There was once a leader who had many wives. When there were many of them, he took two daughters of another leader. He made one girl a great woman; but the other girl was in great sorrow, for she too wanted to be a great woman. When the ransom was paid for them, they both danced.
It happened one day that all the wives of that leader became pregnant. The others gave birth, but the great woman hesitated to give birth. “When it became known that she had given birth, her sister came out and went to the house; she came and said: give me the child so that I can look at him. They gave it. She took it and glared at it. And while she was holding him, the child died. “All the people asked: how did you hold the child?” - She answered:
yes no. As soon as I took it, it died. All the people marveled.
Finally they got pregnant again and gave birth. Her sister took another child again and it died again. In the end, three children died. Everyone at home said: they were killed by her sister.
They got pregnant again. The husband's mother said: if your sister had not held the dead children, they would not have been dead. But once you give them to her, she kills them.
She gave birth again without telling anyone that she was giving birth. In the morning, all the people found out that she had given birth. They went to see the child. “They came and said: let us see the child.” - She said: well, no. Today I did not give birth to a child; I gave birth only to a beast. “They asked: what animal?” She answered: a mamba snake. “They said: show it, let us see.” She showed it. They marveled, for they saw a mamba snake.
Again another sister gave birth to a boy. She rejoiced, because she herself gave birth to a man, and she gave birth only to a snake. Both children have grown up. - The leader said: these are my children, the name of one is Mamba, the other is Nsimba. Both were growing. But Mamba moved only on his stomach.
When she gave birth to Mamba, he grew up without dying; the people said: Look, this child did not die, because he was a snake. The others were killed by Nsimba's mother, who wanted Nsimba to rule.
But Father Nsimba said: if you know the potion that kills children, give it to me so that I can hold it, I held her with my own hands, and she herself will die; for you say: she touched the children with her hands and they died. I myself see that the children of men are dying; but the snake does not die. I myself don’t know either, were they killed?
It happened when they grew up, the girls came to choose a groom. When they were asked: who did you come to match? - they answered: Nsimba. Others came to woo Mamba. “But when they saw that he was a snake, they ran away, saying: we thought he was a man.”
His father was very sad, for he loved Mamba. But all the girls were afraid of Mamba, for he was a snake. “His father said: Nsimba will not choose you as a groom until Mamba chooses you; because he is the most important. But Nsimba laughed, seeing that the girls rejected Mamba. - Nsimba asked: since the girls reject Mamba, but they love me, then what will happen? “And Mother Mamba said: your father is just laughing, you are Nsimba.” Is there such a person who would be forbidden to marry because he competes with a freak?
After this it happened that girls came from another country, they came to choose a groom; one accompanied the other. They were asked whom they had come to choose as grooms. — The girl answered: Nsimba. They were brought into the house. The father agreed that Nsimba should be chosen as the groom.
Bulls were slaughtered, a large crowd gathered, for they were taking the chief's child as a groom. In the evening many young men came to choose girls. When the young men entered, Mamba entered too. And all the girls, screaming, ran into the depths of the house. “The leader said: tell them not to dare to run away, for this is my child.” - The people who were in the house said: sit down on the ground; Don’t you dare run away, for this is the leader’s child. Mamba took his mat and sat on it. - The girls asked: but how did it happen to him that he became a snake? “People said: his mother lost children, and in the end she gave birth to him.” They were very surprised.
Boys were chosen by girls; girls were elected. And the bride's sister chose Mamba. But Nsimba did not want his sister-in-law to choose Mamba, wanting to be chosen himself. “The people asked again, they said: who are you choosing?” — The girl answered: Mamba is elected by me. And the young men asked: is it not Nsimba? — The girl answered: no, Mamba. The young men asked: is it Nsimba? — The girl answered: no, Mamba. - Nsimba said: I have never seen anything like this, leave her, because even though she herself chose Mamba, she will reject him, because he is a snake.
Nsimba asked: who are you, what is your name? — The girls answered: the one who came to choose a groom, her name is Nhlamvu-yobukhlalu. The one who is her sister, her name is Nhlamvu-yetusi. But Nsimba did not really like Nhlamvu-yobuhlal, he liked Nhlamvu-yetusi.
When the girls finished choosing, Nsimba left, he went to his home for the young and Mamba went to his home for the young. “The young men said: let’s take the bride to the house for young people in Nsimba.” Off to Nhlamvu-yobuhlalu. They told Nhlamvu-yetusi to go to the home for the young Mamba. She went, came, entered and sat down on the ground. She saw Mamba sitting on his mat, and Mamba’s sister was sitting there in the house for young Mamba. “Mamba’s sister said: since the girls chose, and you yourself chose the snake, do you agree to be his wife?” “Nhlamvu-yetusi laughed and asked: do they say he eats people?” - Said Mamba: is there a person who would choose a snake? - Nhlamvu-yetusi said: since you don’t eat people, why will you eat me?
That girl came out. - Mamba said: get up, close the door. - Nhlamvu-yetusi asked: why don’t you close it yourself? - Said Mamba: I don’t have hands to close. - Nhlamvu-yetusi asked: who closes it every day? - Mamba answered: the boy sleeping with me closes it. - Asked Nhlamvu-yetusi: but where is he today? - Mamba answered: he left because of you, my beloved. Nhlamvu-yetusi got up and closed the door.
Mamba said: lay me a mat. - Nhlamvu-yetusi asked: who lays out the mat for you every day? - Mamba answered: my boy. Nhlamvu-yetusi got up and laid out a mat for him.
He said: take a pumpkin with lard and rub it on me; then I will sleep well. - Nhlamvu-yetusi said: I am afraid to touch the snake. Mamba laughed. They lay down.
In the morning they got up; and all the household were amazed, for they thought: we have never seen such a brave child who would sleep with a snake in the house.
In the morning, Mamba's mother selected very tasty food, cooked it and brought it to the girl, talking to herself, saying: if I gave birth to a real man, he would marry this child of the people.
When it got dark they went to bed again; that girl also came in; they sat down with her and she went out again. - Mamba said: go close the door. Nhlamvu-yetusi stood up and went to close it. “Mamba said: yesterday you refused to rub me.” Can't you see that I have difficulty moving, since I walk on my stomach? It feels good to lie down if I'm rubbed; then my body becomes soft and it’s pleasant for me to lie down. Help me, rub me today. I don't eat man; because my boy rubbed it on me and I didn’t eat it. Nhlamvu-yetusi took the lard and took a stick. - Said Mamba: well, no; my lard doesn't stick; it just pours out; it's liquid. - Nhlamvu-yetusi said: rub yourself; I don't want to rub you. - Said Mamba: no, I don’t eat humans. Rub me. Nhlamvu-yetusi took the lard, she poured it into her hands and rubbed it on Mamba. But when she rubbed it, she felt that the snake’s body was very cold and got scared. - Said Mamba; no, rub me; I don't eat people. She left it after finishing rubbing.
Mamba waited a little and said to Nhlamvu-yetusi: grab me here, remember me tightly, pull me out, for my body is crumpled. “But Nhlamvu-yetusi said: I’m afraid.” “Mamba said: no, I won’t do anything to you.” I don't eat man. Grab the post, look deep into the house; don't look at me and pull me with force; for my movement troubles me; That's why I like someone to pull me when I'm lying down. Nhlamvu-yetusi grabbed the pole and pulled with force. She felt the skin remain in her hands. She quickly threw it away and jumped back, thinking: snake. But when she turned her gaze, took a closer look and saw Mamba very handsome, his body shone. She was very happy and asked: what happened to you?
Mamba answered: my mother lost her children for a long time, and people said that our children were killed by my mother’s sister.
And it happened that before she had given birth to me, she went to her people and told her brother to go catch a small poisonous snake and take its skin. When I was born I was placed in this skin. And all our people did not know that I was a man; they thought it was probably a snake, for my mother did not tell me that I was a man; and don't tell anyone.
Nhlamvu-yetusi asked: Do you take off this skin on other days? - Mamba answered: Ehe, my boy rubs me with lard and takes me off. They lay down.
In the morning Nhlamvu-yetusi said: now I want to go home. Two dozen bulls were selected. - Said Mamba: and I, my father, want to take away two dozen and go to woo this girl from her father. His father agreed; Mamba went with a lot of cattle and young men to woo. They went.
When they left the house, Mamba said to take his lard; Nhlamvu-yetusi carried him. When they were on a hill, Mamba walked slowly behind them. He told Nhlamvu-yetusi that she too should walk more quietly. All the people walked in front, and they both walked behind. “Mamba said: let’s sit down, rub me with lard, take off the skin, because I feel bad; the grass pricks me when I move like this on my stomach. They sat down; she rubbed it with lard and pulled it; the skin has come off. Mamba got up and walked. They walked behind the people. Finally, when they got close to the people, Mamba put the skin back on.
They all came home and entered. But people ran away from there, afraid of the snake. “They said: Nhlamvu-yobuhlalu’s friends are coming with a snake.” “The girls said: there’s no need to say that, this is Nhlamvu-yetusi’s groom.” People marveled, saying: how is it that she is not afraid, after all, it is a snake?
They slaughtered two bulls. When they finished the meat, the friends returned to their own. After some time, they sent a man to wait for the girlfriends. Girlfriends were called; beer was brewed; I was told to go and gather my girlfriends. They came with them.
In the morning a lot of people gathered, but some laughed, because Mamba did not know how to dance, saying: since he is a snake, how will he dance? The bridesmaids and boyfriends came in and danced for the bride, the girls and the men of their tribe.
When the girlfriends finished dancing, the boyfriends went to dress up. Mamba entered his home for the young, and his boy rubbed him with lard and skinned him. - He said, go call my mother to bring my things. His mother came with his things. Mamba put on all his clothes and said to the boy: look, has Nsimba left the house? - The boy answered: Ehe, he went out.
Mamba took a large skin, put it on and went out to move it: on his stomach. When all the people saw him, they said: Now he is very large, for he has been rubbed with lard. He went into the cattle pen and sat down on the ground. When all the boyfriends and girlfriends lined up, Mamba dodged, his boy came up, grabbed him by the head and pulled off his skin. And all the people could not look at the Mamba because of its radiance.
Nsimba went to his home for the young in fear, for he saw that Mamba was a man; he became terribly angry. All the people were amazed to see Mamba as a man. They grabbed him, asking: How long has this happened to you? His father forbade dancing on this day. “He said: they will dance tomorrow, because today I want to look at him.”
Then his mother rejoiced because her child was married. We returned to the house and sat down. In the morning they danced; but Nsimba was worried, seeing that Mamba was a man. Everyone stayed, his father was terribly happy, seeing that Mamba was a man. Mamba built his village and settled with many people who wanted to live with them. When he wove his headband, he married many women. And he lived happily with them.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru