Another day the father of Hlakanyana killed an ox. The head was put in a pot to be cooked. Then Hlakanyana considered in his mind how he could get that meat. So he drove all the cattle of the village into a forest, a very thick forest, and tied them by their tails to the trees. After that he cut his arms, and legs, and breast, with a sharp stone, and stood on a hill, and cried out with a loud voice: “The enemy has taken our cattle; the cattle are being driven away. Come up, come up; there is an army going away with the cattle.”
The men ran quickly to him.
He said to them: “Why are you eating meat while the enemy is going away with the cattle? [[96]]I was fighting with them; just look at my body.”
They saw he was covered with blood, and they believed it was as he said. So the men took their assagais and ran after the cattle, but they took the wrong way. Only one old man and Hlakanyana were left behind.
Then Hlakanyana said to the old man: “I am very tired with fighting; just go to the river, grandfather, and get some water.”
The old man went; and as soon as he was alone, Hlakanyana ate the meat which was in the pot. When the old man returned with the water he was very tired, for the river was far for an old man to go to, therefore he fell asleep. When he was sleeping, Hlakanyana took a bone and put it beside the old man. He also took some fat and put it on the mouth of the old man. Then he ran to the forest and loosened the cattle that were tied by the tails.
At this time the men were returning from seeking the enemy. Hlakanyana was coming also from the other side with the cattle.
He shouted: “I have conquered the enemy.” He also said: “The meat must be eaten now.”
When they opened the pot they found no [[97]]meat. They found only dung, for Hlakanyana had filled the pot with dung.
Then the men said: “Who has done this?”