---
title: The Story of the Bird That Made Milk. II. — Kaffir folk-lore · full text with trees
description: The Story of the Bird That Made Milk. II., «Kaffir folk-lore» by George McCall Theal: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The following is another version of this story of the Bird that made Milk, as current among the Barolongs, a tribe speaking the 
---

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# The Story of the Bird That Made Milk. II.

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The Story of the Bird That Made Milk. II. of «Kaffir folk-lore» by George McCall Theal: the whole text, 96 sentences and 1467 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself.

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The following is another version of this story of the Bird that made Milk, as current among the Barolongs, a tribe speaking the Sechuana language, and residing beyond the Orange River.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It was written down for me by an educated grandson of the late chief Moroko.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics")

It is said that there was once a great town in a certain place, which had many people living in it.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") They lived upon grain only.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") One year there was a great famine.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") There was in that town a poor man, by name Masilo, and his wife.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") One day they went to dig in their garden, and they continued digging the whole day long.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") In the evening, when the digging companies returned home, they returned also.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Then there came a bird and stood upon the house which was beside the garden, and began to whistle, and said:[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Masilo’s cultivated ground, mix together.”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics")

The ground did as the bird said.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") After that was done the bird went away.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics")

In the morning, when Masilo and his wife went to the garden, they were in doubt, and said:[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Is it really the place we were digging yesterday?”[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics")

They saw that it was the place by the people working on each side.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The people began to laugh at them, and mocked them, and said: “It is because you are very lazy.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics")

They continued to dig again that day, and in the evening they went home with the others.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then the bird came and did the same thing.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics")

When they went back next morning, they found their ground altogether undug.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they believed that they were bewitched by some others.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics")

They continued digging that day again.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") But in the evening when the companies returned, Masilo said to his wife:[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Go home; I will stay behind to watch and find the thing which eats our work.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then he went and laid himself down by the head of the garden, under the same house which the bird used always to stand upon.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") While he was thinking, the bird came.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") It was a very beautiful bird.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He was looking at it and admiring it, when it began to speak.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics")

It said: “Masilo’s cultivated ground, mix together.”[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then he caught it, and said: “Ah! is it you who eat the work of our hands?”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics")

He took out his knife from the sheath, and was going to cut the head of the bird off.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then the bird said: “Please don’t kill me, and I will make some milk for you to eat.”[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics")

Masilo answered: “You must bring back the work of my hands first.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics")

The bird said: “Masilo’s cultivated ground, appear,” and it appeared.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Masilo said: “Make the milk now,” and, behold, it immediately made thick milk, which Masilo began to eat.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") When he was satisfied, he took the bird home.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") As he approached his house, he put the bird in his bag.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics")

When he entered his house, he said to his wife, “Wash all the largest beer pots which are in the house,” but his wife was angry on account of her hunger, and she answered: “What have you to put in such large pots?”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics")

Masilo said to her: “Just hear me, and do as I command you, then you will see.”[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics")

When she was ready with the pots, Masilo took his bird out of his bag, and said: “Make milk for my children to eat.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then the bird filled all the beer pots with milk.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics")

They commenced to eat, and when they were finished, Masilo charged his children, saying,[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Beware that you do not tell anybody of this, not one of your companions.”[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics")

They swore by him that they would not tell anybody.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics")

Masilo and his family then lived upon this bird.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The people were surprised when they saw him and his family.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") They said:[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Why are the people at Masilo’s house so fat?[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") He is so poor, but now since his garden has appeared he and his children are so fat!”[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics")

They tried to watch and to see what he was eating, but they never could find out at all.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics")

One morning Masilo and his wife went to work in their garden, and about the middle of the same day the children of that town met together to play.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") They met just before Masilo’s house.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") While they were playing the others said to Masilo’s children:[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Why are you so fat while we remain so thin?”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics")

They answered: “Are we then fat?[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") We thought we were thin just as you are.”[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics")

They would not tell them the cause.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") The others continued to press them, and said: “We won’t tell anybody.”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then the children of Masilo said: “There is a bird in our father’s house which makes milk.”[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics")

The others said: “Please show us the bird.”[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics")

They went into the house and took it out of the secret place where their father had placed it.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") They ordered it as their father used to order it, and it made milk, which their companions drank, for they were very hungry.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics")

After drinking they said: “Let it dance for us,” and they loosened it from the place where it was tied.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics")

The bird began to dance in the house, but one said: “This place is too confined,” so they took it outside of the house.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") While they were enjoying themselves and laughing, the bird flew away, leaving them in great dismay.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics")

Masilo’s children said: “Our father will this day kill us, therefore we must go after the bird.”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics")

So they followed it, and continued going after it the whole day long, for when they were at a distance it would sit still for a little while, and when they approached it would fly away.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics")

When the digging companies returned from digging, the people of that town cried for their children, for they did not know what had become of them.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") But when Masilo went into the house and could not find his bird, he knew where the children were, but he did not tell any of their parents.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") He was very sorry for his bird, for he knew that he had lost his food.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics")

When evening set in, the children determined to return to their home, but there came a storm of rain with heavy thunder, and they were very much afraid.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") Among them was a brave boy, named Mosemanyanamatong, who encouraged them, and said:[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Do not be afraid; I can command a house to build itself.”[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics")

They said: “Please command it.”[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics")

He said: “House appear,” and it appeared, and also wood for fire.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the children entered the house and made a large fire, and began to roast some wild roots which they dug out of the ground.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics")

While they were roasting the roots and were merry, there came a big cannibal, and they heard his voice saying: “Mosemanyanamatong, give me some of the wild roots you have.”[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics")

They were afraid, and the brave boy said to the girls and to the other boys, “Give me some of yours.”[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics")

They gave to him, and he threw the roots outside.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") While the cannibal was still eating, they went out and fled.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") He finished eating the roots, and then pursued them.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") When he approached they scattered some more roots upon the ground, and while he was picking them up and eating, they fled.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics")

At length they came among mountains, where trees were growing.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") The girls were already very tired, so they all climbed up a tall tree.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") The cannibal came there, and tried to cut the tree down with his sharp and long nail.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then the brave boy said to the girls: “While I am singing you must continue saying, ‘Tree be strong, Tree be strong!’”[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics")

He sang this song:[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics")

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“It is foolish, It is foolish to be a traveller, And to go on a journey With the blood of girls upon one\![87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") While we were roasting wild roots A great darkness fell upon us.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") It was not darkness, It was awful gloom!”[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics")

While he was singing, there came a great bird and hovered over them, and said: “Hold fast to me.”[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics")

The children held fast to the bird, and it flew away with them, and took them to their own town.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics")

It was midnight when it arrived there, and it sat down at the gate of Mosemanyanamatong’s mother’s house.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics")

In the morning, when that woman came out of her house, she took ashes and cast upon the bird, for she said: “This bird knows where our children are.”[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics")

At midday the bird sent word to the chief, saying, “Command all your people to spread mats in all the paths.”[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics")

The chief commanded them to do so.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the bird brought all the children out, and the people were greatly delighted.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics")

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- ← previous: [Story of the Bird That Made Milk. I.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg71335/3/)
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