BANTU NEGROES 705 



selecting one for Warumbe, and he finally returned and said : " Warumbe, 1 cannot 

 spare you one just yet ; but later on, perhaps, I may be able to do so." 



" When you had three you said the same thing. Now you have many, and still 

 refuse to give me one. Mark you, I shall now kill them all. Not to-day, not to- 

 morrow, not this year, not next year; but one by one I shall claim them all." 



Next day one child died, and Kintu charged Warumbe with the deed. Next day 

 again another died, and next day again another ; and at last Kintu proposed to 

 return to Mugulu and tell him how Warumbe was killing all his children. 



Kintu accordingly went to Mugulu and explained matters. Mugulu replied that he 

 had expected it. His original plan was that Kintu and Warumbe should not have 

 met. He told him that Warumbe was a madman, and that trouble would come of it ; 

 yet Kintu returned for the millet against the orders of Mugulu, and this was the 

 consecpience. 



" However," continued Mugulu, " I shall see what can be clone." And with that he 

 called his son Kaikuzi (literally, the " Digger "), and said to him : " Go down and try 

 to bring me back Warumbe." 



Kintu and Kaikuzi started off together, and when they arrived were greeted by 

 Nambi. She explained that in his absence Warumbe had killed several more of 

 her sons. Kaikuzi called up Warumbe, and said : " Why are you killing all these 

 children 1 " 



" I wanted one child badly to help me cook my food. I begged Kintu to give 

 me one. He refused. Now I shall kill them every one." 



" Mugulu is angry, and he sent me down to recall you." 



" I decline to leave here." 



"You are only a small man in comparison to me. I shall fetch you by force." 



With this they grappled, and a severe contest ensued. After a while Warumbe 

 slipped from Kaikuzi's grasp, and ran into a hole in the ground. Kaikuzi started 

 to dig him out with his fingers, and succeeded in reaching him, but Warumbe dived 

 still deeper into the earth. Kaikuzi tried to dig him out again, and had almost 

 caught him when Warumbe sunk still further into the ground. 



" I'm tired now," said Kaikuzi to Kintu, " I will remain a few days, and have 

 another try to catch him." 



Kaikuzi then issued an order that there was to be two days' silence in the earth, 

 and that Warumbe would come out of the ground to see what it meant. The people 

 were ordered to lay in two clays' provisions, and firewood and water, and not to go 

 out of doors to feed goats or cattle. This having been done, Kaikuzi went into the 

 ground to catch Warumbe, and pursued him for two days, and he forced Warumbe 

 out at a place called Tanda. At this place there were some children feeding goats, 

 and when they saw Warumbe they cried out, and the spell was broken, and Warumbe 

 returned again into the earth. Directly afterwards Kaikuzi appeared at the same place 

 and asked why the children had broken the silence. He was angry and disappointed, 

 and he said to Kintu that the people had broken his order, and that he would 

 concern himself no further with the recalling of Warumbe. 



" I am tired now," said Kaikuzi. 



"Never mind him," replied Kintu, "let Warumbe remain since you cannot 

 expel him. You may now go back to Mugulu, and ' webale "" (" thank you"). 



Kaikuzi returned to Mugulu, and explained the whole circumstances. 



" Very well," said Mugulu, " let Warumbe stop there." 



And Warumbe remained. 



