FOLK LORE 



came down from the tree, and the hare ran off, 

 leaving his piece of stick in the httle girl's hand, so 

 she made a piece of grass-string and tied it round 

 her neck so as not to lose it. She had still a long 

 way to go, and as the day advanced and fatigue 

 crept over her, she lay down under a tree to rest, 

 feeling very hungry. So she took the hare's charm 

 between her fingers and said, 



" Mkazi * a nyati, come and give me some milk ; 

 Mkazi a nyati, come and give me some milk ; 

 Mkazi a nyati, come quickly." 



There was at once a great commotion in the 

 trees, and a fine cow buffalo came and lay down 

 beside her, so she milked it into a large leaf, and 

 then lay down to sleep. But it was very cold, 

 and she had no fire and no clothes, so she took the 

 charm again and said, 



" Nyadzombe,f come and cover me ; 

 Nyadzombe, come and cover me ; 

 Nyadzombe, come quickly." 



And a great swarm of locusts came and settled 

 upon her, and protected her from the chiUy night 

 air, so that she slept quite well. Early in the 

 morning she was just going to take to the road 

 again, when her mother and all the people from her 

 village, who had been looking for her all night 

 long, came and took her home again ; and they 

 were all so overjoyed to see her safe and well that 

 she was not punished at all. 



I wish I could give my readers an idea of the 



* Literally, Buffalo's wife. t A Locust, 



