GA-GORIB

[African] A monster of the Khoikhoi, the 'thrower down'. The creature sat on the edge of a great pit and dared passers-by to throw stones at him. The stone always rebounded and killed the thrower, who then fell into the pit. When the legendary hero Heitsi-eibib approached it, he wisefully declined to aim a stone until he had diverted the monster's gaze. He then struck Ga-gorib under the ear and tumbled it into its own trap. Another version of this legend tells of how Heitsi-eibib was chased around the pit before he slipped and fell in it. He managed to escape but had to wrestle with the monster for a long before he succeeded in pushing Ga-gorib in the pit.