368 
BOOTCHUANA TALES. 
they watched the hare, until one day they saw him 
come out of the lion's skin. A short time afterwards 
they made a feast, to which they invited the lion. Dur- 
ing the feast, the wolves took up stones and began to 
cast them at him, but the hare leaping from the skin fled, 
and they saw him no more. 
CHILDREN AMONG CANNIBALS. 
IN a certain part of the country some women were em- 
ployed in the fields digging the ground with pick-axes, who 
sent their children to fetch water from a little distance. 
When they came to the water, there happened to be a large 
bird among some trees, singing so prettily as to attract 
the notice of the children, who followed it from place to 
place, as it flew, to hear its songs. In this way they were 
led to a great distance from their parents, when it began 
to rain. Observing a village not far off, they 
said to each other, " Come, let us take shelter in the 
village till the rain be over ;" but they did not know that 
the inhabitants of it were cannibals. On reaching the 
village a woman invited them to her house, and brought 
out a sackful of reptiles, which she put before them to 
eat ; but the children said they could not eat those crea- 
tures. She afterwards brought out other things, which 
were equally disgusting. 
The children refusing to eat any thing that was put 
before them, an old woman desired them to point out to 
her which was the youngest. On their doing so, she im- 
mediately put the child into a large pot that stood 
upon the fire, boiled and then ate it. After eating 
the child she conveyed the others to an out-house, 
where she put them to sleep, covering them over with a 
large skin cloak. On going out, she made fast the door 
by placing large stones against it. One of the elder 
boys, who was wiser than the others, suspecting the 
