31. THE ORIGIN OF DEATH.

(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey's Library, G. Krönlein's Manuscript, pp. 33, 34.)

THE Moon, it is said, sent once an Insect to Men, saying, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, 'As I die, and dying live, so ye shall also die, and dying live."" The Insect started with the message, but whilst on his way was overtaken by the Hare, who asked: "On what errand art thou bound ?" The Insect answered: "I am sent by the Moon to Men, to tell them that as she dies, and dying lives, they also shall die, and dying live." The Hare said, "As thou art an awkward runner, let me go" (to take the message). With these words he ran off, and when he reached Men, he said, "I am sent by the Moon to tell you, 'As I die, and dying perish, in the same manner ye shall also die and come wholly to an end.' Then the Hare returned to the Moon,

and told her what he had said to Men. The Moon

reproached him angrily, saying, "Darest thou tell

the people a thing which I have not said ?" With

these words she took up a piece of wood, and struck Since that day the Hare's nose is

him on the nose.

slit.

32. ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME

FABLE.

(From H. C. Knudsen's "Gross-Namaqualand," 12mo., Barmen, 1848, pp. 27, 28.)

THE Moon dies, and rises to life again. The Moon said to the Hare, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, 'Like as I die and rise to life again, so you also shall

die and rise to life again.' The Hare went to the Men, and said, "Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall also die, and not rise to life again.' When he returned, the Moon asked him, "What hast thou said ?" "I have told them, 'Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall also die and not rise to life again.' "What," said the Moon, "hast thou said that ?" And she took a stick and beat the Hare on his mouth, which was slit by the blow. The Hare fled, and is still fleeing."

*"We are now angry with the Hare," say the old Namaqua, "because he brought such a bad message, and therefore we dislike to eat his flesh."-KNUDSEN.

33. A THIRD VERSION OF THE SAME

FABLE.

(From an original Manuscript in English, by Mr. John Priestley, in Sir G. Grey's Library.)

THE Moon, on one occasion, sent the Hare to the earth to inform Men that as she (the Moon) died away and rose again, so mankind should die and rise again. Instead, however, of delivering this message as given, the Hare, either out of forgetfulness or malice, told mankind that as the Moon rose and died away, so Man should die and rise no more. The Hare, having returned to the Moon, was questioned as to the message delivered, and the Moon, having heard the true state of the case, became so enraged with him that she took up a hatchet to split his head; falling short, however, of that, the hatchet fell upon the upper lip of the Hare, and cut it severely. Hence it is that we see the "Hare-lip." The Hare, being duly incensed at having received such treatment, raised his claws, and scratched the Moon's face; and the dark parts which we now see on the surface of the Moon are the scars which she received on that occasion.

34. A FOURTH VERSION OF THE SAME

FABLE.

(From Sir James E. Alexander's "Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa," vol. i. p. 169.)

"Run,

THE Moon, they say, wished to send a message to Men, and the Hare said that he would take it. then," said the Moon, "and tell Men that as I die and am renewed, so shall they also be renewed." But the Hare deceived Men, and said, "As I die and perish, so shall you also."*

* Old Namaquas will not therefore touch Hare's flesh; but the young men may partake of it; that is, before the ceremony of making them men is performed, which merely consists in slaughtering and eating an ox or a couple of sheep.-ALEXANDER.