The little girl went away and found her Father sewing thongs with thorns; so she said, “Father, how is it that you sew with thorns? Why do not you say, [[123]]‘My first-born, give me your needle?’ Do I refuse?” So her Father said, “My first-born, give me your needle.” She gave it to him and went away for a while. Her Father commenced sewing, but the needle broke; when, therefore, the child came back and said, “Father, give me my needle,” he answered, “The needle is broken;” but she complained about it, saying, “Father, how is it that you break my needle, which I got from Mother, who ate my eïngi, which I had plucked from our tree?” Her Father then gave her an axe.
Going farther on she met the lads who were in charge of the cattle. They were busy taking out honey, and in order to get at it they were obliged to cut down the trees with stones. She addressed them: “Our sons, how is it that you use stones in order to get at the honey? Why do not you say, ‘Our first-born, give us the axe?’ Do I refuse, or what do I?” They said, “Our first-born, give us the axe.” So she gave it them, and went away for some time. The axe broke entirely. When she came back she asked, “Where is the axe? Please give it me.” They answered, “The axe is broken.” She then said, “How is it that you break my axe, which I had received from Father who had broken my needle, which I got from Mother who had eaten my eïngi, which I [[124]]had plucked from our tree?” But they gave her some honey (to comfort her).
She went her way again, and met a little old woman, eating insects, to whom she said, “Little old woman, how is it that you eat insects? Why don’t you say, ‘My first-born, give me honey?’ Do I refuse or not?” Then the little old woman asked, “My first-born, give me honey.” She gave it her and went away; but presently returning, said, “Little old woman, let me have my honey!” Now the old woman had managed to eat it all during her absence, so she answered, “Oh! I have eaten the honey!” So the child complained, saying, “How is it that you eat my honey, which I received from the lads of our cattle, from our children who had broken my axe, which had been given me by Father who had broken my needle, which was a present from my Mother who had eaten up my eïngi, that I had plucked from our tree?”
The little old woman gave her food, and she went away. This time she came to the pheasants, who scratched the ground; and she said, “Pheasants! how is it that you scratch the ground? Why do not you say, ‘First-born, give us food?’ Do I refuse, or what do I?” They said, “First-born, give.” So she gave to them, and went away. When she came [[125]]back and demanded her food again, they said, “We have eaten the food.” She asked, “How is it that you eat my food, which I had received from a little old woman who had eaten up my honey, that I had got from the lads of our cattle who had broken my axe, which had been given me by my Father who had broken my needle, which was a present from my Mother who had eaten my eïngi, which I had plucked from our tree?” The pheasants, flying up, pulled out each one a feather and threw them down to the little girl.
She then, walking along, met the children who watched the sheep. They were plucking out hairs from the sheep-skins. So she asked them, “How is it that you pull at these skins? Why do not you say, ‘First-born, give us the feathers?’ Do I refuse, or what do I?” They said, “First-born, give us the feathers.” She gave them and went away, but all the feathers broke. When she returned and said, “Give me my feathers,” they answered, “The feathers are broken.” Then she complained, “Do you break my feathers which I received from the pheasants who had eaten my food, which had been given me by a little old woman?” They gave her some milk.
She went again on her way, and found their own [[126]]handsome dog gnawing bones. She said, “Our dog, how is it that you gnaw these bones?” The dog answered, “Give me milk.” She gave it him, and he drank it all. Then she said to the dog, “Give me back my milk.” He said, “I drank it.” She then repeated the same words which she had spoken so often before; but the dog ran away, and when she pursued him, he scampered up a tree. She climbed up after him, but the dog jumped down again on the other side. She wanted to do the same, but could not. Then she said, “Our dog, please help me down.” He answered, “Why did you pursue me?” and ran away leaving her up the tree.
“That is enough,” say the Damara. [[127]]
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