Page:Swahili tales.djvu/277

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SULTAN MAJNÚN.
257

And the lad sang there louder and louder,

"O mother, I have killed
The Nunda, eater of people." (Five times.)

And his mother answered him,

"My son, this is not he,
The Nunda, eater of people." (Twice.)

And he left the great dog.

And she said, "O, this is not it, the nunda is larger; leave it, my son, and stay at home." And he said, "Mother, it is not a thing to be obtained that I should stay at home." And he set out and went away into the forest.

And he went further than the first day, with the slaves who carried food for him. And he went and found a civet cat, and killed it, and bound it, and dragged it, and came with it, till when he had ended half the way he sang,

"O mother, I have killed
The Nunda, eater of people." (Six times.)

"My son, this is not he,
The Nunda, eater of people." (Three times.)

And he threw it away.

And she said, "My son, will you not leave it and stay at home? You will be sorely troubled; see, in these two days you are sunburnt." And he said, "Mother, I cannot help going to avenge my brothers." And she said, "Go."

And he went into the forest further than two days before. And he went and saw a larger kind of civet cat, and he killed it, and bound it, and dragged it. And