wo brothers one day set out from their father's hut, to seek their fortune. The name of the elder one was Maszilo, the younger one was called Mazziloniane. After a few days' journeying they reached a plain, from which branched two roads; the one led eastwards, the other westwards. The first road was covered with the footmarks of cattle, the other with the footmarks of dogs. Maszilo followed the latter road, his brother went in the opposite direction.
After some days travelling Mazziloniane passed a hill which formerly had been inhabited, and felt not a little astonished at beholding a great quantity of earthen vessels, all of which were placed upside down. In the hope of finding some treasure concealed under them, he removed several, until he came to one of immense size. Mazziloniane, gathering all his strength, gave it a violent push, but the vessel remained immoveable. The young traveller now doubled his exertions, but in vain. Twice he was obliged to fasten the girdle round his loins, which through his exertions had burst; the vessel seemed as if rooted to the ground. But all at once, as if by magic, it was upset by a slight touch, and revealed to the youthful and trembling Mazziloniane, a hideous and deformed giant.
"Why dost thou disturb me?" demanded the monster, in a voice of thunder.
Mazziloniane, having recovered from his first fright, observed with horror that one of the legs of the giant was as thick as the stem of a large tree, whilst the other was of an ordinary size.
"As a well-merited punishment for thy temerity in disturbing me, thou shalt henceforth carry me about;" and so saying the monster jumped on the shoulders of the unfortunate youth, who, unable to support such a weight, fell prostrate on the ground. Recovering himself with difficulty, he endeavoured to advance a few steps, and again he fell to the earth, his strength now wholly failing him. But the sight of an eland, which was swiftly passing by, presented to his mind the means of delivery.
"Dear father," said he, with trembling voice, to the abortion, "release me for a moment; the reason why I cannot carry you is that I have nothing wherewith to fasten you to my back; give me a few moments to kill the eland which has just passed by, and out of its hide I will cut some thongs for that purpose."
His demand was granted, and with the dogs that had accompanied him he disappeared from the plain. After he had run a considerable distance he took refuge in a cavern. But the thick-legged monster, tired of waiting, soon followed, and wherever he discovered a footmark of the youth, he in a mocking voice cried out:—
"The pretty little footmark of my dear child, the pretty little footmark of Mazziloniane."