Part 3
Then the bird came and did the same thing.
When they went back next morning, they found their ground altogether undug. Then they believed that they were bewitched by some others.
They continued digging that day again. But in the evening when the companies returned, Masilo said to his wife:
“Go home; I will stay behind to watch and find the thing which eats our work.”
Then he went and laid himself down by the head of the garden, under the same house which the bird used always to stand upon. While he was thinking, the bird came. It was a very beautiful bird. He was looking at it and admiring it, when it began to speak.
It said: “Masilo’s cultivated ground, mix together.”
Then he caught it, and said: “Ah! is it you who eat the work of our hands?”
He took out his knife from the sheath, and was going to cut the head of the bird off.
Then the bird said: “Please don’t kill me, and I will make some milk for you to eat.”
Masilo answered: “You must bring back the work of my hands first.”
The bird said: “Masilo’s cultivated ground, appear,” and it appeared.
Then Masilo said: “Make the milk now,” and, behold, it immediately made thick milk, which Masilo began to eat. When he was satisfied, he took the bird home. As he approached his house, he put the bird in his bag.
When he entered his house, he said to his wife, “Wash all the largest beer pots which are in the house,” but his wife was angry on account of her hunger, and she answered: “What have you to put in such large pots?”
Masilo said to her: “Just hear me, and do as I command you, then you will see.”
When she was ready with the pots, Masilo took his bird out of his bag, and said: “Make milk for my children to eat.”
Then the bird filled all the beer pots with milk.
They commenced to eat, and when they were finished, Masilo charged his children, saying,
“Beware that you do not tell anybody of this, not one of your companions.”
They swore by him that they would not tell anybody.
Masilo and his family then lived upon this bird. The people were surprised when they saw him and his family. They said:
“Why are the people at Masilo’s house so fat? He is so poor, but now since his garden has appeared he and his children are so fat!”
They tried to watch and to see what he was eating, but they never could find out at all.
One morning Masilo and his wife went to work in their garden, and about the middle of the same day the children of that town met together to play. They met just before Masilo’s house. While they were playing the others said to Masilo’s children:
“Why are you so fat while we remain so thin?”
They answered: “Are we then fat? We thought we were thin just as you are.”
They would not tell them the cause. The others continued to press them, and said: “We won’t tell anybody.”
Then the children of Masilo said: “There is a bird in our father’s house which makes milk.”
The others said: “Please show us the bird.”
They went into the house and took it out of the secret place where their father had placed it. They ordered it as their father used to order it, and it made milk, which their companions drank, for they were very hungry.
After drinking they said: “Let it dance for us,” and they loosened it from the place where it was tied.
The bird began to dance in the house, but one said: “This place is too confined,” so they took it outside of the house. While they were enjoying themselves and laughing, the bird flew away, leaving them in great dismay.
Masilo’s children said: “Our father will this day kill us, therefore we must go after the bird.”
So they followed it, and continued going after it the whole day long, for when they were at a distance it would sit still for a little while, and when they approached it would fly away.
When the digging companies returned from digging, the people of that town cried for their children, for they did not know what had become of them. But when Masilo went into the house and could not find his bird, he knew where the children were, but he did not tell any of their parents. He was very sorry for his bird, for he knew that he had lost his food.
When evening set in, the children determined to return to their home, but there came a storm of rain with heavy thunder, and they were very much afraid. Among them was a brave boy, named Mosemanyanamatong, who encouraged them, and said:
“Do not be afraid; I can command a house to build itself.”
They said: “Please command it.”
He said: “House appear,” and it appeared, and also wood for fire. Then the children entered the house and made a large fire, and began to roast some wild roots which they dug out of the ground.
While they were roasting the roots and were merry, there came a big cannibal, and they heard his voice saying: “Mosemanyanamatong, give me some of the wild roots you have.”
They were afraid, and the brave boy said to the girls and to the other boys, “Give me some of yours.”
They gave to him, and he threw the roots outside. While the cannibal was still eating, they went out and fled. He finished eating the roots, and then pursued them. When he approached they scattered some more roots upon the ground, and while he was picking them up and eating, they fled.
At length they came among mountains, where trees were growing. The girls were already very tired, so they all climbed up a tall tree. The cannibal came there, and tried to cut the tree down with his sharp and long nail.
Then the brave boy said to the girls: “While I am singing you must continue saying, ‘Tree be strong, Tree be strong!’”
He sang this song:
“It is foolish, It is foolish to be a traveller, And to go on a journey With the blood of girls upon one! While we were roasting wild roots A great darkness fell upon us. It was not darkness, It was awful gloom!”
While he was singing, there came a great bird and hovered over them, and said: “Hold fast to me.”
The children held fast to the bird, and it flew away with them, and took them to their own town.
It was midnight when it arrived there, and it sat down at the gate of Mosemanyanamatong’s mother’s house.
In the morning, when that woman came out of her house, she took ashes and cast upon the bird, for she said: “This bird knows where our children are.”
At midday the bird sent word to the chief, saying, “Command all your people to spread mats in all the paths.”
The chief commanded them to do so. Then the bird brought all the children out, and the people were greatly delighted.
THE STORY OF FIVE HEADS.
There was once a man living in a certain place, who had two daughters big enough to be married.
One day the man went over the river to another village, which was the residence of a great chief. The people asked him to tell them the news. He replied, that there was no news in the place that he came from. Then the man inquired about the news of their place. They said the news of their place was that the chief wanted a wife.
The man went home and said to his two daughters: “Which of you wishes to be the wife of a chief?”
The eldest replied: “I wish to be the wife of a chief, my father.” The name of that girl was Mpunzikazi.
The man said: “At that village which I visited, the chief wishes for a wife; you, my daughter, shall go.”
The man called all his friends, and assembled a large company to go with his daughter to the village of the chief. But the girl would not consent that those people should go with her.
She said: “I will go alone to be the wife of the chief.”
Her father replied: “How can you, my daughter, say such a thing? Is it not so that when a girl goes to present herself to her husband she should be accompanied by others? Be not foolish, my daughter.”
The girl still said: “I will go alone to be the wife of the chief.”
Then the man allowed his daughter to do as she chose. She went alone, no bridal party accompanying her, to present herself at the village of the chief who wanted a wife.
As Mpunzikazi was in the path, she met a mouse.
The mouse said: “Shall I show you the way?”
The girl replied: “Just get away from before my eyes.”
The mouse answered: “If you do like this, you will not succeed.”
Then she met a frog.
The frog said: “Shall I show you the way?”
Mpunzikazi replied: “You are not worthy to speak to me, as I am to be the wife of a chief.”
The frog said: “Go on then; you will see afterwards what will happen.”
When the girl got tired, she sat down under a tree to rest. A boy who was herding goats in that place came to her, he being very hungry.
The boy said: “Where are you going to, my eldest sister?”
Mpunzikazi replied in an angry voice: “Who are you that you should speak to me? Just get away from before me.”
The boy said: “I am very hungry; will you not give me of your food?”
She answered: “Get away quickly.”
The boy said: “You will not return if you do this.”
She went on her way again, and met with an old woman sitting by a big stone.
The old woman said: “I will give you advice. You will meet with trees that will laugh at you: you must not laugh in return. You will see a bag of thick milk: you must not eat of it. You will meet a man whose head is under his arm: you must not take water from him.”
Mpunzikazi answered: “You ugly thing! who are you that you should advise me?”
The old woman continued in saying those words.
The girl went on. She came to a place where were many trees. The trees laughed at her, and she laughed at them in return. She saw a bag of thick milk, and she ate of it. She met a man carrying his head under his arm, and she took water to drink from him.
She came to the river of the village of the chief. She saw a girl there dipping water from the river. The girl said: “Where are you going to, my sister?”
Mpunzikazi replied: “Who are you that you should call me sister? I am going to be the wife of a chief.”
The girl drawing water was the sister of the chief. She said: “Wait, I will give you advice. Do not enter the village by this side.”
Mpunzikazi did not stand to listen, but just went on.
She reached the village of the chief. The people asked her where she came from and what she wanted.
She answered: “I have come to be the wife of the chief.”
They said: “Who ever saw a girl go without a retinue to be a bride?”
They said also: “The chief is not at home; you must prepare food for him, that when he comes in the evening he may eat.”
They gave her millet to grind. She ground it very coarse, and made bread that was not nice to eat.
In the evening she heard the sound of a great wind. That wind was the coming of the chief. He was a big snake with five heads and large eyes. Mpunzikazi was very much frightened when she saw him. He sat down before the door and told her to bring his food. She brought the bread which she had made. Makanda Mahlanu (Five Heads) was not satisfied with that bread. He said: “You shall not be my wife,” and he struck her with his tail and killed her.
Afterwards the sister of Mpunzikazi said to her father: “I also wish to be the wife of a chief.”
Her father replied: “It is well, my daughter; it is right that you should wish to be a bride.”
The man called all his friends, and a great retinue prepared to accompany the bride. The name of the girl was Mpunzanyana.
In the way they met a mouse.
The mouse said: “Shall I show you the road?”
Mpunzanyana replied: “If you will show me the way I shall be glad.”
Then the mouse pointed out the way.
She came into a valley, where she saw an old woman standing by a tree.
The old woman said to her: “You will come to a place where two paths branch off. You must take the little one, because if you take the big one you will not be fortunate.”
Mpunzanyana replied: “I will take the little path, my mother.” She went on.
Afterwards she met a cony.
The cony said: “The village of the chief is close by. You will meet a girl by the river: you must speak nicely to her. They will give you millet to grind: you must grind it well. When you see your husband, you must not be afraid.”
She said: “I will do as you say, cony.”
In the river she met the chief’s sister carrying water.
The chief’s sister said: “Where are you going to?”
Mpunzanyana replied: “This is the end of my journey.”
The chief’s sister said: “What is the object of your coming to this place?”
Mpunzanyana replied: “I am with a bridal party.”
The chief’s sister said: “That is right, but will you not be afraid when you see your husband?”
Mpunzanyana answered: “I will not be afraid.”
The chief’s sister pointed out the hut in which she should stay. Food was given to the bridal party. The mother of the chief took millet and gave to the bride, saying: “You must prepare food for your husband. He is not here now, but he will come in the evening.”
In the evening she heard a very strong wind, which made the hut shake. The poles fell, but she did not run out. Then she saw the chief Makanda Mahlanu coming. He asked for food. Mpunzanyana took the bread which she had made, and gave it to him. He was very much pleased with that food, and said:
“You shall be my wife.” He gave her very many ornaments.
Afterwards Makanda Mahlanu became a man, and Mpunzanyana continued to be the wife he loved best.
THE STORY OF TANGALIMLIBO.
There was once a man who had two wives, one of whom had no children. She grieved much about that, till one day a bird came to her and gave her some little pellets. The bird said she must eat of these always before she partook of food, and then she would bear a child. She was very glad, and offered the bird some millet.
But the bird said: “No, I do not want millet.”
The woman then offered an isidanga (an ornamental breast-band which women wear), but the bird said it had no use for that. Then she got some very fine gravel and placed before the bird, which it received at her hands.
After this the woman had a daughter. Her husband knew nothing of what had happened, because he never went to her house. He did not love her at all, for the reason that she bore no children. So she said:
“I will keep my daughter in the house till my husband comes; he will surely love me when he sees I have such a beautiful child.”
The name given to the girl was Tangalimlibo.
The man went always to the house of the other wife, and so it happened that Tangalimlibo was grown to be a young woman when her father first saw her. He was very much pleased, and said:
“My dear wife, you should have told me of this before.”
The girl had never been out of the house in the daytime. Only in the night-time she had gone out, when people could not see her.
The man said to his wife:
“You must make much beer, and invite many people to come and rejoice with me over this that has happened.”
The woman did so. There was a big tree in front of the kraal, and the mats were spread under it. It was a fine sunny day, and very many men came. Among them was the son of a certain chief, who fell in love with Tangalimlibo as soon as he saw her.
When the young chief went home he sent a message to the father of the girl that he must send her to him to be married. The man told all his friends about that. He told them also to be ready at a certain time to conduct his daughter to the chief. So they came and took her, and the marriage feast was very great. The oxen were many which were killed that day. Tangalimlibo had a large and beautiful ox given to her by her father. That ox was called by her own name. She took off a piece of her clothing and gave it to the ox, which ate it.
After she had been married some time, this woman had a son. She was loved very much by her husband, because she was pretty and industrious; only this thing was observed of her, that she never went out in the daytime. Therefore she received the name of Sihamba Ngenyanga (the walker by moonlight).
One day her husband went to a distant place to hunt with other men. There were left at his home with this woman only her father-in-law, her mother-in-law, and a girl who nursed the little child.
The father-in-law said:
“Why does she not work during the day?”
He pretended to become thirsty, and sent the girl to Tangalimlibo to ask for water, saying:
“I die with thirst.”
The woman sent water to her father-in-law, but he threw it on the ground, saying:
“It is water from the river I desire.”
She said:
“I never go to the river in the daytime.”
He continued to ask, saying again:
“I die with thirst.”
Then she took a milk-basket and a calabash ladle, and went weeping to the river. She dipped the ladle in the water, and it was drawn out of her hand. She dipped the milk-basket in the water, and it was drawn away from her. Then she tried to take some water in her mantle, and she was drawn under the surface. After a little time the girl was sent to look for her, but she came back, saying:
“I found her not who is accustomed to draw water only in the night.”
Her father-in-law drove oxen quickly to the river. He took the big ox that was called by her name and killed it. He put all the flesh and everything else that was of that ox into the river, saying:
“Let this be instead of my child.”
A voice was heard saying:
“Go to my father and my mother and say to them that I am taken by the river.”
That evening the little child of Tangalimlibo was crying very bitterly. Its father was not yet home. Its grandmother tried by every means to keep it from crying, but in vain. Then she gave it to the nurse, who fastened it on her back. Still the child continued to cry. In the middle of the night the nurse went down to the river with the child, singing this song:
“It is crying, it is crying, The child of Sihamba Ngenyanga; It is crying, it will not be pacified.”
Then the mother of the child came out of the river, and wailed this song:
“It is crying, it is crying, The child of the walker by moonlight. It was done intentionally by people whose names are unmentionable. They sent her for water during the day. She tried to dip with the milk-basket, and then it sank. Tried to dip with the ladle, and then it sank. Tried to dip with the mantle, and then it sank.”
With the name as a chorus at the end of each line.
Then she took her child and put it to her breast to suck.
When the child had finished sucking, she gave it back to the nurse, telling her to take it home. She commanded the nurse never to say to any one that she came out of the water, and told her that when people asked where the child got food she must say she gave it berries to eat.
This continued for some days. Every night the nurse took the child to the river, when its mother came out and suckled it. She always looked round to see that no one was present, and always put the same command on the girl.
After a time the father of the child returned from hunting. They told him of Tangalimlibo’s going to the river and not returning. Then the nurse brought the child to him. He inquired what it ate, and was told that berries were given to it.
He said: “That cannot be so; go and get some berries, and let me see my child eat them.”
The girl went and brought some berries, but they were not eaten by the child. Then the father of the child beat the girl until she told the truth. She said she went at night to the river, when the mother came out and caressed her child and gave it of her milk.
Then they made a plan that the husband of Tangalimlibo should hide himself in the reeds and try and catch his wife when she came out of the water. He took the skin of an ox and cut it into a long riem, one end of which he fastened round his waist. The other end he gave to the men of that village, telling them to hold it fast and to pull hard when they felt it being drawn from them.
At night the man hid himself in the reeds. Tangalimlibo came out of the water and looked all round while she was singing her song. She asked the girl if any one was there, and when the girl replied that there was no one she took her child. Then her husband sprang upon her, clasping her very tight. She tried to pull back, but the men at the village drew upon the riem. She was drawn away, but the river followed her, and its water turned into blood. When it came close to the village, the men who were pulling at the riem saw it, and became frightened. They let the riem go, when the river at once went back, taking Tangalimlibo with it.
After that her husband was told of the voice which came from the water, saying:
“Go to my father and my mother and tell them I am taken by the river.”
He called his racing ox, and said:
“Will you, my ox, take this message to the father and mother of Tangalimlibo?”
The ox only bellowed.
He called his dog, and said:
“Will you, my dog, take this message to the father and mother of Tangalimlibo?”
The dog only barked.
Last of all he called the cock.
He said: “Will you, my cock, take this message to the father and mother of Tangalimlibo?”
The cock answered: “I will do so, my master.”
He said: “Let me hear what you will say.”
The cock answered: “I will sing——
“I am a cock that ought not to be killed—Cock-a-doodle-doo! I have come to intimate about Tangalimlibo—Cock-a-doodle-doo! Tangalimlibo is dead—Cock-a-doodle-doo! She dipped water for a person that cannot be named—Cock-a-doodle-doo! It was tried to send an ox; it bellowed—Cock-a-doodle-doo! It was tried to send a dog; it barked—Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
The chief said: “That is good, my cock, go now.”
As the cock was going on his way, some boys who were tending calves saw him.
One of them said to the others: “Come here, come here, boys; there is a cock for us to kill.”
Then the cock stood up, and sang his song.
The boys said: “Sing again, we did not hear you plainly.”
So he sang again:
“I am a cock that ought not to be killed—Cock-a-doodle-doo! I have come to intimate about Tangalimlibo—Cock-a-doodle-doo! Tangalimlibo is dead—Cock-a-doodle-doo! She dipped water for a person that cannot be named—Cock-a-doodle-doo! It was tried to send an ox; it bellowed—Cock-a-doodle-doo! It was tried to send a dog; it barked—Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Then the boys let him go on his way.
He travelled far from that place and came to a village, where the men were sitting in the kraal. He flew up on the back of the kraal to rest himself, and the men saw him.
They said: “Where does this cock come from? We thought all the cocks here were killed. Make haste, boys, and kill him.”
The cock began to sing his song.
Then the men said: “Wait, boys, we wish to hear what he says.”
They said to him: “Begin again, we did not hear you.”
The cock said: “Give me some food, for I am very hungry.”
The men sent a boy for some millet, and gave it to him. When he had eaten, he sang his song.
The men said: “Let him go;” and he went on his way.
Then he came to the village of the father of Tangalimlibo, to the house of those he was seeking. He told the message he was sent to carry. The mother of Tangalimlibo was a woman skilful in the use of medicines.
She said to her husband: “Get a fat ox to go with us.”
They arrived at the river, and killed the ox.
Then that woman worked with her medicines while they put the meat in the water. There was a great shaking and a rising up of the river, and Tangalimlibo came out. There was great joy among those people when they took her home to her husband.
STORY OF THE GIRL WHO DISREGARDED THE CUSTOM OF NTONJANE.