BANTU NEGROES 707 



against a stone, he would cry out "Muhammad"; but if a Muganda met with an 

 accident, he would cry out instantly " Kabaka.") 



" So you have told the secret," said the Big Man ; for it was he. 



" I have only told my mother." 



" That's enough. Eat up all your food and property, and as soon as it is finished 

 1 will come and kill you." 



" May I sell my son to buy a cow I " 



"Yes." 



Mpobe bought the cow, killed her, salted the meat, and began to eat it, but in 

 very, very small pieces each day. At the end of a year the Big Man returned and 

 called out: "Mpobe, Mpobe!" 



" Kabaka," 



" Have you eaten that cow ? " 



" Xo, not yet." 



" Well, hurry up. I am coming along when it is quite finished." 



The cow was ultimately finished, and Mpobe ran oft' to a dense forest and hid 

 himself. As he lay asleep he heard the same call: "Mpobe, Mpobe!" 



" Kabaka." 



" Have you finished that cow yet 1 " 



"Not quite. I have just a little left." 



" H a, haha ! You are hiding here ; but there is no escape from me. I am 

 coming along directly." 



Mpobe left the forest and hid himself in caves, again lay down in rivers, went 

 into j »its and caverns ; but wherever he went the Big Man found him out and 

 called him. At last Mpobe saw it was no use trying to dodge him, and he said : 

 "Let him come now, I hide no more. The cow is finished. I should not have 

 told the secret, and I am ready to die." 



Next night the Big Man came, and Mpobe was seen no more. 



Kawekwa and Nakawekwa. 



A man once lived at Ganga, near Kampala, and he had a son who never ate any 

 food. The son's name was Kawekwa. Another man, on the other side of Ganga. 

 had a daughter who never ate food. Her name was Nakawekwa. 



One day Kawekwa heard this, and said he should like to see the girl. The girl 

 on the same day heard the story of the boy who did not require any food, and she 

 said she should like to see him. 



Kawekwa travelled round the district and came to the girl's house. He found 

 her at home, and he said: " Otya." She replied: " Otyano," and asked him into the 

 house. She did not know who he was, but she went to the banana garden and 

 pulled some fruit, and when it was ready she offered it to him, and he declined, 

 saying that he never ate food. He then asked her to eat it herself, and she said 

 she never ate food. And in this way they guessed who each of them was. Then 

 her parents came in and the usual ceremony was gone through, and the marriage 

 was completed. 



When the bride was brought home her father came to visit her, and food was 

 prepared. Everything was ready but beer, and Kawekwa proposed to go to the 

 village to buy some; but his bride persuaded him not to go, as she feared some- 

 thing would happen to him. He did not go, and he remained at home many days. 



One evening he heard drums beating in the village, and he heard the dancers 



