Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/452

 394 Bavili Notes.

boy's family had not eaten the flesh ^ of the Bilala man, Xikawmo reasoned that it was impossible that the Bilala man should have sent the leopard to " chop " his son. And here this palaver rests for the time being.

2. The wife of Xikaia was in her house sleeping with another woman, when a leopard burst open the door, passed over the other woman, and carrying Xikaia's wife away, ate her up, leaving only her head. Xikaia called in the Zinganga, and they divined that Maxienzi was the owner of that leopard. So Xikaia went to Maxienzi's town and destroyed his house and plantations, and then went to Maloango to complain about Maxienzi. Maloango arrested Maxienzi, and advised him to take Nkasa at once. Maxienzi said, " Let us first hold a palaver."

In the palaver it was proved that Maxienzi had asked the acknowledged owner of the leopard to lend it to him. Maxienzi protested, and declared that in this case he was innocent. Maloango then said that no one would believe him under the circumstances, and that the decision was in the hands of God, not his. Let him take ?ikasa. Maxienzi went to Mambuku's town and demanded to be given the nkasa. It was given to him, and he vomited, thus proving that he was innocent.

Xikaia and his people, however, said that Maxienzi used his knowledge as a munUi a ndongo to avoid the proper and just effects of the tikasa. Xikaia and his other wife and family then left their town and went to live in Mayomba, or bush-country.

3. A poor old man and his little grandchildren went into the woods to cut the fronds of the bamboo palm ijitombe), from the leaves of which he meant to make thatch to cover his house. Having finished their work, they picked up their bundles and were about to start

1 Eaten his fleshy i.e. done him an injury, perhaps by sending a leopard to kill someone of his familv.