Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/403

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Collectanea.
361

place (over there), she, the Hyæna. The Scorpion also returned to hers. Then she said,—"Scorpion, Scorpion." She (Scorpion) said,—"Um." She (Hyæna) said,—"Are you asleep?" She (Scorpion) said,—"Oh no, I have not been asleep." She (Hyæna) said,—"I am going home." She (Scorpion) said,—"Be patient. To-morrow morning we shall go and kill (the ram) and give alms, and we shall give you your (portion)." She (Hyæna) said,—"I shall not stop. I am going off" (on my business). She (Hyæna) went off. She was feeling the pain. She started running, and crying out "Oo, Oo." She was crying. She was hot (with pain).


16. The Ungrateful Hyæna. (B. G.)

This is about a certain Filani. He had a son. The name of the son (was) Dan Makubibi.[1] He went to look after his cattle. His cattle (numbered) 100. When night came, he was singing, and said,—"I, Dan Makubibi, I tend (the herd) at night." Then he (they) met with a Hyæna.[2] The Hyæna said,—"Dan Makubibi, will you not give me one bull that I may appease my hunger?" So he said,—"Oh no, I will not give you (one) from these. They are not fat." He said,—"But to-morrow, when evening comes, I will come and tie (one) up for you here, at the mouth of the well." He said he would tie up a bull for her. The well was in the middle of the road, the road to the market. Then he brought gourds, of the kind of which the inside is scraped out to make calabashes.[3] Then he came and placed them around the mouth of the well. When the Hyæna came she saw the gourds very white, (so) she thought (said) (they were) cattle. So she came with a run, and fell into the well. Now this was the road to the market. The Oribi came on her way (she was going) to the market. The Oribi came and looked into the well. She wanted to drink. But she saw the Hyæna's eyes. Then she said,—"Oh dear!" She said,—"The water is too much for me to-day." Then the Hyæna said,—"Come now, Oribi, do me a good turn." The

  1. Makubibi means "an injured one," or something of that kind.
  2. The use of the plural form of the pronoun where we should use the singular is common, and vice versâ.
  3. Lit. "a gourd (but pl. intended), the kind which is scraped out its inside is made a calabash with it."