🧚 The Story of Hlakanyana. · page 2

The army passed over the river quickly.142 Then that old woman turned into Hlakanyana again.143 He said in himself: “I will now go on a journey, for I am wiser than the councillors of my father, I being older than they.”144

The little cunning fellow went to a village, where he saw an old woman sitting beside her house.145

He said to her: “Would you like to be made young, grandmother?”146

The old woman replied: “Yes, my grandchild; if you could make me young, I would be very glad.”147

Hlakanyana said: “Take that pot, grandmother, and go for some water.”148

The old woman replied: “I cannot walk.”149

Hlakanyana said: “Just try, grandmother; the river is close by, and perhaps you will be able to reach it.”150

The old woman limped along and got the water.151

Then Hlakanyana took a large pot and set it on the fire, and poured the water into it.152

He said to the old woman: “You must cook me a little first, and then I will cook you a little.”153

The old woman agreed to that.154 Hlakanyana was the first to be put in the pot.155 When the water began to get hot, he said: “Take me out, grandmother; I am in long enough.”156

The old woman took him out, and went in the pot for her turn.157 Soon she said: “Take me out now, my grandchild; I am in long enough.”158

Hlakanyana replied: “Not yet, grandmother; it is not yet time.”159

So the old woman died in the pot.160

Hlakanyana took all the bones of the old woman and threw them away.161 He left only the toes and the fingers.162 Then he took the clothing of the old woman and put it on.163 The two sons of this old woman came from hunting.164

They went into the hut, and said: “Whose meat is this in the pot?”165

Hlakanyana was lying down.166 He said in a voice like that of their mother: “It is yours, my sons.”167

While they were eating, the younger one said: “Look at this, it is like the toe of mother.”168

The elder one said: “How can you say such a thing?169 Did not mother give us this meat to eat?”170

Again the younger one said: “Look at this, it is like the finger of mother.”171

Hlakanyana said: “You are speaking evil of me, my son.”172

Hlakanyana said in himself: “I shall be discovered; it is time for me to flee.”173 So he slipped quietly out of the house and went on his way.174 When he got a little way off, he called out: “You are eating your mother.175 Did any one ever see people eating their mother before?”176

The two young men took their assagais and ran after him with their dogs.177 They came to the river; it was full.178

The cunning fellow changed himself into a little round stone.179 One of the young men picked up this stone, saying: “If I could see him, I would just throw this stone at him.”180 The young man threw the stone over the river, and it turned into Hlakanyana again.181 He just laughed at those young men.182

Hlakanyana went on his way.183 He was singing this song:—184

Ndahlangana Nonothloya.185 I met with Nonothloya.186 Sapekapekana, We cooked each other, Ndagwanya, I was half cooked, Wapekwa wada wavutwa.187 She was well cooked.188

Hlakanyana met a boy tending some goats.189 The boy had a digging-stick with him.190 Hlakanyana proposed that they should pursue after birds, and the boy agreed.191 They pursued birds the whole day.192

In the evening, when the sun set, Hlakanyana said: “It is time now to roast our birds.”193

The place was on the bank of a river.194

Hlakanyana said: “We must go under the water and see who will come out last.”195

They went under the water, and Hlakanyana came out last.196

The cunning fellow said: “Let us try again.”197

The boy agreed to that.198 They went under the water.199 Hlakanyana came out quickly and ate all the birds.200 He left the heads only.201 Then he went under the water again.202 The boy came out while he was still under the water.203

When Hlakanyana came out he said: “Let us go now and eat our birds.”204

They found all the birds eaten.205

Hlakanyana said: “You have eaten them, because you came out of the water first, and you have left me the heads only.”206

The boy denied having done so, but Hlakanyana said: “You must pay for my birds with that digging-stick.”207

The boy gave the digging-stick, and Hlakanyana went on his way.208

He saw some people making pots of clay.209 He said to them: “Why do you not ask me to lend you this digging-stick, instead of digging with your hands?”210

They said: “Lend it to us.”211

Hlakanyana lent them the digging-stick.212 Just the first time they stuck it in the clay it broke.213

He said: “You have broken my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads.”214

They gave him a pot.215

Hlakanyana carried the pot till he came to some boys who were herding goats.216 He said to them: “You foolish boys, you only suck the goats, you don’t milk them in any vessel; why don’t you ask me to lend you this pot?”217

The boys said: “Lend it to us.”218

Hlakanyana lent them the pot.219 While the boys were milking, the pot broke.220 Hlakanyana said: “You have broken my pot, the pot that I received from the people who make pots, the people who broke my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads.”221

The boys gave him a goat.222

Hlakanyana came to the keepers of calves.223

He said to them: “You foolish fellows, you only sit here and eat nothing.224 Why don’t you ask me to let you suck this goat?”225

The keepers of calves said: “Allow us to suck this goat.”226

Hlakanyana gave the goat into their hands.227 While they were sucking, the goat died.228

Hlakanyana said: “You have killed my goat, the goat that I received from the boys that were tending goats, the boys that broke my pot, the pot that I received from the people who make pots, the people who broke my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads.”229

They gave him a calf.230

Hlakanyana came to the keepers of cows.231

He said to them: “You only suck the cows without letting the calf suck first.232 Why don’t you ask me to lend you this calf, that the cows may be induced to give their milk freely?”233

They said: “Lend us the calf.”234

Hlakanyana permitted them to take the calf.235 While the calf was in their hands it died.236

Hlakanyana said: “You have killed my calf, the calf that I received from the keepers of calves, the keepers of calves that killed my goat, the goat that I received from the boys that were tending goats, the boys that broke my pot, the pot that I received from the people who make pots, the people who broke my digging-stick, the digging-stick that I received from my companion, my companion who ate my birds and left me with the heads.”237

They gave him a cow.238

Hlakanyana continued on his journey.239 He saw a young man going the same way.240

He said: “Let us be companions and travel together.”241

The young man agreed to that.242 They came to a forest.243

Hlakanyana said: “This is the place for picking up kerries.”244

They picked up kerries there.245

Then they reached another place, and Hlakanyana said: “This is the place for throwing away kerries.”246

They threw the kerries away.247

Again they came to another place, and Hlakanyana said: “This is the place for throwing away spoons.”248

The companion of Hlakanyana threw his spoon away, but the cunning little fellow only pretended to throw his away.249 In fact, he concealed his spoon.250 They went on.251

They came to another place, and Hlakanyana said: “This is the place for throwing knives away.”252

It happened again as with the spoons.253 Hlakanyana concealed his knife, when his companion threw his away.254

They came to a certain place, and Hlakanyana said: “This is the place for throwing away izilanda” (awls used to make holes in skins when they are sewed together, and also for taking thorns out of the bare feet and legs of pedestrians).255

His companion threw his isilanda away, but Hlakanyana kept his.256 They went on and reached a place where they had to walk on thorns.257 Afterwards they looked at their feet, and saw many thorns in them.258

Hlakanyana said: “Let us sit down and take out the thorns.”259

His companion replied: “I cannot do so, because I have no isilanda.”260

Then Hlakanyana took the thorns out of his feet, and the other was obliged to walk lame.261 They came to a village.262

The people said to them: “Tell us the news.”263

Hlakanyana replied: “Just give us something to eat first; look at our stomachs and behold the pinchings of hunger.”264

The people of that village brought meat.265

Hlakanyana said to his companion: “Now let us eat.”266

The companion of Hlakanyana answered: “I have no knife.”267

Hlakanyana said: “You are just a child; I shall not lend you my knife.”268

The people of that village brought millet and put before them.269

Hlakanyana said to his companion: “Why do you not eat?”270

He answered: “I have no spoon.”271

Hlakanyana said: “You are just a child; I shall not lend you my spoon.”272

So Hlakanyana had all the meat and the millet to himself.273

Hlakanyana met a girl herding some goats.274

He said: “Where are the boys of your village, that the goats are herded by a girl?”275

The girl answered: “There are no boys in the village.”276

He went to the father of the girl and said: “You must give me your daughter to be my concubine, and I will herd the goats.”277

The father of the girl agreed to that.278 Then Hlakanyana went with the goats, and every day he killed one and ate it till all were done.279 He scratched his body with thorns.280

The father of the girl said: “Where are all the goats?”281

Hlakanyana replied: “Can you not see how I have been fighting with the wild dogs?282 The wild dogs have eaten the goats.283 As for me, I will stay here no longer.”284