The Mantis and !kaken-!kaka-!k'aui (another version)
Metadata
Title
The Mantis and !kaken-!kaka-!k'aui (another version)
Collection
Lucy Lloyd |xam notebooks
Contributor
||kabbo (Jantje) (II)
Summary
<i>The account of the Mantis when he takes away the eggs of a certain fabulous bird, named !káken!káka láuï, is very curious. This bird has the power of making one of its eggs (and also the brush-spoon with which the egg is eaten) adhere, in the most comical manner, to the mouth of the Mantis, as well as the whole load of eggs to his back, whence they cannot be removed until all the eggs are humbly carried back by the robber to the magic bird's nest. Of this story we have two versions, a shorter one (L II. -6. 677-715, 7. 716-737), the end of which (where the Mantis brings home real ostrich eggs) is prolonged into an account of 'Ostriches and Bushmen', and a longer one, which //kábbo had from his mother, !kwí-añ; and which includes another discourse from the Ichneumon (L II.-22. 1965-2042, 23. 2043-2134, 24. 2135-2212.) </i>!kaken-!kaka-!k'aui tells |kaggen (the Mantis) to drink the little outside egg but |kaggen drinks the wrong eggs and they stick to his insides. He returns home to the Ichneumon who advises him on the behaviour of real ostriches and rebukes him for his foolishness and misdeeds. The verso pages provide notes that describe other details about the doings of (real) ostriches.
Comments
1) p.1964v: this story was told to ||kabbo by his mother (!kui ang), 2) There are variations in the spelling of !kaken !ka!ka !khauwi's name, 3) A variation of the Ichneumon's rebuke in which he admonishes |kaggen for his misdeeds, 4) p.1974v: |kwammana's house is the rainbow and |kaggen's house is above it, 5) p.1978v: ||kabbo explains about the 'returning' and 'sitting' ostriches and their behaviour, 6) p.2038v: the <i>!nabba</i> thorn bush, which has white flowers, 7) p.2039v: an ostrich lays eggs and !nabba flowers come out in summer; the ostrich nests among these thorn bushes; people chop |ßkerri thorn trees and make houses from the branches, 8) See also <i>The story of The Mantis and the Ostrich who talks (|kaggen and !kaken !ka!ka !khauwi)</i> and <i>The Ichneumon's discourse to the Mantis</i>, 9) This story is found in Book II-22
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