There came Giraffe, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Zebra, who said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Gemsbok, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Wildebeest, and said, "Give me water!" Tortoise said, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Roodebok, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise answered, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Springbok, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise said, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Jackal, and said to Tortoise, "Give me water!" Tortoise said, "The water belongs to Elephant."
There came Lion, and said, "Little Tortoise, give me water!" When little Tortoise was about to say something, Lion got hold of him and beat him; Lion drank of the water, and since then the animals drink water.
When Elephant came back from the hunting, he said, "Little Tortoise, is there water?" Tortoise answered, "The animals have drunk the water." Elephant asked, "Little Tortoise, shall I chew you or swallow you down?" Little Tortoise said, "Swallow me, if you please!" and Elephant swallowed him whole.
After Elephant had swallowed Little Tortoise, and he had entered his body, he tore off his liver, heart, and kidneys. Elephant said, "Little Tortoise, you kill me."
So Elephant died; but little Tortoise came out of his dead body, and went wherever he liked.
Giraffe and Tortoise, they say, met one day. Giraffe said to Tortoise, "At once I could trample you to death." Tortoise, being afraid, remained silent. Then Giraffe said, "At once I could swallow you." Tortoise said, in answer to this, "Well, I just belong to the family of those whom it has always been customary to swallow." Then Giraffe swallowed Tortoise; but when the latter was being gulped down, he stuck in Giraffe's throat, and as the latter could not get it down, he was choked to death.
When Giraffe was dead, Tortoise crawled out and went to Crab (who is considered as the mother of Tortoise), and told her what had happened. Then Crab said:
"The little Crab! I could sprinkle it under its arm with Boochoo,[3] The crooked-legged little one, I could sprinkle under its arm."