Page:George McCall Theal, Ethnography and condition of South Africa before A.D. 1505 (2nd ed, 1919).djvu/93

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The Bushmen.
69

“The Son of the Wind.

“The wind (the narrator explains the Son of the Wind is here meant) was formerly still. And he rolled (a ball) to ǃná-ka-ti. He exclaimed, ‘Oh ǃná-ka-ti there it goes.’ And ǃná-ka-ti exclaimed, ‘Oh comrade! there it goes!’ because ǃná-ka-ti did not know his (the other one's) name. Therefore ǃná-ka-ti said, ‘Oh comrade! there it goes!’ He who was the wind, he was the one who said, ‘Oh! ǃná-ka-ti! there it goes.’

“Therefore ǃná-ka-ti went to question his mother about the other one's name. He exclaimed, ‘Oh! our mother! utter for me yonder comrade's name; for comrade utters my name; I do not utter comrade's name. I would also utter comrade's name when I am rolling (a ball) to him. For I do not utter comrade's name; I would also utter his name when I roll a ball to him.’ Therefore his mother exclaimed, ‘I will not utter to thee comrade's name. For thou shalt wait, that father may first strongly shelter the hut; and then I will utter for thee comrade's name. And thou shalt, when I have uttered for thee comrade's name, thou must, when I am the one who has uttered for thee comrade's name, thou must scamper away, thou must run home, that thou mayest come into the hut, whilst thou feelest that the wind would blow thee away.’

“Therefore the child went away; they (the two children) went to roll (the ball) there. Therefore he (ǃná-ka-ti) again went to his mother, he again went to question his mother about the other one's name. And his mother exclaimed, ‘ǀérriten-ǃkuan-ǃkuan it is; ǃgau-ǃgaubu-ti it is. He is ǀérriten-ǃkuan-ǃkuan; he is ǃgau-ǃgaubu-ti, he is ǀérriten-ǃkuan-ǃkuan.’

“Therefore ǃná-ka-ti went away. He went to roll (the ball) there, while he did not utter the other one's name, because he felt that his mother was the one who had thus spoken to him. She said, ‘Thou must not, at first, utter comrade's name. Thou must, at first, be silent, even if comrade be the one who is uttering thy name. Therefore thou shalt, when thou hast uttered comrade's name, thou must run home, whilst thou feelest that the wind would blow thee away.’

“Therefore ǃná-ka-ti went away. They went to roll (the ball) there, while the other was the one who uttered his (ǃná-ka-ti's) name; while he felt that he (ǃná-ka-ti) intended that his father