Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/450

 392 Bavili Notes.

stomach had willed the leopard to come to the town, or someone in that very town, perhaps, was ready to use the leopard as a means of destroying his neighbour's life. And someone also with evil thoughts was causing the speaker's mother to keep on suffering.

The Bavili fully believe that certain Bantu a Ndongo have this power over leopards and crocodiles, and that others who have not the power themselves, knowing their brother Ndongo, ask him the favour of the loan of the wer-beast. The M until a Ndongo or wizard, as you perhaps would call him, does not in this case change himself into the leopard or the crocodile, for he may be talking to you in one place while the beast is doing his will in another. Neither need he die first, so that what some people like to call his " soul " may enter and possess the animal.

The man who has Ndongo in his stomach will search out an Nganga, or doctor, who has the medicine Xikunibu

her finger.) ' Manwela Ngoma ! Manwela Ngoma ! Anjea unkruntu u kela ku ngandu.' (Manwela Ngoma! j^ou are head man of the village.) ' Mani Ngombo ! Anjea uzabici ma awso.' (Mani Ngombo (the name of his suffering mother), you know all about it. ) ' Bene Bawso ! Nu keba mbizi Xikumbu una untambala befi inu manga 'ntu ntese.' (All of you ! Beware that when the leopard comes you don't receive him, as we shall divine who he may be. ) ' Beno ! Mundela naka kunxitula lau ! ' (All of you ! The white man is sleeping in town, and if I make a noise he will think me a fool.)

"There was a pause and a great silence; then Manweia Ngoma from his corner of the village replied :

'"Minu unkruntu, anjea veka Mani Puati, anjea veka bakaci libamba liaku, anjea veka ubakamba, minu Bawso i bakambila baci kumpe, nsamu au ba veka.' (I am the head man, you yourself are Mani Puati, [Mani = Prince] you own us all, you have called upon me, I called upon all, they do not hear, it is their palaver.)

"Then came another pause; after which up spoke the sick mother, Mani Ngombo.

" ' Bobo ntubila xibene xiaku tata, ntuba minu muntu yaka kalilanga enxenzo mu litu.' (The father has just now told the truth, I tell you that I keep on suffering pain in my body.)"