Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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SOUTH AFRICAN
FOLK-LORE
TALES
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MACMILLAN AND
LONDON
CO., LIMITED
YORK DALLAS
THE MACMILLAN
CO.
OF CANADA,
LTD.
TORONTO
Little Jan
The
Little
Red Tortoise
Frontispiece
OUTA KAREL'S
STORIES
SOUTH AFRICAN FOLK-LORE TALES
BY
SANNI METELERKAMP
'
..
,00
' ,
MACMILLAN AND
ST.
1914
CO.,
LIMITED
'
COPYRIGHT
TO ALL CHILDREN
WHO
'
'
'
,..'.
'
'
'
.
,
.
.
, * a
'
>
11
ii,
,
"
"
,
>
>
FOREWORD.
MY
thanks are due to Dr. Maitland Park,
Editor of The Cape Times, and Adv. B. K.
Long, M.L.A., Editor of The State, for their kind permission to republish such of these
tales as
have appeared
For the leading idea The "The Stars and the Stars' Road,"
and
Specilate Dr.
mens
of
Bushman
Folk-lore,"
by the
Bleek and Miss Lucy Lloyd. Further, I lay no claim to originality for
any of the
at best a
very small proportion of a vast store from which the story-teller of the future may draw,
embodying the
ceptions,
the
childish
ideas
of a
primitive
and rapidly disappearing people. They are known in some form or other wherever the
viii
FOREWORD
foot,
of every
country child
South
what
No
one
that
who has
in
the
Taal
but,
in
the
instance
for
original
medium was
Clear cold evenings, with a pleasant tang of frost in the air, figure here and there in
these pages, but as
flit
I
Memorythe world
sunk
in
throbbing
summer
nights
when
the
stars
seemed
to
moonlit spaces filled with soft mystery and the thousand seductive voices of the pulsing
southern night.
And
little
masters.
FOREWORD
It
is
ix
now
since
"Old
Friend Death
led him away to that far, far country of which he had such vague ideas, so he tells no more stories by the firelight in the gloamand his little masters children no ing
;
and
longer
are
claimed
by graver
in the
tasks
and
wider
both
interests.
little
But
ones and
find the
children
a larger
in
growth,
may
same pleasure
their
these
find their
own
level
and take
chance
M.
in
the
workaday world.
S.
1914.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
JAKHALS FED
OOM LEEUW
LAME
12
:?9
is
43
47
VI.
54 63
70 78
VII.
VIII.
IX.
WHY How
THE
SLIT
X.
DAM
88
101
XL
XII. XIII.
108
WHY
118
128
XIV.
XV.
139
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Outa
Karel
and
Little
Jan
The
Little
Red
Frontispiece
Tortoise
"The
"
Stars'
Road"
with
their
64
babies
The women
flew"
on their backs,
81
The punishment
"
'
of Broer Babiaan
little
99
in
Do
you
know,
I
Red
Tortoise,
'
one 136
moment
"The
144
GLOSSARY.
Awa-skin, skin slung across the back to carry babies in. Askoekies. cakes baked in
the ash.
Baas, master.
Kopdoek, turban.
Kopje, hill. Krantz. precipice.
master.
Babiaan. baboon.
Berg
schilpad.
mountain
tor-
Kraal, enclosure.
toise.
meat.
Bolmakissie, head over heels.
Bossies, bushes.
eagle.
Maanhaar. mane.
Mensevreter, cannibal.
Neef, nephew. Nooi, lady or mistress.
Broer, brother.
Oom.
Eintje,
uncle.
an edible veld
!
root.
Gezondheid
Haasje,
Your health
hare.
Pronk, show
little
off.
Hamel, wether.
Reijer, heron.
XVI
GLOSSARY.
Taai, tough.
Tante, aunt.
Tarentaal, Guinea fowl.
Sassaby
or Sessebe, a South
Tover,
toverij, witchcraft.
African antelope.
Schelm, rogue
sly.
Vaabond, vagabond.
Vlakte, plain.
fine
cutting
also
be startled
Smouse, pedlar.
Soopje,
tot.
I.
was winter
in
The
evening air was so crisp and cutting that one seemed to hear the crick-crack of the
frost,
formed on the scant vegetation. skraal windje blew from the distant mounas
it
tains,
bringing with
it
a mingled odour of
smoke from
but
all
the
exhilarating
freshness,
that
Pietie
van
der
as
Merwe
took several
sniffs
of pleasure
he peered into the pale moonlight over the lower half of the divided door. Then,
with a
little
involuntary shiver, he
closed
warmth of the purring fire, which Willem was feeding with mealie-cobs from the basket
beside him.
Little
Jan
gazing wistfully into the red heart of the fire, while his hand absently stroked Torry, the
fox terrier, curled up beside him.
her big Madeira chair at the side table, yawned a little over her book
Mother,
in
for,
winter or summer,
the
mistress
of a
karroo farm leads a busy life, and the end of the day finds her ready for a well-earned rest.
Pietie held his
blaze,
turning his
door at
this
head now and again towards the the far end of the room. Presently
if
and
such things as shearing, dipping, and ploughing were no part of his Only the healthy tan, the broad day's work.
shoulders, the whole well-developed physique
His proclaimed his strenuous, open-air life. eye rested with pleasure on the scene before
him
the
bright
fire,
shadow on painted wall and polished woodwork, and giving a general air of cosiness to
everything
;
meal
and
his dear
helpmate who was responsible for the comfort and happiness of his well-appointed home.
He
Their
was followed
in
moment by Cousin
young governess.
stir
Minnie,
the bright-faced
coming
caused
among
withdrew
the
his
children.
Little
Jan
slowly
gaze from the fire, and, with more energy than might have been expected from his
dreamy
look,
make
room
for
Cousin Minnie.
Pietie
may
" Now sprang to his father's side. " go and call Outa Karel ? he asked
eagerly,
and
at
an acquiescent
figure that
"Yes,
my
was a strange
shuffling,
came
at his
bidding,
finally
stooping,
halting,
and
A stranger
fleeing
in
new
4
so
and muscular
gorilla in
its
was not quite four feet in height, with shoulders and hips disproportionately broad,
and long arms, the hands of which reached midway between knee and ankle. His lower
limbs were clothed in nondescript garments fashioned from wildcat and dassie skins a
;
He
its
size
had
knees
felt
while,
shapeless
hat,
seen to be
wound
No
his
kopdoek, but it was reported that the head it covered was as smooth and devoid of
hair as an ostrich egg.
His yellow-brown face was a network of wrinkles, across which his flat nose sprawled broadly between high cheekbones his eyes,
;
sunk
far
back into
like
dark
and beady
5
itself
an engaging grin, which extended from ear to ear, as, winking and blinking his
bright
little
make obeisance
and
mistress.
unsuccessful on account
but
it
never
repeated.
To
those
who
time
it
was something
be
remembered
;
portionate form
the
the
humour and
which seemed designed to express only malevolence and cunning the long waving
;
fingers
on
it,
an old humbug
of the
first
6 these
are
inherent
in
the
native nature.
But
his
in spite of this,
and the
uncanniness of
appearance,
there
was
something about Outa Karel that drew one to him. Of his real devotion to his master
and the "beautiful family Van der Merwe," there could be no question while, above
;
was one
of an outcast race,
original
inhabitants
who had
;
survived
the
who, knowing submerging no law but that of possession, had been scared and chased from their happy hunting grounds,
tide of civilization
by the Hottentots, then by the powerful Bantu, and later by the still more terrifying palefaced tribes from over the seas. Though
first
Bushman
is
it
is
well
habit,
known
while
that
were
in
the
men,
to take unto
themselves
amono the women of the vanO Hence the fact that a perfect quished race. specimen of a Bushman is a rara avis, even
wives from
where the
last
remnants are
known
to linger.
called a perfect
race, for,
though he
always spoke of himself as wholly Bushman, there was a strong strain of the Hottentot
about him, chiefly noticeable
in his build.
He
spoke
in
Dutch,
in
now honey-sweet
for his superiors.
felt
"Ach
toch!
Night, Baas.
Night, Nooi.
my little
baasjes.
Excuse
Bushman does
is
you
stiff.
the will
Thank
my
baasje," as
dragged a low stool, covered with springbok skin, from under the desk in the
Pietie
recess
tled
much creaking
many
strange
native ejaculations.
group had arranged itself anew. Cousin Minnie was in the cosy corner of the
little
The
Jan next her with his head against her, and Torry's head on his lap this attention to make up for his
late
seeming unkindness
in
Pappa, with his magazine, was at the other end of the rustbank where he could, if he
chose, speak to
Mamma
how
in
a low tone, or
peep over
on.
her book was getting Willem had pushed the basket away so
to see
as to settle himself
and
Pietie
fire.
was on a
of the
The
native,
who, having relegated his duties to his children and grandchildren, lived as a
privileged pensioner in the van der
Merwe
played over his quaint figure with the weirdest effect, lighting
generations.
firelight
The
it,
now
another, show-
up
his
astonishingly small
hands and
crooked
fingers, as
incessantly
for these
much
This was the hour beloved by the children, when the short wintry day had ended, and,
in the interval
ness
and
Karel
the
Outa
stories.
And
spirits,
tales of
spooks and giants, of good and bad of animals that talked, of birds, beasts
and
But most
thrilling of
all,
adventures by
tiger, jackal
fall
lion,
and
no longer
to the lot of
mortal man.
The
breathless,
and even
their elders,
sparing a
moment's attention from book or writing, would feel a tremor of excitement, unable to
determine where reality ended
and
fiction
io
as
old
wove
his
romances.
"
Now, Outa,
tell
you know," said little Jan, nestling closer to Cousin Minnie, and issuing his command as
the autocrat of the "
Ach
but
klein
stupid
old
black one
knows no new
stories,
ones of Jakhals and Leeuw, and tell even those when his throat
how can he
is
dry
"
?
ach,
He
Then suddenly eyes glittered expectantly. he started with well-feigned surprise and
beamed on
Pietie,
who
a soopje in the glass kept for his especial use. This was a nightly performance. The
lubrication
was never
forgotten, but
it
was
what
pretext
to call attention to
the fact of
throat,
Sore
headache,
breaking-in of a young horse anything served as an excuse for what was a time-
honoured custom.
"
Thank
Gezondheid
beautiful family
He
!
lifted
gulped down the contents, and smacked his lips approvingly. " Ach if a
the
glass,
Bushman
How
down
way
I
Now
tell
am
strong again
now
am
ready to
Oom
Leeuw."
" About
his
"
Oom Leeuw
This
carrying Jakhals on
back
"
?
asked Willem.
is
No, baasje.
with
quite
a different
one."
And
imitating
many
gesticulations,
changing
his
man began
II.
LEEUW.
ONE day
in the early
people were
awake,
some-
Jakhals
is
Oh, no
he
the
hunt
is
He without having had any of the work. had just dragged himself quietly to the top with his of a kopje so, my baasjes, so
stomach close
moving
little
word
Then he looked
all
there,
he looked
whom do you
think
he saw
in
the
kloof
13
No
other than
Oom Leeuw
him-
self, clawing a nice big hamel he had just killed a Boer hamel, baasjes, with a beauti-
Oh
yes,
Oom Leeuw
had picked
is
luck,'
wondering how he could get some of the nice meat for himself. He soon made a plan. A white thing
sat
still
and he
for a minute,
fluttered in a little
It
was a
it
piece of paper.
so
He
it
up and folded
and so
and so
were very busy "till it looked like a letter. Then he ran down the kopje in a great hurry and called out, Good morning, Oom.'
'
" "
'
'
"
Yes, Neef, a big fat one.' "'Well, here is a letter from Tante,' said
Jakhals, giving the piece of paper to Leeuw.
'
'
As
"
to give
it
to
Oom.'
Leeuw took
and turned
it
it
this
way,
that way.
He
held
far
it
out at
See, baasjes,
of
He
here Outa's bright eyes winked and blinked flatteringly on Cousin Minnie and her pupils
clever;
know
it,
so he
Jakhals,
tacles
"
' ;
Oom
Hm, hm,
to read.
fat
a nice
at
once by
me.
She and the children are hungry.' Here is the very 'Well, that's all right. Tante is not very well. The Jew thing.
"
smouse's donkey she ate the other day disagreed with her, so we must coax her a little.
I
you know a
vrouwmens
in
a dangerous thing
when she
is
a temper.
So you had
hamel
to her at once,
15
Thank
you, noble
Oom, King
of Beasts,'
said Jakhals in a fawning voice, promising himself at the same time that he would have
offal.
'
How
for-
am
I,
King
for
my
uncle,'
and
off
he trotted
Leeuw prowled
tail tail
further
up
the
kloof,
Had
it,
flourished to
description.
and
"
to give point
little
to
his
Here comes a
to a veld
Steen-
bokje on
its
it
way
is
dam
for water.
Ach
little
but
pretty
its
It
looks
here,
it
looks there,
with
front foot
is in
the air
now
it
is
it
One down
;
down
again.
On
comes,
Outa's hands, bunched up slowly, slowly" to resemble the buck's feet, illustrated each
the children following his " with breathless interest. Now
step,
listen."
movements
it
stops to
Outa was
rigid as
he bent forward
Suddenly he started
16
and the children involuntarily did " Hark what was that ? What the same.
violently,
how Steenbokje
terrible
skriks
form
eyes
blocks
the
way
with
Great
their
!
eyes
cruel
burn
him
It
is
!
fire.
Now
he knows.
stands
in
LEEUW
LEEUW who
the path
growls and glares at Steenbokje. Steenbokje cannot turn away. They stare at each
other
so
just so
"
He
Outa
"
glares at each
Steenbokje cannot look away, cannot move. He is stiff with fright. His blood is cold. His eyes
are starting out of his head.
"
And
then
voops
the listeners
jump
as Outa's long
"one arms suddenly swoop towards them Steenbokje spring and Leeuw is on him.
blares
meh, meh,
tears
meh
but
it
is
no good.
Tip,
tip,
it it
Leeuw
tip,
There
lies
pretty
little
Steenbokje, dead,
faintly.
dead."
Outa's voice
children
trails
The
heave
big
sighs.
Little
17
of tears.
a death-bed.
"Yes,
skr-r-r-r
baasjes,
Leeuw
killed
Steenbokje
He
through the bones skrnch, and ate little Steenbokje for skrnch, skrnch his breakfast. Then he went to the krantzes
bit
and
to
sleep,
for
the day
light "
felt
began
When
he awoke
My baasjes
know
a Steenbokje
Oom
Leeuw.
thought he would go
home and
see
how
Tante and the children were getting on, and whether they had feasted well on the nice
fat
ham el.
"
But,
dear land
find
?
What
children
did poor
crying,
Oom
Tante
Leeuw
The
spluttering
and scratching with rage, everything upside down, and not even the bones of the hamel to be seen.
'The
bad,
wicked Jakhals
'
is
How
should
fat
know?
He
me
"
hamel, and
has he beaten
'
!
Ohe
ohe
' !
And boxed my
'
!
ears
!
cubs.
"
'
tail,'
"
'
And
left
offal.
'
!
Oh,
the cunning, smooth-tongued vagabond " And all three fell to weeping and wailing,
while
"
'
roared aloud in his anger. Wait a bit, I'll get him,' he said.
the
Leeuw
'
Besee
fore
he'll
who's baas.'
"
He waved
in
his tail to
and
fro
and stuck
was very
terrible to
19
hoor-r-r-r-r,"
and
Outa
gave vent
roars.
"
to
several
deep,
blood-curdling
Very early the next morning, when only a little grey in the sky shewed that the night
was
rolling
world,
Leeuw took
sitting
"'Ah!
thought.
wait,
I'll
my
'
fine fellow,'
?
he
But
began at once to try and climb the krantz, but it was very steep and high, and so smooth that there was nothing for him to
hold
to.
"He
little
and he came
sailing
I
down
again.
At
he
thought, 'Well, as
I'll
pre-
tend to be nice and friendly, and then perhaps I'll ask him to Jakhals will come down. go
'
Here
Outa's
beady
little
eyes
danced
20
mischievously.
Baasjes
know,
the
is
only
to
way
be
schelm,
When
is
anyone
will
cheats,
you
never be baas.
that
(Cousin Minnie would not disturb the course of the tale, but she mentally prescribed
and stored up for future use an antidote this pagan and wordly-wise piece of advice
her pupils.)
"
to
to
So Leeuw stood
Good
Morning, Oom.'
I
"
'
like to
go hunting
"At any
skipped with delight, for it was very seldom he had the honour of such an invitation,
but
with conceit at
having cheated
nicely.
"
'
Oom
Oom,
Thank
you,
but
am
not in want
of
meat
just now.
some
21
Won't
'
so steep
"
'
how can
'
get up
Ach
Oom.
I'll
pull
you up
in
an eye-wink.
me
that
That
who was
as slim as her
work
' !
to pull
Oom Leeuw
'
up.
Hoo-ha
hoo-ha
away.
"
When
feet
!
from the
ground, Jakhals called out, Arre but Oom is heavy,' and he pulled the riem this way
and that way along the sharp edge of the " krantz Outa vigorously demonstrated
"till
broke right through and kabloops down fell Oom Leeuw to the hard ground
it
!
below.
"
I
'Oh!
my
goodness
is
What
a terrible
fall
hope
Oom
not hurt.
How
stupid can a
22
vrouwmens be
To
give
!
me an
old riem
is
when
Now, here
again,
Oom can try again.' strong one. " So Leeuw tried and
again,
and
again,
many
rope broke and each time his fall was greater, because Jakhals always pulled him up a little
higher,
and a
little
higher.
At
last
he called
out
"
'
It's
must give
"
'
up.'
'
!
Ach
said Jakhals,
The carbonaatjes pretending to be sorry. alle wereld! are done to a turn, and the smell
it's
fine
Shall
'
throw
Oom down
said
a piece
of the meat
"
'
Yes
please,
Jakhals,'
'
Leeuw
fill
lips.
me and some
!
carbonaatjes will
"
cunning raked a red-hot carefully stone out of the fire and wrapped a big piece
baasjes,
Ach
my
?
what did
Jakhals do
He
of
fat
round
it.
the
23
Now
I
Oom,' he
I'll
called,
wide and
big one,
"
drop
this in.
And when
he said
this,
Jakhals chuckled,
little
ones doubled
up with
"
"
his
'
'
Are you
ready,
'
Oom ?
'
Grr-r-r-r-r
gurgled Leeuw.
He
had
Down
and
sluk
sluk
Leeuw had
swallowed
"And
then,
my
hills
were made.
The
swooped nearer to find out the cause the meerkats and ant-bears, the porcupines and
spring-hares snuggled further into their holes
;
24
fled swiftly
some other
"
Only wicked Jakhals and his family With their bushy tails waving and rejoiced.
their pointed ears standing up, they
danced
round the
fire,
:
Arre
Arre
who is stronger than the King of Beastland ? who sees further than the King of Birdland ?
but thick-tailed Jakhals, but the Silver-maned
Who
One?
He, the small but sly one ; he, the wise Planmaker. King of Beasts would catch him catch him, claw
;
him,
kill
!
him
Ha
ha
ha
Ha
ha ha
!
would
kill
him
But he finds a way out grills the fat-tailed hamel, Feeds the King of Beastland with the juicy tit-bits; Eats the fat-tailed hamel while the King lies dying;
;
Ha!
ha! ha!
lies
dying!
lies
dead
now
'
!
"
Outa crooned the Jakhals' triumph song in a weird monotone, and on the last words his
voice
silence
quavered
among
Pietie blinked as
though the
firelight
were
25
much
for
his
eyes.
Little
Jan sighed
tumultuously.
"
Willem cleared
his throat.
But how did Jakhals know that Leeuw was dead?" he asked suddenly.
Oom
peeped over the krantz every time between the dancing and singing like this,
baasje, just like this."
"He
The first time he looked, he saw Oom Leeuw rolling over and over the next time Leeuw was scratching,
hands were at work.
;
then he was
;
digging into the ground with his claws he was only blowing himself out so
long slow breaths
lying quite
"
still,
;
then
with
Oh
to
"He
this
thing.
Outa,
nicest
"
stories."
It's all
about
poor Steenbokje, who never did him any harm, and then Jakhals killed Oom Leeuw, who never did kirn any harm. It
Leeuw
killed
was very
cruel
and wicked."
26
"
getically,
we
don't
know why,
but
it is
so.
Sometimes the good ones are killed and the bad ones grow fat. In this old world it goes
not always so's
goes."
it
must go
it
just
go
so's
it
"But," persisted Pietie, "you oughtn't to have let Jakhals kill Oom Leeuw. Oom
stronger, so he ought to
naughty Jakhals."
Outa's
eyes
!
gleamed
pityingly.
These
What did they know of the young things ups and downs of a hard world where the
battle
is
the
did not
make up
the
newspaper and the spectacles and the Jew But the smouse, that are things of to-day.
real story
was made
when
baasje's people went about in skins the Rooi Kafirs, and Outa's people were
monkeys
been
so,
in
the
it
bushveld.
will
It
has always
in
and
always be so
the
27
the
and
in the old
wicked world.
It is
head,
my
own, "and not the strong arms and legs and teeth, that makes one animal master over
another.
Ach
yes
if
had been the same as the white man's, arre what a fight there would have been between
them
"
!
And
many
strange
Then, rousing himself, with a quick change of voice and manner, "Ach! please, " Nooi he said in a wheedling tone, " a span
!
of tobacco
just
one
little
and to-morrow."
His mistress laughed indulgently, and, unhooking the bunch of keys from her belt,
handed them
sinner
yet
"
!
to
Cousin Minnie.
"
"
The
old
she said.
We
all
spoil him,
and
who could begin to be strict with him now? Only a small piece, Minnie." " Thank you, thank you, my Nonnie," said
the old man, holding out both
hands, and
28
were some-
my young lady!
is
Yes,
to
it
will
be a
fine
skeleton
for
Nonnie
send
far
where she sent the old long-dead Bushman's bones. Ach foei all of him went into a little
!
just
to
think
of
it
a soap
He
started as a
young coloured
"
girl
made
is
her appearance.
already.
is
mij lieve
here
Lys
How
when a person
!
Night,
little
Baas
night,
Nooi
night,
!
Nonnie and
!
masters.
Ach
"
!
the
beautiful
flatteries
grew
and
fainter,
and
finally died
away.
III.
WHO WAS
"
KING?
a time," began Outa Karel, and his audience of three looked up expectantly. " Once upon a time, Oom Leeuw roared
ONCE upon
and the
forest
Then, from
far
away over
little
cubs jumped
about and stood on their heads, tumbling over each other in their merriment.
"'Hear/ they
Three
no
"
said,
'it
is
Volstruis,
old
Sticks.
our father.
difference.'
he was very angry, so he roared again, louder than ever. Again came back the sound over the veld, as
if it
When Leeuw
30
"
'
this will
never
do,'
thought
this
Leeuw.
pudence.
imitators
"
to
im-
alone
am
King
here,
and
want none.'
forth
So he went
till
vlakte
Ostrich.
"
the
They
Leeuw's eyes flamed, his mane rose in a huge mass and he lashed his tail angrily.
Volstruis spread out his beautiful wings and
swayed from
his
it
neck twisting
pretty, but
!
was
Baasjes know, Volstruis's eyes are very soft and beautiful like Nonnie's when she tells the Bible stories but now there was
his eyes
;
only fierceness
that looked like
"
in
them,
and yellow
lights
fire.
fight
yet.
It
was
a
is
only their
way
of meeting.
'
We
little.'
"So
throat,
roared,
blowing
'
!
out
It
his
so,
Hoo-hoo-hoor-r-r-r
was a
WHO WAS
fearsome
KING?
of
31
that
sound
feel
the
sort
sound
makes you
ning
down your back when you hear it suddenly and don't know what it is. Yes,
baasjes,
if
you are
in
bed you
curl
up and
over your head, and if you are outside you run in and get close to the Nooi or Nonnie."
pull the blankets
slight
passed from one to another of his small hearers, but unless it was a free and
diction,
they
made
it
a point of honour never to interrupt Outa in full career. This, like other things, could
Then Leeuw
roared,
and
No
'
one could
is
say,
This
is
That
a more terrifying
'
"
So Leeuw
alike.
it
Our
in
voices
are
You
so.
are
my
equal
roaring.
Let
then be
I
You
will
be King of the
Birds as
am King
of the Beasts.
Now
let
who
is
baas there.'
32
"
the vlakte
fat
some sassaby
nice
were
;
feeding,
big
ones, a
klompje
so
Leeuw
and Vol-
both kept away from the side the wind came from. Wild bucks
struis in the other, but
can smell
little
ach toch
so
good.
is
Just
one
puff
when a hunter
all
sniffis
sniff,
the wind.
that has
Dust
and they are off like all you see, and when
!
bucks
blown away ach no there are no " the whole veld is empty, empty
!
his
But
"
he took up his
"
tale
with renewed
energy
hunters.
Leeuw and Volstruis were old They knew how to get nearer and
letting
nearer
1
without
the
bucks
know.
much
in
Sassaby (also spelt Sesseby) or Bastard Hartebeest are smaller than the Hartebeest proper, and are found
forest country.
WHO WAS
Leeuw
trailed himself
KING?
33
and only when he was moving could you see which was Leeuw and which was sand the colour was just the same.
close to the ground,
:
picked out a big buck, well-grown and fat, but not too old to be juicy, and when he got near enough he hunched himself up
"He
very quietly
so,
my
little
masters, just so
ready to spring, and then before you could whistle, he shot through the air like a stone
fell, fair
and square, on
his
on
its
shoulders
and
wicked
Ach
the
beautiful
big buck
Never
again would his pointed horns tear open his enemies Never again would he lead the
!
his
soft
nostrils
scent
in the distance,
give the signal for the stampede was really all up with him this time
No,
!
it
When
Oom Leeuw
let
go
till
it is
dead.
34
"
herd
in the
all
Truly Volstruis was clever Baasjes know, he can run fast faster even than the
sassaby.
ready to spring, he raced up-wind as hard as he could, knowing that was what the
herd would do.
for
So there he was waiting them, and didn't he play with them See,
!
"
in his
excitement
"
attitude
and when
they streaked past him he jumped like this, striking at them with the hard, sharp claws
on
like
his
Voerts
there
"
!
Outa
was
there
kicked to
the right.
Voerts
left
there
"till
another!"
he kicked to the
was a klomp of bucks lying about the veld Yes, old Two Toes giving their last blare.
did his
"
work
up and saw
that Vol-
WHO WAS
struis
KING?
made
35
had
killed
"
Leeuw
rip
said,
'You have
killed
most, so
you
"
to eat.'
'Oh
I
you
rip
open and
he
"
a good humour
Volstruis
But
truly,
before,
was
;
clever.
he had no
to
know.
Therefore he
said,
You
eat
will
"So Leeuw
sk-r-r-r-r
all
open
sk-r-r-r-r,
ate
till
and called the cubs, and they Then Volthey were satisfied.
in
struis
ing,
came along
pecking as he walked, and drank the Then he and Leeuw lay down in blood.
the
shade
of
some
trees
and went
to
sleep.
"
The
cubs
played
about,
rolling
and
36
to the place
'
!
where Volstruis
'
Aha
said
one,
mouth
"
'
open.'
He
'
!
peeped
into
mouth.
Aha
'
he said again, I see something.' "Another cub came and peeped. " Alle kracht he said, I see something
'
'
!
too.
Let us go and
'
tell
our
father.'
So they ran off in great excitement and woke Leeuw. Come, come quickly,' they
said.
is
'
"
Volstruis
insults
your equal.
with
his
He
it,
lies
trees
have peeped
teeth !
into
Come and
tail.
"
Leeuw bounded
'
cubs at his
"
'
Nier-r-r-r,'
nier-r-r-r.
What
pretend you are my equal, and you haven't even got teeth.'
"
'
You
Teeth or no teeth/
'
killed
WHO WAS
you did to-day. you
"
to
'
KING?
teeth,
I'll
37
fight
Teeth or no
baas.'
show who's
Come
on,' said
Leeuw.
'
Who's
' !
afraid
Come on
that
No, wait a
little,'
said Volstruis.
'
I've
got a plan.
there
?
You
see
ant-heap over
it,
and
I'll
over
first.
into the
That
;
said
and he thought to himself, I'm heavier and stronger I can easily send the
;
Leeuw
ant-heap flying on to old Three Sticks, and then spring over and kill him.'
"
But wait a
bit!
It
he thought. Every time he sprang at the ant-heap he clung to it as he was accustomed to cling to his prey. He had no other way
of doing things.
And
take the opportunity of kicking high into the air, sending the sand and stones into Leeuw's
face,
rage.
38
"
and
roar,
So they went on
till
heap was quite loosened by the kicks and Leeuw was getting angrier and blows.
angrier,
his eyes
were so
of dust.
He
gathered himself
together for a tremendous spring, but, before he could make it, Volstruis bounded into the
air
and kicked the whole top Arre, but the dust was thick
"
When
it
groaning and coughing, with the great heap of earth and stones on top of him.
"
my
ohe!' wailed the cubs, 'get up, father. Here he comes, the Toothless
'
!
Ohe
One!
"
He who
Get up and
and sprang
full
slay him.'
Leeuw shook
of sand
at Volstruis,
;
he missed.
struis
As he came down
out
his
shot
strong
right
leg
and
WHO WAS
caught Leeuw
in
KING?
Sk-r-r-r-r
!
39
!
the side.
!
went
poor
goops
over
fell
Oom
him.
"
Leeuw, with
Two Toes
fastened into
flapping and
waving his beautiful black and white wings, and tearing the life out of Oom Leeuw.
"
When
it
was
all
over,
he cleaned his
away slowly over the veld to where his mate sat on the
nest.
Only the cubs were left wailing over the dead King of the Forest."
"
The
Pietie's
comment
till
at last
itself
Outa, what
Mammie
?
bellowing at night
that none of us
You know
it."
would ever do
40
"
my
"
I
baasje,
soothingly.
never meant anyone who But other belongs to the land of Volstruise.
masters,
little
who
did not
know
the voice of
old
Three Sticks
if
I
mam-mas
"
Oh,
see,"
"Is your story a parable, Outa?" asked little Jan, who had been doing some hard
thinking for the last minute.
"Ach
and what
fable,
is
that,
my little
master?"
"A
"
kind of
Outa."
it is,
word he understood,
little
a
"
fable,
a sort of nice
is
fable."
an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, and when Cousin Minnie tells us parables she always finds the meaning for of
this,
But a parable
us.
What
is
Outa?"
WHO WAS
from
it
KING?
He
41
For once
rubbed
was nonplussed.
flat
against his
had But
recourse
all
these
to
inspire
heavenly meaning of the story he had just Ach these dear little ones, to think of told.
!
such strange things There they all were, He must get waiting for his next words. out of it somehow.
!
<(
is
a beautiful
hasn't
meaning
time
to
Outa
got
"
now.
Another
time
"
Outa," broke
in
Willem,
to
reprovingly,
get
away so
where
you can go
No,
my
I
baasje, truly
no
"And
you had danced, too, after the way you have been jumping about here."
42
" "
is
'
with
!
relish.
Voerts
there
'
!
one dead
Voerts
there
another
stiff,
so
Outa, you always say you are but you can still kick well."
" "
in
was a great dancer. No one could do the Vastrap better and the Hondekrap and the Valsrivier. Arre, those were
my
day
the times
"
!
gave a little hop at the remembrance of those mad and merry days, and yet another
and another, always towards the passage leading to the kitchen.
"
He
Outa,
Jan.
the
heavenly
haven't
meaning!"
told us."
"You
No, my little baas, not to-night. Ask the Nonnie she will tell you. Here she comes."
;
"
And
be expected from his cramped and crooked limbs, skipped away, leaving her to bear the
brunt of his inability to explain his
own
story.
IV.
IS
LAME.
was Tante Hyena that Jakhals cheated more than anyone," said Outa. " She always
IT
on her, so she was quite ready to believe him when he came along with another story.
Some
people are
so,
it's
my
baasjes.
P'raps
;
it's
kindness, p'raps
doesn't know.
only stupidness
Outa
Jakhals and Hyena were out walking together when a white cloud came up behind the kopjes and floated over the
veld quite close to them.
cloud, just like white
fat,
"One day
It
on
to
it
and
sat looking
down over
it,
the edge.
Then he
"
'
bit pieces
!
out of
Arre"
fat is nice,'
44
'
the cloud like a caterpillar chews a leaf. " Hyena licked her lips and looked up at
him.
" "
so
Throw me down some, please,' she said. Ach my Brown Sister, will I then be greedy as to throw you down little bits ?
' '
!
Wait
up
to
till
I'll
help you
little
I
eat for
But come a
catch
me when
and
jump.'
"
Jakhals such a way that he knocked her jumped into the sand. He fell soft, because he was
ready,
in
So
Hyena
stood
on
top,
but foei
poor
out
of
Hyena had
her and
all
the
breath
knocked
she
was
"'Ach! but
"
self,
am
now
help you.'
her-
he helped her to climb on to the cloud. There she sat, biting pieces off and eating
'
them,
it's
just like
white fat!'
IS
LAME
'
45
After
time
she
called
I
out,
want
I
to
Grey come
down.
"
'
Please catch
me when
jump.'
Sister,
come
on.
Just see
"
how
nicely
I'll
catch you.
So-o-o.'
He
!
Hyena
jumped he sprang
1
one
side,
calling out,
Ola
Ola
I
shall
do
Woops
fell
Down
it
fell
Brown
left
Sister,
and
as she
leg to save
doubled up under her and was She lay in a bundle in the nearly broken. sand, crying, My leg is cracked my leg is
herself, but
'
!
cracked
' !
"Jakhals came along very slowly jump, jump, on three legs. Surely the thorn, that
wasn't there, was hurting him very
"
'
much
Oo
oo
'
!
cried
Hyena, 'help me
leg
is
up,
Grey
"
'
Brother.
My
!
broken.'
it.
And mine
sister
has a thorn in
Foei toch,
my
sick
poor
?
The
can the sick help the only plan is for us to get home
How
46
in the best
will visit
Good-bye, and
if
you to-morrow
off
to see
you are
all
right/ "
jump, jump, on three legs very slowly; but as soon as Old Brown Sister could not see him, he put down the
other one and
veld and got
nice supper of
And
he went
sh-h-h-h
home
just
time to have a
that Mrs. Jakhals
at
young ducks
Oubaas van
But poor Brown Sister lay in the sand crying over her sore places, and from that
left
l
hind
is
The Hyena, on
legs
fable.
first starting, appears lame in the hind a fact accounted for by the Hottentots in the foregoing
V.
THIEF?
YES,
my
baasjes, so
was
Oom
Jakhals
he
always made as if he forgot all about what he had done, and he made as if he thought
all
He
is
maar so schelm."
advantage of the pinch of snuff he held between his right forefinger and thumb, sneezed with evifull
dent
enjoyment two
:
or
three
times,
and
continued
"When
well, "
'
'
Jakhals thought
visit her.
Hyena was
quite
he went to
It's
very dull here in the veld,' he said, and food is so scarce, so I'm going to hire
He'll give
myself to a farmer.
eat
me
lots
fat
to
I'll
48
come home
too, "
Would you
her
lips
like
to
go
Brown
Hyena smacked
about the nice things to eat. a very good plan. So they went to a farm,
and Jakhals talked so nicely that the farmer hired them both to work for him.
"Ach!
it
was a
little
beautiful
place;
lots
of
chickens and
ducks,
fat
tails
and Afrikander
that
large
for
could be
He
stomach that
life.
During the day Jakhals peeped all about, this corner, in that corner, and he found
In the
tails.
middle of the night, when all the people were fast asleep, he got up and went quietly, my
baasjes, quietly, like a to the place
where the
was.
He
took a
big lump and smeared it all over Brown Then he Sister's tail while she was asleep.
THIEF?
49
that
was
left
and went
"
to sleep in the
in the
waggon-house.
morning, when the farmer went out to milk the cows, he missed the fat.
Early
'
"
said.
Lieve land
'
Where
'
is all
my
fat
he
It
But
"
wait,
took a thick riem and his sjambok, and went to the waggon- house to catch Jakhals
He
But when he
in
Jakhals spoke
little,
voice.
"
'
Ach
no,
Baas
?
Would
look at
then do such
tail.
And
my
There's
of fat
tail is full
the
thief.'
"He
tail in
was no
fat
fat
is
easily see
'
But the
someone
must
have
and
he
the
waggon-
"At
last
50
and snoring a
like
sawing planks gorr-korrr, gorr-korr but nice soft snoring like people do when
they sleep very
the
fast
see-uw, see-uw.
It
is
deepest
sleep
see-uw, see-uw.
chaff,
and her
tail
!
Aha
here
the
thief,'
said
the
farmer,
her.
"
and he began
round
Old Brown
'
Sister sat
eyes.
?
I
she asked.
'
dreamt
'
was
fat
And
you were
my
fat/
said
the
'And
now
"
Poor old
Brown
Sister
jumped about
to do;
she ran round and round the waggon-house trying to get away she called out, and she
;
know about
the
THIEF?
tasted
it,
51
that
she
had
never
it.
and
But
it
was no
'
Look
at
your
tail,'
Will
you tell me that your tail went by rubbed itself in the fat ?
'
itself
and
"
So he
"
She
didn't
even
have the
from her
tail
to eat,
because,
was
all
rubbed
off.
went
quite
"
to live
on a farm again
for her."
good enough
Outa?
It's
"
asked Willem.
"
Yes,
my
it.
baasje.
It
can't help
"And
the time?"
my
baasje,
was
sitting
on the
waggon saying his prayers so, my baasjes." Outa put his crooked hands together and cast
52
his
upwards
till
only
the
yellows showed.
"
'
Hou jouw
handjes same.'
every time Hyena screamed, Jakhals begged her not to steal again, but to try and behave like a good Christian."
And
But Jakhals was the thief," said little Jan, indignantly. "He was always the wicked How was one, and he was never punished.
that,
"
Outa
"
?
A
man's
whimsical
face,
smile
played
and though
his eyes
danced as
Ach my
!
little
master,
tell?
maar so
the
2
in the
Kaap,
it
down
just
runs up on the other side, and then it can't stop, but it has to run down again, and
1(<
together."
The Kaap
Cape Town.
THIEF?
down,
'
53
keeps
on
up
the
and
up
and
down."
"
You
mean
switchback
asked
Willem.
"
in
Ach, yes baasje, Outa means so. And the world it is the same up and down, up
!
and down.
good ones are down and the bad ones are up. But the
often the
And
thing
Outa
it
name
right
goes
on, goes on, and by-and-by the good ones are up and the bad ones are down." " But Jakhals seemed always to be up,"
and
remarked Willem.
"
Yes,
my
"
baasje,"
said
the
old
man,
soberly.
Jakhals seemed always to be up. It goes so sometimes, it goes so," but his eyes suddenly had a far-away look, and one
could not be certain that he was thinking of
Jakhals.
VI.
THE
SUN.
A BUSHMAN LEGEND.
OUTA, having disposed of his nightly tot, held his crooked hands towards the cheerful
blaze
and turned
it
his
engaging smile
alter-
nately on
"
!
and
Ach what it is to keep a bit of the Sun even when the Sun is gone Long ago Outa's people, the Bushmen, did not know about fire. No, my baasjes, when the Big Fire, that makes the world warm and bright,
!
walked across the sky, they were happy. They hunted, and danced, and feasted.
They
little
poisoned arrows, and they tore pieces off and ate the flesh with the red blood dripping from it they had no fire to make it dry up. And
:
THE SUN
the roots and eintjes that they
their sharp stones
55
as they were.
did the
They did not cook, for they not know how to make fire. But when white man came, then they learnt. Baasbig bigger than the but that does not help. It's
is
head
Baas's head
"
-Outa tapped
but
it
his wrinkled
lot
!
Alia
can hold a
"In
were cold they crept into caves and covered themselves with skins, for they had no fire to
sit
by.
when
the Old
Man
down
in the
to sleep."
asked
Pietie.
"Do
Aja Don't baasjes then know that the Sun was once a man? It was long, long
ago, before Outa's people lived in the world
:
perhaps in the days of the Early Race that were before even the Flat Bushmen, who
were
the
first
people
we
really
know
56
anything about.
ness streamed.
whose armpits
he
lifted
bright-
When
him was
light
when he
him was
but
all
when he
lifted
both arms,
But
only shone
;
lived
"
it
on a stone, so that
lifted
arms
far, far,
ach
then
the
light
streamed out
for miles
and
miles.
Then
We
higher he goes the farther his light shines. o o o If only we could put him very high, his light
world.'
So they
tried to
make
'
a wise old
young people You must go to this and said together man from whose armpits the light streams.
:
woman
called the
THE SUN
When
he
is
57
;
asleep,
you must go
and the
him
and
fro
so
so
may
be
arms
to let the
stream
down
to
warm
make green things to grow in summer.' " So the young men went to the place where the man lay sleeping. Quietly they
went,
my
He
was
in
deep
sleep,
strong young
pits
the arm-
as the wise
Then, as they
and there he
stuck.
The
stretched
light
brightened
the world,
warming
the earth,
and making the green things grow. And so it went on day after day. When he put up
58
his arjns,
was
bright,
it it
And when he
to
:
go
was no
light at all
it
was dark
was
night.
lifted
day came again and the world was warm and bright.
"
Sometimes he
it
is
far
away from
the earth.
Then
comes
is
cold
it is
winter.
But when he
again
; ;
warm
the
green things grow and the fruit ripens it is summer. And so it goes on to this day, my
baasjes
winter,
:
the
all
day and
night,
summer and
and
Man
with the
is
downright
arms."
Willem,
"and
he
hasn't
any
"No, my baasje, not now. He is not a man any more. But baasjes must remember how long he has been up in the sky spans,
and spans, and spans of years, always rolling round, and rolling round, from the time he
THE SUN
wakes
in
59
lies
the morning
till
he
down
to
And
all
with
the
rolling,
baasjes,
he has
got
rounder and rounder, and the light that at first came only from under his arms has been
rolled right
of light,
round him,
now he
is
the other."
in
a desultory way to the fireside chatter, as she wrote at the side-table, started and leant
toward the
but a single glance was enough to show that so interested were the children in the personal aspect of the tale
little
group
that there
their
was no
some pains
accept.
to get
them
to
understand and
"And
now
that
^ r
little
Jan,
in his earnest
way,
out
Ach
my
little
master
Always
to ask a
60
big thing
out.
his
arms
out.
He
is
so that
can't shine
on the world.
And
at
sometimes,
just before
he gets up
to
in the
morning, and
night,
before he goes
sleep
haven't
baasjes seen long bright stripes coming from " the round ball of light ? o
his
little
listeners,
"Those
up
but he sticks his long fingers out and they make bright roads into the sky, spreading out all round him. The Old Man is peeping
at the earth
through
they are
his
fingers.
Baasjes
sticks
them
and see
if
all
there
;
eight long
number
and the
THE SUN
his
61
cross
reluctance. "
When
all
down, he
pulls
them
in.
Then
go
"
to sleep."
But, Outa,
it
isn't
Pietie
reminded him.
Ach, yes
The
little
Lady
them
Moon.
Outa
will tell
When
foei
!
friend
Lys rub his back with buchu. Old Ao-e comes the back bends o
stiff,
can
pinch
Therefore,
my
baasjes,
Outa cooks
rub on karroo
They
best.
are
all
good,
for for
but
the
the
buchu
outside,
the
Yes,
buchu
fire-water
inside !"
looked longingly at the cupboard, but wood and glass are unresponsive until acted
He
62
on by human agency
so,
possessing
no
"Open, Sesame" for that unyielding lock, Outa contented himself by smacking his lips
as he toddled away.
VII.
STARS' ROAD.
like
a canopy
background
for
which
gathered at the window, pointed out to each other the constellations with which Cousin Minnie had
little
The
three
boys,
made them
stars
familiar,
cussion as to
Way when
Outa
shuffled
"
up there Willem.
stars "
the
Milky
Way
"
?
asked
billion,
Pietie,
64
would take
months
"
to
Aja,
man
readily,
unknown
will
it
his
own,
then there
Perhaps,"
he added, judicially considering the matter, "two billion, but no one knows, because no
They
are
too
many.
the sky
And
is
made
of
wood
He
little
settled
"
Yes,
my
baasjes," he
went
"
on,
long,
long ago, the sky was dark at night when the Old Man with the bright armpits lay down to sleep, but people learned in time to make
fires to light
up the darkness
sat
girl,
who
warming
herself
She took the played with the ashes. ashes in her hands and threw them up to see
fire,
how
the
when they
and
floated in
And
as they floated
fire
stirred
with a
"The
Stars'
Road"
Face page 64
THE STARS
stick.
65
Bright sparks flew out and went high, high, mixing with the silver ashes, and they all hung in the air and made a bright road
across the sky.
And
there
it is
to this day.
calls
Baasjes
it
call
it
the Milky
girl
her hands and danced, shaking herself like Outa's people do when they are happy, and
singing
'
:
The
The tiny stars make a road for other stars. They Ash of wood-fire Dust of the Sun They call the Dawn when Night is done
little stars
!
! ! !
'
!
"
been eating and threw them into the sky, and there they hung and turned into large stars.
The
gave a red
and the young roots turned into stars that gave a golden light. There they all hung, winkYes, singing, ing and twinkling and singing.
light,
my
baasjes,
'
and
this is
We
It's
so
It's
so
It's
66
call
!
when Night
so
!
is
done!
!
so
It's
It's
so
Bright we sail across the sky By the Stars' Road, high, so high;
And
As we
It's
so
so
It's
so
'
!
"
Baasjes know,
when
children
nodding
It's
their
It's
so!
fall
?"
Three
"
heads nodded
a star
"
it
in concert.
When
falls,"
man
im-
pressively,
tells
us
someone has
and
died.
For the
fails
star
knows when a
dies,
person's heart
it
falls
from the
sky to
they
1
know has
is
It
belief obtaining
amongst races so widely different as the Scandinavians of Northern Europe and the Bushmen of South Africa. See Hans Andersen's Little Match Girl:
"
when a
star
fell
down
THE STARS
"
67
One
star
till
he was much
He
one by name, till they all had their names, and in this way they knew that he was the Great Star. No other could have
called each
He
done
all
so.
finished, they
sang together and praised the Great who had named them.
"
Star,
Now, when
It
is
the day
is
Road.
Night
shows them the way. And when over, they turn back and sail again
by the
Stars'
Road
to call the
Daybreak, that
goes before the Sun. The Star that leads He is called the way is a big bright star.
the Dawn's- Heart Star, and in the dark, dark
hour, before the Stars have called the
Dawn,
of the
he shines
behold
!
ach
baasjes, he
is
beautiful to
child
The
wife
and the
They
sail
all
on
in
"
When
the sons
of
God shouted
Job
xxxviii. 7.
68
front,
and then they wait wait for the other Stars to turn back and sail along the Stars'
Road,
calling, calling the
Dawn, and
for the
Sun
"
to
They
and
sing,
twinkling as they
sing :'
We
call across
!
the sky,
!
Dawn
Come, Dawn
risen,
Rubbing the
to the sky,
away.
We
And
is
'
!
waiting.
It's
It's
so
It's
so
"
So they
sing, baasjes,
because they
know
they are soon going out. " Then slowly the Dawn comes, rubbing her eyes, smiling, stretching out bright fingers,
The
Stars
grow
and the
Stars'
Road
THE STARS
Dawn makes
At
last
69
a bright pathway for the Sun. he comes with both arms lifted high,
and the brightness, streaming from under them, makes day for the world, and wakes
people to their work and play. " But the little Stars wait till he sleeps Sumagain before they begin their singing.
mer
now,
will
is
if
the time
best, but
even
window they
The
heavens.
The
last sight
Outa had, as he drained the soopje glass the Baas was just in time to hand him, was of
heads bobbing up and down in time to the immemorial music of the Stars,
three
little
while
"
little
it's
Jan's
excited
treble
rang out
Yes,
They
do say,
'It's
so!
so!
It's
so!'"
VIII.
WHY THE
THE
curtains
HARE'S NOSE
IS SLIT.
had not yet been drawn nor the shutters closed, and little Jan looked with
wide serious eyes
serenely
in
at
the
full
moon
sailing
Then he sighed
as
though thoughts too big for expression stirred within him, and turned absently towards the
purring
"
fire.
does the big man make such "It is like a sighing?" asked Outa Karel. the wind in the mealie land at sun-under."
eyes slowly withdrew their gaze from some inward vision and became o " conscious of the old native. Outa," he
Little
And why
Jan's
said,
"why
!
is
the
moon
Ach
to hear
him now
How
can Outa
WHY
tell ?
HARE'S NOSE
maar
so.
IS
SLIT
is
71
It is
green
and
fire is hot,
so the
Moon
it
is
far
away and
is
beautiful
and golden.
But she
is
a cruel
through her that the poor Little Hare runs about with a slit in his nose to-day."
"Tell
us,
Outa."
Little
Jan dropped on
and the others edged nearer. " And why do you call the Moon a lady
asked Pietie of the inquiring mind. " But doesn't baasje know that the
is
"
?
Moon
a lady ? yes, and for all her beauty she can be cross and cruel sometimes like other
ladies, as "
you
will hear."
Long, long ago, when the world was quite young, the Lady Moon wanted some-
one to take a message to Men. She tried first one creature and then another, but no
!
they were all too busy, they couldn't go. At last she called the Crocodile. He is very slow and not much good, but the Lady Moon
thought she would pinch his tail and him go quickly. So she said to him
make
'
:
Go
72
down
shall
"
Men
"
at
I
this
message
As
you
Baasjes know how the Moon is some" times big and round so and Outa's
diminutive hands described a wide circle and
remained suspended
in the air
"like she
is
now
till
in the sky.
Then every
so
clap
come
to-
"there's no more Moon: gether with a bang she is dead. Then one night a silver horn
hangs
in the
sky
thin,
very thin.
It is
the
new Moon
beautiful
that grows,
and golden." By the aid of the small claw-like hands the moon grew to the
full
before
so
it
the
children's
interested
living,
eyes.
"
And
So
and grow-
ing, "
living again.
Lady Moon
tail,
Crocodile's
he
started
with
message.
He
went
Moon watched
in the road.
him, but
Round
WHY
HARE'S NOSE
IS
SLIT
73
he went with a great turn, for a Crocodile's back is stiff like a plank, he can't bend it
;
and then, when he thought he was out of drif-drafsight, he went slower and slower
drippity-drif-draf,
like
lazy. "
drif-draf-drippity-drif-draf,
a knee-haltered horse.
He was
toch too
All of a
sh-h-h-h-h
Hare.
is
'what
the
drif-draf-drippity-drif-draf?
Where
"
'
Oom
Neef
Crocodile
I
can't
stop
to
speak
'
to
you,
Haasje,' said
Oom
The Lady busy and to hurry up. has sent me with a message to Men.'
"
'
Moon
Cro-
And what
'
is
the message,
Oom
"As
I
codile
die
and, dying,
dying, live."
"
'
live,
is
a stupid message.
And
you
Oom, you
are so slow.
74
You
to
me and
will
take
it.'
"
'
'
Very
well,'
the
lazy
first
Crocodile,
over
and get
it
right.'
So Neef Haasje
said the
Here he was!
and you could only see the white of his tail and his little behind legs getting small in the
distance.
"
At
last
Listen,
Sons of the
message.
tell
By As
"
the
I
you
also die
an end."
each other and
shivered.
arms was
do
?
What
shall
we
What
this
?
Moon
has sent
As
die
and, dying,
WHY
to
"
HARE'S NOSE
you
also die
IS
SLIT
75
perish, so shall
an end."
They
crept right
up
their
hair,
and
just
their hair
like
began
ach no,
baasjes don't
the
know how
to feel so."
And
these
wide
smile
which accompanied
sly teasing
which
sparkled in Outa's dancing black eyes, for he knew what it was to be taken to task for
impugning
teners.
"
the
lis-
But
He
danced away on his behind legs, and laughed and laughed to think how he had cheated
Men.
"
Then he
said
to
Men?'
O, Lady Moon, I have given them your " Like as I die and, dying, perish, message
' :
"
come wholly
stiff
to
all
with
fright.
;6
Ha
of
"
ha ha
!
!'
Haasje laughed
cried the
at the
thought
'
it.
'
What
tell
J
!
Lady Moon,
?
what
did you
them
that
donkey
"
Ach,
Lady Moon
stick,
was very
a
kierie
to kill
if
angry.
much bigger than the one Outa used lions with when he was young and
could have hit him, then"
"
she
his
Outa shook
there would have been head hopelessly no more Little Hare his head would have
:
But he been cracked right through. slim kerel. When he saw the big
is
stick
coming
nose.
"
ducked and
Foei
but
it
was sore
Neef Haasje
a
forgot
yelled
that
the
Moon was
;
Lady.
He
and screamed
;
the
at
1
air
once
he jumped with all his four feet and scratch, scratch, scratch, he
to a Hottentot legend, the hare
is
According
related to
the donkey.
WHY
"
HARE'S NOSE
IS
SLIT
77
was kicking, and hitting and clawing the Moon's face till the pieces flew.
Then he
felt
hard as he could,
with both hands.
"
And
that
is
why
with a
split nose,
Yes,
It
baasjes,
fighting
miserable
thing.
over.
for so
does not end when the fight is Afterwards there is a sore place ach,
long
!
it
is
well, the
ugly marks remain to show what has happened. The best, my little masters, is not
to fight at all."
IX.
HIS STRIPE.
"THE Sun was a strange little child," said " He never had any Pap-pa or MamOuta. ma. No one knew where he came from. He
was
just found
by the roadside.
"In the olden days when the men of the Ancient Race the old, old people that lived
so long ago
were trekking
in
search of game,
It they heard a little voice calling, calling. was not a springbokkie, it was not a tarentaal,
it
was not a
it
little ostrich.
They
couldn't think
what
was.
But
it
Outa's head
tions.
nodded
"
Why
They
didn't they
go and look
asked
Willem.
" did,
my
baasje.
HIS STRIPE
79
amongst the milk-bushes by the roadside, and at last under one of them they found a nice
looking about him, not like a baby, baasjes, but like an old child, and sparks of light, as bright as
lying quite
He was
still
seemed
to
When
me
!
Pick
me up and
'What
'
carry
me
'
!
"'Arre! he can
a fine
little
talk, 'said
the man.
child
gone ? and why did they leave you here ? " But the little Sun wouldn't answer them.
All he said was,
'
Put
me
in
your awa-skin.
I'm tired
"
can't walk.'
One
of the
men went
said,
to take
'
him
up, but
;
Soe
How
'
can you be so
carry him.'
silly
said another
man.
"
7'11
'
But when he got near, he started back. Fire comes out of them.' Alia what eyes
! !
And
away.
8o
small,'
he said
awa-skin.'
He
!
very can easily put him in my stooped and took the little
I
'
man
went.
'He
is
Sun under
"
'
his arms.
ohe"
!
Ohe
ohe"
he
cried,
'
dropping the
is
baby on
toverij
!
What
this for
fire
He
They
burns
"
me when
others
The
all
came round
to see.
didn't
come
too near,
my
were frightened, but they wanted to see the strange brown baby that could talk, and that
burned
like a fire.
hierr, skierr
Men
of the Early
Race
fell
over each other as they ran through the milkbushes back to the road. My but they were
!
frightened
"
babies
backs,
waiting
for
their
husbands.
HIS STRIPE
!
81
See that Hurry hurry along you get away from here/ said the men, with!
Come
out stopping.
"
" "
The women began to run, too. What was it ? What did you
' '
'
find
men,
still
running.
It
we
the
know
in
it is
a mensevreter.
There
it
lies in
it
up and put
if
his
it
awa-skin, but as
tries
soon as we go
near,
to
burn us
and
we
don't
it
make
"
away from
here,
will
Then they ran faster than ever. Baasjes know ach no " corrected Outa, with a sly " Outa means baasjes don't know smile
!
how
the
frightenness
people's feet,
Men
women
Sun was
lying.
my
It
82
was Jakhals, with his bright eyes and his sharp nose, and his stomach close to the
ground.
When
the
people had
gone,
he
run.
Hardly a
so softly
to
where the
"
'
Sun
'
!
lay.
Ach, what a
has been
'
left
is
behind by the
really a
it
men
he
said.
Now
that
shame
that
me
Put
me
in
your
little
Sun.
"
'
Jakhals,
on,
I'll
carry
you on
"
my
back.'
the
So Jakhals lay flat on his stomach, and little Sun caught hold of his maanhaar,
rolled
'
and
"
round on
his back.
'
to
go
asked Jak-
hals.
"
'
far
is,'
sleepily.
"
HIS STRIPE
83
ground and a sly look in his eye. He didn't he was care where the baby wanted to go
;
carry him off to the krantz just going where Xante and the young Jakhalses lived.
If baasjes
Alle
he was smiling, and when Oom Jakhals smiles, it is the wickedest sight in the
wereld
!
was very pleased to think what he was taking home fat brown babies are
world.
;
He
to
it.
But only at first. Soon his back began burn where the baby's arms went round
The
"
'
couldn't hold
Soe
Soe
a
'
Sail
down
little
my
cool.'
The
held fast
"
Sun slipped further down and again, and Jakhals trotted on.
little
'
!
But soon he called out again, Soe Now the middle of my back burns. Soe
!
Sail
down
still
little further.'
"The
little
Sun went
further
down and
84
went
on.
Every
time Jakhals called out that he was burning, the baby slipped a little further, and a little
further,
till
the
tail,
when Jakhals
Jakhals's
tail
!
called
out,
My
' !
it
was
quite black
Ach, you
punish
I'll
you
up!
for this!
I'll
bite
you!
I'll
gobble you
Help! Help!' And he jumped, and bucked, and rushed about the
My tail is burning!
till
veld,
at last the
baby had
1
to let go.
"Then
Jakhals voertsed
at the little
Sun
to bite
up.
Yes truly, just when happened, my baasjes. he was going to bite, he stopped halfway, and shivered back as if someone had beaten
he had growled with crossness, but now he began to whine from frightenness.
him.
first
1
At
to
coining,
meaning
HIS STRIPE
baasjes
?
85
it,
my
Because
and
out
of
the
baby's
eyes came streaks of fire, so that Jakhals winked and blinked, and tried to make himself small in the sand.
his eyes a
little,
just
baby sitting straight in front of him, staring at him so that he had to shut them again quick,
quick.
"
'
Come and
little
"
'
punish me,' said the baby. said Jakhals No, baasje, ach no
'
!
in
a small,
'
'
voice,
why
should
punish
you
"
"
it.'
?
'
Come and
Jakhals
'
made
himself
little
smaller
in the sand.
"
"
'
Come and
gobble
me
Then
"'Such a
to
he
said, trying
make
86
"
'
Sun.
'
When
you had carried me safely to your krantz, you would have gobbled me up. You are toch so
clever, Jakhals, but
sometimes you
at
will
meet
your match.
"
Now, look
if
me
well.'
my
baasjes,
his eyes
but
was
just as
something made
go open, and he lay there staring and the baby stared at him so,
just so
"
at the baby,
my
baasjes,
-Outa
You'll
see me,'
will
you be able
"
to look
me
in
the
face.
And
burning flame, and Jakhals, half dead with frightenness, gave a great howl
was
like a
and
"
fled
away over
that
the vlakte.
From
tail.
day,
my
baasjes,
his
he has a
to the tip
down
back
And
HIS STRIPE
87
only at
away all day with shut eyes, and night when the Old Man with the
bright armpits has gone to sleep, does he come out to hunt and look for food, and play tricks on the other animals."
X.
ACH
it
was dry,"
said Outa,
last
year's springbok biltong. time the Old Man in the sky shot
down
all
From morning
to
down hotness on
rolled
round
sleep,
a hot
till
wind blew-
and blew
again.
rivers
and blew
he woke to shine
dried
up,
the
had no water, and the poor animals began to die from thirst. It was such a drought, my little masters, as you have never
seen. "
At
last
Oom Leeuw
together to
"
the
Lady
89
beautiful, as
Oom
was a
like
sat
round him
watermelon
Leopard, Hyena, Babiaan, Jakhals, Hare and Tortoise were in front The smaller ones, they were the chief ones.
;
at
the
sides
They pretended
backwards
to
wards,
baasjes,
and
forwards
little
so,
my
and
catch
sound,
Oom Leeuw
"
to see
them.
But they needn't have been afraid. Oom Leeuw was too hot and tired and weak to
catch
He just sat against the anything. krantz with his dry tongue hanging out, and the others just lay round about in the watermelon
slice
90
out,
and every time they looked at the sky to see if any clouds were coming up. But no
turned over above their heads, with the Lady Moon making a silver road across it, and the
little
broken
hot
Sun.
There
was
nothing
that
even
At
last
Oom Leeuw
it
and
rolled
about
in his
it
mouth
to get the
rattling,
dryness
off.
When
stopped
he
began
"
'
to
talk.
said
Oom Leeuw
felt
began
friendly with
them
it is
all.
time to
make
;
a plan.
it
with a drought when it is at its worst, the bottom of the clouds falls out, and the water
is
runs
too
is
away fast, fast, to the sea, where there is much water already, and the poor karroo
Even if a landagain without any. rain comes, it just sinks in, because the ground
left
is
it,
so
we must
91
a plan to keep the water, and my plan But it's no use for one or to dig a dam.
to
two
" "
"
work
'
What do
you say
' '
'
Certainly/ said Jakhals, but he winked his eye at the Lady Moon, and then put his
'
"
warm sand
Certainly/
to talk
person would never have said Each one had a their throats were dry.
Dear land
different plan,
was
like a
Church
bazaar
yes,
baasjes, long
was young he was on a bazaar in the village, but he was glad, my baasjes, when he could
creep into the veld again and get the noise
out of his ears.
"
At
last the
Water Tortoise
his
he with the
shell
wise
little
head under
patchwork
92
said,
it
is
cool,
and
So they hunted about and found a nice place, and soon they began to make the dam.
Baasjes,
"
They
all
and they
did
dam
could be ready
when
not work.
the others,
'
Only lazy Jakhals did He just roamed round saying to Why don't you do this ? Why
'
'
'
till
at last
'
they asked,
Why
"
don't
you do
it
yourself?
at them.
'And
why
"
'
be so foolish as to scratch
my
your old
dam
"
'
he
said.
But you said Certainly," too, when Oom asked us, didn't you ? they asked.
'
'
"
Then
Am
of
my word ?
That was
last night.
Don't
you know yet that a thing is one colour by moonlight, and quite another colour when the
sun shines on
it ?
Ha
ha ha
!
' !
93
the
poor
laughing
tired.
What's the use of working so hard Those who do not work will also drink.'
'
"
" "
'
How
do you know
bit, you'll
?'
they asked.
Jakhals,
'
Wait a
winking
"
At
dam was
quite
finished,
It
and that
kept on and
the
dam was
dam
all
full
began
to run
away over
called
the veld,
down
to the
is
great big
the
Mother of
water,
and
so
broad,
my
you
high kopje.
truth-telling
Yes, so
people.
karroo-bushes grew green again, and the little veld flowers burst out of the hard ground, and
opened
like
their white,
and
94
veld,
fierce
Man
them
kindly.
And
the water
the "
From
far
to
dam
to drink.
But Jakhals was before them all. Soon after the Sun went down baasjes know, the
wild animals sleep in the daytime and hunt in
the night
he went to the
as
much water as he wanted, and filled his clay pot with some to take home. Then he swam
round and round to get cool, making the water muddy and dirty, and when the other
animals came to drink, he slipped over the dam wall and was lost in the veld as if he had
been a large
"
pin.
My
'
but
Oom Leeuw
he
"
Hoorr-rr-rr,'
is
roared,
hoorr-rr-rr
a thing ? Does the lazy one think he can share with the workers ? Who
this for
What
Hoorr-rr-rr!
and
dam
to-night, so that
95
this
Vagabond,
this
Water-
"
He
peeped
this
way and
that
way
so,
my
baasjes,
Babiaan lying amongst the bushes. But Jakhals was too schelm for him. He made as if
he didn't see him.
hind legs,
at the
all in
He
danced along on
all
his
the round,
in
:
the round,
Hing-ting-ting
Honna-mak-a-ding
'
!
My
"
over and over, and every time he came to the end of a line, he dipped
He
sang
this
his
fingers
into
his
clay
pot
and
sucked
them.
is
I
nice.'
he
said,
What do
I
'
!
want with
their
when
honey, and when old Broer Babiaan heard Jakhals he forgot he was there to guard the
dam.
He
96
little
and a
little
nearer,
and
at last
he couldn't keep quiet any longer. When Jakhals came dancing along again, he called
out in a great hurry, Please give
too!'
"
' '
!
'
Good
evening, Jakhals
me
little
Arre
said
Jakhals,
to
!
jumping
startled.
to
'
one
side
and pretending
be
What
What
Ach no
It's
little
walk.
" " "
'
'
Only
'
Do
'
you
really
want some of
my
sweet
water
"
'
you give
me
'
for
it ?
"
'
I'll
let
you
fill
the dam.'
"
'
Ach
don't
I
dam
this
water, but
are of
you drink
97
Here,
I'll
such a hurry to get to the honey that he just threw the kierie to Jakhals, but just as he was going to put his
in
fingers into the pot, Jakhals pulled it away. " I'll No, wait a bit, Broer,' he said.
' '
show you a
nicer "
'
better way.
lie
!
It will taste
much
if
you
down.'
'
Ach no
Yes,
lie
really,
Jakhals
?
'
"
'
really,' said
Jakhals.
And
if
you
don't
down
at once,
of
"
crossly,
Now,
Brother,
I'll
first
I'll
tie
you with
my
riem,
"
'
and then
he couldn't think of anything else, had long ago forgotten all about looking after It goes so, my baasjes, when a the dam.
honey and he
;
98
person thinks only of what he wants and not of what he must. So he let Jakhals tie his
hands and
feet,
and even
his
tail,
and then
he opened his mouth wide. " But Jakhals only danced round and round,
sticking his fingers into the pot
and licking
Hing-ting-ting
Honna-mak-a-ding
'
!
My
"
' '
Where's mine
said
'
You
"
'
Where's
my
sweet water
Here's
me,'
all
from
said
and
kraaks
hit
he
with
Borgom
Borgom
Help
roll
!'
screamed
away. But there was no one to help him, so he could only scream and roll over, and each time he
rolled over, Jakhals hit
"
him again
kraaks
he squeezed the clay pot and baasjes can believe me it had never had any honey in it at all over Broer Babiaan's
At
last
99
much
Then he took
filled
:
with water,
singing
!
Hing-ting-ting
Honna-mak-a-ding
'
!
My
"
'
out.
'
hope from
Oom
enjoy the sweet water you'll get Leeuw when he sees how well
you have looked after the dam.' " Poor Old Broer Babiaan was, ach
miserable, but he
after
so
Oom
at.
was even more unhappy Leeuw had punished him and set
for the other
animals to
mock
in
Baasjes,
it
was sad
They came
ones,
little
and
round
were
Broer Babiaan,
got ashameder and ashameder, and sat all in a heap, hanging down his head and trying not to see how they were mocking at him.
ioo
"
the
animals had
and drunk water, Oom Leeuw Babiaan and let him go, and off he went
the krantzes as fast as he could, with his
tail
between
"
It is
his legs.
And
that
is
all
for to-night,
my
baasjes.
See, here
comes
baasjes' supper,
Evading the children's detaining hands, Outa sidled away, turning in the passage
doorway
to
paw
the
air
XI.
SAVED BY HIS
"
TAIL.
little
THE
"
Jan,
it
the
You
said
was
Aja,
my
baasje,
it
it's full
of jakkals draaie,
it's
and
"
that's
why
is
so long, but
near the
end now.
The
had finished with old Broer Babiaan, and the stars were going out. Only the Big Star,
that lasts the longest,
was
travelling quickly
by the
began
that
Stars'
Road
to
call
the
Dawn.
It
where
the shining
Old
it
Man
meant
was time
the animals to
fade
"
away
to their sleeping-places.
Oom Leeuw
looked
round
on
them.
102
'
Who
"
'
dam
'
to-night
he
asked.
I
'
will,'
said a
little
'
voice, quickly.
Peep
peep
'
And who
'
is
this
the
this
ground
"
asked
Com.
Let
us
find
brave one.'
in the sand,
and
there,
He
lid
big, baasjes, as
big as the
He
skinny neck and twinkled his little black eyes. "Vll look after the dam, Oom, and 7'11
catch the Water-Spoiler for you.'
"'Ha!
asked
"
'
ha! ha!
How
let
will
you do that?'
someone rub
stuff
will see
my
from the
Oom
what
happen.'
'
"
This
is
a wise
little
man,' said
Oom
hind
Hyena
left
103
the
rub the
sticky "
stuff.
That
night,
my
baasjes,
when Jakhals
went
to the
!
dam
to drink, to
he peeped about,
but no
there
was no one
Arre
'
Such
I
I'll
stand on
it
while
He
didn't
know
had a
strong skinny neck, and, on the end of the neck, a head with little bright eyes that could see everything that was going on. So he
down he came gave a jump, and woops on to the stone with his two front feet, and
!
stuff,
He
'
tried,
and
but
it
' !
was no
use.
"
'
Toever
'
!
he screamed,
toever
Let
me go
'"Peep! peep!'
be frightened.'
said a
little
voice, 'don't
"'Who
says
I'm
frightened,
you
old
io 4 toever
stone
asked
I
'
Jakhals.
Though
my my
"
can
still
kick with
hind
'
feet.'
fast,'
said the
little
"
kicked,
and
his
There was a funny sound under the water, It was water bubbling through a reed.
the
"
Water Tortoise
'
laughing.
'
!
Nier-r-r
'
nier-r-r
still
I've
got a
and
I'll
beat
"
'
Beat,
little
beat,
beat,
and
stick
fast,'
said
the
"
voice.
beat,
and
his
tail
stuck
"
*
Nier-r-r
still
it.'
I've
he said again, very angry got a mouth, and I'll bite you
!
with
"
'
and
little
bit
and
and
his
mouth stuck
fast.
There he
105
a bundle, sticking altogether fast to the black stone, and the more he tried to
in
fast.
Peep, peep
said the
Water
Tortoise,
poking up marched to
his
everyone could see the strange sight, and there he sat, all quiet and good, till the other
animals came.
"
'
Arre
Jakhals
sticking
the
They
be
"
held
killed,
and
Broer
Hyena
to
old
Brown
Sister's
husband
was
be the
killer.
They loosened
stuff,
Jakhal's
sticky
time.
His very sorry for himself. voice was thick with sorriness, and he could
He was
"'Thank
you,
Oom,' he
It's
said.
'I
know
better for
me
much.'
"
Oom Leeuw
io6
Chop my head
off,'
said Jakhals
'
;
throw
me in the fountain, but please, ach! please don't shave my tail and hit me on the big stone.'
"
Oom Leeuw
'
still
Beat
me
me
in the
dam,' said Jakhals, 'but don't, ach! please don't smear my tail with fat and hit me on
the big stone.'
"
Oom Leeuw
'
if
they were taking no notice of him. " Chop me in little pieces, beat
thorn
branches,'
said
'
me
with
Jakhals,
but please,
tail
ach
me by
the
and
hit
me
" his
fat,
on the big
last
'
"At
Oom Leeuw
it
turned round.
shall
be done.
Shave
it
tail,'
with
it
and
Let
be done.'
"
still
'
was done, and Jakhals stood very and sad while his tail was being shaved
it
So
107
But when Hyena swung him one, two, three, pht away he slipped
fast as
he could.
All
running to catch and he was running to live, so he went like the wind, and soon they were
left far
behind.
never stopped till he came to a mountain where a krantz hung over and made a
kind of cave, and
"
He
come
after
he crept.
Jakhals watched
Oom
crawling
"
in,
Oom, Oom,
it
the krantz
is
falling.
If
you
don't hold
I'll
up, you'll
be crushed to death.
run and get a pole to prop it up, but must please wait till I come back.'
Oom
"He
left
Oom
the krantz to
hold
up,
while
till
pht
he
how he had
cheated
XII.
THE FLYING
"
LION.
ONCE
upon
"
"
!
time,"
remarked
used to
all
Outa,
fly."
thoughtfully, "
Oom Leeuw
O-o-o-oh
their
together,
and
"
terror at the
picture called
Yes,
my
with feathers
Brother Bat,
all
very big, and very thick, and very strong, and when he wasn't flying they were folded
flat
When
to
he was angry
the
he
the
like
points
down
ground
to rise
from the
109
ground he spread them out and flapped them up and down slowly at first so, my baasjes
then faster and faster
so,
so,
so
till
he
made
away
Outa, flapping his crooked arms and puffing out his disproportionate chest, seemed about
to follow suit, but suddenly subsided again to his stool.
"
on
Ach, but
it
was a
terrible sight
Then,
he saw a
If
along till he was just over them, and pick out a nice fat one then he would stretch out his iron claws,
fly
fold his
fall
down he would wings and woops on the poor bokkie before it had time to
!
jump away. Yes, that was the way Leeuw hunted in the olden times.
"
of,
Oom
There was only one thing he was afraid and that was that the bones of the animals
he caught and ate would be broken to pieces. No one knew why, and everyone was too
frightened of
and
find out.
no
He
used to keep them all at his home in the krantzes, and he had crows to look after them,
two
at a time
dam,
come only
as a white
once
in
many
years.
As soon
crow baby was found it was taken to Oom Leeuw that was his order then he kept it
;
in the
let
it
grow big
Crows
to
watch
when
Oom Leeuw
Why
do you
sit
'
here
all
Crows
"
And
'
the
White Crows
bones
for
said
'
:
We sit here
Oom
'
Leeuw.'
Ach, but you must be tired of sitting !' said Brother Big Bullfrog, You fly away a
little
and
will sit
here
and look
in
The White Crows looked this way and that way, up and down and all round, but no!
they couldn't see
'
Oom
Leeuw, and
they
thought a fly.'
"
Now
is
So they
said
Cr-r-raw, cr-r-raw
and
stretched out their wings and flew away. " Brother Big Bullfrog called out after
them
you
"
'
'
:
Stay as long as
like.
will
Now
Now
shall
And
animals can live no longer.' he went from one end to the other of
Oom
"
krantz, breaking
Ach,
Crack
Wherever he went he
finished he
broke bones.
When
he
had nearly reached his dam in the veld, the White Crows overtook him. They had been
ii2
Craw, craw
'
they said,
Brother Big
?
Bullfrog,
why
are
you so wicked
Oom
our
Leeuw
will
and without
a head,
"
who can
'
live
But Brother Big Bullfrog pretended he didn't hear. He just hopped on as fast as
he could, and the White Crows went after
him.
"
'
It's
no good hopping
'
away,
Brother
will
Oom Leeuw
find
you wherever you are, and with one blow of his iron claws he will kill you.'
But old Brother Big Bullfrog didn't take any notice. He just hopped on, and when he came to his dam he sat back at the edge
of the water and blinked the beautiful eyes in
his
"
'
:
When Oom
man who
in
Leeuw comes
dam, and
here.'
if
him
Tell
am
him
the
I
live
this
he wants to see
me
he must come
113
The White Crows were very cross. They flew down quickly to peck Brother Big Bullfrog,
soft
but they only dug their beaks into the mud, because Brother Big Bullfrog
Kabloops
the
Oom Leeuw
was
far
away
in the veld,
At last he waiting for food, waiting for food. saw a herd of zebras the little striped horses
very fond of and he tried to fly up so that he could fall on one of them, but he
that he
is
couldn't.
He
he couldn't.
He
but they
"
were
quite
weak,
like
baasjes'
broken.
there must be
something wrong
toch too angry.
into
at his house,
and he was
He
the
ground
away
rolling
n4
till
hoor-rr-rr-rr
the earth
It
was a
noise.
all
fly,
But
he
couldn't
and
at last
he had
the
to get
walk home.
He
found
fright,
to
make my wings
so
weak
"
And
they said
'
:
While
all
Oom
'
was away
the bones.'
said
It
You were
your
fault
put
that
is
going to
bite
'
!
to punish
am
off.
Hoor-rr-rr-rr
sprang towards them, but now that they knew he couldn't fly they were not
afraid of him.
"He
They
flew
away and
sailed
round
over his head, just too high 'Ha! for him to reach, and they called out
in the air
:
115
ha
Oom
cannot catch us
The bones
Now
will fly
men and
away and
"
We
sprang into the air, first to one side and then to the other, striking at them, but he couldn't reach them, and when
he found
all
Oom Leeuw
his efforts
were
in vain,
he rolled
on the ground and roared louder than ever. " The White Crows flew round him in
rings,
and
called out
fly
!
'
:
Ha
ha
rolls
ha
he can
!
no longer
He
only
and roars
"
:
If The man who broke the bones said Oom Leeuw wants me he can come and look for me at the dam." Craw, craw,' and
flew.
Wait, I'll thought get hold of the one who broke the bones. I'll So he went to the dam, and get him.'
:
Oom Leeuw
'
there
was old
in
Oom Leeuw
Brother Bullfrog.
"
'
Ha now
!
he thought, and
n6
'
made a spring, but Brother Bullfrog said, Ho!' and dived in kabloops and came
up
at the other side of the
dam, and
sat there
Oom Leeuw
!
could,
when
in
kabloops
again
the
and
dam.
"
came up
other
side
of
And
so
it
went
on.
Each
time, just
had nearly caught him, Brother Bullfrog dived in kabloops and called out 'Ho!' from the other side of the
!
when
Oom Leeuw
dam.
"
Then
at last
Oom Leeuw
if
saw
it
was no
went home
bones.
to see
day he could no longer fly, only walk upon his iron claws. Also, from that day he learned to creep quietly like a skelm after his game,
But he could
and from
that
and though he
them, he
is
fly.
still
when
he could
117
the
They can
only say,
Craw, craw.'
But old Brother Big Bullfrog still goes hop-hop-hoppity-hop round about the dam,
says
loops
!
Ho
as
' !
Oom Leeuw
and
fast
he can,
sits
there
roar
Oom Leeuw
XIII.
A CROOKED NECK.
throwing strange shadows on the painted walls and gleaming on the polished wood of floor and beam and cupboard. Little
in the
warmth, almost
the
terrier
now
absently
stroking
his fingers
through the softer fur of the rug on which It was made of silver-jackal skins he lay.
a dozen of them, to judge from the six bushy
tails
and as Outa
reminiscently"
Arre
but
Oom
No
paying
119
bolt
Jan was
sitting
symptom
the
of sleep
banished
gain some idea of the physical features of Russia was while flung to the far end of the rustbank
;
Pietie,
suspending
for
a brief
moment
his
the whittling of a catapult stick, slid along floor to get within better sight and sound of the story-teller.
"
Yes,
my
little
masters, sometimes
it it
was
Oom Leeuw
was the poor
he cheated, sometimes
was
it
Oubaas Babiaan or
little
Oom
made me
self."
"
Did the
little
Dove
Dove
is
too frightened
not stupid, baasje, but like people are when they are too gentle and kind and believe
She was everything other people tell them. sitting on her nest one day singing to her
'
little
children,
when
120
Oom
Alia
wereld
Now
I'll
have a nice
out,
breakfast/
'
Good morning,
pretty
little
such
"
children.
to see.'
them down
and
'
for
me
I'm sorry,
I
Oom, they
to-day, "
'
and
at home.'
Then
out,
Jakhals lost his temper, and called Nonsense, I'm hungry and want some-
down one
of your
little
Baasjes know, sometimes crossness drives away frightenness and Tante was so cross
;
with
Oom
little
her
no,
Jakhals for wanting to eat one of children that she called out, No,
'
you bad Jakhals, I shall do nothing of Go away and look for other food.' the sort.
"
all,'
'
If
you
don't,
I'll
'
said
Jakhals.
once.'
And
121
thought he was really flying up. She looked at her babies there wasn't one she wanted
to give,
but
it
was better
eaten
;
to lose
one than
have them
all
and
fell
fluttered
out,
one of them
in his
mouth
and carried
"
Ach
She
spread her wings over her other children and never slept all night, but looked about this
way and
every
trying to
"
that
little
was
Oom Jakhals
all
fly
her babies.
The
Oom
Jak-
hals again.
juicy
mouthful.
haste,
all.'
Throw me down
do you hear
?
another.
I'll
And make
"
'
or
fly
up
Coo-oo,
no,
I
coo-oo,
coo-oo,'
said
Tante,
crying,
won't give you one.' But it was no use, and in the end she did what
just shut her eyes
till
and
out
a baby
fell
122
of the nest.
for
She thought there was no help and, like some people are, she thought
didn't see the heart wouldn't
cried
ever,
!
and
'
this
time
she said,
It
'
was very
Oo-oo, oo-oo,
oo-oo
"
Here came
old
Oom
Reijer.
He
is
kind old bird, though he holds his neck so crooked and looks like there was nothing to
smile at in the whole wide world.
"
It
Ach why do you cry so sadly, Tante nearly gives me a stitch in my side.'
'
!
"'Oo-oo!
I'm
very
miserable.
Oom
and
'
my
little
children,
and to-morrow he
soon
"
"
'
will
come
left.'
for another,
shall
have none
'
But why did you let him eat them ? Because he said if I didn't give him one
'
he would
up and eat them all. Oo-oo-oo "Then Oom Reijer was very angry. He flapped his wings, and stretched out his long
fly
!
neck
so,
my
baasjes, just so
"
(the children
123
hugged themselves in silent delight at Outa's " and he opened and shut his fine acting)
long beak to show how he would like to peck out Oom Jakhals's wicked eyes if he could
only catch him.
"
tell
'
'
!
he
said.
'
To
fly ?
such
But, Tante,
you are
stupid.
Oom
Jakhals
can't
When
he comes again,
him you know he can't fly, and that you won't give him any more of your children.' " The next day there came Oom Jakhals
again with his old story, but Tante just laughed at him.
"
'
'
!
she said,
little
my
fly
know you
can't.'
"'Nier-r-r,
'
nier-r-r
said
Oom
that
?
Jakhals,
'
growling,
"
'
Oom
'
' !
'
me, so there
just
said
Tante.
And you
can
go
to
your
mother
"
My
now
i2 4
that she
safe.
Oom
'
Jakhals
Never mind,' he said at last, Tante is I won't bother with her only a vrouwmens
;
any more. But wait till I catch Oom Reijer. He'll be sorry he poked his long nose into my business, the old meddler,' and he trotted
off to look for him.
"
He
last
he
found him standing on one leg at the side of the river, with his long neck drawn in and his
head resting on
"
'
'
his shoulders.
Good
is
day,
Oom
Reijer,'
'
he said
politely.
How
"
'
Oom
all
to-day
right,'
Reijer without moving an inch. shortly, " Jakhals spoke in a little small voice
I'm
answered
Oom
ach
this
toch so humble.
Oom,
I
please
come
way a
little
want
to ask
your
"Oom
It is
maar
125
when people hear about themselves. He put down his other leg, stretched out his
neck, and asked over his shoulder,
did you say, eh
'
'
What
mud
I
"'Come
over there
toch this
is
way
little;
the
me
to stand on.
want your valuable advice about the wind. The other people all say I must ask you,
because no one
"
is
as wise as you.'
!
He
knew how
Oom
Reijer's
feathers
came slowly over the mud a person mustn't show he is too pleased he
:
even stopped to swallow a little frog on the way, and then he said, carelesslike, Yes, I
'
you all about the wind and weather. Ask what you like, Jakhals.' His long neck
can
tell
"
Oom, when
the wind
Oom
his
Reijer.
'Just
to
And
he
turned
head
the
east.
126
"
is
'
you,
'
Oom.
And when
the wind
Oom
you,
Reijer
the
other way.
"
'
Thank
is
Oom/
said the
little
'
small
voice, so grateful
and humble.
But when
there
how
"
'
then
?
'
So
said
till
Oom
his
Reijer,
and he bent
his
his
neck down
toes.
"
My
little
masters, just
as quickly as a
whip-snake shoots into his hole, so Jakhals shot out his arm and caught Oom Reijer on
the bend of his neck
the poor old
bird
crack
and
in
a minute
was
rolling in the
mud
weak
at
his
beak
to
peck
how
till
laughed screamed
he
couldn't
waved
his
his
and danced with pleasure. bushy tail, and the silver mane on
He He He
127
Oom
!
thought to do
me
as
me.
Ha
to
ha
ha
No
one
will
is
wise as
find out
Oom
how
Reijer, eh
Then he
soon
mend
his
broken neck.
Ha!
ha! ha!'
"
last
poor
Oom
Reijer,
and danced
tell
den
in the
little
Reijer. "
And
is
it's
neck
from that day, baasjes, Oom Reijer's crooked he can't hold it straight
:
and
all
Jakhals.
slim kerel. or on
Whether he walks on
the best
is
four legs
two,
maar
to leave
him
alone because he can always make a plan, and no one ever gets the better of him
it
in the end."
XIV.
No
said
fire.
"
We
think
Doves
and cracking the good Heron's neck." " " he was always Yes," chimed in Pietie, playing wicked tricks, so no more Jakhals for
us.
What
"
will
you
tell
us to-night,
Outa?"
"
nice,"
suggested Willem,
Outa's beady black eyes twinkled from one to another of his little masters, while an
affectionate smile spread over his yellow face,
in
every direction.
"
Ach
the
soft
young
hearts
Outa's
129
was
his
like
shook
little
head
that "
if
once,
too,
but
"
-he
it
is
of no use to a
person
his
hard world."
He
deposited
shapeless hat
on the
floor,
tapped his
It
came from an
unexpected quarter, for suddenly there was a commotion at the end of his old coat, the
tails
of which
to the floor,
and,
"
diving into
pocket,
the
old
man
Kop
1
this
afternoon
a nice
berg schilpad.
it
Now
still
put
it
in
his
and
let
young, but it will grow --yes, so big." A cart-wheel might have been comfortably contained in the circle described by Outa's arms.
lay
eggs.
It
tortoise,
boys generally
found
in
tortoise.
30
honours were
equally in
Van Riebeeck,"and
was
decided that the casting vote should be left to Cousin Minnie, the children's governess.
For a long time they had kept tortoises of all sorts and sizes in their schilpad-kraal, and
so tame and intelligent had
some
"
of these
creatures
called,
come when
roamed
old
"
Woltemade
about at
and returning
days
companions
after a few
in the veld.
acquisition
on
its
back on the jackalskin rug, where it lay wriggling and going through the strangest
contortions.
it
"
Ach
the wise
little
man.
Is
mother sprinkled it with buchu, 1 He touched the there, just under its arm ?" skinny under-side of one of its forelegs.
there
its
1
An
aromatic veld herb, from which a decoction is made. arm is a Hottentot custom in
131
Here,
till
it
in
the soap-
boxie
been a red
have been
"
red tortoise
"
!
Jan,
"
while Willem
all
hurried
passage to hear
about
it.
And have
is
of a red tortoise
a red one
a thousand
the
years
and when
happens
is
news
is
such a
wonderful thing and the whole nation of those frogs with bony shields and Schilpads
hard
the
beaks
little
glad because they know red one has come to help them
are
long time ago a mother Schilpad laid an egg in a shallow hole in the
long,
"
Once a
warm
it
all
it,
little
sand over
See
baasjes, she
was
afraid
of thieves.
It
very proud
32
it,
of
how
it
was
getting on.
One
voice
'
Peep
Peep
find me.'
your mam-ma.'
My
Her
"
-Outa's arms
worked vigorously "and when she got to the karroo-bush where she had put the egg the shell was broken and a little Red Tortoise
was
sitting alongside of
shell
it
!
and you could see everything inside of him, and how the blood went this way and that way but never mind,
soft,
:
"His
was
it
is
maar so with
little
tortoises.
He
was
fine
Alle wereld
old
all
Mam-ma
see
the
told
her friends,
to
sides
Red
Tortoise.
There were
bero- toro
toises,
and vlakte
tortoises,
tortoises,
round and praised him and gave him good advice and nice things to eat.
sat
133
the
He
listened to everything
and ate
all
and grew bigger and redder and harder, but he didn't talk much, and the Old Ones nodded to each other and
things,
'
said,
Ach, but he
'
'
is
sensible
But the
Ach, but he is stuckand they went away and crawled in the up But it was red clay to make themselves red.
said,
'
!
Young Ones
no good.
"
In a
all
little
while
it all
rubbed
off.
At
last
the visitor
Schilpads
went
home
again.
But the
little
Red Tortoise
Mam-ma was toch so proud of him " When he walked in the veld and
young tortoises said to him, show you the way to do things
so,
' ;
the other
so,'
he
said,
so
you
like,
but
'
I'll
do things
'
And
Wait, Stuck-up Red Thing Giraffe will get you But they left Oubaas
they said
!
him alone, and although they were red, they did not crawl
all
wished they
in the clay
It
it
was no good.
any was
34
soon rubbed
off,
but
inside;
and baasjes know, for a thing to be any good it must be on the inside." He glanced involuntarily at
his
But when the Old Tortoises gave him advice, the little Red Tortoise listened and
thanked them.
He
to
was a wise
little
man.
He knew when
his tongue.
"At
toise
that time,
my
whole Tor-
nation
Oubaas
Giraffe
neck and the unequal legs, who and black like a burnt thornbush
sitting
is
all
white
with crows
on
it.
He
when he
burnt, therefore
"He
didn't
had taken
to eating tortoises.
to do.
know what
!
They
tried to
They make
a plan, but no
1
white
when burnt by
the sun.
135
Giraffe
that
it
he
could
easily
he
picked
pulled
its
up in his mouth, and from fright it head and all its feet into its shell,
!
and
goops
sail
it
had sailed
down
baasjes
"
down
skeer-kraal.
The
little
Red
plans that were made, and at last he thought of a plan. He was not sure how it would go, L o
by himself,
If
it
one,
more
little
Red Tortoise
but
if it
will
"So what
crawled out
did he do,
far
in
my
One
baasjes?
He
Soon he heard
and nearer.
little
coming nearer
Then the noise stopped. The Red One peeped from under his shell.
Yes, there was the great Blue One, standing over him and looking very fierce.
36
"
little
Red
Tortoise, in one
'
little
frightened,
was not
"'Do you know, little moment I could swallow you ? " Ach! how glad was the little Red
'
Tortoise
'
in
I
a small
little
voice,
Yes,
belong
to the nation
whom
Please swallow
me!'
"
Oubaas
Giraffe picked
little
gulp,
and the
little
Red
Tortoise
slipped half-way
oje
!
down
But
The
little
further.
Instead
down
to see
where he was
sharp
little
into
Oubaas
Giraffe's
gullet,
like a bat
on a
wall.
little
Tortoise!
"
'
Do you know,
little
Red
Tortoise, in
'
one moment
could
swallow you
137
could
full
speak
throat
was
so
of
"
'
'
Peep
'
peep
said the
little
Red One,
You
Blue
"
'
'
Peep
said the
his
!
Red One,
well.
He
'
thought,
No
many
red
of
my
I
nation
this
sloot.
won't
"
I
tell
you, baasjes,
Oubaas
;
Giraffe danced
and pranced over the veld he screamed and bellowed he gurgled and swallowed he
; ;
he
tried to get
little
him up
but
it
was no
to
use.
till
The
Red One
clunor fast o
him
in the
Then
killed
the
little
out,
to tell his
Mam-ma
that he
had
Oubaas
38
proud of him
"
'
It's
she said.
I
Come
here,
my
little
Crab, that
may
Come,
my
"
crooked-legged
When
they went and told their friends, and all the Tortoise nation rejoiced and went and had a great feast off Oubaas Giraffe as he
lay dead in the veld. "
And
little
Red
'
Even
the
Young Ones,
He
We
all,
will listen to
what
there
'
is
something
XV.
next day
all
to lessons
in
scouring the veld for a red tortoise. Disappointment at their fruitless search found
in
appeared
hour. "
the
he
said, regard-
ing
them with
his
wide-mouthed smile of
"
amused
tortoises
tolerance.
?
Does
it
they
will
can the baasjes think find at the first shot a thing that
"
?
And how
stoutly,
for one.
"it might
How
were
we
know ?
"
140
"
asked
it
little
"
Jan,
earnestly,
do
will
Aja,
baasjes,"
said
Outa
readily,
"it
won't be long now. Let Outa think." performed a tattoo on the red kopdoek
"
He
a
gymnastics.
What comes
"
?
just
before
thousand,
"
my
baasjes
Nine hundred and ninety-nine," answered Pietie, who was good at arithmetic.
"
"
triumphantly,
time.
It
is
nine
hundred and ninety-nine years since there was a red tortoise, so next year this time
baasjes can
begin,
begin
to
look
for
it
one.
will
Only
my
baasjes,
because
only be
p'r'aps
far,
And
It
mi^ht be o
far
don't
will
know about a
look for him.
"
Must Outa
The
another story about him ? sly old man had taken the best way
of escaping
more
questions.
The
little
boys
141
Ostriches.
"
After
Oubaas
Giraffe
life
toises
had a nice
the
mam-ma and
uncles,
pap-pa,
aunties,
and
and
wives,
and
and
Alia
!
children,
and
friends.
!
The whole
all
veld was
eating
full
began
find
tortoises
It
them.
was
the
same
like
when
the
Oubaas
tortoises
Giraffe used to
go about.
thought,
And
and
thought
and
they
make
The
little
thinking,
too,
Then he called all the Tortoises The Old Ones came because they together. wanted to hear what the wise little Red One had to say, and the Young Ones came beready.
142
together he said,
'
It
now goes on
by Old
his friends.
Let us change
"'Peep! peep!' cried all the young Tortoises But the Old they were quite ready.
:
Ones
'
said,
Is
is
this
it
the
wise
for
little
Red
hunt
One?
"
'
How
'
possible
us
to
Ostriches
It
is
run straight, but always a little in the round, and a little in the round, so that in the end
if
come again
to
Now
into
yes,
on a
day
let
us
then go
the veld
like to hunt,
and
let
us
the round
one
ring,
very large,
and the
one
Then come
we
on,
will call
and they
will
143
till
they can
no longer.'
'
said the young Tortoises, Peep peep and the Old Ones joined in. They saw that it was a good plan, so they all went to the
! !
"
'
hunting veld of Old Three Sticks and his friends and spread themselves out, as the
little
Red
"
Soon
walked.
still,
The
waiting,
my
two
rings.
Then
the
little
'
!
Peep
" "
' '
Tortoise gave the signal, 'Peep! and at once the calling began.
'
Red
am
all
here,'
said
the next,
circle,
and so
it
went on
the other.
round the
one calling
to
"'What
one.
"
Hunting Ostriches,' said the next, and so it went on all round the circle again, one
calling to the other.
H4
Ostriches could see nothing. They could only hear voices calling. looked They
at
"The
'
said,
What
are
these
to
voices?
surely a great
army come
hunt
"
Let us get away.' They were very frightened and began run, and as far as they ran they heard
us.
:
to
" "
'
"
"
'
'
doing
'
"
The
all in
And
the round,
at last they
were so
tired they
any more. First one fell, and then another, and another, and another, till
couldn't run
They
"Then
Sticks and
longo
many
his
Ui
4>
o
1>
_c
Sticks.
It is
they do
They catch a poor Tortoise in their claws and fly away with him, high up over a
kopje,
and then they drop him on the stones and there he lies with his shell kabloops
!
all
how can a
Tortoise live
And
Air comes and eats him up, and that is the end of the poor Tortoise. But a Red Tortoise
they never touch.
that frightens them.
It
is
So
the
Young
'
Tortoises
is
said,
There
born
some-
after
all,
in
being
a certain
"After the Ostrich hunt, the little Red Tortoise was sprinkled with buchu under
both arms, and his
Mam-ma
I
sang him
this
song
The
little
crook-legged one
Sprinkle
it
its
it,
146
red crab
The
little
Wise One
sprinkle the
For the Long-necks, they that ate It has found a way to kill them
;
So we sprinkle it, the little Red One, Sprinkle the buchu under both arms."
The
had
to
when Outa
" If
I
finished,
and
had
be a Tortoise,
be a red one."
"Why, my
"
little
master?"
Because the Crows and Lammervangers don't catch it. To be swallowed by an ostrich
or stick in a giraffe's throat would not be so
bad, but I'd hate to be broken on the stones."
"
Ach!
Friend
Death comes, we are never ready for him. When Outa was young he was nearly killed
by a troop of springbucks, and he thought,
'
to
death
to
be
carried
the
better.'
But when
river carried
life
Outa
was
just as hard as
It
when
the
and when
147
mad
bull
Always
Always
not quite
finds
man
find you,
interest.
"Ach!
to hear
him
sun,
I
my
baasje,
by the skeer-kraal
'
where
many, many years. When he comes I will say, Morning, Old Friend, you have been a long time on the road ach so long, that I am tired of waiting. Let us go
have
sat for so
!
at once.'
drop my old sheepskin kaross, and take Old Friend Death's hand and
trek, baasjes.
just
let
him show me the way. It is far, my baasjes, far to that land, and no one ever comes back
it.
from
Then someone
:
else will
tell
the
by the fire there will be no Outa any more to talk to the little masters." His voice had dropped to a musing tone.
stories
48
"
Don't
"
!
cried Pietie in a
choked
voice.
"Outa, you mustn't say such things," said Willem, and they each seized one of Outa's
crooked hands, while
Jan clung to his old coat as though he would never let it go. " " I want He mustn't my Outa," he cried.
little
go away.
want
my Outa
"
Karel
"
!
still
my little
first
another.
sad.
"
is
make them
will sit
He
tell
He
for
here
and
yet."
his
many
nights
caressing smile
face.
broke
over his
"
grotesque
to
And do
?
keep
their
Outa
Ach
!
The
kind
little
if
hearts
But what
will
the
Nooi say
in
No, Outa
sitting
friendly.
is
Look how
young
to
lively
:
like a
bull-calf
!'
He
pretended
playfully
toss
them.
"
That's right,
my
149
again.
bull-calves
in
hut
is
calling Outa.
Night,
my
baasjes, night,
will tell Sleep them another beautiful story. Ach, the dear little ones So good to their ugly Outa " Followed by a chorus of "good-nights"
night.
To-morrow Outa
man
shuffled away,
not knowing that he had spoken with prophetic voice, and that Friend Death would
find him,
even as he wished,
sitting in the o
But that was not yet awhile, and he told many stories before setting out on the Great
Trek
for
the
traveller returns.
Lift,
c>
t
;&
co. LTD*
ATHENAEUM.
exceedingly good."
"
charming collection
. . .
of stories
The
illustrations
OUTLOOK.
stories admirably related and of absorbing should be, but they are materially aided by Mr.
By JAMES STEPHENS.
EVENING A delicate fairy extravaganza, difficult to class with any other book. It has extraordinary flashes of beauty, any amount of whimsical humour, and ends in an ecstasy that has about it a touch of Borrow and a note from the very flute of Pan."
PUNCH.
"
STANDARD."
humorous,
satirical, idealistic,
By
B.
HUNT.
6d. net.
. . .
SPECTATOR. "Wholly delightful volume. These folk- tales are rich in the qualities of poetry, wit, and intelligence, and though the part which Miss Hunt has played is not that of a creator, her versions are marked by such unfailing charm, such happy and characteristic turns of phrase, that she deserves
to rank with those musicians like Francis Korbay, who have lent fresh lustre to folk tunes by the beauty and picturesqueness of their settings."
CO.,
LTD.