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242 45 Untombi-yaphansi 158 Zulu (South Africa)159 by lydia umkasethemba There was a certain king who had dug a large field. At the proper season, many men went to dig the garden. That king had only three children. The eldest was called Usilwane,160 the second Usilwanekazana,161 and the other Untombi-yaphansi.162 But Usilwane and Usilwanekazana loved each other. It happened at a certain time that Usilwane went to hunt. He returned, carrying in his hand a leopard. He said, “This is my dog. Give it milk, mix the milk with boiled corn and make porridge, and give it its food cold, so that it may eat. But it will die if you give it hot food.” They did as he directed them. At length, the leopard grew. It was a great dog, and the people were very much afraid because it was a leopard. They said, “It will devour the people. Usilwane will become a wizard. Why does he domesticate a leopard and call it his dog?” But Usilwanekazana, troubled because she heard the people say that a child of her family would become a wizard, said,“With what can I kill this leopard?” Then, one day, all the people went to harvest in the garden of the king. Usilwane had gone to visit the young women, and Usilwanekazana remained alone. That morning, she heated milk until it boiled and added to it some pounded corn. She gave this to the dog of Usilwane. It ate and ate, and, because the food was hot, when it had finished eating it died. Usilwane returned at noon and found his dog dead. He said, “Usilwanekazana, what has killed my dog?” She replied, “It ate food while it was still hot and died.” Usilwane said, “Why did you kill my dog? Long ago, I told you not to give it hot food, for it would die. You have killed my dog on purpose.” Usilwane took an assegai and said to Usilwanekazana, “Raise your arm, that I may stab you.” Usilwanekazana replied, “For what evil have I done?” He said, “You have killed my dog.” Usilwanekazana said, “I killed it because the people said you would practice witchcraft by it.” Usilwane said,“No, you killed it because you did not love it. Make haste; raise your arm so that I may stab you.” But Usilwanekazana laughed, thinking that Usilwane was merely jesting . But he angrily laid hold of her, raised her arm, and stabbed her below the armpit. Then Usilwane took a pot and put into it the blood of Usilwanekazana . He then wiped her carefully and washed her and laid her on her mat. He took a pillow and placed it under her head. He set her head in order, putting scents on it and placing a fillet on her brow. He put armlets on her arms and anklets on her legs; he anointed her with fat and covered her with a blanket. It was just as though she were asleep. He then went out and took one of his sheep and brought it home and killed it. He poured its blood into the vessel that contained that of Usilwanekazana and mixed it together. He skinned the sheep and cut out the lungs, the heart, and the liver and chopped them up with the entrails and the caul. He cooked it together. When it was done, he placed it at the lower side of the fireplace and washed himself and sat down. When the sun was declining, Untombi-yaphansi came. She entered her mother’s house and found Usilwane sitting and Usilwanekazana lying down. Usilwane said, “Take, there is food, Untombi-yaphansi. Eat.” Untombi-yaphansi said, “Why is Usilwanekazana sleeping?” He said, “I do not know. She is merely sleeping.” Untombi-yaphansi said, “Oh, where did this food come from?” Usilwane replied, “Do you not see that sheep?” Untombi-yaphansi said, “Why was it killed?” He said, “It was merely killed.” Then Usilwane went to his own house to wait there. Untombi-yaphansi took some food. When she was about to eat, a large fly came to her and made a great noise and said, “Boo! boo! give me, and I will tell you!” She drove it away with her hand. When she was again about to eat, the fly came immediately and said, “Boo! boo! give me, and I will tell you!” When it did this a third time, Untombi-yaphansi shouted, “Here, Usilwane! Here, Usilwane! There...

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