Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/182

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Halamba came to a town and made many little drums. He put them all into his knee as into a box. Then he came to the man's house and said, "I am ill; let me remain here!" So he remained. When all the men were out working he used to call the children and take the little drums out of his knee and let them play and dance. The men heard the noise; but when they came to see what it was they were always too late. One day a man hid and saw all. He ran and called the others. They said to Halamba, "What do you do this for?" He said, "Nothing." They killed him and flung him on the veldt. One day a man went to the water and saw him in it. He told the others. They all looked in the water and found him. They caught him and killed him and flung him away. Now he was back in the hut again. They burnt him on the fire like a log; they put him in a hut and set it alight; still they could not kill him. One day he wanted to build a hut for himself. He took men and set them in a great circle like poles; he bound them together and plastered them and thatched the roof. Thus he made his house. Then he went away. A man came and saw the house. He said, "Where are all the men of this village?" Voices answered him, but he could not see. He went in and spoke again. The men answered him from within the walls. He broke away the plaster and found the men, and set them free. They never saw Halamba again.

Once two Jackals put off their skins and pretended to be men. They went to a kraal and said, "Who will come with us?" Two girls said, " We will"; and the Jackals said, "Very well." The little brother of one of the brides said, "Let me come too!" but the sister said, "No, we go alone."