Page:George McCall Theal, Ethnography and condition of South Africa before A.D. 1505 (2nd ed, 1919).djvu/163

Rh rope they tied to a shrub. When the lion awoke and saw that he was tied up, he became angry and called the animals together. When they had assembled, he said (using this form of conjuration)—

“What child of his mother and father's love,

Whose mother and father's love has tied me?”

Then answered the animal to whom the question was first put:

“I, child of my mother and father's love,

I, mother and father's love, I have not done it.”

All answered the same; but when he asked the little fox the little fox said:

“I, child of my mother and father's love,

I, mother and father's love, have tied thee.”

Then the lion tore the rope made of sinews, and ran after the little fox. But the jackal said:

“My boy, thou son of the lean Mrs. Fox, thou wilt never be caught.”

Truly the lion was thus beaten in running by the little fox.

The jackal, it is said, came once to the dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “give me one of your little children.” The dove answered, “I shall not do anything of the kind.” The jackal said, “give it to me at once, otherwise I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.

He came back another day, and demanded another little child, and she gave it to him. After the jackal had gone, the heron came, and asked, “dove, why do you cry?” The dove answered him, “the jackal has taken away my little children; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “in what manner can he take them?” She answered him, “when he asked me I refused him; but when he said, I shall at once fly up, therefore give it to me, I threw it down to him.” The heron said, “are you such a fool as to give your children to the jackal, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.

The jackal came again, and said, “dove, give me a little child.” The dove refused, and told him that the heron had