Chapter I: Front Matter

REYNARD THE FOX
IN
SOUTH AFRICA;

OR,
Hottentot Fables and Tales.

CHIEFLY TRANSLATED FROM ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS
IN THE
LIBRARY
OF
HIS EXCELLENCY SIR GEORGE GREY, K.C.B.

W. H. I. BLEEK, Ph.D.

LONDON:
TRÜBNER AND CO., 60, PATERNOSTER ROW.
1864.

THIS BOOK BELONGS TO
CHILDREN IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE,
AND TO THEIR FRIEND
SIR GEORGE GREY, K.C.B.,
NOW IN NEW ZEALAND.

CONTENTS.

I. Jackal Fables.

PAGE
1. The Lion’s Defeat 1
2. The Hunt of the Lion and Jackal 3
3. The Lion’s Share 5
4. The Jackal’s Bride 9
5. The White Man and the Snake 11
6. Another Version of the same Fable 13
7. Cloud-Eating 14
8. Fish-Stealing 16
9. Which was the Thief? 18
10. The Lion’s Illness 19
11. The Dove and the Heron 21
12. The Cock 23
13. The Leopard and the Ram 24

II. Tortoise Fables.

14. The Elephant and the Tortoise 27
15. The Giraffe and the Tortoise 30
16. The Tortoises Hunting the Ostriches 32

III. Baboon Fables.

17. The Judgment of the Baboon 33
18. The Lion and the Baboon 37
19. The Zebra Stallion 39
20. The Lost Child (a Tale) 42
21. The Baboon Shepherd (a Tale) 44

IV. Lion Fables.

22. The Flying Lion 45
23. The Lion who thought himself Wiser than his Mother 47
24. The Lion who took a Woman’s Shape 50
25. A Woman transformed into a Lion (a Tale) 57
26. The Lion and the Bushman (a Tale) 59

V. Various Fables.

27. How a Nama Woman outwitted the Elephants 61
28. A Bad Sister 65

VI. Sun and Moon Fables.

29. Why has the Jackal a long black Stripe on his Back? 67
30. The Horse cursed by the Sun 68
31. The Origin of Death 69
32. Another Version of the same Fable 71
33. A Third Version of the same Fable 72
34. A Fourth Version of the same Fable 73
35. A Zulu Version of the Legend of the “Origin
of Death” 74

VII. Heitsi Eibip and other Legends.

36. Heitsi Eibip 75
37. The Victory of Heitsi Eibip 77
38. Another Version of the same Legend 78
39. The Raisin-Eater 80
40. Origin of the Difference in Modes of Life between
Hottentots and Bushmen 83

VIII. Household Tales.

41. The Little Wise Woman 85
42. The Unreasonable Child to whom the Dog gave its
Deserts; or, a Receipt for getting any one to Sleep 90