Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/168

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Folklore of the Banyanja.

Man, "I have found a place where there is plenty of game. Lie in the road, open your mouth and shut your eyes and I will throw it in." The Man lay down in the road, opened his mouth and shut his eyes and the Hare threw the stones down his throat and killed him.


Kanjinjete.

Once there was a Picanin; his mother was dying and she spoke to him and said, "When I am dead, go to my brother's home in such a place and he will take care of you."

When she was dead he went to find his uncle's home and took another boy with him. When they came to the river the other boy said, "I will carry you." When he had carried him he said, "Let me try your clothes on." So the Picanin said the other boy might try on his clothes for a little time; but he must give them back. He kept them on until they got to the uncle's home. Everyone believed that he was the child of the sister who had died, and they were very kind to him; but they made the Picanin sleep in the goat's house and by day he had to drive away the birds from the crops.

Every day he used to sing:

Kanjinjete, Kanjinjete! cha! mbaram!
Kanjinjete, Kanjinjete! my mother told me when she was dying,
Kanjinjete, Kanjinjete go to the mountain,
Kanjinjete, Kanjinjete there is my brother!
Kanjinjete, Kanjinjete his name is Maiwaz.
Kanjinjete, Kanjinjete cha! mbaram! Kanjinjete!"

(This is a very sad and languid little melody.)

Then one big crow used to come near and sing:

"Di, di! my child is weary,
Di, di! because of this work!"