In times gone by, the leader took many yagen. One got pregnant. A bull was born. The leader ordered: when she gives birth, let them put the child on that bull. The bull's name was Bongopa-Kamagadhlela. A child was born, it was mounted on a bull; it sat on him; it lay there; it did not put on clothes; food was served there, to the child. When it got dark, the gates were closed, people slept in the houses, and the child slept on the bull. In the morning the child said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Wake up, you need to get up;
Wake up, you need to get up.
And Bongopa got up. - The child said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Get moving, you have to go;
Get moving, we need to go.
He went to feed; the cattle came to the pasture, they fed. The child said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Come back, you need to come back;
Come back, you need to come back.
And he returned, the cattle came home. - The child said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Come in, you must come in;
Come in, you need to come in.
And he came in; all the cattle came in. His food appeared; the child ate, there, on his bull.
Finally it grew up, without knowing fire, without putting on clothes; lying up there without stepping foot on the ground; in the end it became a youth.
Foreign thieves came to steal the cattle. They opened the gate and entered holding sticks. People slept and did not smell. The thieves beat the cattle, but they did not get up from the ground. Their sticks that they were holding broke; in the night they left.
In the morning the boy said: get up Bongopa-Kamagadhlela. “He said: go, go feed.” The bull walked; all the cattle were walking. - The boy said, feed yourself; they were all feeding. They returned at noon. Food was served, the boy ate it there, on top of the bull. - He said: go; they went. - He said: feed, they fed. “He said: come back, they were coming back.”
When it got dark the gates were closed; people locked themselves in their houses, they lay in their sleep. The thieves came and opened the gates,
holding sticks; they beat the cattle, they didn’t get up, they broke the sticks. They left in the night. “They were talking as they walked, they said: what’s wrong with this cattle, why doesn’t it get up?” “They said: we’ll cut a lot of sticks.”
On the morning of the third day, they did not see the man on the bull, the boy said that the bulls should get up, set off, go feed. Bongopa Kamagadhlela went. The bulls fed. - The boy said: come back and they returned on the third day. His food was brought and he ate there on the Bongop bull. - The boy said: go, go feed; they went. - He said: come back; they returned.
When it got dark, thieves appeared in the night, they killed the cattle; he didn't get up; they broke the sticks; the cattle did not get up. They left in the night. “They swore and said: we’ll cut two bundles of sticks, when these break, we’ll take others.” “They said: we have never seen anything like this.”
When it got dark on the fourth day, they came with them and laid them on the edge of the village. The gates were closed, people were sleeping. They came into the night, opened the door, went in, beat the cattle, broke the sticks and ran out of bundles; they went out and took another bundle, entered the cattle pen with it, they beat the cattle and broke the sticks; they left.
In the morning the boy said that the bulls should go and feed on the fifth day. The boy did not tell people that thieves came at night to steal cattle, that was his business. The cattle went; the boy said: feed, they were feeding. - He said: come back, they returned and came home. Food was served, the boy ate. His father spoke and said: my child, you are angry, you beat the cattle severely, to the point of welts. “They saw that the cattle were swollen, having been beaten in the night by thieves, they thought that they had beaten them.
When it got dark, the thieves came in the night; they opened the gate, entered, beat the cattle, but they did not get up; They broke the sticks and only had one left. One of the thieves saw the boy and said: here is a man who does not let livestock in. - They ordered: speak. - The boy spoke and said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagdhlela,
Wake up, you need to get up;
Wake up, you need to get up;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela woke up and stood up. The child said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Get moving, you have to go;
Get moving, you have to go;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
Bongopa walked, the bulls walked. The calves came out of the houses, they untied themselves, opened the gates and followed their mothers. People were sleeping. The bulls stopped at the gate. The thieves said: speak boy. You're missing. He said: You cannot pierce me. He said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Get moving, you have to go;
Get moving, you have to go;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
A man came out of the village from where the cattle had been stolen and said: the leader has reached maturity, he raised the cattle into the night. “He called his father and said: let the food be cooked, the leader, Bongop’s father, has reached maturity.” His father's entire tribe cooked food. The sun went away, it went down, it got dark. - They searched, shouted, asked: who had eaten the child in the night? He went with the cattle and calves from the houses.
The boy said as he walked:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Stop, you need to stand;
Stop, you need to stand;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
They stopped. - The thieves said: speak. You're missing. “He said: you cannot pierce me.” They asked: what else? - He answered: nothing. “They said: Are you going bankrupt like this because you did not let the chief’s cattle in and made us lose a month because of you?” - The boy said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Get moving, you have to go;
Get moving, you have to go;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
And off they went.
One thief was sent; he came to the leader and said: we have driven the cattle, which are enchanted, there is a man on the Bongopa-Kamagadhlela road. “It was ordered: come back,” he ordered, let them hurry up and come to me. They walked quickly, they appeared on a hill. “He said: here they are with the boy on the white bull; he has a spell, he says, stand up and the bulls stop. “The leader said: when he comes with them, let this bull with which he acts be slaughtered.” Although he does not sleep on the ground, he will sleep. They came to the edge of the village and stopped. - The leader said: go. “The people said: the boy doesn’t let them in, they listen to his words.” - He ordered: speak up. - The boy said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhleda,
Get moving, you have to go;
Get moving, you have to go;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
And Bongopa walked, they walked. The boy said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Come in, you must come in;
Come in, you must come in;
Don't you see that they are killing us?
Foreign thieves?
People said:
- Get down, boy.
He replied:
- I don’t get off, I don’t step on the ground, I lie on the bull. Since birth I have not known the land. - The leader ordered: get down. — The boy answered: I don’t know how. - The leader ordered: speak, boy. - He said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhleda,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Let me down, I need to get down;
Let me down, I need to get down;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
He got down to the ground. “The people said: go, go to the house.” He answered: I cannot go to the house. “They said: go, go to the house.” He answered: I won’t go. “They asked: what’s wrong with you?” They took him to the house of the dead man, which was falling apart, stars were shining through it. - They said: come in. He entered the house. He was served food. “He said: I don’t know how to eat on earth.” - They asked: what else? The food was removed.
He spat saliva; the saliva began to boil and said: leader, you are in charge, you are gloomy, mountain-like. It overflowed the hut. The sky thundered, heavy rain began to fall; all the houses got wet, even those that didn’t get wet. “People shouted, they said: the leader is wet.” “The leader said: the boy has already died, since this is what happened to me, and I didn’t know the drops.” - He said: boy, since he was sitting outside, since I am like this, he has already died. The sky has cleared. People were sent and they were told: go look at him. - They said: why is it that the boy is dry? He is a boy with charms. When he appeared, we already saw. Let his bull be slaughtered, let's see what happens to these charms we saw today.
All the people were summoned, a spear was taken, they entered the cattle pen with it; the boy was called and they said: let the bull be slaughtered. “He answered: I will die if this bull is killed.” - They said: what else? - A spear was given to one thief and he threw the spear at the bull, it entered the thief. “The people ordered: speak, boy, so that the bull dies.” He said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Die, you must die;
Die, you must die;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
The spear entered Bongop. He fell to the ground. Knives were taken to skin him. The man peeled off the skin and cut himself. - People said: speak boy. You're missing. The boy spoke, he said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Freshen up, you need to freshen up;
Freshen up, you need to freshen up;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
They skinned him; it's over.
The men said: light a big fire. — The thieves said: let’s put off frying him. Let's wash the yage of the body to cleanse ourselves of intoxication. This bull has charms; all his signs are different. In the end, they cut off the tip of the tail and the man cut himself. - They said: speak boy. You're missing. He said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Let me cut, I must let you cut;
Let me cut, I must let you cut;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
They took blood pots and collected it in pots; they cut up his carcass; they hung him in the cattle pen; the boys cut off pieces and set them aside for themselves. The leader called the people and ordered: go wash yourself and when you arrive, eat it. All the people have gone.
The boy stayed, took the skin, spread it, laid his head; took the ribs and laid them out; took one side and laid it down; took the front leg and put it in its place; took the hind leg and put it in its place; he took the liver and put it in its place; took the lung and put it in its place; he laid down his belly, collected the gum and put it in his belly; took the tip of the tail and put it in its place; took the blood and placed it in its place; he wrapped everything in skin
and said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Wake up, you need to get up;
Wake up, you need to get up;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
The bull's breath returned, it entered him, he looked. - The boy said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Get up, you need to get up;
Get up, you need to get up;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
And the bull stood up. - The boy said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Let me get in, I need to get in;
Let me get in, I need to get in;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
The boy climbed onto the bull. - He said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Get moving, you have to go;
Get moving, you have to go;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
Bongopa went. Send houses, fields, cattle pens, all the things of that village!
People rose from the river and one said: people, look at the wonder. The whole country is coming. “The leader called the whole tribe and ordered: pursue the boy, let him be killed.” The boy walked quickly; when he heard that they were close, he said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Stop, you need to stop;
Stop, you need to stop;
Don't you see that they are killing us
Foreign thieves?
The bull stopped. “They shouted at him, they said: stay here so we can kill you.” You have been doing magic for a long time. “They said: get down so we can kill you.” — He got down to the ground. “They said: move away from the bull so that the spears do not hit us.” They threw spears at him, but they did not reach him and stuck into the ground. He ridiculed them, saying: What is this, you men, there are many of you, and the spears do not reach me, they pierce the ground? - One of the warriors ridiculed them, he said: how is it that you are defeated by a boy, you pierce the ground, the spears do not reach him? Some gave in. - The boy said: let a spear be given to me so that I can pierce you. - They rejected, they said: we are not yet defeated. They threw spears at him; spears stuck into the ground. They picked them up, threw them at him; the spears did not pierce him. “They said: we are defeated, so try too.”
They gave him many copies, he rejected them and asked for one. They gave him one. “He asked: Should I throw it at you?” They laughed. He spat on the ground, the spit hissed, he said: leader, greetings to you, mountain-like one. “He said: Should I throw it at you?” “They laughed, they said: do it, we’ll see.” He threw a spear at their leader and they all died.
He took the shaft of the spear and struck their leader; he stood up and they all stood up. “They shouted at him, they said: stay here so we can kill you.” - He ridiculed them, he asked: how far were you? - They answered: we have arrived now. - He said: you were dead. “They responded by saying: You won’t see the light again.” ——They threw many spears at him; spears stuck into the ground. Others threw many spears, they pierced the ground. They picked them up, they threw a lot of them; spears stuck into the ground. “The men laughed at them, they said: give us (spears), let us kill him.” They threw many spears, the spears pierced the ground. The men picked them up.
The leader said: let me go, let me pierce him. The leader threw his spear; it remained on the ground. “He said: I’m defeated, boy.” Do it, we'll see. “The boy said: give me a spear so that I can strike.” They gave him many copies. “He rejected it,” he said: “I want one thing.” They gave it to him. He spat his saliva onto the ground; she said: leader, hello to you, you are gloomy, you are in charge. - He asked: should I throw it at you? - They ridiculed him, they said: do it, we’ll see. He threw a spear, he struck their leader. He died along with all the people.
The boy grabbed a spear and hit the people. The people stood up, the leader remained in place. “They said: we are now yours.” We'll go with you.
They were passing through another country. “People started screaming, they said: kill.” Here is a man, he leaves with people. The leader called them together, he ordered: let them be killed. “They came up to them and said: get down.” — The boy answered: I don’t step on the ground. The thieves told them, they said: he killed us. - They answered: he will not defeat us. They threw spears at him; spears stuck into the ground. They picked them up, they dropped them; spears stuck into the ground. One of the soldiers ridiculed them, he said: let us go, let us be pierced. They threw their spears; spears stuck into the ground. They collected them. “The leader said: let me kill him myself.” - People said: we will praise you when you
you'll kill him. “The leader said: I have great strength.” He threw and could not kill.
The leader said: go ahead, boy, I’ll take a look. - He said: give me a spear. He spat saliva, it was on the ground, it boiled and said: hello to you, leader, you are in charge. They gave him spears; he rejected; he took one and asked: Should I pierce you? He threw it at their leader. They all died. He took a spear and struck their leader; he stood up and they all stood up.
The boy said: will you attack me again? “They said: we will be against you again.” They threw their spears, the spears pierced the ground. They picked them up and threw them, the spears piercing the ground. “He asked for a spear and said: are you defeated?” - They answered: yes. They gave him one spear. He stabbed the leader and they all died. He took a spear and struck one man; everyone stood up; the leader remained, he died. “They said: we are now yours.”
He sent people and ordered them to go to his father and say: Bongopa-Kamagadhlela is coming. - His father shouted, he said: where did you see him? “They said: he killed the people.” - They said: he is driving a lot of cattle. His father sent people, he ordered them to come back. “They came and told me, they said: your father refused to believe it.” The cattle were selected and a bull with marks was added to it; the boy said that his father would know about him by the bull from the house.
His father called the tribe and said: let the food be ground. - He said: the leader is returning. - People appeared and said: it can’t be. “He said: go and look at the bull from home.” People looked at him and said: that's right. “They said: let the girl be found, so that when he comes he will find her here.” They were looking for a girl, the daughter of Bungani, the son of Makulukulu.
The people went, climbed the ridge of mountains and said: your father said, hurry up. The people with the cattle quickly left. They climbed a ridge of mountains near their house. They put Bongopa-Kamagadhlela forward. They walked quickly and came to a gate
there. People came out and watched. His father rejoiced with his mother. The boy said:
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Bongopa-Kamagadhlela,
Come in, you need to come in;
Come in, you need to come in.
The cattle entered the cattle pen.
Another village was built. He said: I do not love the girl, for she walks on the earth. The girl left. “He said: I will be upstairs until I die.” And it was said: then stay up there.
And he tended his cattle. He performed the same miracles that he performed at first.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru