This man was a young king. As he had gone with other people to trade, his companions noted that he was bringing back a large amount of goods. So, being mere blacks, they became quite jealous and said: “Let us kill him.”
In fact, they fell upon him and left him dead. After that they threw his body into the bush.
He was then changed into a little bird, with pretty colours and cowries all over the body, which went and perched on the top of a tree in front of the criminals. He then sang:
“Let the big drum roll!”
Chorus: “Let the big drum roll!”
“It flaps the wings,
“The little bird that has come out from the deep river,
“From the great river of THEM.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“At the great river of beads and pearls
“I have found fowls which pound
“Using mortars hewn from blood trees.
[The mulombe, ‘blood-tree,’ lets out sap red like blood.]
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Using mortars hewn from the blood-trees,
“Their beaks are all white.
“Here! Njemba [Njemba is the sister of the dead chief],
where are you?
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls
“From the land I-wash-the-wrongs.
[This song gives a pretty exact idea of the notions which the Bantu natives entertain regarding a future life. The souls (of the dead), though ‘having no feet,’ are supposed to go to a deep river of THEM (God) far away, not a simple mulonga, ‘river,’ but a ri-ronga, ‘big deep river,’ where God washes the wrongs clean, and where birds, with beaks all white—that is, innocent souls—cry vengeance against the spilling of blood.]
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“The land Where-I-wash-the-wrongs!
“It is far here where you have brought me,
“Me who have no feet.
“Let the big drum roll!”
Njemba was the sister of the dead chief.
When those people heard that song, they caught the little bird and killed it by beating it.
They had hardly resumed their march when they saw the little bird alive once more going ahead of them, and heard it sing:
“Let the big drum roll!”
Chorus: “Let the big drum roll!”
“It flaps the wings,
“The little bird that has come out from the deep river,
“From the great river of THEM.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“At the great river of beads and pearls
“I have found fowls which pound
“Using mortars hewn from blood trees.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Using mortars hewn from the blood-trees,
“Their beaks are all white.
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls
“From the land I-wash-the-wrongs.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“The land Where-I-wash-the-wrongs!
“It is far here where you hare brought me,
“Me who have no feet.
“Let the big drum roll!”
Once more they caught it and killed it, then this time said: “Let us burn it to ashes.”
So they put it on the fire, reduced it to a cinder, then ground it to ashes.
But it got up again, flew into the air, and went on singing as before...
“Let the big drum roll!”
Chorus: “Let the big drum roll!”
“It flaps the wings,
“The little bird that has come out from the deep river,
“From the great river of THEM.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“At the great river of beads and pearls
“I have found fowls which pound
“Using mortars hewn from blood trees.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Using mortars hewn from the blood-trees,
“Their beaks are all white.
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls
“From the land I-wash-the-wrongs.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“The land Where-I-wash-the-wrongs!
“It is far here where you hare brought me,
“Me who have no feet.
“Let the big drum roll!”
...until it flew away in the direction of their kraal.
When it reached the place the people saw it come down on the top of the royal house and perch there.
“Come,” they said, “and see what a pretty bird.”
They just heard it sing:
“Let the big drum roll!”
Chorus: “Let the big drum roll!”
“It flaps the wings,
“The little bird that has come out from the deep river,
“From the great river of THEM.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“At the great river of beads and pearls
“I have found fowls which pound
“Using mortars hewn from blood trees.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Using mortars hewn from the blood-trees,
“Their beaks are all white.
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls
“From the land I-wash-the-wrongs.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“The land Where-I-wash-the-wrongs!
“It is far here where you hare brought me,
“Me who have no feet.
“Let the big drum roll!”
Now those people are coming to the kraal: “You have reappeared!” “We have reappeared.”
“And the king, where have you left him?”
They answer: “On the road.”
Then: “Really? On the road! Come and see a little bird which is on the roof of the royal house.”
They at once said: “Let us kill it.”
Meanwhile some people are digging a hole in the ground.
Then Njemba says: “No, don’t kill it. Let us hear the news first.”
Just then the little bird started its song again:
“Let the big drum roll!”
Chorus: “Let the big drum roll!”
“It flaps the wings,
“The little bird that has come out from the deep river,
“From the great river of THEM.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“At the great river of beads and pearls
“I have found fowls which pound
“Using mortars hewn from blood trees.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Using mortars hewn from the blood-trees,
“Their beaks are all white.
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Here! Njemba, where are you?
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Start threading pearls,
“Brilliant pearls
“From the land I-wash-the-wrongs.
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“Let the big drum roll!
“The land Where-I-wash-the-wrongs!
“It is far here where you hare brought me,
“Me who have no feet.
“Let the big drum roll!”
“Go into the hut, that you may explain to us exactly what the little bird sings.”
They went and sat down in the hut on the mat spread there, but then powowowo, they tumbled down into the hole. Boiling water was brought at once and poured on top of them. That is how they died.
I am Mumba.