The Complete Oom Schalk Lourens Stories

by Herman Charles Bosman

  2. London Stories – The South African Opinion (1934–37)

  The Bosman–Blignaut partnership regularly landed the pair in gaol, and in early 1934, in what was clearly a bold attempt to break with his past and his gaolbird cronies, Bosman left South Africa for London with his second wife, Ella Manson. In No­vem­ber of that year, Bosman’s old school-friend Bernard Sachs launched The South African Opinion, a periodical professedly ‘non-political’, but clearly Left-leaning in orientation. It was to provide Bosman with perhaps his finest creative platform. With the sharpness of vision that distance brings, tinged with rich nostalgia for the country he left behind, Bosman was to write his best-known Oom Schalks at a rate of more than one every two months between December 1934 and July 1937. Indeed, the first fourteen, from “Veld Maiden” to “Starlight on the Veld”, were produced on a monthly basis – a spurt of creativity not to be matched until 1950–51, when Bosman wrote his weekly ‘Voorkamer’ pieces for The Forum.

  3. Back Home – The South African Opinion (new series) (1944–46)

  By late 1939, with war having been declared in Europe and down on their luck, the Bosmans took advantage of an offer by the South African High Commissioner in London to repatriate them to South Africa. They were back in January 1940, and Bosman returned to the world of journalism, eventually taking up the editorship of the Pietersburg-based Zoutpansberg Review and Mining Journal in March 1943. The period between July 1937, when “On to Freedom” appeared, and March 1944, when the revived South African Opinion started reappearing as a monthly (and in which the signature-piece “Starlight on the Veld” was reprinted), was a particularly lean period for Oom Schalk stories. The only one to appear was “Martha and the Snake”, which was printed (probably without Bosman’s knowledge) in October 1939 in another of Jean Blignaut’s ephemeral ventures, The Ringhals (again borrowed from a short-lived Stephen Black periodical of the same name of early 1931). After what was an effective seven-year silence, the new S. A. Opinion provided Bosman with a welcome opportunity to reacquaint post-war South Africa with his master storyteller. He reprinted ten of the earlier Oom Schalks here, but this was no mere act of ‘recycling’, as several of them were significantly edited down by Bosman himself before being deemed fit for publication. Interspersed with these republished pieces were seven new ones, including the powerful anti-racist statement “The Prophet” (significant, given the pro-Nazi sentiments of many Afrikaners during and immediately after the war) and the subtle masterpiece “Seed-time and Harvest.”

  4. The Trek and On Parade Years (1948–51)

  Following a disastrous six-month business venture in Cape Town, in which he was contracted to translate literary classics into Afrikaans and then find a market for them, Bosman and third wife Helena returned to Johannesburg penniless. Bernard Sachs had amalgamated the now-defunct S. A. Opinion with Trek (formerly the Cape Town-based Independent), which also shifted its operations to Johannesburg, and he invited Bosman to join him. Trek was a monthly review that had attracted some notable Leftist intellectuals to its pages, including Dora Taylor, Eddie Roux and Jack Cope. Lily Rabkin, who would become a staunch supporter of Bosman’s work, joined the team as assistant editor on cultural matters. Along with several ‘Talk of the Town’ columns that he contributed over the years, Bosman provided five new Oom Schalk stories, among them “Dopper and Papist” (which originally appeared in Trek under the mystifying title “Dopper and Bap­tist”), and perhaps his most famous story, “Unto Dust.”

  On Parade was a different sort of venture, although it also had as its purpose the unification of what was becoming, after 1948 with the National Party victory, a society increasingly divided along ethnic and, of course, language lines. Former school-teacher and non-conformist freelance contributor to the press over the years, Ehrhardt Planjé, after two earlier failed efforts in this vein, launched the bilingual On Parade / Op Parade in August 1948, with “Graven Image” prominently featured (it was to be re-used by Planjé after Bosman’s death). Four other Oom Schalks would follow, including the Boer War classic “Peaches Ripening in the Sun”, the penultimate Oom Schalk to appear in Bosman’s lifetime. As an independent fortnightly paper launched at a fateful time in South African history, On Parade aimed to promote goodwill and understanding among all sectors of South African society and to combat racism. With the sturdy support of the Afri­kaans-speaking Helena, Bosman was to publish several Afrikaans Oom Schalks in On Parade, including “Tot Stof” (which first appeared in Afrikaans in 1948, significantly) and “Die Storie van die Rooibaadjie” (published only posthumously in English).

  5. Last Stories (1948–51)

  The 1948–51 period saw Bosman placing stories in a variety of publications, as the occasion arose. The three Oom Schalks that The Forum carried in late 1949 and early 1950, however, were perhaps more purposefully placed: they were Bosman’s entrée to his ‘In die Voorkamer’ sequence, which ran to eighty items in The Forum between April 1950 and October 1951. This liberal-Left weekly, which would go on to support the new Liberal Party (formed in 1953), attempted to articulate a broad, inclusive ‘South Africanism.’ It had J. H. Hofmeyr (nephew of the famous ‘Onze Jan’ Hofmeyr) as chair of its board of directors, J. P. (John) Cope as editor, and Lily Rabkin, who had defected from the faltering Trek, in charge of the cultural pages.

  In June 1950, the secretary of the University of the Wit­waters­rand’s Council of Cultural Committees asked Bosman to provide a story of around 3 600 words – adding, however, that the Council wasn’t able to pay him. Bosman nonetheless provided one of his most memorable Oom Schalks, “Funeral Earth”, for Vista and was duly paid in the form of two complimentary tickets for the university Arts Festival film evening.

  The Cape Town-based large-format pictorial magazine Spot­light had earlier honoured Bosman by reprinting his “The Rooinek” in December 1946. It now took up two sterling late Oom Schalks in January and February 1951 – “The Missionary” and “The Traitor’s Wife” – with Bosman pleased to remark in his contributor’s note to the January edition that his stories were being broadcast by the BBC, no less.

  6. Unpublished in His Lifetime

  Although all of these stories had to wait some years before finally being published in English, it is significant that Bosman managed to see five of the seven into press in Afrikaans versions: “Dit Spook by die Drif” (April 1948); “Die Kaffer-tamboer” (“Bush Tele­graph”, February 1949); “Ontmoetingsplek aan die Vaal” (May 1949); “Ou Liedjies en Ou Stories” (“The Selon’s Rose”, September 1949); and “Die Storie van die Rooibaadjie” (February 1950). These were among the total of sixteen Afrikaans stories Bosman published in his lifetime, all but one of them in On Parade between August 1948 and February 1950.

  Bosman probably allowed the English versions included here to languish because during 1948–51 he consciously set out to establish himself as a bilingual writer. His renown in the English language was well established, but his stature as an Afrikaans writer was just beginning to emerge and was what clearly preoccupied him in this period.

  The English versions were to lie unpublished in the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin – in some cases for decades. In 1969 Personality published a set of six previously unpublished Bosman stories, one of them the Oom Schalk story “The Question.” The others appeared in later posthumous collections of Bosman’s work, four of them (“The Old Potchefstroom Gaol”, “The Ghost at the Drift”, “Bush Telegraph”, and “Tryst by the Vaal”) seeing print for the first time only in 2001 and 2002, in the Anniversary Edition of Bosman’s works. It is likely that Bosman wanted to polish them a little more before releasing them for publication, but his premature death prevented this.

  Sources of the texts and illustrations

  The following were used as source texts, with later versions being followed (where applicable). Details about the illustrations are provided at the end of each entry; in some cases the original artists have proved untr
aceable.

  1. “Makapan’s Caves.” The Touleier 1.1 (Dec 1930): 15–20. (Illustrator: H. E. Winder, 19.)

  2. “The Rooinek” (Parts 1 and 2). The Touleier 1.2 (Jan–Feb 1931): 8–13; and 1.3 (Mar 1931): 126–32. (Illustrator: A. E. Mason, The Touleier 1.2 (Jan–Feb 1931): 8–9, 11; second illustration repeated The Touleier 1.3 (Mar 1931): 126.)

  3. “Francina Malherbe.” The New LSD 1.6 (1 May 1931): 5. (Illustrator: unknown, The Sunday Express 17 May 1979: 25.)

  4. “The Ramoutsa Road.” The New LSD 1.8 (16 May 1931): 11–12. (Illustrator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 9 Sept 1979: 8.)

  5. “The Gramophone.” The Touleier 1.5 (May 1931): 310–13.

  6. “Karel Flysman.” The African Magazine 1.1 (June 1931): 379–81. (Illustrator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 3 June 1979: 5.)

  7. “Veld Maiden.” The South African Opinion (SAO) 1.4 (14 Dec 1934): 9–10.

  8. “Yellow Moepels.” SAO 1.7 (25 Jan 1935): 7–8; reprinted SAO 2.2 (Apr 1945): 14–15.

  9. “The Love Potion.” SAO 1.9 (22 Feb 1935): 8–9.

  10. “In the Withaak’s Shade.” SAO 1.11 (22 Mar 1935): 4–5; re­printed SAO 2.1 (Mar 1945): 18–19, 30. (Illustrator: Maurice van Essche, SAO 2.1 (Mar 1945): 19.)

  11. “The Widow.” SAO 1.13 (19 Apr 1935): 10–11; reprinted SAO 3.7 (Sept 1946): 14–15, 20. (Illustrator: Reginald Turvey, SAO 3.7 (Sept 1946): 15.)

  12. “Willem Prinsloo’s Peach Brandy.” SAO 1.15 (17 May 1935): 5–6.

  13. “Ox-wagons on Trek.” SAO 1.16 (31 May 1935): 6–7; reprinted SAO 2.12 (Feb 1946): 20–21, 30. (Illustrator: Reginald Turvey, SAO 2.12 (Feb 1946): 21.)

  14. “The Music Maker.” SAO 1.20 (26 July 1935): 6–7; reprinted SAO 2.7 (Sept 1945): 18–19.

  15. “Drieka and the Moon.” SAO 1.21 (9 Aug 1935): 8–9; reprinted SAO 3.2 (Apr 1946): 18–19, 21. (Illustrator: Reginald Turvey, SAO 3.2 (Apr 1946): 19.)

  16. “The Mafeking Road.” SAO 1.22 (23 Aug 1935): 6–7; reprinted SAO 1.10 (Dec 1944): 12–13, 28. (Illustrators: ‘R. L.’, SAO 1.22 (23 Aug 1935): 7; Donald Harris, SAO 1.10 (Dec 1944): 13.)

  17. “Marico Scandal.” SAO 1.25 (4 Oct 1935): 8–10; reprinted SAO 1.7 (Sept 1944): 18–19. (Illustrator: Wilfrid Cross, SAO 1.25 (4 Oct 1935): 8, 9; first illustration repeated SAO 1.7 (Sept 1944): 19.)

  18. “Bechuana Interlude.” SAO 1.26 (18 Oct 1935): 11–13. (Illus­trator: Wilfrid Cross, 11, 12.)

  19. “Visitors to Platrand.” SAO 2.1 (1 Nov 1935): 10–12. (Illus­trator: Wilfrid Cross, 10, 11.)

  20. “Starlight on the Veld.” SAO 2.6 (10 Jan 1936): 9–11; reprinted SAO 1.1 (Mar 1944): 20–21, 31. (Illustrator: Wilfrid Cross, SAO 2.6 (10 Jan 1936): 9, 10; repeated SAO 1.1 (Mar 1944): 21.)

  21. “Marico Moon.” SAO 3.3 (28 Nov 1936): 13–14, as “Thorn Trees in the Wind”; reprinted Trek 13.4 (Apr 1949): 14–15.

  22. “Splendours from Ramoutsa.” SAO 3.9 (20 Feb 1937): 9–10.

  23. “Bushveld Romance.” SAO 3.13 (17 Apr 1937): 9–10. (Illus­trator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 24 June 1979: 8.)

  24. “Dream by the Bluegums.” SAO 3.18 (26 June 1937): 12–13.

  25. “On to Freedom.” SAO 3.20 (24 July 1937): 8–9. (Illustrator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 6 May 1979: 24.)

  26. “Martha and the Snake.” The Ringhals 3.3 (13 Oct 1939): 8–9. (Illustrator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 1 July 1979: 11.)

  27. “Concertinas and Confetti.” SAO 1.2 (Apr 1944): 20–21, 32. (Illustrator: René Shapshak, 21.)

  28. “The Story of Hester van Wyk.” SAO 1.4 (June 1944): 9–11. (Illustrator: Wilfrid Cross, 10.)

  29. “The Wind in the Tree.” SAO 1.11 (Jan 1945): 18–19, 28. (Illustrator: Donald Harris, 18, 19.)

  30. “Camp-fires at Nagmaal.” SAO 2.4 (June 1945): 14–15, 31. (Illustrator: Maurice van Essche, 15.)

  31. “The Prophet.” SAO 2.10 (Dec 1945): 10–11, 31. (Illustrator: Wilfrid Cross, 11.)

  32. “Mampoer.” SAO 2.11 (Jan 1946): 14–15, 27. (Illustrator: Regi­nald Turvey, 15.)

  33. “Seed-time and Harvest.” SAO 3.10 (Dec 1946): 18–19, 27; reprinted On Parade (1 Oct 1948): 8. (Illustrators: Reginald Turvey, SAO 3.10 (Dec 1946): 19; Abe Berry, On Parade (1 Oct 1948).)

  34. “Dopper and Papist.” Trek 12.3 (Mar 1948): 22–23, 31.

  35. “Cometh Comet.” Trek 12.6 (June 1948): 16–17. (Illustrator: unknown, 17.)

  36. “Great-uncle Joris.” Trek 12.10 (Dec 1948): 14–15, 29. (Illus­trator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 12 Aug 1979: 9.)

  37. “Treasure Trove.” Trek 12.10 (Oct 1948): 18–19. (Illustrator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 5 Aug 1979: 7.)

  38. “Unto Dust.” Trek 13.2 (Feb 1949): 18–19. (Illustrator: Abe Berry, 19.)

  39. “Graven Image.” On Parade (6 Aug 1948): 8.

  40. “The Picture of Gysbert Jonker.” On Parade 22 Oct 1948: 4–5. (Illustrator: Abe Berry, 4.)

  41. “The Homecoming.” On Parade 16 Mar 1949: 10. (Illustrator: Abe Berry.)

  42. “Susannah and the Play-actor.” On Parade 14 Apr 1949: 10. (Illustrator: unknown.)

  43. “Peaches Ripening in the Sun.” On Parade 27 Feb 1951: 12–13.

  44. “Romaunt of the Smuggler’s Daughter.” Undated typescript, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRHRC). First published as “The Romance of the Smuggler’s Daughter” in The Sunday Tribune 19 Sept 1948: 22, 25. (Illustrator: unknown, 22.)

  45. “The Ferreira Millions.” The Forum 13.1 (1 Apr 1950): 24–25. (Illustrator: Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 19 August 1979: 10.)

  46. “Sold Down the River.” The South African Jewish Times Sept 1949: 25.

  47. “The Lover Who Came Back.” The Star 23 July 1949: 7; reprinted The Sunday Tribune 18 Sept 1949: 20.

  48. “When the Heart is Eager.” The Forum 12.26 (1 Oct 1949): 20–21.

  49. “The Brothers.” The Forum 12.44 (4 Feb 1950): 24–25.

  50. “Oom Piet’s Party.” The Sunday Express Supplement 28 May 1950: 14–15.

  51. “Funeral Earth.” Vista. Johannesburg: Council of Cultural Soc­ie­ties, University of the Witwatersrand, 1950: 62–65.

  52. “The Missionary.” Spotlight Jan 1951: 14–15. (Illustrators: ‘ADI’, 14; Richard Smith, The Sunday Express 26 August 1979: 12.)

  53. “The Traitor’s Wife.” Spotlight Feb 1951: 6–7, 57. (Illustrator: ‘Flip’, 6–7.)

  54. “The Red Coat.” Undated typescript, HRHRC.

  55. “The Question.” Undated typescript, HRHRC. (Illustrator: John Jackson, Personality 14 Aug 1969: 139.)

  56. “The Old Potchefstroom Gaol.” Undated typescript, HRHRC; title supplied.

  57. “The Ghost at the Drift.” Undated typescript, HRHRC. (Pub­lished in Afrikaans as “Dit Spook by die Drif”, Die Brandwag 11.550 (16 Apr 1948): 9, 38, 40–41. Illustrator: ‘Monté’, 9.)

  58. “Bush Telegraph.” Undated typescript, HRHRC. (Published in Afrikaans as “Die Kaffer-tamboer”, On Parade 3.9 (24 Aug 1949): 9. Illustrator: Abe Berry.)

  59. “Tryst by the Vaal.” Undated typescript, HRHRC.

  60. “The Selon’s Rose.” Undated typescript, HRHRC.

  Herman Charles Bosman was born in Kuils River near Cape Town in 1905 but lived in the Transvaal for most of his life. Educated at Jeppe Boys’ High and the University of the Wit­waters­rand, in 1926 he was sent as a novice teacher to the Marico District in what was then the Western Transvaal. There he en­countered the spellbinding storytellers that he was later to im­mortalise in his Oom Schalk Lourens stories.

  His spell in the Marico was cut short when, on a return home during the July holidays, he became involved in an argument with his step-brother and shot and killed him. Con­victed of murder, he was initially sentenced to hang, but this sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment and he was eventually released after four years.

  He embarked on a career as a journalist and began writing his Oom Schalk Lourens stories. They were eventually to number sixty in all, and are undoubtedly his best-kn
own and best-loved works.

  His first novel, Jacaranda in the Night, appeared in 1947, and was followed in the same year by a collection of Schalk Lourens stories, Mafeking Road, and, two years later, his prison memoir Cold Stone Jug.

  He died of heart failure in 1951 at the age of forty-six.

  Craig MacKenzie has edited nine volumes of Bosman’s stories, seven of which were part of the fourteen-volume Anniversary Edition of Bosman’s works, a project that he under­took with Stephen Gray between 1997 and 2005.

  His doctoral study, The Oral-style South African Short Story in English (published in 1999), featured Bosman as its centrepiece. He is Professor and Chair of the English Department at the University of Johannesburg.

  Also available as e-book:

  Mafeking Road and Other Stories

  The Complete Voorkamer Stories

  Human & Rousseau,

  an imprint of NB Publishers,

  a division of Media24 Boeke (Pty) Ltd,

  40 Heerengracht, Cape Town, South Africa

  PO Box 6525, Roggebaai, 8012, South Africa

  www.humanrousseau.com