Page:George McCall Theal, Ethnography and condition of South Africa before A.D. 1505 (2nd ed, 1919).djvu/165

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

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

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

There came the lion, and said, “little tortoise, give me water.” When the little tortoise was about to say something, the lion got hold of it and beat it; the lion drank of the water, and since that time the animals drink water.

When the elephant came back from the hunting, he said, “little tortoise, is there water?” The tortoise answered, “the animals have drunk the water.” The elephant asked, “little tortoise, shall I chew you or swallow you down?” The little tortoise said, “swallow me, if you please,” and the elephant swallowed it whole.

After the elephant had swallowed the little tortoise, and it had entered his body, it tore off his liver, heart, and kidneys. The elephant said, “little tortoise, you kill me.”

So the elephant died; but the little tortoise came out of his dead body, and went wherever it liked.

The lion, it is said, used once to fly, and at that time nothing could live before him. As he was unwilling that the bones of what he caught should be broken into pieces, he made a pair of white crows watch the bones, leaving them behind at the kraal while he went a-hunting. But one day the great frog came there, broke the bones in pieces, and said, “why can men and animals live no longer?” And he added these words, “when he comes, tell him that I live at yonder pool; if he wishes to see me he must come there.”

The lion, lying in wait (for game), wanted to fly up, but found he could not fly. Then he got angry, thinking that at the kraal something was wrong, and returned home. When he arrived, he asked, “what have you done that I cannot fly?” Then they answered and said, “some one came here,