27. HOW A NAMA WOMAN OUTWITTED THE ELEPHANTS.
(The original, in the Hottentot language, is in Sir G. Grey’s Library, G. Krönlein’s Manuscript, pp. 1, 3.)
An Elephant, it is said, was married to a Nama Hottentot woman, whose two brothers came to her secretly, because they were afraid of her husband. Then she went out as if to fetch wood, and putting them within the wood, she laid them on the stage.[1] Then she said, “Since I married into this kraal, has a wether been slaughtered also for me?” And her blind mother-in-law [[94]]answered, “Umph! things are said by the wife of my eldest son, which she never said before.”
Thereupon the Elephant, who had been in the field, arrived, and smelling something, rubbed against the house. “Ha,” said his wife, “what I should not have done formerly, I do now. On what day did you slaughter a wether for me?” Then the mother-in-law said to him: “As she says things which she did not say (before), do it now.”
In this manner a wether was slaughtered (for her), which she roasted whole, and then, in the same night (after supper), asked her mother-in-law the following questions:—“How do you breathe when you sleep the sleep of life? (light sleep, half-conscious.) And how when you sleep the sleep of death?” (deep sleep.)
Then the mother-in-law said, “Umph, an evening full of conversation! When we sleep the sleep of death, we breathe thus: ‘sũi sũi!’ and when we sleep the sleep of life we breathe thus: ‘Χou ǃáwaba! Χou ǃáwaba!’ ”[2]
Thus the wife made everything right whilst they fell asleep. Then she listened to their snoring, and [[95]]when they slept thus, sũi sũi, she rose and said to her two brothers, “The sleep of death is over them, let us make ready.” They rose and went out, and she broke up the hut[3] (to carry away all that she could), and took the necessary things, and said, “That thing which makes any noise wills my death.” So they kept altogether quiet.
When her two brothers had packed up, she went with them between the cattle, but she left at home one cow, one ewe, and one goat, and directed them, saying to the cow, “You must not low as if you were by yourself alone, if you do not wish for my death;” and she taught the ewe and the goat the same.
Then they departed with all the other cattle, and those who were left behind lowed during the night as if they were many, and as they lowed as if they were still all there, the Elephant thought, “They are all there.” But when he rose in the morning, he saw that his wife and all the cattle were gone. Taking his stick into his hands, he said to his mother, “If I fall the earth will tremble.” With these words he followed them. When they saw him approaching, they ran fast to the side, against a piece of rock (at a [[96]]narrow spot), and she said, “We are people, behind whom a large (travelling) party comes. Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself for us.” Then the rock divided itself, and when they had passed through it, it closed again (behind them).
Then came the Elephant, and said to the rock, “Stone of my ancestors! divide thyself also for me.” The rock divided itself again, but when he had entered, it closed upon him. Thus died the Elephant, and the earth trembled. The mother at her hut said then, “As my eldest son said, it has happened. The earth shakes.” [[97]]