108 SUDAN NOTES AND RECORDS.

good food for the invalid. In due course, Yak, who was still unconscious, was carried in by his wife and, acting on Rill’s advice, was shut up in a house alone with Rill who assured the woman that he would tend him properly. After a bit Yak came to and found Rill sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded with pots of food which he was devouring. Feeling hungry Yak asked for something to eat but Rill refused saying that it was not good for him in his critical state. After repeated entreaties which met with no response Yak called out to his wife who came running to the door to know what was wrong. Rill, however, assured her that all was well and as night was coming on warned her to go and sleep. On the following day the same thing happened the woman being informed that her husband was calling out as his wounds were being washed. On the fourth day the hyena died of hunger and Rill having by that time filled himself with good food crept out during the night and decamped.

The Jackal and the Hawk. 1. Rill was sitting underneath a tree by the River one day fingering a couple of fish which he had caught and thinking what a good feed he was about to have when from above he heard, “Wish you’d give a pal a bit of that fish of yours, Rill.” Looking up to see who the unwelcomed visitor was he spotted Ijong the hawk. “Alright,” said Rill, “but you’ll have to go and get some- thing to light a fire with,” and pointing to a shiny object in the far distance instructed Ijong to go and get it. When alone Rill saw Quet the tortoise going off to the River to drink and calling him over stamped on his back the shock of which made Quet pass nature and with this he proceeded to make a fire while Quet looked on in anticipation of a feed. Rill, however, took Quet, popped him top of the fire, cooked and ate him. In the meantime he roasted the fish, the best parts of which he devoured leaving the bones and bad parts for Ijong when he should return.

Ijong then arrived with the news that the sparkling thing that Rill had seen in the distance was only the tooth of a lion with the rays of the sun shining on it. Ijong, however, had asked the lion for a loan of his tooth to make fire with but had met with no success the lion stating that he knew Rill of old as a thief and a liar and would do nothing to help him. “Its all the same,” said Rill, “I managed to make a fire and here’s the fish, you eat it for I’m not hungry to-day.” Ijong therefore devoured the leavings unconscious of what had actually happened.

2. They then set out to visit a girl who Rill had fallen in love with and wished to marry. On the way Ijong was flying on in front when Rill found an ex- ceptionally big shell which is used by everyone as a spoon. He said nothing