Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/342

 60

TABULATION OF FOLKTALES.

she got it. Child answered, " I plucked it in people's shambas " (a shamba is a garden or plantation, however large), and it was taken from her for the other girl. Father returned, found child crying ; she would not tell him why. Step-mother came, said, " she had been stealing somebody's tangos, BO she (step-mother) returned it to owners ;" compared her with her own daughter, who was platting strips for mats, and said that husband should pay if owners came about their things. — (4) Father then tied daughter to a pole, saying she must stay there till she died. Child asked her father why. He said mother had told him she had stolen tangos, which had been returned to owner. Child replied she feared to tell her father about it. He said he would not repeat to his wife. Child told father hoAV thin she was; that step-mother gave her burnt rice; how she found the tangos at her mother's grave, telling step-mother she came with it from people's gardens, but the woman would gather them all. Man untied daughter, asked forgiveness ; said to-morrow he would buy her a female slave, and she should live in her mother's house. — (5) Next day man bought slave, and sent her to his child's home, telling her to take care of daughter. Wife jealous when she heard he had bought this woman, and said she would go to sheikh for divorce. Husband returned home, found wife across doorway ; she said he should not come there. Then a man came, saying, "Fundi" (master workman), *' a man wants to marry your daughter." Father agreed, as it might stay wife's jealousy for slave. Man who had come on errand went to house of would-be bridegroom and told him to make his plans, father-in-law being ready. Bridegroom said his plan was to give him clothes and dowry (for the bride), turban for her father, and presents for mother. The man took the gifts, and went to the house of the bride's father, who was at neighbour's playing tiabu (a game played with pieces of stick), and who, after seeing presents, showed them to his wife, bidding her call his daughter; and the girl was glad to please her father.— (G) Next day bridegroom went with his party to father's house, and the mualim (writer of marriage contract) came to marry the pair. Bridegroom and his father-in-law lived many years without quarrelling, till father-in-law died, and then man's wife died. — (7) After wife's death, man lived dissipated life and became a beggar ; went to dust-heap (every African village has one outside it), got grains mtama (millet). One day found no grain, but eighth of pillar dollar. Next morning returned to dust-heap, and on great road saw a muhadim (a sort of sultan representing ancient kings of the country), with cage of baazi twigs, in which were gazelles, and three men who joked with muhadim at idea of beggar buying. Man bought gazelle for eighth of dollar, and from dust-heap found grains of mtama, eating some and giving others to gazelle. They slept that night at man's house. Next day man found more grains, which were again divided.— (8) About five days passed: one night gazelle spoke. Man was astonished, when gazelle told him Almighty God made him speak ; that he saw he was an expense to njan, and asked leave to go and feed until evening, re-