Then the bearskin fell away from them , and they stood upright once more . ` How can we thank you ? how can we thank you ? ' they stammered , hardly able to speak ; and fell at her feet in gratitude . But the bear 's sister only smiled , and bade them go home and look after the little girl , who had no one else to protect her . And this the boys did , and took such good care of their sister that , as she was very small , she soon forgot that she had ever had a father and mother . -LSB- From the Bureau of Ethnology , U.S. -RSB- The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe Far way , in a very hot country , there once lived a man and woman who had two children , a son named Koane and a daughter called Thakane . Early in the morning and late in the evenings the parents worked hard in the fields , resting , when the sun was high , under the shade of some tree . While they were absent the little girl kept house alone , for her brother always got up before the dawn , when the air was fresh and cool , and drove out the cattle to the sweetest patches of grass he could find . One day , when Koane had slept later than usual , his father and mother went to their work before him , and there was only Thakane to be seen busy making the bread for supper . ` Thakane , ' he said , ' I am thirsty . Give me a drink from the tree Koumongoe , which has the best milk in the world . ' ` Oh , Koane , ' cried his sister , ` you know that we are forbidden to touch that tree . What would father say when he came home ? For he would be sure to know . ' ` Nonsense , ' replied Koane , ` there is so much milk in Koumongoe that he will never miss a little . If you wo n't give it to me , I sha 'n' t take the cattle out . They will just have to stay all day in the hut , and you know that they will starve . ' And he turned from her in a rage , and sat down in the corner . After a while Thakane said to him : ` It is getting hot , had you better drive out the cattle now ? '
But XXXXX only answered sulkily : ' I told you I am not going to drive them out at all .
Ethnology Far Koane Koumongoe Thakane U.S. bearskin day evenings morning