The woman said: “What is this? there was never a child that could speak before it was born.”
The voice said again: “Bear me, mother, as all my father’s cattle are being finished, and I have not yet eaten anything of them.” Then the woman gave birth to that child.
When she saw that to which she had given birth, she was very much astonished. It was a boy, but in size very little, and with a face that looked like that of an old person.
He said to his mother: “Mother, give me a skin robe.” His mother gave him a robe. Then he went at once to the kraal where the ox was being killed.
He asked for some meat, saying: “Father, father, give me a piece of meat.”
The chief was astonished to hear this child calling him father. He said: “Oh, men, what [[91]]thing is this that calls me father?” So he continued with the skinning of the ox. But Hlakanyana continued also in asking meat from him. The chief became very angry, and pushed him, and said: “Get away from this place.”
Hlakanyana answered: “I am your child, give me meat.”
The chief took a little stick, and said: “If you trouble me again, I will strike you with this.”
Hlakanyana replied: “Give me meat first, and I will go away;” but the chief would not answer, because he was very angry.
Hlakanyana continued asking. Then the chief threw him outside the kraal, and went on with his work. After a little time, the child returned, still asking.