🧚 The Story of Hlakanyana. · page 3

So he went on his way.285

As he was going on, he saw a trap for catching birds.286 There were some birds in it.287 Hlakanyana took the birds out and ate them.288 The owners of the trap were cannibals.289 They saw the footprints of Hlakanyana, and said: “This is a little boy that is stealing our birds.”290 They watched for him.291 Hlakanyana came again to the trap and saw a bird caught in it.292 He was just going to take the bird out when the cannibals caught him.293 They made a big fire and put a pot on for the purpose of cooking him.294 Hlakanyana saw two oxen.295 One was white, the other was red.296

He said to the cannibals: “You can take which one of these oxen you like instead of me.”297

The cannibals said: “We will take the white one, because it is white inside also.”298

Then Hlakanyana went away with the red ox.299 The cannibals ate the white ox, and then pursued after Hlakanyana.300 They came up to him by a big stone.301 He jumped on the stone, and sang this song:—302

Ndahamba ndayakuva indaba, I went to hear the news, Zemvula ku mankazana.303 About rain from the girls.304

The cannibals began to dance when they heard him sing.305 Then he ran away, and the stone continued to sing that song.306

As he was journeying, Hlakanyana came to a place where some baboons were feasting.307 He asked them for some food.308

The baboons replied: “If you will go for some water for us, we will give you food.”309

He agreed to that.310 When he returned with the water, the baboons refused to give him food.311 Then Hlakanyana shouted loudly and said: “At my village there is a marriage of baboons to-day.”312

When the baboons heard that they fled, old and young.313 So Hlakanyana remained there, and ate all the food.314

As he was going along, he saw a hyena building a house, having cooked some meat.315 Hlakanyana asked the hyena to give him some.316

The hyena said: “No, I will not give you any; it is too little even for me.”317

Hlakanyana said: “Will you not have me to assist in building?”318

The hyena replied: “I would have you without delay if you are intending to help me.”319

While they were fastening the thatch, Hlakanyana sewed the hair of the tail of the hyena fast.320 Then he took the pot and sat down.321

The hyena said: “Let that pot alone, Hlakanyana.”322

He replied: “I am going to eat now.”323

The hyena wanted to come down, but he found his tail was fast.324 Hlakanyana ate all the meat, and threw the bones at the hyena.325 The hyena tried to frighten him by saying there were many hyenas coming quickly to devour him.326 He just answered: “That is false;” and continued eating till the meat was finished.327 Then he went on his way.328

Hlakanyana came to a river.329 He saw an iguana that was playing on an ugwali (a simple musical instrument).330

Hlakanyana said to the iguana: “Lend me your ugwali for a little, please.”331

The iguana said: “No, you will run away with my ugwali.”332

Hlakanyana replied: “How can I run away with a thing that is not mine?”333

So the iguana lent him the ugwali.334 When Hlakanyana saw that he could play upon the instrument nicely, he ran away with it.335 The iguana pursued him.336 Then Hlakanyana changed himself into a rush.337 The iguana took that rush and threw it across the river, saying: “If I could only see him, I would throw him like this.”338 Then the rush turned to be Hlakanyana again, and he went on his way playing on the ugwali of the iguana.339

Hlakanyana came to the house of a leopardess.340 He proposed to take care of her children while the leopardess went to hunt animals.341 The leopardess agreed to that.342 There were four cubs.343 After the leopardess had gone to hunt, Hlakanyana took one of the cubs and ate it.344

At the time for giving food, the leopardess came back and said: “Give me my children that I may suckle them.”345

Hlakanyana gave one.346

The mother said: “Give all at once.”347

Hlakanyana replied: “It is better that one should drink and then another.”348

The leopardess agreed to that.349 After three had drunk he gave the first one back the second time.350 Then the leopardess went to hunt again.351

Hlakanyana took another of the cubs and ate it.352 He also made the door of the house very small so that the mother of the cubs could not come in, and then he made a little hole in the ground at the back so that he could go out.353 The next day the leopardess came to give her children suck.354 There were only two left now.355 Hlakanyana gave them both back the second time.356 After that the leopardess went away as before.357

Hlakanyana ate another of the cubs, so that only one was left.358 When the mother came, he gave this one four times.359 When he gave it the last time the leopardess said: “Why does my child not drink to-day?”360 It was already full, and did not want to drink more.361

Hlakanyana replied: “I think this one is sick.”362

The mother said: “You must take good care of it.”363

Hlakanyana promised to do so, but when the leopardess was gone he ate that one also.364

The next day when the leopardess came there was no cub left to give her.365 She tried to get in the house, but the door was too small.366 She sat down in front to watch.367 Then Hlakanyana went out through the hole he had made in the ground behind.368 The leopardess saw him and ran after him.369 He went under a big rock, and cried out loudly for help, saying the rock was falling.370

The leopardess said: “What is that you are saying?”371

Hlakanyana replied: “Do you not see that this rock is falling?372 Just hold it up while I get a prop and put under it.”373

The leopardess went to hold the rock up, and Hlakanyana did not return.374 He just ran away from that place.375

Hlakanyana came to the village of the animals.376 The animals had trees that bore fruit.377 There was one tree that belonged to the chief of the animals only.378 This tree was a very good one, bearing much fruit on it.379 One day when all the animals were assembled, Hlakanyana asked them the name of the tree of the chief.380 They did not know the name of that tree.381 Then Hlakanyana sent a monkey to the chief to ask the name of the tree.382 The chief told the monkey.383 As the monkey was returning, he struck his foot against a stone and fell down, which caused him to forget the name of the tree.384

In the night when all were sleeping, Hlakanyana went up the tree of the chief and ate all the fruit of it.385 He took a branch of the tree and fastened it to one of the monkeys.386 In the morning when the animals awoke and found that the tree of the chief was finished in the night, they asked each other: “What became of the fruit of the chiefs tree?387 What became of the fruit of the tree of the chief?”388

Hlakanyana looked at the monkey with the branch on him, and said: “It is eaten by the monkey, it is eaten by the monkey; look at the branch on him.”389

The monkey denied, and said: “I don’t know anything about it.390 I never ate the fruit of the tree of the chief.”391

Hlakanyana said: “Let us make a plan to find out who ate the fruit of the tree of the chief.”392

All the animals agreed to this.393

Hlakanyana said: “Let us put a rope from one rock to another, and let all go over it.394 He that has eaten the fruit of the tree will fall down from that rope.”395

One of the monkeys went over first.396 The next was Hlakanyana himself.397 He went over carefully and avoided falling.398 It came to the turn of that monkey with the branch on.399 He tried to go, but when he was in the middle he fell down.400

Hlakanyana said therefore: “I have told you that it is this monkey.”401

After that he went on his way.402

Hlakanyana came to the house of a jackal.403 He asked for food, but the jackal said there was none.404 Then he made a plan.405

He said to the jackal: “You must climb up on the house and cry out with a loud voice, ‘We are going to be fat to-day because Hlakanyana is dead’”406

The jackal did so.407 All the animals came running to hear that news.408 They went inside the house, because the door was open.409 Then Hlakanyana shut the door, and the animals were caught.410 After that Hlakanyana killed the animals and ate.411

Hlakanyana returned to the home of his father again.412 He was told that his sister was gone away for some red clay.413 When she was returning he shouted: “Let all the black cattle which have white teeth be killed.414 The daughter of my father is coming who has white teeth.”415

The chief said: “What is the matter with you, Hlakanyana?”416

He just repeated the same thing.417

The chief said: “Let a black ox be killed, but you must not break any of its bones, because it belongs to the daughter of a chief.”418

So Hlakanyana got fat meat to eat that day.419

Hlakanyana went one day to tend the calves of his father.420 He met a tortoise.421

He said: “Where are you going to, tortoise?”422

The tortoise answered: “To that big stone.”423

Hlakanyana said: “Are you not tired?”424

The tortoise replied: “No, I am not tired.”425

Hlakanyana took it and put it on his back.426 Then he went to the house of his mother.427

His mother said: “What have you got there, my son?”428

Hlakanyana answered: “Just take it off my back, mother.”429

The tortoise held fast to Hlakanyana, and would not be pulled off.430 His mother then heated some fat and poured on the tortoise.431 The tortoise let go quickly, and the fat fell on Hlakanyana and burnt him, so that he died.432 That is the end of this cunning little fellow.433