7. CLOUD-EATING. (The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey's Library, G. Krönlein's Manuscript, pp. 30, 31.) THE HYENA. Thou who makest thy escape from the tumult! Thou wide, roomy tree! Thou who gettest thy share (though with trouble!) Thou cow who art strained at the hocks! * Thou who hast a plump round knee! Thou the nape of whose neck is clothed with hair! Thou eater of the Namaqua, Thou big-toothed one! THE Jackal and the Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. The Jackal ascended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat. When he wanted to come down, he said to the Hyena, "My sister, as I am going to divide with "When the Hyena first starts, it appears to be lame on the hind legs, or gone in the loins, as one would say of a horse."-L. LAYARD. thee, catch me well." So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud. When she was satisfied, she said, "My greyish brother, now catch me well." The greyish rogue said to his friend, "My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down." He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, the Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), "My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! oh me! A thorn has pricked me, and sticks in me." Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt. Since that day, it is said, that the Hyena's left hind foot is shorter and smaller than the right one. 8. FISH-STEALING. (From Sir James E. Alexander's "Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa," vol. ii. pp. 246, 247.) THE HYENA. (Addressing her young ones, on her return from a marauding expedition, with regard to the perils she had encountered). ONCE upon a time a Jackal, who lived on the borders of the colony, saw a waggon returning from the seaside laden with fish. He tried to get into the waggon from behind, but he could not; he then ran on before, and lay in the road as if dead. The waggon came up to him, and the leader cried to the driver, "Here is a fine kaross for your wife!" "Throw it into the waggon," said the driver, and the Jackal was thrown in. The waggon travelled on through a moonlight night, and all the while the Jackal was throwing the fish out into the road; he then jumped out himself, and secured a great prize. But a stupid old Hyena coming by, ate more than her share, for which the Jackal owed her a grudge; so he said to her, "You can get plenty of fish, too, if you lie in the way of a waggon as I did, and keep quite still whatever happens." "So!" mumbled the Hyena. Accordingly, when the next waggon came from the sea, the Hyena stretched herself out in the road. "What ugly thing is this ?" cried the leader, and kicked the Hyena. He then took a stick and thrashed her within an inch of her life. The Hyena, according to the directions of the Jackal, lay quiet as long as she could; she then got up and hobbled off to tell her misfortune to the Jackal, who pretended to comfort her. "What a pity," said the Hyena, "that I have not such a handsome skin as you!" C 9. WHICH WAS THE THIEF? (From Sir James E. Alexander's "Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa," vol. ii. p. 250.) A JACKAL and a Hyena went and hired themselves to a man to be his servants. In the middle of the night the Jackal rose and smeared the Hyena's tail with some fat, and then ate all the rest of it which was in the house. In the morning the man missed his fat, and he immediately accused the Jackal of having eaten it. "Look at the Hyena's tail," said the rogue, "and will see who is the thief." The man did so, and then thrashed the Hyena till she was nearly dead. you |