V. Legends

The Young Man of the Ancient Race, Who Was Carried Off by a Lion, When Asleep in the Field

A young man * was the one who, formerly hunting, ascended a hill; he became sleepy; while he sat looking around (for game), he became sleepy. And he thought that he would first lie down; for he was not a little sleepy. For what could have happened to him to-day? because he had not previously felt like this.†

And he lay down on account of it; and he slept, while a lion came; it went to the water,† because the noonday (heat) had “killed” it; it was thirsty; and it espied the man lying asleep; and it took up the man.

And the man awoke startled; and he saw that it was a lion which had taken him up. And he thought that he would not stir; for the lion would biting kill him, if he stirred; he would first see what the lion intended to do; for the lion appeared to think that he was dead.

And the lion carried him to a zwart-storm tree §; and the lion laid him in it.] ] And the lion thought that it would (continue to) be thirsty if it ate the man; it would first go to the water, that it might go to drink; it would come afterwards to eat, when it had drunk; for, it would (continue to) be thirsty if it ate.

And it trod, (pressing) in the man’s head between the stems of the zwart-storm tree; and it went back. And the man turned his head a little.* And the lion looked back on account of it; namely, why had the man’s head moved? when it had first thought that it had trodden, firmly fixing the man’s head. And the lion thought that it did not seem to have laid the man nicely; for, the man fell over. And it again trod, pressing the man’s head into the middle (of the stems) of the zwart-storm tree. And it licked the man’s eyes’ tears.† And the man wept; hence it licked the man’s eyes. And the man felt that a stick † did not a little pierce the hollow at the back of his head; and the man turned his head a little, while he looked steadfastly § at the lion, he turned his head a little. And the lion looked (to see) why it was that the thing seemed as if the man had moved. And it licked the man’s eyes’ tears. And the lion thought it would tread, thoroughly pressing down the man’s head, that it might really see whether it had been the one who had not laid the man down nicely. For, the thing seemed as if the man had stirred. And the man saw that the thing seemed as if the lion suspected that he was alive; and he did not stir, although the stick was piercing him. And the lion saw that the thing appeared as if it had laid the man down nicely; for the man did not stir; and it went a few steps away, and it looked towards the man, while the man drew up his eyes; he looked through his eyelashes; he saw what the lion was doing. And the lion went away, ascending the hill; and the lion descended (the hill on the other side), while the man gently turned his head because he wanted to see whether the lion had really gone away. And he saw that the lion appeared to have descended (the hill on the other side); and he perceived that the lion again (raising its head) stood peeping behind the top of the hill; * because the lion thought that the thing had seemed as if the man were alive; therefore, it first wanted again to look thoroughly. For, it seemed as if the man had intended to arise; for, it had thought that the man had been feigning death. And it saw that the man was still lying down; and it thought that it would quickly run to the water, that it might go to drink, that it might again quickly come out (from the water), that it might come to eat. For, it was hungry; it was one who was not a little thirsty; therefore, it first intended to go to drink, that it might come afterwards to eat, when it had drunk.

The man lay looking at it, at that which it did; and the man saw that its head’s* turning away (and disappearing), with which it turned away (and disappeared), seemed as if it had altogether gone. And the man thought that he would first lie still, that he might see whether the lion would not again come peeping. For, it is a thing which is cunning; it would intend to deceive him, that the thing might seem (as if) it had really gone away; while it thought that he would arise; for, he had seemed as if he stirred. For, it did not know why the man had, when it thought that it had laid the man down nicely, the man had been falling over. Therefore, it thought that it would quickly run, that it might quickly come, that it might come to look whether the man still lay. And the man saw that a long time had passed since it again came to peep (at him); and the thing seemed as if it had altogether gone. And the man thought that he would first wait a little; for, he would (otherwise) startle the lion, if the lion were still at this place. And the man saw that a little time had now passed, and he had not perceived it (the lion); and the thing seemed as if it had really gone away.

And he did nicely at the place yonder where he lay; he did not arise (and) go; for, he arose, he first sprang to a different place, while he wished that the lion should not know the place to which he seemed to have gone. He, when he had done in this manner, ran in a zigzag direction, while he desired that the lion should not smell out his footsteps, that the lion should not know the place to which he seemed to have gone; that the lion, when it came, should come to seek about for him (there). Therefore, he thought that he would run in a zigzag direction, so that the lion might not smell out his footsteps; that he might go home; for, the lion, when it came, would come to seek for him. Therefore, he would not run straight into the house; for, the lion, when it came (and) missed him, would intend to find his footprints, that the lion might, following his spoor, seek for him, that the lion might see whether it could not get hold of him.

Therefore, when he came out at the top of the hill, he called out to the people at home about it, that he had just been “lifted up” * while the sun stood high, he had been “lifted up”; therefore, they must look out many hartebeest-skins, that they might roll him up in them; for, he had just been “lifted up”, while the sun was high. Therefore, he thought that the lion would,—when it came out from the place to which it had gone,—it would come (and) miss him; it would resolve to seek (and) track him out. Therefore, he wanted the people to roll him up in many hartebeest-skins, so that the lion should not come (and) get him. For, they were those who knew that the lion is a thing which acts thus to the thing which it has killed, it does not leave it, when it has not eaten it. Therefore, the people must do thus with the hartebeest-skins, the people must roll him up in them; and also (in) mats; these (are) things which the people must roll him up in, (in order) that the lion should not get him.

And the people did so; the people rolled him up in mats,* and also (in) hartebeest-skins, which they rolled together with the mats. For, the man was the one who had spoken thus to them about it; therefore it was that they rolled him up in hartebeest-skins, while they felt that their hearts’ young man (he) was, whom they did not wish the lion to eat. Therefore, they intended to hide him well, that the lion should not get hold of him. For, a young man whom they did not a little love he was. Therefore, they did not wish the lion to eat him; and they said that they would cover over the young man with the hut’s sheltering bushes, so that the lion, when it came, should come seeking about for the young man; it should not get hold of the young man, when it came; it should come seeking about for him.

And the people went out to seek for ǃkúĭ-ssĕ [an edible root]; and they dug out ǃkúĭ-ssĕ; and they brought (home) ǃkúĭ-ssĕ, at noon, and they baked‡ ǃkúĭ-ssĕ. And an old Bushman, as he went along getting wood for his wife, in order that his wife might make a fire above the ǃkúĭ-ssĕ,§ espied the lion, as the lion came over (the top of the hill), at the place which the young man had come over. And he told the house folk about it; and he spoke, he said: “Ye are those who see the hill yonder, its top, the place yonder (where) that young man came over, what it looks like!”

And the young man’s mother spoke, she said: “Ye must not allow the lion to come into the huts; * ye must shoot it dead, when it has not (yet) come to the huts.”

And the people slung on their quivers; and they went to meet the lion; and they were shooting at the lion; the lion would not die, although the people were shooting at it.

And another old woman spoke, she said: “Ye must give to the lion a child, (in order) that the lion may go away from us.” The lion answered, it said that it did not want a child; for, it wanted the person whose eyes’ tears it had licked; he was the one whom it wanted.

And the (other) people speaking, said: “In what manner were ye shooting at the lion that ye could not manage to kill the lion?” And another old man spoke, he said: “Can ye not see that (it) must be a sorcerer? It will not die when we are shooting at it; for, it insists upon (having) the man whom it carried off.”

The people threw children to the lion; the lion did not want the children which the people threw to it; for, it, looking, left them alone.

The people were shooting † at it, while it sought for the man,—that it might get hold of the man,—the people were shooting at it. The people said: “Ye must bring for us assegais, we must kill * the lion.” The people were shooting at it; it did not seem as if the people were shooting at it; they were stabbing t it with assegais, while they intended to stab it to death. It did not seem as if the people were stabbing it; for, it continued to seek for the young man; it said that it wanted the young man whose tears it had licked; he was the one whom it wanted.

It scratched asunder, breaking to pieces for the people the huts, while it scratched asunder, seeking for the young man. And the people speaking, said: “Can ye not see that the lion will not eat the children whom we have given to it?” And the people speaking, said: “Can ye not see that a sorcerer (it) must be?” And the people speaking, said: “Ye must give a girl to the lion, that we may see whether the lion will not eat her, that it may go away.” ‡ The lion did not want the girl; for, the lion only wanted the man whom it had carried off; he was the one whom it wanted.

And the people spoke, they said, they did not know in what manner they should act towards the lion; for, it had been morning § when they shot at the lion; the lion would not die; for, it had, when the people were shooting at it, it had been walking about. ‘Therefore, we do not know in what manner we shall act towards the lion. For, the children whom we gave to the lion, the lion has refused, on account of the man whom it had carried off.”

And the people speaking, said: ‘Say ye to the young man’s mother about it, that she must, although she loves the young man, she must take out the young man, she must give the young man to the lion, even if he be the child of her heart. For, she is the one who sees that the sun is about to set, while the lion is threatening us; the lion will not go (and) leave us; for, it insists upon (having) the young man.”

And the young man’s mother spoke, she said: “Ye may give my child to the lion; ye shall not allow the lion to eat my child; that the lion may go walking about; for, ye shall killing lay it upon my child; that it may die, like my child; that it may die, lying upon my child.”

And the people, when the young man’s mother had thus spoken, the people took the young man out from the hartebeest-skins in which they had rolled him up, they gave the young man to the lion. And the lion bit the young man to death; the people, when it was biting at the young man, were shooting at it; the people were stabbing it; and it bit the young man to death.

And the lion spoke, it said to the people about it, that this time was the one at which it would die, for, it had got hold of the man for whom it had been seeking; it had got hold of him!

And it died, while the man also lay dead; it also lay dead, with the man.

A Woman of the Early Race and the Rain Bull

The Rain formerly courted(?) a young woman, while the young woman was in (her) hut, because she felt that she was still ill The Rain scented her, and the Rain went forth, on account of it; while the place became misty.* And he, in this manner, courting(?) came, while he courted (?) the young woman on account of her scent. He in this manner trotting came; while the young woman was lying down, while she held (her) child (by her) on the kaross; she was lying down.

And she lay, smelling the Rain’s scent, while the place was fragrant, while the place felt that his (the Rain’s) breath was that which closed in the place; it was that ‡ through which he coming passed; it resembled a mist.

And the young woman became aware of him, as he came up; while he lowered his tail(?). And the young woman perceived him,§ as he came past her, at the side of the hut. And the young woman

body. The word χóro also means an ox; but the narrator explained that a bull (χóro gwái) is meant here. exclaimed: “Who can this man be who comes to me?” while he, crouching (?) *, came up.

The young woman took up buchu in her hand, the young woman threw buchu upon his forehead. And she arose; and she pressed (the buchu) down upon his forehead (with her hand); she pushed him away; and she took up (her) kaross; she tied it on.

The young woman took up the child, t she held the child very nicely; she, holding (it) very nicely, laid the child down upon a kaross; she, covering (it), laid the child § away.

She mounted the Rain; and the Rain took her away.] ] She went along; she went along looking at the trees. And she went along, she spoke, she said: “Thou must go to the tree standing yonder, the one that is big, thou shalt go (and) set me down at it. For I ache; thou shalt first go to set me down at it.” Therefore, the Rain trotted, taking her straight to the ǀkuérriten-ǀkuérriten.* And he trotted up to the ǀkuérriten-ǀkuérriten. And the young woman said: “Thou must go underneath, close to the stem of the tree.” Therefore, he went underneath, close to the stem of the tree. The young woman looked at him; the young woman took out buchu, she rubbed him (with it).† Then the Rain went to sleep, on account of it.

Therefore, when she saw that the Rain slept, she climbed up, she stole softly away, she climbed up, she climbed along (?) the ǀkuérriten-ǀkuérriten. And she descended at a distance, she in this manner stole softly along, while the Rain continued to sleep. She, afar, softly returned home; while the Rain awoke behind her back, when the Rain felt that the place was becoming cool.

He arose, he walked away; he went away to the middle of the spring (?) from which he had courting (?) gone out, while he believed that the young woman was still sitting upon his back. He went away, he went away to the water. He went into (it), while the young woman went along, she went to burn buchu; while she was “green”, while she smelt strongly * of the scent of the Whoa; she was rubbing herself, while she rubbed, taking away the smell of the ǁkhoũ from herself.

The old women who had been out seeking food were those who came to burn horns, while they desired that the smell of the horns should go up, so that the Rain should not be angry with them.†

The Girl’s Story; The Frogs’ Story

A girl formerly lay ill; she was lying down. She did not eat the food which her mothers † gave her. She lay ill.

She killed the children of the Water §; they were what she ate. Her mothers did not know that she did thus, (that) she killed the Water’s children; (that) they were what she ate; she would not eat what her mothers were giving to her.

Her mother was there. They ‖ went out to seek Bushman rice. They spoke, they ordered a child * to remain at home. The girl did not know (about) the child. And the old woman said that she must look at the things which her elder sister ate. And they left the child at homet†; and they went out to seek food (Bushman rice). They intended (?) that the child should look at the things which her elder sister ate.

The elder sister went out from the house of illness, (and) descended to the spring, as she intended again to kill a Water-child. The (Bushman) child was in the hut,† while she (the girl) did not know (about) the child. And she went (and) killed a Water-child, she carried the Water-child home. The (Bushman) child was looking; and she (the girl) boiled the Water-child’s flesh; and she ate it; and she lay down; and she again went to lie down, while she (the child) beheld her. And she went to lie down, when she felt that she had finished eating. The child looked at her; and she lay down.

And her mother returned. The child told her mother about it; for her elder sister had gone to kill a handsome thing at the water. And her mother said: ‘It is a Water- child And her mother did not speak about it; she again went out to seek for Bushman rice.

And when she was seeking about for food, the clouds came up. And she spoke, she said: “Something is not right at home; for a whirlwind is bringing (things) to the spring. For something is not going on well at home. Therefore, the whirlwind is taking (things) away to the spring.” Because her daughter killed the Water’s children, therefore the whirlwind took them away to the spring. Something had not gone well at home, for her daughter had been killing the Water’s children. That was why the whirlwind took them away to the spring. Because her daughter killed the Water’s children, therefore the whirlwind took them away to the spring; because she had killed the Water’s children.

The girl was the one who first went into the spring, and then she became a frog. Her mothers afterwards went into the spring; the whirlwind brought them to it, when she was already in the spring. She was a frog. Her mothers also became frogs; while the whirlwind was that which brought them, when they were on the hunting ground; the whirlwind brought them to the spring, when her daughter was already in the spring. She was a frog. And her mothers afterwards came; the whirlwind was that which brought them to it, when they were on the hunting ground. Meanwhile their daughter was in the spring; she was a frog.

Her father also came to become a frog; for the whirlwind brought her father—when he was yonder on the hunting ground—to the spring, (to) the place where his daughter was. Her father’s arrows * altogether grew out by the spring; for the great whirlwind had brought them to the spring. He also altogether became a frog; likewise his wife, she also became a frog; while she felt that the whirlwind had brought them to the spring. Their things entered that spring (in which) they were. The things entered that spring, because they (the people) were frogs. Therefore it was that their things went into the spring, because they were frogs. The mats * (grew) out by the spring, like the arrows; their things grew out t by the spring.

The Man Who Ordered His Wife to Cut Off His Ears

He X formerly wished (his) wife to cut off his ears, for his younger brother’s head had surely been skinned §; whereas his younger brother’s wife had only shaved his younger brother’s head.

Therefore, (his) wife cut away his ears; although (his) wife had said that she would not do so; he was the one who insisted (upon it).

Therefore, (his) wife cut off his ears; and he was screaming, on account of his skin, while he himself had been the one who wished the wife to do so; for his younger brother’s head had surely been skinned; whereas his younger brother had merely had his head shaved; while (his) wife shaved, removing the old hair.

The ǂNèrru and Her Husband.*

A man of the early race formerly married a ǂnèrru.† The ǂnèrru putt the dusty (ce. earthy) Bushman rice into a bag, when her husband had dug out (literally, “had killed”) Bushman rice. She went to wash the Bushman rice; they returned home.

They early went out to seek for food on the morrow, she and (her) husband; for she was alone(?) with her husband. He was the one who dug § out (Bushman rice). Therefore she was with her husband. ‘Thus she went out to seek for food, on the morrow. The husband dug out Bushman rice; he put the Bushman rice into the bag.] ] And the husband again dug out other Bushman rice. He put it in above, put in the Bushman rice on the top of the morning’s Bushman rice. He again arose, he sought for other Bushman rice. He again found other Bushman rice; he dug out (the earth from it). And he again dug it (the rice) out. He put it on the top (of the other). He put it on the top; and the bag * became full.

And he arose, he sought for other Bushman rice. He found other Bushman rice; he dug out (the earth from) it. He dug it out. And he exclaimed: “Give me (thy) little kaross,† that I may put the Bushman rice upon it.” And the wife said:‡ “We are not accustomed to put Bushman rice, having earth with it, into our back’s kaross, we who are of the house of ǂnèrru.”§ And he exclaimed: “Give me, give me the little kaross, that I may “put the Bushman rice upon (it).” And the wife said: ‘Thou shouldst put the Bushman rice into the ground; for we are not accustomed to put Bushman rice, having earth with it, into our back’s kaross.” And he exclaimed: ‘Give me, give me the little kaross, that I may put the Bushman rice upon (it).” And the wife exclaimed: ‘Thou shouldst put the Bushman rice into the ground, that thou mayst cover over the Bushman rice.” ‖

And he exclaimed: “Give me the kaross, that I may put the Bushman rice upon (it)!” while he snatched away the kaross. The wife’s entrails, which were upon the little kaross,* poured down.† And he, crying, exclaimed: “Oh dear! O my wife! What shall I do?” while the wife arose, the wife said (i.e. sang)—

while she walked on replacing her entrails. She sang—‡

Therefore, her mother, when sitting, § exclaimed: ‘Look at the place to which (thy) elder sister went to seek food, for the noise of the wind is that which sounds like a person; ‖ for, (thy) elder sisters’ husbands do not act rightly. Thou dost see that the noise of the wind is that which sounds like a person, singing to windward.” And her daughter stood up; her daughter looked. She (the daughter) exclaimed: “(Thy) daughter is the one who falling comes.” Then her mother said: ‘I wish that ye may see; (thy) elder sisters’ husbands] do mad things, as if they do not seem to understand; they marry among us (literally, ‘into us’) as il they understood.”.

Then she ran to meet her daughter; she went to put the little kaross* upon her daughter; she, holding, put her daughter’s entrails upon the little kaross; and she bound up her daughter; t she slowly conducted her daughter home; she went to take her daughter into her (the mother’s) hut.

Therefore, she was angry about her daughter; when her daughter’s husband wanted to come to his wife, she was angry. Therefore, her daughter’s husband went back to his own people, when she had said that her daughter’s husband should go back; for, they did not understand. Therefore, her daughter’s husband went back; while they t continued to dwell (there).

The ǂNèrru, as a Bird

The ǂnèrru’s bill is very short. The male ǂnèrru is the one whose plumage resembles (that of) the ostrich; it is black like the male ostrich. The female ǂnèrru is the one whose plumage is white like (that of) the female ostrich. Thus, they resemble the ostriches; because the male ǂnèrru are black, the female ǂnèrru white.

They eat the things which little birds usually eat, which they pick up on the ground.

They make grass nests on the ground, by the root

of a bush.

When not breeding, they are found in large numbers.

The Death of the Lizard

The Lizard * formerly sang—

“For, I therefore intend to go,

And, when he was passing through, the mountains t squeezing broke him, when he had intended to pass through; for, he seems to have thought that he would spring through the mountain pass, which was like this (the narrator here showed the first and second fingers of his left hand in a forked and almost upright position). Then, the mountains caught him thus (putting his fingers close together), the mountains bit, breaking him. Therefore, his forepart fell over * (and) stood still, it became ǃgúru-ǀnā; while his hinder part fell over (and) stood still; it was that which became ǀχĕ-ǃkhwāi.

Remarks on the Preceding Story by the Narrator

I think that he seems to have been going to the red sand hills, that he might come (and) dwell at them. For, I think that the (shallow) pools, which lie among the red sand hills, seem to have been those towards which he was going, that he might come (and) live at them. He seems to have been going towards ǃkáugen-ǀkăǀkă (a certain pool), that he might come (and) live at it. For, I think that ǃkáugen-ǀkăǀkă is near this place. He is the one who, when he came passing through, would come along the ‘vlei’, that he might ascend, passing along the side of the hill; and he would altogether descend into ǁnà-ǁkuárra (a certain river), and he would go quite down, along (the river bed) to ǃkáugen-ǀkăǀkă. ǃkáugen-ǀkăǀkă would be the place where he descended; it was where he was going to dwell; it must, I think, be the place towards which he appears to have been going. He broke (in twain) when he seems to have been going towards it.