HABITS OF THE BAT AND THE PORCUPINE.

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

Mamma said to me that the bat,[1] when the porcupine is still at the place where it is seeking about for food, does not come, for the bat remains with it, while it is seeking about for food, When it (the porcupine) returns home, then it is that the bat comes to its hole;[2] then I know that the porcupine appears to have returned.

[1. The bat's other name is !|gogen.

2. The bat inhabits the same hole as the porcupine.]

Mamma told me about it, that I should watch for the porcupine, if I saw the bat; then I know, that the porcupine appears to come; for the bat comes. And I must not sleep; for I must watch for the porcupine; for, when the porcupine approaches, I feel sleepy, I become sleepy (on account of) the porcupine; for the porcupine is a thing which is used, when it draws near, to go along making us sleep against our will, as it wishes that we may not know the time at which it comes; as it wishes that it may come into the hole while we are asleep. Therefore, it goes along making us sleep; while it wishes that it may come, while we are asleep, that it may smell whether harm awaits it at the hole, whether a man is lying in wait for it at the hole. And if the man is asleep it steals softly away [lifting its quills that they may not rattle], when it has smelt the man's scent. Therefore it is used to cause us to become sleepy, when it wishes to smell whether peace it be.

Therefore mamma used to tell me that I should do thus, even if I felt sleepy, I should know that the porcupine was the one who went along making me sleepy against my will; it was the one who went along causing me to sleep. I should do thus, even if I felt that I wanted to sleep, I should not sleep; for the porcupine would come, if I slept there. And the porcupine would steal gently away, while I slept. I should not know the time at which the porcupine came; I should think that the porcupine had not come, while the porcupine bad long come; it had come (and) gone away, while I slept. Therefore, I should not sleep, that I might know when the porcupine came. For, I should do thus, if I slept, I should not know when it came.

Therefore, I am used to do thus, when I lie in wait for a porcupine, I do not sleep, when I am watching for the porcupine; the porcupine comes, while I am watching for it; I see it return, while I feel that I am the one who did not sleep. For mamma was the one who thus told me, that I must not sleep, even if I felt sleepy; I must do as father used to do, when father watched well for the porcupine. Therefore, father used to know when the porcupine came, while he felt that he watched for the porcupine. Therefore, he used to know when the porcupine came; even if he felt sleepy, he did not sleep, because he felt that he wanted to know the time at which the porcupine came.

For, these things are those about which my mother and the others told me, namely, did I not see that the porcupine is a thing which does not go (about) at noon; for it goes (about) by night; for it cannot see at noon. Therefore, it goes (about) by night, while it feels that night is (the time) at which it sees; it would, if it went (about) at noon, it would be going into the bushes, while it felt that its eyes were not comfortable. Therefore, it would be going into the bushes, while it felt that its eyes were not comfortable. For its eyes would feel dazzled. Night is (the time) when it sees well. For, it knows that this is the time, at which it perceives; on the place where it goes it sees the bushes at night.

Father used to tell me that, when lying in wait for a porcupine, at the time at which the Milky Way turns back, I should know that it is the time at which the porcupine returns. Father taught me about the stars; that I should do thus when lying in wait at a porcupine's hole, I must watch the stars; the place where the stars fall,[1] it is the one which I must thoroughly watch. For this place it really is which the porcupine is at, where the stars fall.

I must also be feeling (trying) the wind. Things which I should watch, father in this manner taught me about, things which I should watch. Father said to me about it, that I should not watch the wind (i.e. to windward), for the porcupine is not a thing which will return coming right out of the wind. For, it is used to return crossing the wind in a slanting direction, because it wants to smell. Therefore, it goes across the wind in a slanting direction, because it wants to smell; for its nostrils are those which tell it about it, whether harm is at this place.

Father used to tell me, that I must not breathe strongly when lying in wait for a porcupine; for, a thing which does not a little hear,[2] it is. I should also not rustle strongly; for, a porcupine is a thing which does not a little hear. Therefore, we are used gently to turn ourselves when sitting; because we fear that had we done so (noisily), as it came, it would have heard.[3]

[1. The porcupine will come from the place at which the star seemed to fall.

2. A thing whose ears hear finely it indeed(?) is. Therefore, we do not rustle much on account of it; because (it is) a thing which, even if we thought that we had not rustled much, would hear.

3. If the porcupine had heard, it would have turned back.]