31. THE ORIGIN OF DEATH.

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

E Moon, it is said, sent once an Insect to Men, ing, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, 'As I die, I dying live, so ye shall also die, and dying live.'" Insect started with the message, but whilst on way was overtaken by the Hare, who asked: On what errand art thou bound ?" The Insect swered: "I am sent by the Moon to Men, to 1 them that as she dies, and dying lives, they o shall die, and dying live." The Hare said, As thou art an awkward runner, let me go" (to ke the message). With these words he ran off, d when he reached Men, he said, "I am sent by e Moon to tell you, 'As I die, and dying perish, in e same manner ye shall also die and come wholly an end."" Then the Hare returned to the Moon, ad told her what he had said to Men. The Moon proached 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 him on the nose. Since that day the Hare's nose is

slit.

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME

FABLE.

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

The Hare went to the

E Moon dies, and rises to life again. The Moon to the Hare, "Go thou to Men, and tell them, ke as I die and rise to life again, so you also shall and rise to life again.' n, and said, "Like as I die and do not rise to life in, so you shall also die, and not rise to life again.' en he returned, the Moon asked him, "What st thou said ?" "I have told them, 'Like as I die I do not rise to life again, so you shall also die and t rise to life again.” ” "What," said the Moon, hast thou said that ?" And she took a stick and at the Hare on his mouth, which was slit by the ow. The Hare fled, and is still fleeing.'

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

72

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.

A FOURTH VERSION OF THE SAME

FABLE.

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

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

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