Among a people without knowledge of letters historical legends and traditional tales occupy the same place as books with Europeans, and thus form perfect guides as to their powers of expression and thought. It will be necessary in succeeding volumes to relate the history of many tribes, as preserved by their antiquaries, so that examples of this portion of what may be termed Bantu literature need not be given here; but a few specimens of folklore tales will not be regarded as out of place. Readers must bear in mind that full grown men and women who have never been under European influence really believe many of the actors in these tales to have had an existence, so that they are not merely stories to amuse children.

THE STORY OF TANGALIMLIBO.

There was once a man who had two wives, one of whom had no children. She grieved much about that, till one day a bird came to her and gave her some little pellets. The bird said she must eat of these always before she partook of food, and then she would bear a child. She was very glad, and offered the bird some millet. But the bird said: “No, I do not want millet.” The woman then offered an isidanga (an ornamental breast-band which women wear), but the bird said it had no use for that. Then she got some very fine gravel and placed before the bird, which it received at her hands.