--- title: The Runaway Children; Or, the Wonderful Feather. — Kaffir folk-lore · full text with trees description: The Runaway Children; Or, the Wonderful Feather., «Kaffir folk-lore» by George McCall Theal: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Once in a time of famine a woman left her home and went to live in a distant village, where she became a cannibal. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg71335/12/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Kaffir folk-lore](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg71335/) / The Runaway Children; Or, the Wonderfu… # The Runaway Children; Or, the Wonderful Feather. The Runaway Children; Or, the Wonderful Feather. of «Kaffir folk-lore» by George McCall Theal: the whole text, 52 sentences and 920 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Once in a time of famine a woman left her home and went to live in a distant village, where she became a cannibal.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") She had one son, whose name was Magoda.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") She ate all the people in that village, until only herself and Magoda remained.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she was compelled to hunt animals, but she caught people still when she could.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") In hunting she learned to be very swift of foot, and could run so fast that nothing she pursued could escape from her.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Her brother, who remained at home when she left, had two daughters, whom he did not treat very kindly.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he sent them to the river for water, which they were to carry in two pots.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") These pots were made of clay, and were the nicest and most valuable in the village.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the girls fell down on a rock and broke the pot she was carrying.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she did not know what to do, because she was afraid to go back to her father.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") She sat down and cried, but that did not help, the pot would not be whole again.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she said to her sister: “Let us go away to another place, where our father will not be able to find us.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") She was the younger and the cleverer of the two, and so she persuaded her sister.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") They walked away in the opposite direction from their home, and for two days had nothing but gum to eat.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they saw a fire at a distance, and went to it, where they saw a house.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") It was the house of their aunt, but they did not know it.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") They were afraid to go in, but Magoda came out and talked to them.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") When he heard who they were, he was sorry for them, and told them their aunt was a cannibal, giving them advice not to stay there.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") But just then they heard her coming, so they went into Magoda’s house and hid themselves, for he lived in one house and his mother in another.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The woman came and said: “I smell something nice; what is it, my son?”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Magoda said there was nothing.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") She replied: “Surely I smell fat children.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") But as she did not go in, they remained concealed that night.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The next morning Nomagoda (so called because she was the mother of Magoda) went out to hunt, but she did not go far, so the children could not get away.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") They went into her house, where they saw a person with only one arm, one side, and one leg.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The person said to them: “See, the cannibal has eaten the rest of me; take care of yourselves.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") When it was nearly dark, Nomagoda came home again, bringing some animals which she had killed.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") She smelt that children had been in the house, so she went to her son’s house and looked in.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") She said to Magoda: “Why do you not give me some?[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Do I not catch animals for you?”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she saw the children, and was very glad.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") She took them to her house, and told them to sleep.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") They lay down, but were too frightened to close their eyes.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") They heard their aunt say, “Axe, be sharp; axe, be sharp;” and to let her know that they were awake, they spoke of vermin biting them.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") After a while the cannibal went to sleep, when they crept out, first putting two blocks of wood in their places, and ran away as fast as they could.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") When Nomagoda awoke, she took the axe and went to kill them, but the axe fell on the blocks of wood.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as it was day, the cannibal pursued the children.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") They looked behind, and saw clouds of dust which she made as she ran.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") There was a tall tree just in front of them, so they hastened to climb up it, and sat down among the branches.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Nomagoda came to the tree and commenced to cut it down; but when a chip fell out, a bird (Ntengu) sang—[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ntengu, ntengu, Chips, return to your places, Chips, return to your places, Chips, be fast.”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The chip then went back to its place and was fast again.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") This happened three times; but Nomagoda, who was very angry, caught the bird and swallowed it.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") When she put it in her mouth, one of the feathers dropped to the ground.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she began to chop at the tree again; but as soon as a chip was loose the feather sang—[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ntengu, ntengu, Chips, return to your places, Chips, return to your places, Chips, be fast”[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") The chip then stuck fast again.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The cannibal chopped till she was tired, but the feather continued to keep the tree from receiving harm.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she tried to catch the feather, but it flew about too quickly for her, until she sank down exhausted on the ground at the foot of the tree.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") The children, up in the branches, could see a long way off; and as they strained their eyes, they observed three dogs as big as calves, and they knew these dogs belonged to their father, who was seeking for them.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") So they called them by name, and the dogs came running to the tree and ate up the cannibal, who was too tired to make her escape.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus the children were delivered, and their father was so glad to get them back again that he forgave them for breaking the pot and running away.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Story of Demane and Demazana.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg71335/11/) - next →: [Story of Ironside and His Sister.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg71335/13/) - ↑ back to [Kaffir folk-lore](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg71335/)