Wait There and You Will See
We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).
THERE once lived a certain woman and her child. When she sent her (anywhere), she said, “I shan’t go.” Her mother used to say, “Wait there and you will see.” Always, when she sent her (anywhere), she said, I shan’t go.” Then her mother used to say to her, “Wait there and you will see.” One day the child said, “Always, mother is saying to me, ‘Wait there and you will see’; this very day I am going off to go and search for ‘I-will-see’, that I may look upon it.” So she set out. As she was going along, (there was) a;
Pea-tree bearing gold nuggets. The Pea-tree asked her, saying, “Why is it that when no one has ever come here, now you have come here?” The child said, “I am living there always with mother; she said, ‘Wait there and you will see,’ and I said I would come and search for ‘I-will-see’, that I may look upon it.” The Pea-tree said, “I am one of Them, but the greatest of Us is farther on.” The child set off again. As she was going along, she saw Long-piece-of-firewood coming to meet her. Long-piece-of-firewood questioned her, saying, “Why, when no one has ever taken this path, now you have Long-piece-of-firewood
passed on it?” The child replied, “Always, mother was saying, ‘I will see,’ so I said I am coming in search of ‘I-will-see ’, that I may look upon it.” Long-piece-of-firewood answered, “I am some of Them, nevertheless go forward.” And the child set off again. As she went along, (there was) Glowing-Sparks, and she lay on a piece of broken pot, and she was coming (towards her). She met her. Glowing-Sparks said, “Why, when no one has ever to come here, have you come here?” The child replied, “When mother and I were living there, she says, ‘I will see,’ so I said I would go in search of ‘I-will-see ’, in order that I might look upon it.” Glowing-Sparks said, “I am one of Them, nevertheless go forward, for the greatest (of Us) is there.” The child set out once more. As she went, (there were) the Parrots putting swish on a house. The Parrots said, “Now we shall get some one’s blood to put on this house.” Now when the child reached there, they said, “Why, when no one has ever come here, have you now come here?” She replied, “I live always with mother; she said, ‘Wait there and you will see,’ so I said I would go in search of ‘I-will-see ’, that I might look upon it.” Thereupon the Parrots seized the child, and cut off her head, and they took her blood and poured it in a brass vessel; they took some and put on the house. Then the Parrots flew off and perched on a tall tree, and came one after another and dipped their tails in the blood, and their tails became red. All the Parrots took their tails and dipped them, to be a memento of the occasion. Now, one day, one of the Parrots said he was going to eat. He went and met the child’s mother. And the mother asked the Parrot, saying, “My child with whom I lived was as lazy as anything. When I used to rise up, I would say, she must wait there and she would see; she, like a fool, excuse my using the word, said she would go in search of ‘I-will-see ’, that she might look upon it. It is eight days ago to-day and I have not seen her, and I implore you, if you have seen her, bring her to me.” The Parrot said, “Oh, she came to our village, and we, too, we killed her. Some of her blood, which we took to make a remembrance of the event, is on this tail of mine. Therefore, when you go (your way), go and tell all your people that if some one says to some one, ‘Wait there and you will see,’ then he has uttered a curse upon him.”
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, take some elsewhere, and let some come back to me.
If You Are Going Anywhere, When Your Kinsman Says He Will Accompany You, Then Go Along with Him
We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).
THERE was once a certain woman, and she bore three children. The youngest among them was suffering from yaws. The eldest of the brothers told their mother to let them have gold dust that they might go trading. The youngest of them also said he would like to go too. They declared that he should not go with them. The mother said that they and he must go. Then their mother gave the elder (sons) gold dust to the value of £5, as well as gold dust to the value of £2, to the younger. When things became visible, they set out. The elders went (in front) and left the child (to follow behind). The child came along slowly. The elder ones met a certain man who was bringing fish. He said to the elders, “Buy!” They answered, “Go on, and you will meet a certain child; make him buy, and should he say he will not buy, beat him, and make him buy; and if he still refuse to buy, take him and return with him to his mother.” The fellow went on, and sure enough he met the child. He said, “Some elders, whom I met, said you are to buy this fish.” The child said, “Must I buy, when those who are my elders did not buy?” The fellow said, “They say if you will not buy, I must beat you, and must take you back and give you to your mother.” The child said, “How much is it?” The fellow said, “An osua’s weight of gold dust (i. e. £2).” The child paid for it and received it. He went on, and overtook the elders at a certain village. They have cooked vegetables, but they have not any meat to go with them. The child said, “Here is a fish which I bought.” They put it in the soup-stew. When they had finished (cooking), the elders gave him the head of the fish. When the child was about to break it, he saw red gold within, and he tied it up in the edge of his cloth. Next day, when things became visible, the elders set out, and as they went along, they met a man, and a cock rested on the top of the things, which he was carrying. As soon as he came up with the elders, he said, “Buy this cock.” They replied, “Go on, and you will meet a child; make him buy it, and if he will not buy, beat him.” Of a truth he met the child. He said, “Your elder kinsmen said, you are to buy this cock, and that if you don’t buy it, I am to beat you, and take you and go to your mother.” He replied, “Here, take what I have.” The fellow, on his part, handed him over the cock. They reached a certain village. In the whole village there were no cocks to crow. Next morning, when things became visible, the cock, belonging to the child, crew. The Head-man of the village said, “Child, bring the cock and let me buy it.” The child said, “The price is an osua and suru’s weight of gold dust (i. e. £3).” The Head-man paid the amount. Next day, when things became clear, they started off again. As they were going along, the elders met a man carrying a cat. He said, “Buy this cat.” The elders said, “Take it along, and you will meet a certain child; take and make him buy it. Should he say he will not buy, beat him, and take him back to his mother.” The fellow passed on, and met the child. He said, “Your elders say you are to buy this cat, and that if you do not buy, I must beat you and take you back to your mother.” The child said, “How much?” The fellow said, “An osua and sum’s weight of gold dust” (i. e. £3). The child paid the price; and he went on, and came up with his elders at a certain village. Now the mice used to nibble the feet of the Head-man there whenever he attempted to sleep. When the child took the cat and went there, it went to the chief’s house and it caught the mice which were there. The Head-man said, “I will buy this cat from the person to whom it belongs.” The child said, “It is mine.’” The Head-man said, “How much?” The child said, “An osua and sum’s weight of gold dust” (i. e. £3). The Head-man picked up the gold dust and put it in his hand. Next day, when things became visible, they set out. The elders were going along; they met thieves, who had stolen the corpse of a certain chief. The thieves said, “You must buy this corpse.” The elders said, “Take it, and go on, and you will meet a certain child; take it and give it to him to buy. If he says he will not buy, beat him, and take him and give him back to his mother.” The thieves went on, and they met the child; they said, “The elders say you are to buy this corpse.” The child said, “Eh! what should I buy a corpse for, I could not carry it; whatever I do with it, it will not be any good to me.” The thieves said, “Your elders said that if you will not buy, we must beat you, and take you, and give you back to your mother.” The child said, “How much?” They said, “An osua and sum’s weight of gold dust.” The child paid the price, took the corpse, and laid it in the bush. Then he set off, and came to a certain village, and went to a certain house to beg for food. The master of the house said, “There is not any.’” The child said, “Grandfather, I implore you.” The master of the house said, “There is none.” The child said, “Grandfather, I implore you.” The master of the house said, “Why does this child trouble me like this; our Chief is dead, we are fasting; this is the eighth day; but search as we can, we cannot find his corpse.” A certain old woman was sitting near by; she said, “Give him some.” The woman gave him food and meat. When the child had finished eating, he said, “Master of the house, I have seen the Chief’s body; for yesterday as I was coming, some thieves made me buy it for an osua and sum’s weight of gold dust.” The woman ran off, yiridi, yiridi, yiridi! (was the sound of her running) and told the (village) elders the news. They took the child, and he went and showed them the body. They went and brought it, and buried it properly. They said, “Now you will succeed to the Chief.” So the child became Chief. Now, when his elder brothers heard about him, they came, and now claimed blood-relationship with him. The child said, “You may clear out; I don’t know you, so be off.” And he made his slaves drive them away. That is why we say, “If you are going anywhere, and if your younger brother says he will go with you, go with him.”
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, take some elsewhere, and let some come back to me.