The sad bird gently caressed the baby with her soft dove's head.

The flight of Soyane’s heart

And so it came time for Masilo to set out for home with his bride. Manyope warned him, “I shall know immediately if any misfortune comes to my daughter, for her drinking cup will break and her blanket will tear. Be warned! Do not pursue any game on your journey home especially any limping gazelle—neither you nor your men—lest disaster fall upon you. Stay on the straight path home!” Masilo promised to keep a watchful eye on his precious bride and set off with her and his drivers, who led a pack of oxen.

In the meantime, the ugly crows were angry at being driven away from their homestead and sought revenge. They found a gazelle, who, being pregnant, was lying in the bush resting. Before she could escape, they attacked and pecked one of her hind legs and wounded her. From then, on, she limped as she moved. When the prince’s men saw her limping across the veldt, they could not stop themselves: It was too tempting! They had to hunt that gazelle. Prince Masilo followed them, thinking they would catch the wounded animal in just a few minutes. As he rode away, he shouted to Soyane: “I will bring you the skin for a jacket!” But they could not find the gazelle. She had reached the bushes and had successfully hidden herself. Worse, the prince could not find his men, for they had strayed into the bewitched Forest of the Demons. They had come out by another path, changed into helotomies—werewolves, man-eating beasts.

Wasting no time, the helotomies ran back to where they had left all the oxen and immediately started to devour them. But these were not enough. And so they pursued the ox that carried Soyane on its back. Frantically she whipped it, hoping to escape, but werewolves can run like the wind. They easily overtook her and ate her ox. Then they tore her apart: first her legs, her arms, her head, her belly, and her breast. But when they opened her breast, Soyane’s heart escaped; it quickly changing into a bird and flew away.

Having satisfied their lust for flesh, the helotomies gradually changed back into cowherds, and they returned peacefully to their town.