|
|
|
|
|
|
|
be a doctor; they shall know by that, that when they said you were a mad man and not an inyanga they were mistaken." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So he does so. He cries, "Hai, hai, hai," on a hill which is hidden; they do not hear him distinctly; they hear only a continual sound of "Nkene, nkene, nkene, nkene."
31 one of them says, "It sounds as though there was some one singing." Others say, "We do not hear. We hear only an echo." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Itongo comes to him and tells him that they cannot hear, and bids him go out a little on the open hill, and then return again to the hill which is hidden. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So he departs at the word of the Itongo, and goes out to the open hill, and cries "Hai, hai, hai;" and they all hear that it is he. They are again disputing about him, and as soon as they hear that it is he, they say, "Can it be, sirs, that he comes about the matter we were disputing about, saying, he is mad?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Others32 say, "O, why do you ask? He comes on that account, if indeed you said he was not an inyanga, but a madman." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The great man of the village to which the inyanga is approaching, says, "I too say he is mad. Just take things and go and hide them, that we may see if he can find them." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They take things; one takes beads, and goes and hides them; others take picks, and go and hide them; other hide assagais; others bracelets; others hide their sticks, others their kilts, others their ornaments, others their pots; others hide baskets, and say, "just let us see if he will find all these things or not." Others hide cobs of maize; others the ears of amabele, or sweet cane, or of ujiba, or the heads of upoko. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some say, "O, if he finds all these things, will he not be tired? Why have you hidden so many?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They say, "We hide so many that we may see that he is really an inyanga." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They reply, "Stop now; you have hidden very many things." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They return home, and wait. Then the Itongo tells him on the concealed hill; for it had already said to him, "Keep quiet; they are now hiding things; do not begin to appear. They wish to say when you find the things that you saw when they hid them. Be quiet, that they may hide all the things; then they will satisfied that you are an inyanga." Now the Itongo tells him, "They have now hidden the things, and gone home. It is proper for you now to go to the home of the people who say you are mad and not an inyanga." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So he comes out on the open mountain, and runs towards their home, being pursued by his own people who are seeking him, for he went out during the night, and they did not hear when he went out very early in the morning, when it was still dark, when the horns of the cattle were beginning to be just visible.33 He reaches their home, and his own people who are looking for him, and have now found him, come with him. On his arrival he dances; and as he dances they strike hands in unison; and the people of the place who have hidden things for him to find, also start up and strike hands; he dances, and they smite their hands earnestly. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He says to them, "Have you then hid things for me to find?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They deny, saying, "No; we have not hidden things for you to find." |
|
|
|
|
|