Page:Swahili tales.djvu/39

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SULTAN DARAI.
19

children to eat twice over? I have given them their shares already. I have not taught them bad habits. When young children have had their food given them, and they have eaten once, that is enough; let us wait till the evening meal." And he said, "Very well, my wife, I thought they had not eaten yet, and that is why I said call them; if they have eaten, that will do."

And he went out and went away to his work. And the woman cooked the evening meal, and when the food was ready, before her husband came home, she gave the children to eat, and she gave her daughter good rice, and she gave the other what was dry and scorched. The girl ate it and drank water, and went out to play outside.

Then in the evening her husband returned, and came to the house, and called, "My wife;" and she said, "Yes, master." And he said, "Is the food done?" She said, "It is done, master." "Dish up." "Directly, master." And she went and dished up and came and laid out the things, and gave her husband water for washing. And he said, "Wife!" She said, "Yes, master." "Call the children, that they may come and eat their food." "Ah! master, is not what I told you in the morning enough for you?" He said, "What did you tell me, mistress?" "Did not I tell you that girls don't eat twice; you will teach them bad habits." He said, "I had not heard, my wife, that the girls had eaten already; then, shall I eat by myself, my wife? You wash, and let us eat together." And she said, "I am coming." And the woman took the cocoa-nut scrapings (chicha) and rubbed her hands. Her husband said, "What are you so long about, wife? I am waiting for you that we may eat." "My hands are grimy, and I am rubbing them with chicha to get them clean; do you go on eating, I will come. Don't put any mchuzi (gravy) on my side, I will eat it with the kitoweo (meat, &c.)." The woman came and they sat down