Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/515

 The Bantu Element in Swahili Folklore. 451

a mvinja (casurina) tree into a figure like a human being, with fingers, ears, nose, eyes, mouth, and chin. And he called a mwallim to read (the Koran) over it, and it was turned into a person. And he called a weaver, and he wove a cloth for it, and he took it away to his house. It was a very beautiful woman, — there was no other like her. And her owner Makame hid her in the bush, and many people passed by and saw her, and carried ofif that woman. And when Makame returned with his loads of logs, he looked for his wife in that place, and she was not there. And Makame cried, and came home to his village and stayed there in his house. And the woman, in the place to which she was taken, did not speak with her mouth, — she stayed just like a dumb person. And they said to her, — " How is it, you woman, that you do not speak ? " And she said nothing. Many people came, and reasoned with her, and tried to persuade her, but she still kept silence. She did not speak, neither did she laugh or show herself pleased. And Makame sought for his wife, whom he had cut out of a tree, and the woman sought for some one who could find out her husband and give him back to her ; and Makame went to the place where his wife was, and when he saw her he recognized her, and said, — "This is my wife." And he said to those people, — " He who does not know the meaning is not told the meaning, for I want this woman who does not speak. Perhaps she has been stolen and is grieving for her husband, and that is why she does not speak. I want that we should draw up an agreement to the following effect, — If she does not speak, my head shall be forfeit to you ; if she speaks, she is my own wife." And they drew up a contract, and each person kept his own (copy). And Makame went and sat down on a seat, and the woman was sitting in a place apart. And where Makame sat, there was a bird which is called asiraji. And Makame said to this bird, — " My father called a carpenter (and told him) to hew a tree into the likeness of a child of Adam, to make it in every way like a human being. And there came a mtuallim and read over it and put an amulet {hirizi) on it, and it was turned into a person who can talk and laugh. And there came a weaver and wove cloth for it. Now, you, asiraji, (tell me) which of these three men is the owner of the woman.?" And the asiraji was silent, — how should he