Page:George McCall Theal, Ethnography and condition of South Africa before A.D. 1505 (2nd ed, 1919).djvu/153

Rh When the lion at last came up with the woman, they hunted each other round a shrub. She wore many beads and armrings, and the lion said, “let me put them on.” So she lent them to him, but he afterwards refused to restore them to her. Then they hunted each other again round the shrub, till the lion fell down, and the woman jumped upon him and kept him there. The lion said:

“My aunt! it is morning, and time to rise; Pray rise from me!”

She then rose from him, and they hunted again after each other round the shrub, till the woman fell down, and the lion jumped upon her. She then addressed him:

“My uncle! it is morning, and time to rise; Pray rise from me!”

He rose, and they hunted each other again, till the lion fell a second time. When she jumped upon him, he said:

“My aunt! it is morning, and time to rise; Pray rise from me!”

They rose again and hunted after each other. The woman at last fell down. But this time, when she repeated the above conjuration, the lion said:

He kha! Is it morning, and time to rise?

He then ate her, taking care, however, to leave her skin whole, which he put on, together with her dress and ornaments, so that he looked quite like a woman, and then went home to her kraal.

When this counterfeit woman arrived, her little sister, crying, said, “my sister, pour some milk out for me.” She answered, “I shall not pour you out any.” Then the child addressed the mother: “Mama, do pour out some for me.” The mother of the kraal said, “go to your sister, and let her give it to you.” The little child said again to her sister, “please pour out for me!” She, however, repeated her refusal, saying, “I will not do it.” Then the mother of the kraal said to the little one, “I refused to let her (the elder sister) seek herbs in the field, and I do not know what may have happened; go therefore to the hare, and ask him to pour out for you.”