Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/445

 Bavili Notes. 387

" Every Ngaiiga that comes here says the same thing. What am I to do ? How can I get the better of him ? "

He once more cooks his master's chop, and then goes to him and says :

"Senhor?"

" What ? "

" I am a iidongo."

" No ! " says his master.

" Yes, I am."

" Why, how do you know ? " asks the master.

" Yes, I am a tidojigo, but am ashamed, and take off my clothes only behind the sJmnbec (hut)."

" Never mind," says the master ; " I am one, too, and perhaps after all you are one, for it is to-day that we are going to kill the prince of the country, and it is to-day that you tell me you are a ndongo. We will go together, but go to sleep and wait until the evening."

Xidiela sleeps, wakes early in the evening, and goes to his master and wakes him.

"You are no ndongo" says Xidiela, "or you would not sleep like this."

" Nay," says his master, " it is not time yet, you may sleep a little longer."

Xidiela goes to sleep again. Then they wake up and start for the meeting-place of the Bantu a ndongo. Xidiela goes ahead to show that he is not afraid. They come to a place where a great number of clothes and bracelets and leg-rings lie strewn about.

The master tells Xidiela to take off his clothes.

" No," says Xidiela, " when I do that people in town will dream that I am a ndongo ; but when they see that I am dressed they will say, ' No, he cannot be a ndongo because he was dressed.' "

" Very well, then," says his master as he takes off his own clothes, " go as you are, but take care of the others."