Notebooks

Story: Stones which kill the thrower

Title

Stones which kill the thrower

Collection

Summary

An account, apparently a legend, called in my first report 'Stones which kill the thrower', given by /a!kúnta in very early days (L I.–2. 125 and 126), wants revision and further explanation to render it intelligible. A man makes a hole in the ground and sits next to it. He calls to another man who throws a stone at his forehead, but the stone flies back at the man who threw it, killing him, and he falls into the hole.

Comments

1) p.125 and 125opp. 29 Nov. |a!kunta comments on noises made outside the window and there is evidence of Dutch conversation on p.125 including a reference to ‘die noi’ or young lady (Lloyd) and to the fact that the Bushman ‘taal’ is ‘swer’ (the language is difficult) for her, 2) This story is found in Book I-2