Magana Hausa, Stories and Fables

256 Pages·12.346 MB·Afrikaans-English

by  Schön J.F.

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MAGANxV HAUSA.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
A Dictionary of the Hausa Language. Vol.
8I.vo.Ha1u2ss.a-nEent.gliVsohl.. IIN.ewEngalnidshr-eHvaiussead.edDietimony.SvoD.emOsy.
net. (Cambridge University Press.)
Hausa Grammar; with Exercises, Readings,
and Vocabularies. By C. H. Robinson and J. A.
BURDON. Revised edition, 5s. net. (Kegan Paul,
Triibner.)
Specimens of Hausa Literature. Cousisting
ofpoemsandhistoricalextractsreproducedinfacsimile
in the original character, together with translation,
transliteration, andnotes. Small 4to. 10s. net. (Cam-
bridgeUniversityPress.)
Hausaland or. Fifteen Hundred Miles
;
through the Sudan. Third Popular Edition. Illus-
trated. 2s. 6iZ. (Sampson Low & Co.)
Nigeria: Our Latest Protectorate. With
Mapandnumerous Illustrations. 5s. (Horace Marshall
&Co.)
MohWiatmhmspeecdiaalnriefsermenc:e toHtahse priotspeactnsyofFMuothaumrmee-?
danismin Hausaland. Is. Crf. (Wells Gardner& Co.)
MAGANA
HAU8A.
HAUSA STORIES AND FABLES.
collectp:d by
J. F. 8CH6n, D.D.
KE-EDITED BY
CHARLES H. ROBINSON, M.A.,
i-Et"rL"Ki:r, in hal>.4 ix cambridc;e vsiver.sitv, Hon. casox ok niryx,
EDITOIUAL SECRfTAKV OK S.P.O.
LONDON:
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,
NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, W.C.
1906.
I'RINTED KV
WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
LONDON AND BECCLBS.
PREFACE.
The stories contained in this volume were
collected by Dr. J. F. Schon and published by
the S.P.C.K. in 1885. They have proved so
useful to English students beginning the study
of the Hausa language, that it has been decided
to reissue them. In preparing the new edition
for the press I have thought it undesirable to
perpetuate the extremely elaborate system of
transliteration and the arrangements of dots
and points above and below the various letters
which Dr. Schon devised, and which have un-
fortunately prevented the book from obtaining
as wide a circulation as it deserved. According
to the system of transliteration now adopted,
(which is that generally accepted), all conso-
nants are to be pronounced as in English, and
all vowels as in Italian. I have not attempted
to distinguish between the difterent sounds
represented by /., d, or h. For an account of
the sounds represented by these letters the
student is referred to the Hausa Grammar.
493749
VI PREFACE.
Whilst correcting a certain number of obvious
errors, I have left unaltered a large number of
more or less incorrect forms and expressions,
many of which represent local and dialectical
My
idioms. desire has been to alter Dr. Schon's
work as little as possible. The fact that the
greater part of this book was taken down by
dictation in the Roman character, and that, as
neither Dorugu nor Abega could write, it could
not be checked by reference to the written
Hausa character, accounts for the irregular
insertion of several forms and specially of the
genitival connective n or r. Thus Dr. Schon
writes /tore itacJie for furen itache, hazimu for
hazinmu, tagiasa for tagiarsa, etc.
Dorugu, the account of whose travels forms
the first part of the book, was originally a Hausa
slave, and was brought to England in 1856 by
Dr. Bartli on his return from his explorations
in West Africa. The account of his travels was
dictated by him to Dr. Schon in 185(3, though
it was not published till 1885. It will interest
the readers of this book to know that Dorugu
is still living (1906), and is employed by the
English government officials as a teacher of
Hausa at Zungeru in Northern Nigeria. Abega,
to whom frequent reference is made, and who
was also a slave brought to England by Dr. Barth,