All the rest of the day he sat in a corner weeping, and his mother who came in asked: “Why are you weeping so bitterly, my son?” “My head aches,” he answered; “it aches very badly.” And his mother passed on, and left him alone. In the evening he said to his wife: “I have seen my daughter, in the place where you told me you had drowned her. Instead, she lives at the bottom of the lake, and has now grown into a young woman.” “I don’t know what you are talking about,” replied Thakane. “I buried my child under the sand on the beach.” Then Masilo implored her to give the child back to him; but she would not listen, and only answered: “If I were to give her back you would only obey the laws of your country and take her to your father, the ogre, and she would be eaten.” But Masilo promised that he would never let his father see her, and that now she was a woman no one would try to hurt her; so Thakane’s heart melted, and she went down to the lake to consult the old woman. “What am I to do?” she asked, when, after clapping her hands, the old woman appeared before her. “Yesterday Masilo beheld Dilah, and ever since he has entreated me to give him back his daughter.” “If I let her go he must pay me a thousand head of cattle in exchange,” replied the old woman. And Thakane carried her answer back to Masilo. “Why, I would gladly give her two thousand!” cried he, “for she has saved my daughter.” And he bade messengers hasten to all the neighbouring villages, and tell his people to send him at once all the cattle he possessed. When they were all assembled he chose a thousand of the finest bulls and cows, and drove them down to the river, followed by a great crowd wondering what would happen. Then Thakane stepped forward in front of the cattle and sang: Bring to me Dilah, Dilah the rejected one, Dilah, whom her father Masilo cast out! And Dilah came from the waters holding out her hands to Masilo and Thakane, and in her place the cattle sank into the lake, and were driven by the old woman to the great city filled with people, which lies at the bottom. [Contes Populaires des Bassoutos.] The Wicked Wolverine One day a wolverine was out walking on the hill-side, when, on turning a corner, he suddenly saw a large rock. “Was that you I heard walking about just now?” he asked, for wolverines are cautious animals, and always like to know the reasons of things. “No, certainly not,” answered the rock; “I don’t know how to walk.” “But I SAW you walking,” continued the wolverine. “I am afraid that you were not taught to speak the truth,” retorted the rock. “You need not speak like that, for I have SEEN you walking,” replied the wolverine, “though I am quite sure that you could never catch ME!” and he ran a little distance and then stopped to see if the rock was pursuing him; but, to his vexation, the rock was still in the same place. Then the wolverine went up close, and struck the rock a blow with his paw, saying: “Well, will you catch me NOW?”