here the ogre lived, and they
went straight to his hut. He was nowhere to be seen, but in his place
was his son Masilo, who was not an ogre at all, but a very polite
young man. He ordered his servants to bring a pile of skins for
Thakane to sit on, but told her father he must sit on the ground.
Then, catching sight of the girl's face, which she had kept bent down,
he was struck by its beauty, and put the same question that the
rabbit, and the elands, and the gazelles had done.

Thakane answered him as before, and he instantly commanded that she
should be taken to the hut of his mother, and placed under her care,
while the man should be led to his father. Directly the ogre saw him
he bade the servant throw him into the great pot which always stood
ready on the fire, and in five minutes he was done to a turn. After
that the servant returned to Masilo and related all that had happened.

Now Masilo had fallen in love with Thakane the moment he saw her. At
first he did not know what to make of this strange feeling, for all
his life he had hated women, and had refused several brides whom his
parents had chosen for him. However, they were so anxious that he
should marry, that they willingly accepted Thakane as their
daughter-in-law, though she did not bring any marriage portion with
her.

After some time a baby was born to her, and Thakane thought it was the
most beautiful baby that ever was seen. But when her mother-in-law saw
it was a girl, she wrung her hands and wept, saying:

'O miserable mother! Miserable child! Alas for you! why were you not a
boy!'

Thakane, in great surprise, asked the meaning of her distress; and the
old woman told her that it was the custom in that country that all
the girls who were born should be given to the ogre to eat.

Then Thakane clasped the baby tightly in her arms, and cried:

'But it is not the custom in _my_ country! There, when children die,
they are buried in the earth. No one shall take my baby from me.'

That night, when everyone in the hut was asleep, Thakane rose, and
carrying her baby on her back, went down to a place where the river
spread itself out into a large lake, with tall willows all round the
bank. Here, hidden from everyone, she sat down on a stone and began to
think what she should do to save her child.

Suddenly she heard a rustling among the willows, and an old woman
appeared before her.

'What are you crying for, my dear?' said she.

And Thakane answere