Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/286

262 "Tell me, my father" replied Tebogo, "who is this man you have chosen for me? Only tell me his name."

"No, my child, that I cannot do," answered Khosi. Behold then her horror when she was brought forth to meet her bridegroom, to find, not a man, but a snake. All the people cried "shame" upon the parents who could be so cruel as to wed their child to a snake.

With cries and tears Tebogo implored her father to spare her; it did not matter. She was told to take her snake husband to the new hut which had been built for them near the large water where the cattle drank. Trembling she obeyed, followed by her maidens, the snake crawling by her side. When she entered the hut she tried to shut out the snake, but it pushed half its body through the door and so frightened her that she ran to the other end of the hut. The snake followed and began beating her with its tail till she ran away to the trees which grew by the water (pool). An old doctor was sitting there, and to him she told her trouble.

"My daughter," he said, "return to your hut. Do not let the snake see you. Close the door very softly and set fire to the hut. When it is all burnt you will find the ashes of the snake in a heap in the centre of the hut. Bring them here and throw them into the water."

Tebogo did as the old doctor told her. While the hut was burning people ran from the two villages to see; but Tebogo called to them to keep away for she was burning the snake. When all was destroyed, she took the ashes of the snake, put them into a pitcher, and ran and threw them into the pool. No sooner had she done so than from out of the water came, not a snake, but her lover Tsiu. With a glad cry she flung herself into his arms and a great shout came from all the people.

As the lightning darts across the heaven so the news of Tsiu's return spread from hut to hut. The story of how he had been made a snake and banished to the pool until