not obtain what he aimed at, for the cross-piece went into the earth and brought up a hedgehog, and dipped into the water and brought out a crocodile. Then Ravàtovòlovoày said again, "Did I not tell you that this is not the old man, but some one else?" And again he sought to kill him; but the old man spake as before, and so Ravàtovòlovoày again refrained.
On the day following after that again, the chiefs orders came saying, "To day we will try the tempers of the oxen,[1] therefore make ropes to catch the stubborn ones." And when they began the game very many of the stronger oxen could not be caught. Then said the old man (Ibonia), "Just give me a rope." So they gave him one, and he caught the strong oxen and held them; and the people wondered when they saw it. And when the chief saw it, he said again, "This cannot be the old man, but some one else." But the people replied, "But who else can it be?" Then the old man answered again as he had done before, viz. that he was no one else, but was merely showing his strength. So the players dispersed.
And upon the following night, Ravàtovòlovoày went to his other wife; and upon that the old man (Ibonia) went to the house where Rampélasòamànanòro was, and said, "Let me lie here by the side of your feet." But she replied, "Why, what a wretch you must be, old man, to say such a thing to me, and speak of lying at my side." But when the people were fast asleep, Ibonia took off the skin of the old man with which he had covered himself, and there was a blaze of light in the house because of the shining of the skin of Ibonia. Then his wife knew him, and said, "Is it you who have come?" "Yes," said he, "I have come to fetch you." So he bade the people go out of the house. And when they had gone out he bolted and barred the doors, and sat down to wait for the morning, that he might show some marvellous things to the people of the village. Then said Rampéla to Ibonia, "How shall we get free from here?" He replied, "Don't be afraid, for we shall get out all right; but take heed what I say: do not speak to me or beckon to me, for if you do
- ↑ The literal translation of the original here is, "Let us catch the ticks [of the oxen]," an operation which could only be performed with very gentle animals. Games with oxen were formerly favourite amusements of the Hova, and are still so with other Malagasy tribes. Bull-fighting was a favourite pastime of the chiefs, and wrestling with oxen, and bringing them down by sheer strength is also practised at funerals among the Bétsiléo, and is also as common among the Sihanaka, and probably with other tribes as well.
