Another Story of Kenkebe

AT a certain time, Kenkebe went to get his wife at the place of her parents. When he was on the way, he met a crow. He borrowed its eyes. Then he arrived at his wife's parents' place with the eyes of the crow.

When he arrived, his wife said: "Where are your own eyes?"

He replied: "My eyes have been taken away by the crows."

Then his wife said: "Let us go home."

When they reached home, his wife said: "Take those eyes, you silly one, to their owner, and bring back your own."

Accordingly Kenkebe went for his eyes and got them back.

Then, as he was returning, he met an ant, and exchanged stomachs with it. When he arrived at his house, his wife gave him food. After he had finished eating, he went to milk a cow.

When he was gone out, his little boy went to the place where he had been sitting. He said: "Mother, this food that is spilt here, whose is it?"

His mother replied: "Perhaps it has been spilt by your father. You must not eat it until our father comes."

When Kenkebe came in, his wife said: "Where does this food come from?"

The man replied: "My stomach has been borrowed by an ant."

His wife said: "You must go and take this stomach back to-morrow."

He went to do so. When he arrived at the ant's place, he demanded his stomach. His stomach was given to him, and then he went home.

The text came from:

Theal, Georg McCall. Kaffir Folk-Lore. London: S. Sonnenschein, Le Bas & Lowrey, 1886.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

©Heidi Anne Heiner, SurLaLune Fairy Tales
E-mail: surlalune@aol.com
Page last updated September 6, 2006
www.surlalunefairytales.com