THERE WAS ONCE a man who had three sons, none of whom had a wife. One day the father went out to see if he could find a suitable girl for his eldest son, and he found a beautiful girl at a village nearby. That night, when he returned home, he called his eldest so and said, “I have found a beautiful girl for you, and tomorrow I want you to take cattle to her father.”

Early next morning the son went out with five of the cattle and presented them to the girl’s father. On his arrival the girl took his sticks and the young boys took the cattle to the kraal. The girl’s father then said, “Have you come to take my daughter?” To this the man replied that he had. The girl’s fasther then called his daughter and said, “Here is your husband, you must go with him to his home today.”

The girl replied that she was ready, and she and the man departed together for his home. On the road home the girl began to sing:

“I am a beautiful girl but I have no teeth.”

Her husband became alarmed and said, “Open your mouth that I may see if what you say is true.” To his surprise he found that what she said was true and that she had only a black ridge where her teeth should had been.

The husband then said, “I was not told of this, and I must return you to your father.” They returned to the girl’s home and there the husband demanded the return of his cattle as his wife had no teeth. The cattle were returned and the disappointed man went home. On his arrival his father asked, “Where is the girl, my son?”

The son replied, “I could not bring her home because she had no teeth.”

The second son, on hearing this, asked his father, “May I not go myself to see if the girl has no teeth, because I too was a wife?” The father agreed, and the next day the second son set off with the five head of cattle. Presenting them to the girl’s father, he said, “I have come for your daughter. I have come early so that I need not sleep here tonight but may return home with your daughter this evening.”

The man informed his daughter of the wishes of the young suitor and the girl replied, “Very well, but I must first give my husband some food.” After the meal the girl suggested that they depart at once, and they proceeded along the road. When she and the second son reached the same place on the road as before the girl began to sing:

“I am a beautiful girl but I have no teeth.”

On hearing this the young man asked her to open her mouth that he might see for himself. To his surprise he found that what she said was true and he immediately returned to her father.” “Here is your daughter,” he said, “she has no teeth and i want my cattle returned.” The girl’s father sadly agreed, and the second son returned to his home.

On his return his father said, “Where is the girl?”

The son replied, “I thought my brother was lying, but it is true. She has no teeth and I returned her to her father.”

The younger son now rose and asked his father if he might go and see for himself, and the father agreed.

The eldest brother asked in disgust, “Do you think that we are mad and stupid because we left the girl?”

“No, no,” answered the youngest brother, “but I should like to see a girl who has no teeth.”

The next day the youngest brother took the cattle and went to the girl’s kraal, where he presented the cattle and asked for the girl. The old man, seeing such a young man, siad, “You are very young to want a wife and, besides, both your brothers tried but returned my daughter. However, you may take her if you so wish.” Calling his daughter, he told her she must return with this new man to his home. The girl agreed and, after first giving her new husband some food, they proceeded down the road.

At the same place as before the girl again sang:

“I am beautiful but I have no teeth.”

“Opne your mouth,” said the young man anxiously. On seeing the black ridge within her mouth he showed some surprise, but only said, “Never mind, let us go on our way.” Arriving at a river the girl began to sing the same song, but the young man said nothing. When in the middle of the stream, he called to the girl to come near to him and, clasping her rightly by the neck with one hand, he told her to open her mouth; with the other hand he scrubbed the girl’s mouth with sand.

To his joy he found that beneath the coating of black shone a set of beautiful teeth, and, filled with happiness, he brought his wife to his father’s kraal. The other two brothers on seeing the girl, rushed to their father saying, “Come father, come and see your mad son, he has brought this girl home, although she is even now singing her song about her teeth.”

The father came, but said nothing, and the youngest brother called one of his sisters and told her to take his newly acquired wife to his mother’s hut. The girls of the village who had heard about this strange girl gathered about her and began to make jokes, so that when the newcomer laughed they might see if the story about her teeth were true. To their surprise they found that the girl had very good teeth.

Meanwhile the youngest son told his father that he had brought the girl home as his wife. The father was disappointed. “Yes, my son,” he said, “that’s all very well, but you have lost all my cattle. What can we do with this girl?” I hear she has no teeth and therefore cannot eat.” The son did not reply, for at the moment his sister came in and told her father that the newcomer had teeth, for she had seen them. The father said, “Are you sure?” Being convinced that it was so, he went to his son and said, “Very well, my son, we shall see your wife tomorrow.”

The next day the father entered the hut where the girl was and said, “I want you to open your mouth. I will give you a sheep for this favor.” The girl did as she was bid and the man saw for himself that she had teeth. The woman in whose hut the girl rested then trilled with her lips, and all three went out to the main yard, where the father called the elder sons and said, “What stupid boys you are! Look, this girl has fine teeth, and it has fallen to your youngest brother to find this out and to take her to wife.”

The two eldest brothers became very ashamed and would not look at the girl. A few days later large pots of beer were made and all the friends and neighbors came to pay their respects to the new arrival. All spoke if her beauty and her excellent teeth, but the two brothers never saw for themselves, their shame being too great.

The story is finished.

[ BAVENDA ]