Arthur Owen Vaughan - Old Hendriks Tales

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Captain Arthur Owen Vaughan

"Old Hendrik's Tales"

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Chapter One.

Why Old Baboon has that Kink in his Tail.

The day was hot, and the koppies simmered blue and brown along the Vaal River. Noon had come, dinner was done. Allah Mattie! said the grey old kitchen boy to himself, as he stretched to sleep in the shade of the mimosa behind the house. Allah Mattie! but it near break my back in dem tobacco lands dis mawnin. I sleep now.

He stretched himself with a slow groan of pleasure, settling his face upon his hands as he lay, soaking in comfort. In three minutes he was asleep.

But round the corner of the house came the three children, the eldest a ten-year-old, the youngest six. With a whoop and a dash the eldest flung himself astride the old Hottentots back, the youngest rode the legs behind, while the girl, the eight-year-old with the yellow hair and the blue eyes, darted to the old mans head and caught him fast with both hands. Ou Ta! Ou Ta! she cried. Now youre Ou Jackalse and were Ou Wolf, and weve got you this time at last. She wanted to dance in the triumph of it, could she have done it without letting go.

Old Hendrik woke between a grunt and a groan, but the merry clamour of the little girl would have none of that. Now weve got you, Ou Jackalse, cried she again.

The old mans yellow face looked up in a sly grin. Ah, Anniekye, said he unctuously; but Ou Wolf never did ketch Ou Jackalse. He aint never bin slim enough yet. He make a big ole try dat time when he got Oom Baviyan to help him; but all dey got was dat kink in Ou Baviyans tailyou can see it yet.

But how did old Bobbyjohn get that kink in his tail? You never told us that, Ou Ta, protested Annie.

The old Hottentot smiled to the little girl, and then straightway sighed to himself. If you little folks only knowed de Taal, said he plaintively. It dont soun de same in you Englis somehow. He shook his head sadly over English as the language for a Hottentot story handed down in the Boer tongue. He had been long enough in the service of this English family (an American father and Australian mother) to know enough of the language for bald use; though, being a Hottentot, he had never mastered the th, as a Basuto or other Bantu might have done, and was otherwise uncertain alsothe pronunciation of a word often depending upon that of the words next before and after it. But English was not fond enough, nor had diminutives enough, for a kitchen tale as a house Kaffir loves to tell it.

None the less, his eyes brightened till the smile danced in his face as his words began. Ou Wolfwell, Ou Wolf, hed a seen a lot less trouble if he hant had sich a wife, for Ou Missis Wolf she yust had a temper like a meer-cat. Folks use to woner how Ou Wolf manage wid her, an Ou Jackalse use to say to him, Allah man! if she was ony my wife for about five minutes shed fin out enough to tink on as longs she keep a-livin. An den Ou Jackalse, hed hit is hat back on to de back of his head an hed step slouchin an fair snort agen a-grinnin.

But Ou Wolf ud look behind to see if his missis was hearin, an den hed shake his head, an stick his hands in his pockets an walk off an tink. Hed see some mighty tall tinkin yust up over his head, but he couldn somehow seem to get a-hold of it.

Well, one mawnin Missis Wolf she get up, an she look on de hooks an dere aint no meat, an she look in de pot an dere aint no mealies. Allah Crachty! says she, but dat Ou Wolf is about de laziest skellum ever any woman wore hersef out wid. Ill ketch my deat of him afore Is done.

Den she look outside, an dere she seen Ou Wolf a-settin on de stoop in de sun. He was yust a-waitin, sort o quiet an patient, for his breakfas, never dreamin nothin about bein banged about de yead wid a mealie ladle, when out flops Missis Wolf, an fair bangs him a biff on one side his head wid de long spoon. You lazy skellum! ses she, an bash she lams him on his tother year. Wheres darie (that there) meat for de breakfas I don know? ses she, an whack she smack him right on top his head. Off you go an fetch some dis ver minute, ses she, an Ou Wolf he don say no moh, but he yust offs, an he offs wid a yump too, I can tell you.

Ou Wolf as he go he woner how hes goin to get dat meat quick enough. I tink Ill get Ou Jackalse to come along a-huntin too, ses he. Hes mighty slim when he aint no need to be, an praps if hed be slim a-huntin dis mawnin wed ketch sometin quicker. An Ou Wolf rub his head in two-tree places as he tink of it.

Now Ou Jackalse, he was a-sittin in de sun agen de wall of his house, a-wonerin where hes gun to get breakfas, cause he feel dat hungry an yet he feel dat lazy dat he wish de grass was sheep so he could lie down to it. But grass aint sheep till its inside one, an so Missis Jackalse, inside a-spankin little Ainkye, was a-wonerin where shes gun to get some breakfas to stop it a-squallin. I yust wish you daddy ud tink a bit oftener where Is gun to get bones for you, ses she.

Little Ainkye, she stop an listen to dat, an den she tink awhile, but she fin she dont get no fatter on ony talk about bones, an fus ting her mammy know she puts her two hans up to her eyes an fair dives into squallin agen.

Missis Jackalse she ketches hold o Ainkye an gives her such a shakin till her eyes fly wide open. Is yust about tired o hearin all dat row, ses she. An while Ainkyes quiet considerin dat, Missis Jackalse she hear Ou Wolf come along outside, axin her Ou Baas aint he comin huntin dis mawnin? Den she hear Ou Jackalse answer back, sort o tired like. But I cahnt come. Is sick.

Den Ainkye lets out a squall fit to split, an her mammy she biffs her a bash dat sprise her quite quiet, before she stick her head out o de doh an say, mighty tremblin likeI dont tink we got no meat fo breakfas at all, Ou Man.

But Ou Jackalse he aint a troublin hissef about no womens talk. He dont turn his ead nor notin. He yust hutch hissef closer to de wall to bake hissef some more, an he say agenI tell you Is sick, an I cahnt go huntin dis mawnin, nohow.

Missis Jackalse she pop her head inside agen mighty quick at dat, an Ou Wolf he sling off down de spruit wid his back up. Ou Jackalse he yust sit still in de sun an watch him go, an he ses to hissef ses he: Now dats big ole luck fo me. If he hant a come along like dat I don know but Id a had to go an ketch sometin mysef, Im dat ongry. But now itll be all right when he come back wid some sort o buck.

Den he turn his head to de doh. Frowickie, ses he to his missis inside, soft an chucklin, tell Ainkye to stop dat squallin an bawlin. Ou Wolfs gone huntin, an yust as sure as he come back well have all de breakfas we want. Tell er if she dont stop anyhow Ill come inside to her.

Missis Jackalse she frown at Ainkye. You hear dat now, ses she, an you better be quiet now less you want to have you daddy come in to you. An Ainkye she say, Well, will you le me play wid your tail den? An her mammy she say, All right, an dey gun a-laughin an a-goin on in whispers. But Ou Jackalse he yust sit an keep on bakin hissef in de sun by de wall.

Bynby here comes Ou Wolf back agen, an a big fat Eland on his back, an de sweat yust a-drippin off him. An when he comes past de house he look up an dere he see Ou Jackalse yust a-settin an a-bakin, an a-makin slow marks in de dust wid his toes now an agen, an lookin might comfy. An Ou Wolf he feel darie big fat Eland more bigger an heavier dan ever on his back, an he feel dat savage at Ou Jackalse dat he had to look toder way, for fear hed let out all his bad words

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