Page:George McCall Theal, Ethnography and condition of South Africa before A.D. 1505 (2nd ed, 1919).djvu/164

140 told her that he could not fly up. The jackal said, I shall catch him.

So when the heron came to the bank of the water, the jackal asked him: “brother heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him, and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” The jackal asked him again, “when a storm comes, and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him, “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.” Then the jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.

Since that day the heron's neck is bent.

Two things, the elephant and the rain, had a dispute. The elephant said, “if you say that you nourish me, in what way is it that you do so?” The rain answered, “if you say that I do not nourish you, when I go away will you not die?” And the rain then departed.

The elephant said, “vulture! cast lots to make rain for me.” The vulture said, “I will not cast lots.”

Then the elephant said to the crow, “cast lots,” who answered, “give the things with which I may cast lots.” The crow cast lots, and rain fell. It rained at the lagoons, but they dried up, and only one lagoon remained.

The elephant went a-hunting. There was, however, the tortoise, to whom the elephant said, “tortoise, remain at the water.” Thus the tortoise was left behind when the elephant went a-hunting.

There came the giraffe, and said to the tortoise, “give me water.” The tortoise answered, “the water belongs to the elephant.”

There came the zebra, who said to the tortoise, “give me water.” The tortoise answered, “the water belongs to the elephant.”

There came the gemsbok, who said to the tortoise, “give me water.” The tortoise answered, “the water belongs to the elephant.”

There came the wildebeest, and said, “give me water.” The tortoise said, “the water belongs to the elephant.”