Notebooks

Story: The old woman and the hyena (||kabbo's version)

Title

The old woman and the hyena (||kabbo's version)

Collection

Summary

An old woman who was too weak to walk was left behind by her people when they, to escape starvation, travelled to another part of the country. She was afterwards picked up by a hyena, and carried off to the mountain on its back. But she contrived to kill it, and finding an old pot, she cooked and ate some of its flesh. From this she became so strong that she followed her people and arrived in good condition among them, while they were still starving. This popular story, which might perhaps be more properly put among fables, was related by /a!kúnta, as he heard it from his mother Ttoaken-an (L I.-2. 151-158), and also by //kábbo (L II.-2. 369-382).

Comments

1) p.371v: the old woman's children have taken the good cooking pot with them, leaving her the old one, 2) See also The old woman's song and The old woman and the hyena (/a!kunta's version which he heard from his mother) and Old woman's song (2nd version), 3) This story is found in Book II-2