it will not be found that anyone of the tswana imagines that the human is naturally reborn , in the manner espoused , for instance , by the buddhist or the hindu , and if one should propose leaving a selected dragon egg alone in the wilderness , in accordance with the suggestion of mr. dennis , to snatch such an egg `` to demonstrate to the heathen the wild fancy of their custom , '' by proving that the resulting hatchling would have no recollection of its former life , no tribesman would dispute this as the natural consequence , but merely abuse the bad husbandry and irreligiosity united , which should so waste a dragon-egg , and insult the spirit of the dead ancestor .