Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/172

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Folklore of the Banyanja.

strange matters on the road." The brother said, "All right, I will be quiet." By and bye they came to a garden and a frog was labouring in it. The Picanin laughed, and said to the frog, "What is this? Never have I seen this before!" The frog was very angry and wanted to kill him; but his brother said, "Do not kill him; he does not understand; he has never been here before." And he sang a song:

"Leave him alone, leave him alone!
There at his home I told him
When you find a stranger
Do not laugh
If he works in the garden.
Leave him alone, leave him."

So the frog left him alone. The Man said to the Picanin "Did I not tell you not to laugh? There are many strange matters on the road." The Picanin said, "All right, I'll be quiet." By and bye they came to a place where a cow was building a hut of poles and mud (wattle and daub). The boy laughed when he saw the cow and said to it, "What is this? Never have I seen this before!" The cow was very angry and wanted to kill him; but his brother said, "Do not kill him; he does not understand; he has never been here before." And he sang again:

"Leave him alone, leave him alone!
There at his home I told him
When you find a stranger
Do not laugh
If he builds a hut.
Leave him alone, leave him."

So the cow left him alone. The Man said, "Did I not tell you not to laugh?" The Picanin said, "All right, I won't."

Next day they met a sheep who was planting a garden. The boy laughed and said to the sheep, "What is this? Never have I seen this before!" The sheep was very angry