When she arrived at her father’s place, her sister asked for where she had got that beautiful robe. She told her, and her sister said: “I am going to that village too.”
The girl said: “Just listen, and I will tell you the custom of that village.”
But her sister said in reply: “I do not want you to tell me anything, because you yourself were not warned before you went.”
Then she set off at once, and went on till she arrived in the evening at the village of Long Snake. When she sat down the mother of Long Snake gave her millet, telling her to grind it and make bread. When it was ready she took it into the house of Long Snake. Then in the evening the owner of the place [[157]]arrived, and the girl gave him bread and fermented milk. When they had finished eating they went to sleep, and early in the morning Long Snake went away.
Then the girl went to the house of Long Snake’s parents. His mother clothed that girl also in the same manner as she had dressed the elder one. Then she borrowed an axe and went to cut fuel. In doing so she made an excuse to run away.
On this day, however, the man went after his wives, and arrived at his father-in-law’s place as the sun was setting.
They went out of the house that the bridegroom might sleep in it. While he was eating, the people of the village piled up bundles of grass, and the bridegroom was burned in the house. In this manner he died. [[158]]
THE STORY OF KENKEBE.
There was once a great famine in a certain country, and the people were obliged to eat wild plants to keep themselves alive. Their principal food during this time was nongwes (Hypoxis, p. 385, “Harvey’s Gen. S. A. Plants”), which they dug out of the ground.