August 7, 2022 • 13 mins
View our full collection of podcasts & audiobooks at: https://www.solgoodmedia.com
or on our YouTube channel: https://www.solgood.org/subscribe
or on our YouTube channel: https://www.solgood.org/subscribe
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The ostrich hunt. The next day, all the time that was not given
to lessons and meals was spent bythe little boys in scouring the felt for
a red tortoise. Disappointment at theirfruitless search found vent in no measured terms.
When Ota Carroll appeared in the diningroom at his usual hour, ach
(00:23):
to hear them now, he said, regarding them with his wide mouthed smile
of amused tolerance. Does it thenreign red tortoises? And how can the
Bassies think they will find at thefirst shot a thing that only comes once
in a thousand years? Well,said villem stoutly. It might just have
(00:44):
been the time for one. Howwere we to know, Ota asked little
Yan earnestly. Do you know whenit will be red tortoise time again?
A yah, Bassi said Ota readily. It won't be long. Now.
Let Ota think He performed a tattooon the red koptuk, a sure sign
(01:07):
that he was in the thick ofmental gymnastics. What comes just before a
thousand? My Busses nine hundred andninety nine, answered Pity, who was
good at arithmetic? Now? Yes, said Ota triumphantly, I knew it
must be nearly time. It isnine hundred and ninety nine years since there
(01:29):
was a red tortoise. So nextyear this time busses can begin to look
for one. Only begin my bussies, because it will only be creeping out
of the egg then, And perhapsit won't be in this felt. It
might be far far away where peopledon't know about a red tortoise, and
(01:49):
so no one will look for him. Must Ota tell you another story about
him? The sly old man hadtaken the best way of escaping more questions.
The little boys gathered round and listenedwide eyed as he told the story
of the tortoises hunting the ostriches.After Obas Giraffe was dead, the tortoises
(02:14):
had a nice life for a longtime. And then there came into their
felt old three sticks, the ostrichwith his Mamma and Papa and his wives
and uncles and aunties and children andfriends. Allah, they were a lot
of ostriches. The whole felt wasfull of them, and they all began
(02:36):
eating tortoises wherever they could find them. It was just the same like when
Obas Giraffe used to go about,and the tortoises thought and thought, and
they talked and talked, but theycouldn't make a plan that would drive the
ostriches away. The little red tortoisewas thinking too, but he didn't talk
(02:59):
till he had his plan ready.Then he called all the tortoises together.
The old ones came because they wantedto hear what the wise little red one
had to say. And the youngones came because ever since he had killed
obas giraffe, they had listened tohim. When they were all together,
(03:21):
he said, it now goes ontoo long, this hunting of tortoises by
old three Sticks and his friends.Let us change places, and let us
the tortoise people go and hunt ostriches. Beep beeep, cried all the young
tortoises. They were quite ready.But the old one said, is this,
(03:44):
the wise little red one, howis it possible for us to hunt
ostriches. It is possible, becauseostriches never run straight, but always a
little in the round and a littlein the round, so that in the
end, if they run long enough, they come again to the place they
began from. Now, yes,on a certain day, let us then
(04:09):
go into the felt where the ostricheslike to hunt, and let us make
two long rows, not straight out, but always in the round, one
ring very large outside and the othersmaller inside. Then when Old three Sticks
and his friends come, we willcall to one another and drive them on,
(04:30):
and they will flee through the midstof us, round and round till
they can flee no longer. Beepbeep, said the young tortoises, and
the old ones joined in. Theysaw that it was a good plan,
so they all went to the huntingfelt of Old three Sticks and his friends
and spread themselves out. As thelittle red tortoise had said. Soon the
(04:57):
ostriches came, pecking, pecking asthey walked. The tortoises sat very still,
waiting my busses, just waiting tillthe ostriches were right in the middle
of the two rings. Then thelittle red tortoise gave the signal peep,
peep, and at once the callingbegan. Are you there, called the
(05:19):
first tortoise, I am here,said the next, And so it went
on all round the circle, onecalling to the other. What are you
doing, called the first one.Hunting ostriches, said the next, And
so it went on all round thecircle again, one calling to the other,
(05:40):
The ostriches could see nothing. Theycould only hear voices calling. They
looked at each other and said,what are these voices? It is surely
a great army come to hunt us. Let us get away. They were
very frightened and began to run.And as far as they ran, they
heard are you there? I amhere? What are you doing hunting ostriches?
(06:05):
So it went on over and overagain. The tortoises never moved,
only kept calling out, and theostriches ran foster and foster, all in
the round, till at last theywere so tired they couldn't run any more.
First one fell, then another,and another and another, till they
(06:25):
were heaps of them lying about,and just where they fell they lay quite
still. They were too tired tomove. Then the tortoises gathered together.
They were very many, and theybit Old three Sticks and all these family
and friends on their long necks andkilled them. Since then the tortoises have
(06:47):
had peace from the long necked people, o bast giraffe and Old three sticks.
It is only the things of theair, like crows and lamer fungers
that still hunt them, and bussiesknow how they do. They catch a
poor tortoise in their claws and flyaway with him high up over a copy,
(07:10):
and then they drop him on thestones, come blops, and there
he lies with his shell all brokenand without a shell. How can a
tortoise live? And then the thingof the air comes and eats him up.
And that is the end of thepoor tortoise. But a red tortoise
they never touch. It is hiscolor busses that frightens them. So the
(07:34):
young tortoises were right when they said, there is something, after all in
being born a certain color. Afterthe ostrich hunt, the little red tortoise
was sprinkled with buho under both arms, and his mamma sang him this song.
The little crooked legged one, Icould sprinkle it, sprinkle it with
(07:57):
buho under its arms. The littlered rabbed the little wise one. I
sprinkled the bukho under both arms.For the long necks they ate us.
It has found a way to killthem, so we sprinkle it. The
little red one sprinkled the bukho underboth arms. The usual discussion took place
(08:18):
when Ota had finished, and atlast Pete said, if I had to
be a tortoise, I'd be ared one. Why, my little master,
because the crows and lamberfungers don't catchit. To be swallowed by an
ostrich or stick in a giraffe's throatwould not be so bad. But I'd
(08:39):
hate to be broken on the stones, ah, my bassy. No matter
how old friend death comes, weare never ready for him. When Ota
was young, he was nearly killedby a troop of spring bucks, and
he thought, no, not tochtrampled to death. To be carried down
(09:01):
the river is better. But whenthe flood came and the river carried Ota
away, he fought for his lifejust as hard as when the springbucks were
on him. It was the samewhen the hut was burnt, and when
the mad bull chased Ota across thefelt, over and over again, the
same. Always another sort of deathseems better. Always, old friend death
(09:26):
finds a man not quite ready forhim. And now how would you like
him to find you, Ota askedWilliam with much interest, A whimsical smile
spread over the old man's face.Ach to hear him just sitting in the
sun my passy by the skierkraal wall, where I have sat for so many
(09:50):
many years. When he comes Iwill say, morning, old friend.
You have been a long time onthe road, ah so long that I
am tired of waiting. Let usgo at once. A person needn't pack
up for that trek busses. I'lljust drop my old sheepskin cross and take
(10:13):
old friend Death's hand and let himshow me the way. It is far
my bussies, far to that land, and no one ever comes back from
it, then some one else willtell the stories by the fire. There
will be no Ota any more totalk to the little masters. His voice
(10:35):
had dropped to a musing tone.Don't don't, cried pity in a choked
voice. Ota, you mustn't saysuch things, said villam, and they
each seized one of OTA's crook andhands, while little Young clung to his
old coat as though he would neverlet it go. I want my Ota,
(10:58):
he cried, He and go away. I want my Ota, Carol.
The old man's eyes glistened with amoisture not often seen in them.
Still still my little bassies, hesaid, stroking first one then another.
Ota doesn't want to make them sad. He is not going yet. He
(11:20):
will sit here and tell his foolishstories for many nights. Yet a caressing
smile broke over his grotesque face.And do they then want to keep there?
Ota? Ach to think of it, the kind little hearts. But
what will the nois say if theeyes are juicy? No Ota only said
(11:41):
about the skier Corral and sitting inthe sun because it sounds so nice and
friendly. Look how lively and wellOta is like a young bull coough.
He pretended playfully to toss them.That's right, my children, Now you
laugh again. But young bull calvesmust also go in the korral. And
(12:03):
the hut is calling Ota, night, my basses, night night, Sleep
well to morrow, Ota will tellthem another beautiful story, Ach the dear
little ones, so good to theirugly Ota, followed by a chorus of
good knights from the children. Theold man shuffled away, not knowing that
(12:28):
he had spoken with prophetic voice andthat friend death would find him, even
as he wished sitting in the sunby the skier Kraal. But that was
not yet awhile, and he toldmany stories before setting out on the great
track for the unknown felt whence notraveler returns. End of the Ostrich Hunt
(12:54):
and end of Ota Carrol's Stories SouthAfrican folklore tale Basani Mettler Camp
The ostrich hunt. The next day, all the time that was not given
to lessons and meals was spent bythe little boys in scouring the felt for
a red tortoise. Disappointment at theirfruitless search found vent in no measured terms.
When Ota Carroll appeared in the diningroom at his usual hour, ach
(00:23):
to hear them now, he said, regarding them with his wide mouthed smile
of amused tolerance. Does it thenreign red tortoises? And how can the
Bassies think they will find at thefirst shot a thing that only comes once
in a thousand years? Well,said villem stoutly. It might just have
(00:44):
been the time for one. Howwere we to know, Ota asked little
Yan earnestly. Do you know whenit will be red tortoise time again?
A yah, Bassi said Ota readily. It won't be long. Now.
Let Ota think He performed a tattooon the red koptuk, a sure sign
(01:07):
that he was in the thick ofmental gymnastics. What comes just before a
thousand? My Busses nine hundred andninety nine, answered Pity, who was
good at arithmetic? Now? Yes, said Ota triumphantly, I knew it
must be nearly time. It isnine hundred and ninety nine years since there
(01:29):
was a red tortoise. So nextyear this time busses can begin to look
for one. Only begin my bussies, because it will only be creeping out
of the egg then, And perhapsit won't be in this felt. It
might be far far away where peopledon't know about a red tortoise, and
(01:49):
so no one will look for him. Must Ota tell you another story about
him? The sly old man hadtaken the best way of escaping more questions.
The little boys gathered round and listenedwide eyed as he told the story
of the tortoises hunting the ostriches.After Obas Giraffe was dead, the tortoises
(02:14):
had a nice life for a longtime. And then there came into their
felt old three sticks, the ostrichwith his Mamma and Papa and his wives
and uncles and aunties and children andfriends. Allah, they were a lot
of ostriches. The whole felt wasfull of them, and they all began
(02:36):
eating tortoises wherever they could find them. It was just the same like when
Obas Giraffe used to go about,and the tortoises thought and thought, and
they talked and talked, but theycouldn't make a plan that would drive the
ostriches away. The little red tortoisewas thinking too, but he didn't talk
(02:59):
till he had his plan ready.Then he called all the tortoises together.
The old ones came because they wantedto hear what the wise little red one
had to say. And the youngones came because ever since he had killed
obas giraffe, they had listened tohim. When they were all together,
(03:21):
he said, it now goes ontoo long, this hunting of tortoises by
old three Sticks and his friends.Let us change places, and let us
the tortoise people go and hunt ostriches. Beep beeep, cried all the young
tortoises. They were quite ready.But the old one said, is this,
(03:44):
the wise little red one, howis it possible for us to hunt
ostriches. It is possible, becauseostriches never run straight, but always a
little in the round and a littlein the round, so that in the
end, if they run long enough, they come again to the place they
began from. Now, yes,on a certain day, let us then
(04:09):
go into the felt where the ostricheslike to hunt, and let us make
two long rows, not straight out, but always in the round, one
ring very large outside and the othersmaller inside. Then when Old three Sticks
and his friends come, we willcall to one another and drive them on,
(04:30):
and they will flee through the midstof us, round and round till
they can flee no longer. Beepbeep, said the young tortoises, and
the old ones joined in. Theysaw that it was a good plan,
so they all went to the huntingfelt of Old three Sticks and his friends
and spread themselves out. As thelittle red tortoise had said. Soon the
(04:57):
ostriches came, pecking, pecking asthey walked. The tortoises sat very still,
waiting my busses, just waiting tillthe ostriches were right in the middle
of the two rings. Then thelittle red tortoise gave the signal peep,
peep, and at once the callingbegan. Are you there, called the
(05:19):
first tortoise, I am here,said the next, And so it went
on all round the circle, onecalling to the other. What are you
doing, called the first one.Hunting ostriches, said the next, And
so it went on all round thecircle again, one calling to the other,
(05:40):
The ostriches could see nothing. Theycould only hear voices calling. They
looked at each other and said,what are these voices? It is surely
a great army come to hunt us. Let us get away. They were
very frightened and began to run.And as far as they ran, they
heard are you there? I amhere? What are you doing hunting ostriches?
(06:05):
So it went on over and overagain. The tortoises never moved,
only kept calling out, and theostriches ran foster and foster, all in
the round, till at last theywere so tired they couldn't run any more.
First one fell, then another,and another and another, till they
(06:25):
were heaps of them lying about,and just where they fell they lay quite
still. They were too tired tomove. Then the tortoises gathered together.
They were very many, and theybit Old three Sticks and all these family
and friends on their long necks andkilled them. Since then the tortoises have
(06:47):
had peace from the long necked people, o bast giraffe and Old three sticks.
It is only the things of theair, like crows and lamer fungers
that still hunt them, and bussiesknow how they do. They catch a
poor tortoise in their claws and flyaway with him high up over a copy,
(07:10):
and then they drop him on thestones, come blops, and there
he lies with his shell all brokenand without a shell. How can a
tortoise live? And then the thingof the air comes and eats him up.
And that is the end of thepoor tortoise. But a red tortoise
they never touch. It is hiscolor busses that frightens them. So the
(07:34):
young tortoises were right when they said, there is something, after all in
being born a certain color. Afterthe ostrich hunt, the little red tortoise
was sprinkled with buho under both arms, and his mamma sang him this song.
The little crooked legged one, Icould sprinkle it, sprinkle it with
(07:57):
buho under its arms. The littlered rabbed the little wise one. I
sprinkled the bukho under both arms.For the long necks they ate us.
It has found a way to killthem, so we sprinkle it. The
little red one sprinkled the bukho underboth arms. The usual discussion took place
(08:18):
when Ota had finished, and atlast Pete said, if I had to
be a tortoise, I'd be ared one. Why, my little master,
because the crows and lamberfungers don't catchit. To be swallowed by an
ostrich or stick in a giraffe's throatwould not be so bad. But I'd
(08:39):
hate to be broken on the stones, ah, my bassy. No matter
how old friend death comes, weare never ready for him. When Ota
was young, he was nearly killedby a troop of spring bucks, and
he thought, no, not tochtrampled to death. To be carried down
(09:01):
the river is better. But whenthe flood came and the river carried Ota
away, he fought for his lifejust as hard as when the springbucks were
on him. It was the samewhen the hut was burnt, and when
the mad bull chased Ota across thefelt, over and over again, the
same. Always another sort of deathseems better. Always, old friend death
(09:26):
finds a man not quite ready forhim. And now how would you like
him to find you, Ota askedWilliam with much interest, A whimsical smile
spread over the old man's face.Ach to hear him just sitting in the
sun my passy by the skierkraal wall, where I have sat for so many
(09:50):
many years. When he comes Iwill say, morning, old friend.
You have been a long time onthe road, ah so long that I
am tired of waiting. Let usgo at once. A person needn't pack
up for that trek busses. I'lljust drop my old sheepskin cross and take
(10:13):
old friend Death's hand and let himshow me the way. It is far
my bussies, far to that land, and no one ever comes back from
it, then some one else willtell the stories by the fire. There
will be no Ota any more totalk to the little masters. His voice
(10:35):
had dropped to a musing tone.Don't don't, cried pity in a choked
voice. Ota, you mustn't saysuch things, said villam, and they
each seized one of OTA's crook andhands, while little Young clung to his
old coat as though he would neverlet it go. I want my Ota,
(10:58):
he cried, He and go away. I want my Ota, Carol.
The old man's eyes glistened with amoisture not often seen in them.
Still still my little bassies, hesaid, stroking first one then another.
Ota doesn't want to make them sad. He is not going yet. He
(11:20):
will sit here and tell his foolishstories for many nights. Yet a caressing
smile broke over his grotesque face.And do they then want to keep there?
Ota? Ach to think of it, the kind little hearts. But
what will the nois say if theeyes are juicy? No Ota only said
(11:41):
about the skier Corral and sitting inthe sun because it sounds so nice and
friendly. Look how lively and wellOta is like a young bull coough.
He pretended playfully to toss them.That's right, my children, Now you
laugh again. But young bull calvesmust also go in the korral. And
(12:03):
the hut is calling Ota, night, my basses, night night, Sleep
well to morrow, Ota will tellthem another beautiful story, Ach the dear
little ones, so good to theirugly Ota, followed by a chorus of
good knights from the children. Theold man shuffled away, not knowing that
(12:28):
he had spoken with prophetic voice andthat friend death would find him, even
as he wished sitting in the sunby the skier Kraal. But that was
not yet awhile, and he toldmany stories before setting out on the great
track for the unknown felt whence notraveler returns. End of the Ostrich Hunt
(12:54):
and end of Ota Carrol's Stories SouthAfrican folklore tale Basani Mettler Camp
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.