It is said that there was once a great town in a certain place which had many people living in it. They lived only upon grain. One year there was a great famine.

Now in that town there was a poor man, by the name Mbenque, and his wife. One day they went in their garden, and they continued digging the whole day long. In the evening, when the digging gangs returned home, they returned also. Then there came a bird which stood upon the house which was beside the garden, and it began to whistle and said:

“Mbenque’s cultivated ground, mix together.”

The ground did as the bird said. After that was done, the bird went away.

In the morning , when Mbenque and his wife went to the garden, they were in doubt, and said, “Is this really the place we were digging yesterday?”

They saw that it was the place by the people who were working on each side of them. The people began to laugh at them, and mocked them, and said, “It is because you are very lazy.”

They continued to dig again that day, and in the evening they went home with the others.

Then the bird came and did the same thing.

When they went back next morning, they found their ground altogether un-dug. Then they believed that they were bewitched by some of the others.

They continued digging that day again. But in the evening when the digging gangs returned, Mbenque said to his wife, “Go home, I will stay behind to watch and find the thing which undoes our work.”

Then he went and laid himself down by the head of the garden, under the same house on which the bird always perched. While he was thinking, the bird came. It was a very beautiful bird. He was looking at it and admiring it, when it began to speak.

It said, “Mbenque cultivated ground, mix together.”

Then he caught it, and said, “Ah! it is you who eats the work of our hands!”

He took out his knife from the sheath and was going to cut off the head of the bird.

Then the bird said, “Please don’t kill me andI will make some milk for you to drink.”

Mbenque answered, “You must bring back the work of my hands first.”

The bird said, “Mbenque’s cultivated ground, appear,” and it appeared.

Then Mbenque said, “Make the milk now,” and behold, it immediately made thick milk, which Mbenque began to drink. When he was satisfied, he took the bird home. As he approached his house, he put the bird in his bag.

After he entered his house, he said to his wife, “Wash all the largest beer pots which are in the house.”

But his wife was angry on account of her humger and she answered, “What have you to put in such large pots?”

Mbenque said to her, “Just listen to me, and do as I command you, then you will see.”

When she was ready with the pots, Mbenque took his bird out of his bag, and said, “Make milk for my children to drink.”

They commenced to drink, and when they were finished, Mbenque charged his children, saying, “Beware that you do not tell anybody of this, not even one of your companions.”

They swore to him that they would not tell anybody.

Mbenque and his family then lived upon this bird. The people were surprised when they saw him and his family. They said, “Why are the people at Mbenque’s house so fat? He is poor, but now since his garden has appeared he and his children are so fat!”

They tried to watch and to see what he was eating, but they never could find out at all.

One morning Mbenque and his wife went to work in their garden. About the middle of the same day the children of that town met together to play. They met just before Mbenque’s house. While they were playing the others said to Mbenque’s children, “Why are you so fat while we remain so thin?”

They answered, “Are wet hen fat?” We thought we were thin just as you are.”

They would not tell them the cause. The others continued to press them, and said, “We won’t tell anybody.”

Then the children of Mbenque said, “There is a bird in our father’s house which makes milk.”

The others said, “Please show us the bird.”

They went in to the house and took it out of the secret place where their father had placed it. They ordered it as their father did, to make milk, and it made milk, which their companions drank, for they were very hungry.

After drinking they said, “Let it dance for us,” and they loosened it from the place where it was tied.

The bird began to dance in the house, but one said, “This place is too confined,” so they took it outside the house. While they were enjoying themselves and laughing, the bird flew away, leaving them in great dismay.

Mbenque’s children said, “Our father will this day kill us, therefore we must go after the bird.”

So they followed it and continued going after it the whole day long, for when they were at a distance it would sit still for a long while and, when they aproached, it would fly away.

When the digging gangs returned from digging, the people of the town cried for their children, for they did not know what had become of them. But when Mbenque went into the house and could not find his bird, he knew where the children were, but he did not tell any of the other parents. He was very sorry about the bird, for he knew that he had lost his food.

When evening set in, the children wanted to return to their homes, but there came a storm of rain with heavy thunder, and they were very much afraid among them was a brave boy, named Sombwa, who encouraged them and said, “Do not be afraid. I can command a house to build itself.”

They said, “please command it.”

He said, “House appear!” and it appeared, and also wood for a fire. Then the children entered the house and made a large fire, and began to roast some wild roots which they dug out of the ground.

While they were roasting the roots and were merry, there came a big cannibal, and they heard his voice saying, “Sombwa, give me some of the wild roots you have.”

They were afraid, and the brave boy said to the girls and to the other boys, “Give me some of yours.”

They gave some to him, and he threw the roots outside. While the cannibal was still eating, they went out and fled. He finished eating the roots, and then pursued them. When he approached, the children scattered more roots upon the ground, and while the cannibal was picking them up and eating, they again fled.

At length they came among mountains, where trees were growing. The girls were already very tired, so they all climbed up into a tall tree. The cannibal came there and tried to cut the tree down with his long sharp fingernail.

Then the brave boy said to the girls, “while I am singing you must continue saying, “Tree be strong, Tree be strong!”

He sang this song:

“It is foolish,

It is foolish to be a traveller,

And to go on a journey

With the blood of girls upon one!

While we were roasting wild roots

A great darkness fell upon us.

It was not darkness,

I was awful gloom!”

While he was singing, there came a great bird which hovered over them, and said, “Hold fast to me.”

The children held fast to he bird and it flew away with them, and took them to their own town.

Was midnight when it arrived there, and it sat down at the gate of Sombwa’s mother’s house.

In the morning, when that woman came out of her house, she took ashes and cast them upon the bird, for she said, “This bird knows where our children are.”

At midday the bird sent word to the chief, saying, “Command all your people to spread mats in all the paths.”

The chief commanded them to do so. Then the bird brought all the children out, and the people were greatly delighted.

[ XOSA ]