One day the leader took wives. “He said: so-and-so will give birth to a leader.” They got pregnant; the months ended, the time came to give birth and they gave birth. Everything remained pregnant, pregnant with the leader. The children grew up, walked and were weaned. The wives became pregnant again; the months ended, the time came to give birth and they gave birth. The children grew up, were weaned, grew and finally became young men, but she had not yet given birth.
Many years have ended; towards the end she began to shed her skin, she gave birth; The wives gathered and said: she gave birth to a snake. The snake came out for many days until it ended in the stomach and filled the house. They ran out and stopped at the entrance. They called people and said: come and look
for a curiosity. The tribe gathered: they shouted to her; They asked: did she come out of the stomach? - The wife answered: she came out. “The leader ordered: let them weave a rope.” “She said: it’s over.”
They forced a man to come in, gave him a stake and told him to turn the snake around and get to the head. He turned the snake around to its head and got to it; people threw a rope to him, he tied the rope around it and went out with it. They knocked down a barrier against the house and asked: what kind of snake is it? - They answered: Khluatu. A backwater was found, many people dragged the snake and threw it into the water. They washed the bodies, got up and came home.
The leader ordered: you need to run away. It was ordered: let her mother, who gave birth to this inspiration, remain. They set off, headed to another country. They rebuilt and finished at home. The children grew up and eventually took wives. The girls who were born after those boys were wooed. Finally, their children were wooed.
The mother of the snake went; she met people; they asked, they said: where are you going? - She answered: I am following the leader. - They asked: what is your attitude towards him? “She answered: he is my husband.” “They asked: where have you been?” “She answered: he left me in the old village.” “They asked, what did you do to anger him?” “She answered: I angered him by giving birth to a beast.” - They asked: what animal? - She answered: Khluatu. I was pregnant with him for many years. “They asked: where did they put him?” - She answered: he was thrown into the water. The people ran away, they said that I had a delusion, because I gave birth to a beast.
She went and asked in the village, she said: Has Nhlan-guhlangu rebuilt here? They showed her the river. She went and came there; she saw the boy and he said: so-and-so is coming. She entered the house at the entrance to the village. She greeted the mistress of the house and she asked her, she said: how is it in your stomach? - she answered: cool. “She said: I’m asking because I know that there was a beast in you.” —
She answered: everything is already in order. “She asked: what does the leader think about me?” - The woman answered: he laughs at this. People say: there she died and the leader rejoices. They say: he did the right thing by leaving her in the old village, even if she recovered. She would again give birth to another inspiration.
The woman she was staying with came out and went in to the leader; she came, and the leader was sleeping. “She asked the child, she said: is the leader sleeping?” - The leader answered: I lay down. “The woman said: the mother of the snake has come.” “The leader stood up, sat down and asked: where did she come from?” — The woman answered: she says that she came from an old village. “It was ordered: go call her.” The woman came out, called her, came with her and entered the house. - The leader said: hello. She answered. - He asked: how is your stomach? - She answered: cool.
She stayed, they gave her food and she ate it. “People said: don’t continue talking to her, another obsession may come.” They built her a house; they placed it at the entrance. She lived there. She quarreled with other wives. “They said: are you arrogant?” because you gave birth only to a beast? And she was ashamed. “It was said that you would give birth to a leader who would rule over our children.” You're a dog now. Don't make us say any more: we gave birth to a village. You're just a dog. Why don't you return to the pond where your child lives? “She said: Why are you laughing at me?” “They said: we see that you came to us out of insolence.” She fell silent.
“The leader said: leave her.” I thought she would give me a leader. She gave birth to inspiration. Stop laughing at her for this. She didn't make herself. “They asked: what do we need it for?” Let her be silent and not speak, because she will be the leader, for she gave birth to a snake. “She said: leave me, I won’t repeat myself.” I saw that you accepted me this way because I gave birth to a beast. They fell silent. The snake remained in the water. The child shed the snake's skin; it stuck out its hand as a boy; he shed his skin
snakes. Many boys appeared, following in order of birth. Everything is entirely the product of their mother. - Nhlatu-yesiziba spoke, he said, Itombi-ntombi, we are relatives. They remained in the pond. “He said: let’s go out, let’s climb up.” They came out of the water. “He said: let’s go home.” There were ten of them: five boys, five girls too.
They headed towards the old village. “They said: let’s look for the bones of bulls.” They found a dozen bones. They said: let's put them in order, make bulls. They put them together, they raised the bulls. “They said: let’s climb on them.” Nhlatu-yesiziba's bull was Mpengempe. - The boy spoke, he said: shout as always to Mpengempe. We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and abandoned us; we ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabaluvume. They all set off, mounting the bulls. They passed the village.
The chief Nhlatu-yesiziba said, he said: let us return; Let's not pass by the village. The bull screamed. - The leader said: shout as always to Mpengempe. We are looking for our mother. She gave birth, she abandoned us; we ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabaluvume. “The people said: move on.”
They went and came to the village. They met the returning cattle. His sister hit the bull. “She said: scream as always.” We are looking for our mother. She gave birth, she left us. We ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabaluvume. - The people said: move on.
They came to the village of Kuzangue. People asked: whose are you? “They answered: we are the children of Nhlangunhlangu.” — People asked: where were you? “They answered: “We were in the water.” They hit the bull. “They said: shout as always, Mpengempe.” We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and abandoned us; we ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabaluvume. “They said: we are looking for our mother.” She gave birth and abandoned us; we ate the earth and grew. “The people said: move on.”
They came to the village where their mother was born; they stopped at the entrance; They hit the bull and said: shout like
always, Mpengempe. We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and abandoned us; we ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubundu-abaluwume. An old woman came out of the house and said: Do you hear this? Didn't my child give birth to an abandoned beast? It was said: strike again. They hit and said: shout as always, Mpengempe. We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and abandoned us; we ate the earth, we grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabaluvume.
It was said to them: get down to the ground. They refused. The bulls were stopped and two bulls were captured; They asked and said: whose are you? - The children answered: we are the children of Nhlangun-hlangu. - It was said: where were you? - They answered: our mother gave birth to a snake. It was ordered to be thrown away. Our mother was left in the old village. It was said that she would again give birth to another inspiration. They left, and she was left behind. - They asked, they said: where was your mother born as a girl? - The boy answered: at Bundubunduabaluvume. “Their grandmother spoke, she said: it was about my child who gave birth to a snake, it was said: she will give birth to a leader.” She gave birth to a beast. And they left her.
Many bulls were slaughtered; people gathered; it was said, come see the children who came out of the snake. “It was said: let them show the way.” They were shown the way. They met people. “People asked: whose children are these?” “It was said: they are Nhlangunhlangu.” They walked past. They met with people. “People asked: whose children are these?” They walked with the old woman who gave birth to their mother. - It was asked: where were they? - It was answered: they were in the pond. Where were they? it was answered: they were in the snake. - They asked: are they the ones about whom Nhlangunhlangu spoke, that they turned into beasts? The people showed them the village of Nhlangunhlangu. They went straight to him. They came home. It was said: go out, look at the beautiful children. It looks like they were born by the same person. They stood at the entrance. Their mother came out. “They hit the bull and said: shout as always, Mpengempe.” We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and abandoned
us; we ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabalu-wume.
Their mother screamed, she said: these people are tearing me apart. - She said: it seems that they were talking about me and mentioned my mother’s nickname. “It was said: repeat with him.” The children hit the bull and said: shout as always, Mpengempe. We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and abandoned us; we ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubun-duabaluwume.
The people were gathered, the leader was called, and he was told to come and have a look. The leader came and sat down on the ground. “The people said: the leader orders, hit the bull.” The bull screamed. “They said: shout as always, Mpengempe.” We are looking for our mother. She gave birth and left us. We ate the earth and grew. We are the children of Bundubunduabaluvume.
The grandmother was asked, she was told: since you are going. with these children, where did you get them? “She answered: when they arrived, they were asked where they came from. They replied that they had come from the backwater. It was asked: were they thrown into the pool? They answered: it was a snake. They asked: who was your father? - They said: they are Nhlangunhlangu. - They asked: did you see that you were a snake? - They answered: we saw. — They asked: who were you born to? - They answered: we were born such and such. “It was said: get off the bulls.” They refused.
The chief asked: do you know well that your father is Nhlangunhlangu? - They answered: we know well. - The people asked: does your mother have no other children? - They answered: no. - They asked: How many times did your mother give birth? - They answered: she gave birth once and gave birth to a snake. - They asked: what kind of snake? - They answered: Nkhlatu. “They asked: when she was born, where was she put?” - They answered: she was born and thrown into the pool. “They asked: how many months was she pregnant?” - They answered: many months. “They asked: wasn’t your mother pregnant along with the others?” - They answered: she was pregnant along with others; in the end they gave birth, they
overtook her. Then they became pregnant with others again; and again they overtook her. Finally they gave birth to many, and our mother was still pregnant. Finally she shed her skin and gave birth to Nhlata. The snake took many days to be born; it filled the house and the women ran out. They shouted and asked: is she alive? “She answered: I’m alive.” It was asked: is the snake not over yet? She answered: it is over. They forced a man to enter the house, he told them to throw a stake at him so that they could find his head; he unwrapped the snake and said: now I saw the head. He said, throw me the rope too. He tied it around her neck.
It was asked: have you heard all this? - Nhlatu-yesiziba answered: I heard, but I did not see. It was asked: how did you hear? - He answered: I heard the conversation. - They asked: who spoke? - He answered: he spoke to Nhlangun-hlangu. “They asked: where did he order to throw the snake?” He answered: throw it into the creek. - It was asked: did you see people lifting the snake? - He answered: I felt it. They asked: did they lift it up? “He answered: they dragged her along the ground and threw her into the pool. “They asked: have you seen them?” “He answered: I felt it.” They asked: okay, but how did you get out? - He answered: I climbed up. “They asked: how did you get up?” - He answered: I stuck out my hand. - They asked: what did you do? - I shed my skin. “They asked: what did you do with the skin?” - He answered: I tore it off. - They asked: what appeared from inside? - He answered: a dozen people appeared. They stood up, getting out in order of birth. - It was asked: how many people? - He answered: a dozen people. “It was said: point to the one who followed you?” He pointed him out. “It was said: you also point out the next one.” He pointed it out. “It was said: and you indicate the next one.” He pointed it out. It was like that with all of them.
It was said: indicate your mother. He pointed to his mother. — It was asked: what is your mother’s house? “He said: this one is at the entrance to the village.” — It was asked: how did it happen that your mother’s house was placed at the entrance? - Answer
he said: it was done to upset, for she gave birth to a snake.
His father ordered the whole tribe to round up the bulls. They brought a dozen bulls. They ordered Nhlatu-yesiziba to come down. He got down to the ground. They brought a dozen bulls; they were given to his sister, who was born after him. She came down to earth. The others were told to get down and gifts were distributed.
Their mother was happy. “His father took Nhlata-yesizib by the hand and said: let’s go to the upper house.” Nhlatu-yesiziba refused and said: I will enter my mother's house. - His father said: my child, what can I do: the house is in the lower part? - He said: I see that my mother was oppressed. - He said: my child, I saw that she gave birth to a beast. The great woman was driven out of the upper part where she lived, there was another great woman. “The leader said: I did this because she did not give birth, but gave birth to a snake.” I said that she is the one who will give birth to the leader. And he said: Today my leader has appeared; you will all be subject to Nhlat-yesi-ziba.
Nhlatu-yesiziba ruled himself. The others were his subordinates. His father took everything he had, he gave it to him. “He said: I will give him everything down to the smallest detail.” “He said: all my people will be his, and mine will be his.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru