THE SONG OF !NU!NUMMA-!KWITEN.

Specimens of Bushman Folklore, by W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd, [1911], at sacred-texts.com

!nu!numma-!kwiten[1] formerly said (sang)-

"Hng-ng, hng;
I kill children who cry;
Hng-ng, hng.
I kill children who cry;
Hng-ng, hng;
I kill children who cry.

A beast of prey (he, !nu!numma-!kwiten) is. My grandfather used to say (that) !nu!numma-!kwiten formerly said-

"Hng-ng, hng;
I kill children who cry;
"Hng-ng, hng;
I kill children who cry;

When my grandfather wished that we should leave off making a noise,[2] he said that !nu!numma-!kwiten formerly used to say

"Hng-ng, hng;
I kill children who cry;
"Hng-ng, hng;
I kill children who cry;

[1. The narrator gave the following explanation of !nu!numma-!kwiten's name:--

"A man who eats great (pieces of) meat, he cuts them off, he puts them into his mouth. I think that eggs are white; therefore, I think that his name seems to be 'White-Mouth'."

"!nu!numma-!kwiten is a beast of prey. A man was the one who gobbled eggs, swallowed down eggs. Therefore, be was [his name was] !kotta-kkoe." Reference is here made to a man of the early race, who swallowed ostrich eggs whole, and is the chief figure in a legend related by |han#kass'o (V.--56. L.).

2. We were calling out, making a noise there, as we played.]

And (when) he hears a little child crying there, he follows the sound to it, while the little child is crying there, he, following the sound, goes to it, approaches it stealthily, approaching stealthily, reaches the hut, in which the little child is crying. He springs, springs into the hut. He catches hold of the little child) he springs, taking it away. He goes to swallow it down. He departs.