortoise

Please swallow

me!' "

a

Oubaas

little

Giraffe picked

gulp,

and the

!

Tortoise

But

here a strange thing happened.

The

Red One would go no

little

Red

little

his long throat.

slipped half-way oje

down

him up and gave

further.

Instead

of drawing in his head and legs and slipping

down

like a stone, like all the other tortoises

had done, he wanted

to see

where he was

going, so he stuck out his head, and fastened his

sharp

gullet,

little

nails

into

and there he hung

Oubaas

Giraffe's

like a bat

on a

wall.

"'Go down, go down,

little

Tortoise!

"

'

Do you know,

little

Red

Tortoise, in

swallow you

one moment

I

could

'

Face page 136

THE LITTLE RED TORTOISE You choke me

!

speak

hardly

throat

his

;

137

The Old Blue One

'

was

so

could full

of

tortoise.

"

'

'

Peep

!

peep

and held on more "

said the

!

tightly than ever.

Come up, come me The Old '

up, little Tortoise

'

kill

Red One,

little

Blue

!

You

!

One was stamping

and gurgling now. "

'

'

Peep

peep and hung on with

He

!

said the

!

'

thought,

hard bent beak as

his

No

have sailed down

too

!

Red One,

little

this

many red

of

well.

my

nation

I

won't

sloot.

let go.'

" I

tell

you, baasjes,

Oubaas

Giraffe danced

and pranced over the veld he screamed and bellowed he gurgled and swallowed he ;

;

;

tried to get the little

he

tried to get

The

little

Red Tortoise down, and

him up

Red One

;

but

it

clunor o fast

was no to

him

he was quite choked, and sank down sand and died. "

Then

the

little

and went home

had

killed

Oubaas

Mam-ma

till

in the

Red Tortoise crawled

to tell his

use.

out,

that he

Giraffe and that his nation

i


38

Ach

could have peace again.

proud of him "

'

It's

may

my

!

'

Come

my

here,

little

Crab, that

put buchu under your arm.

crooked-legged

When

Come,

one, let your mother

little

sprinkle you with buchu "

but she was

not for nothing you were born red,'

she said. I

!

' !

she had sprinkled him with buchu,

they went and told their friends, and all the Tortoise nation rejoiced and went and had a great feast off Oubaas Giraffe as he lay dead in the veld. "

And

they thought more of the

Tortoise than ever.

Even

who had been angry is wiser than we are.

We

he says.

all,

P'r'aps, after

the

Young Ones,

with him, said, will listen to

there '

in

being born a certain colour.'

Red

little

is

'

He

what

something

XV.

THE OSTRICH HUNT. THE

next day

to lessons

the time that was not given

all

and meals was spent by the

little

scouring the veld for a red tortoise. Disappointment at their fruitless search found in

boys vent

in

no measured terms when Outa Karel the

in

appeared

dining-room at his usual

hour. "

Ach, to hear them now

them with

ing

his

amused

tolerance.

tortoises

?

will

they

" !

he

said, regard-

wide-mouthed smile of "

Does

it

then rain red

And how

can the baasjes think find at the first shot a thing that

only comes once in a thousand years

"Well," said Willem, just

we

have been the time to

know ?

"

stoutly, for one.

" ?

"it might

How

were


140 "

asked

Outa,"

you know when

"

little

it

Jan,

earnestly,

do

be red tortoise time

will

"

again

?

"

Aja,

baasjes,"

Outa

said

"it

readily,

He

won't be long now. Let Outa think." performed a tattoo on the red kopdoek

a

sure sign that he was in the thick of mental "

gymnastics.

thousand,

my

What comes

a

before

just

"

baasjes

?

"

Nine hundred and ninety-nine," answered Pietie, who was good at arithmetic. "

Now, yes," said Outa, knew it must be nearly

" I

triumphantly, time.

It

nine

is

hundred and ninety-nine years since there was a red tortoise, so next year this time baasjes can begin,

my

begin

baasjes,

to

look

for

because

it

creeping out of the egg then. won't be in this veld.

it

far

away where people

Must Outa

The

will

Only

only be

And

p'r'aps

be mi^ht o

It

far,

know about a

don't

red tortoise, and so no one

one.

will

look for him. "

another story about him ? sly old man had taken the best way

of escaping

tell

more

questions.

The

little

boys

THE OSTRICH HUNT

141

gathered round and listened wide-eyed as he told the story of the Tortoises hunting the

Ostriches. "

Oubaas

After

toises

was dead, the Torfor a long time, and

Giraffe

had a nice

life

then there came into their veld Old Three

pap-pa,

and

his

aunties,

and

children,

wives,

and

and

full

tortoises

them.

It

Oubaas tortoises

was

!

Alia

all

began

wherever they could just

the

Giraffe used to

thought

talked and talked,

same

!

The whole

of them, and they

eating

and

uncles,

friends.

there were a lot of Ostriches

veld was

mam-ma and

Ostrich, with his

the

Sticks,

like

go about.

find

when

And

the

and

they

but they couldn't

make

and

thought,

a plan that would drive the Ostriches away. "

too,

The

little

Red Tortoise was

but he didn't talk

till

thinking,

he had his plan

Then he called all the Tortoises The Old Ones came because they together. wanted to hear what the wise little Red One had to say, and the Young Ones came beready.

cause ever since he had killed Oubaas Giraffe


142

When

they had listened to him. '

together he said,

all

It

they were

now goes on

by Old

long, this hunting of the Tortoises

Three Sticks and

too

Let us change

his friends.

places and let us, the Tortoise people, go and

hunt Ostriches.'

"'Peep! peep!' cried all the young Tortoises But the Old they were quite ready. :

Ones

'

said,

One?

How

Ostriches "

'

It

is

the

this

Is is

it

wise for

possible

little

us

to

Red hunt

'

?

possible, because Ostriches never

run straight, but always a little in the round, and a little in the round, so that in the end if

they run long enough they

Now

the place they began from. certain

us

let

day

where the Ostriches

make two long always outside,

in

on,

will call

one

and they

into

like to hunt,

on a

the veld

and

;

one

ring,

let

us

very large,

other, smaller, inside.

when Old Three

we

then go

yes,

to

rows, not straight out but

the round

and the

come again

Sticks and his friends to the other

will

flee

Then come

and drive them

through the midst of

THE OSTRICH HUNT round and round and round

us,

till

143

they can

no longer.'

flee

"

'

'

said the young Tortoises, Peep peep and the Old Ones joined in. They saw that it was a good plan, so they all went to the !

!

hunting veld of Old Three Sticks and his friends and spread themselves out, as the

Red

little

"

Tortoise had said.

Soon

the Ostriches came, pecking, peck-

ing, as they "

The

walked.

Tortoises sat very

baasjes, just waiting,

till

little '

Peep "

'

"

'

!

my

two

rings.

Then

Red

Tortoise gave the signal, 'Peep! and at once the calling began.

Are you there I

waiting,

the Ostriches were

right in the middle of the

the

still,

am

went on

all

here,'

'

?

called the first Tortoise.

said

round the

and so

it

one calling

to

the next, circle,

the other.

"'What

are you doing?'

called the first

one. "

Hunting Ostriches,' said the next, and so it went on all round the circle again, one calling to the other.


H4

"The

Ostriches could see nothing. They could only hear voices calling. looked They

each other and

at

'

said,

What

are

these

army come

to

Let us get away.' They were very frightened and began run, and as far as they ran they heard

to

voices?

hunt

It

surely a great

is

us.

"

:

"

'Are you there?'

"

'

"

'

am here.' What are you I

"

"

'

?

doing

'

Hunting Ostriches.' So it went on, over and over again.

The

Tortoises never moved, only kept calling out.

And

the Ostriches ran faster and faster,

the round,

at last they

till

were so

all in

tired they

any more. First one fell, and then another, and another, and another, till couldn't run

there were heaps of

them lying about, and

where they fell they were too tired to move.

just

"Then

still.

They

the Tortoises gathered together

and they bit Old Three family and friends on their

they were very

many

Sticks and

his

longo

lay quite

all

necks and killed them.

Ui

4>

o 1>

_c

h

THE OSTRICH HUNT "Since then the Tortoises have had peace from the Long-necked People OubaasGiraffe

and old Three

Sticks.

only the Things

It is

Crows and Lammervangers, hunt them, and baasjes know how

of the Air, like that

still

they do

They catch a poor Tortoise in their claws and fly away with him, high up over a ?

and then they drop him on the stones and there he lies with his shell kabloops

kopje,

!

all

broken, and without a shell

Tortoise live

And

?

how can a

then the Thing of the

Air comes and eats him up, and that is the end of the poor Tortoise. But a Red Tortoise they never touch.

It

that frightens them.

So

were right when they after

thing,

all,

in

is

his colour, baasjes,

the

Young '

said,

There born

being

Tortoises is

some-

a certain

colour.'

"After the Ostrich hunt, the little Red Tortoise was sprinkled with buchu under both arms, and his

song

Mam-ma

sang him

this

:

The

little

Sprinkle

crook-legged one

it

!

with buchu under

K

I

could sprinkle arms.

its

it,


146

The I

little

red crab

sprinkle the

!

The

little

Wise One

!

buchu under both arms.

For the Long-necks, they that ate It has found a way to kill them

us,

;

So we sprinkle it, the little Red One, Sprinkle the buchu under both arms."

The had to

when Outa

usual discussion took place

finished,

and

be a Tortoise,

"Why, my

at last Pietie said, I'd

little

"

If

I

had

be a red one."

master?"

"

Because the Crows and Lammervangers don't catch it. To be swallowed by an ostrich or stick in a giraffe's throat would not be so bad, but I'd hate to be broken on the stones." "

Ach!

my baasje, no matter how Old

Friend

Death comes, we are never ready for him. When Outa was young he was nearly killed by a troop of springbucks, and he thought, '

No, not toch trampled

down the river is flood came and the

to

death

;

better.'

the

river carried

when the

life

Outa

just as hard as

the springbucks were on him.

same when the hut was

be

But when

carried

away, he fought for his

to

burnt,

It

was

and when

THE OSTRICH HUNT mad

the

147

chased Outa across the veld.

bull

Over and over again the same.

Always

another sort of death seems better.

Always

Old Friend Death

a

man

not quite

for him."

ready "

finds

And now how would you

find you,

like him to Outa?" asked Willem with much

interest.

A whimsical smile spread over the old man's "Ach!

face.

sun,

my

to hear

baasje,

him

!

Just sitting in the

by the skeer-kraal

wall,

where

many, many years. When he comes I will say, Morning, Old Friend, you have been a long time on the road ach so long, that I am tired of waiting. Let us go I

have

sat for so

'

!

at once.'

A

person needn't pack up for that

drop my old sheepskin kaross, and take Old Friend Death's hand and trek, baasjes.

I'll

just

him show me the way. It is far, my baasjes, far to that land, and no one ever comes back

let

from

it.

Then someone

else will

tell

the

by the fire there will be no Outa any more to talk to the little masters." His voice had dropped to a musing tone. stories

:

i


48 "

Don't

Don't

!

"

choked

cried Pietie in a

!

voice.

"Outa, you mustn't say such things," said Willem, and they each seized one of Outa's crooked hands, while

Jan clung to his old coat as though he would never let it go. " " I want He mustn't my Outa," he cried. I

go away.

little

my Outa

want

"

Karel

!

The old man's eyes glistened with a moisture "

not often seen in them.

Still

baasjes," he said, stroking "

another.

He

sad.

and

his

tell

A

yet."

grotesque to

keep

The

foolish stories

face.

their

kind

Nooi say

for

Outa

little if

And do Ach

?

hearts

!

my little

make them will sit

many

broke

caressing smile "

to

He

not going yet.

!

one and then

first

Outa doesn't want

is

still

!

they then want to think of it !

the eyes are juicy?

the sun because

friendly. is

like a

playfully

Look how

it

to

toss

sitting

and well Outa

lively

bull-calf

them.

the

sounds so nice and

:

young

will

No, Outa

only said about the skeer-kraal and in

nights

over his

But what

!

here

!'

"

He

pretended

That's right,

my

THE OSTRICH HUNT children,

now you laugh

bull-calves

hut

is

must also go

calling Outa. well.

149

But youngthe kraal, and the

again.

in

Night,

my

baasjes, night,

To-morrow Outa

will tell Sleep them another beautiful story. Ach, the dear little ones So good to their ugly Outa " Followed by a chorus of "good-nights"

night.

!

!

from the children, the old

man

shuffled away,

not knowing that he had spoken with prophetic voice, and that Friend Death would find him,

even as he wished,

sitting o in the

sun by the skeer-kraal.

But that was not yet awhile, and he told many stories before setting out on the Great

Trek

for

the

Unknown Veld whence no

traveller returns.

Lift,

c>

n

;&

t

GLASGOW: PKINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS BY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND

co. LTD*

Other Folk-Lore Tales FAIRY TALES FROM SOUTH AFRICA. Collected and arranged HILL and Mrs. J. B.

by Mrs. E. J. BOURDRAKE. Illustrated by W. HERBERT HOLLOWAY. Crown 8vo. 6d.

33.

ATHENAEUM.

"

A

charming collection

capital gift-book for children.

.

.

.

The

which would make a by Mr. W. H. Holloway are

of stories

illustrations

exceedingly good." "

OUTLOOK.

Not only are the

interest, as true folk-tales

stories admirably related and of absorbing should be, but they are materially aided by Mr.

Holloway's splendid black-and-whites."

THE CROCK OF GOLD. Crown

8vo.

By JAMES STEPHENS.

53. net.

STANDARD."

EVENING A delicate fairy extravaganza, difficult to class with any other book. It has extraordinary flashes of beauty, any amount of whimsical humour, and ends in an ecstasy that has about it a touch of Borrow and a note from the very flute of Pan." PUNCH.

"

A

fairy fantasy, elvish, grotesque, realistic, allegorical,

satirical, idealistic,

and poetical by turns

.

.

.

FOLK TALES OF BREFFNY. Crown

8vo.

33.

humorous,

and very beautiful."

By

B.

HUNT.

6d. net.

SPECTATOR. "Wholly delightful volume. These folk- tales are rich in the qualities of poetry, wit, and intelligence, and though the part which Miss Hunt has played is not that of a creator, her versions are marked by such unfailing charm, such happy and characteristic turns of phrase, that she deserves .

.

.

to rank with those musicians like Francis Korbay, who have lent fresh lustre to folk tunes by the beauty and picturesqueness of their settings."

LONDON: MACMILLAN AND

CO.,

LTD.

South African Folklore Tales

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