THE JACKAL'S HEART NOT TO BE EATEN.

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

They (the Bushmen) feel that a little child is wont to be timid; therefore, the little child does not eat jackals' hearts; because the jackal is not a little afraid; for the jackal runs away.

The leopard is the one whose heart the little child eats; it which is not afraid; for, a little child becomes a coward from the jackal's heart, it fears immoderately (?).

Therefore, we do not give to a little child the jackal's heart; because we feel that the jackal is used to run away, when it has not (even) seen us; when it has only heard our foot rustle, it runs away, while it does not look towards (us).

Note added by the Narrator.

He (my grandfather, Tssatssi) had bought dogs from |gappem-ttu, and |gappem-ttu gave him a dog. And he took hold of the dog, he tied the dog up; and he took the dog away; holding the thong with which he had tied up the dog. He at first kept the dog tied up; and, when the dog had slipped his thong(?), he put it upon the scent(?), and the dog killed jackals.

He (my grandfather) skinned the jackals; and my grandmothers dressed the jackals' skins; they dressed them, they sewed them.

He again(?) killed(?) a jackal and an Olocyon Lalandii, he brought them (home), he skinned them.

And he made a kaross for |gappem-ttu, a jackals' kaross, while he put on the Otocyon kaross, the Otocyon skin.

And he took the kaross to |gappem-ttu, the jackals' kaross, while he felt that |gappem-ttu was the one who had given him the dog. Therefore, he made a kaross for i|gappem-ttu; while be made for |gappem-ttu an equivalent(?) for the dog; therefore, he gave the kaross to |gappem-ttu, and |gappem-ttu also gave him a pot, while he rewarded (?) my grandfather for the jackals' kaross. And my grandfather returned home.

Then my grandfather used to act in this manner, when he was boiling a jackal, he said: "Thou dost seem to think that we eat jackals' hearts? for, we become cowards (if we do so)." Therefore, we did not eat the jackals' hearts.

For, my grandfather used not to eat the jackal; he only boiled the jackal for his sons.