nada the lily(百合娜达)-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


stick　in　his　hand；　and　hit　her　so　hard　on　the　head　that　she　fell　down。
After　that　he　laughed；　turned；　and　went　away　with　his　mother　Unandi。

These；　my　father；　were　the　first　words　I　heard　Chaka　speak；　and　they
were　words　of　prophecy；　and　they　came　true。　The　last　words　I　heard　him
speak　were　words　of　prophecy　also；　and　I　think　that　they　will　come
true。　Even　now　they　are　coming　true。　In　the　one　he　told　how　the　Zulu
people　should　rise。　And　say；　have　they　not　risen？　In　the　other　he
told　how　they　should　fall；　and　they　did　fall。　Do　not　the　white　men
gather　themselves　together　even　now　against　U'Cetywayo；　as　vultures
gather　round　a　dying　ox？　The　Zulus　are　not　what　they　were　to　stand
against　them。　Yes；　yes；　they　will　come　true；　and　mine　is　the　song　of　a
people　that　is　doomed。

But　of　these　other　words　I　will　speak　in　their　place。

I　went　to　my　mother。　Presently　she　raised　herself　from　the　ground　and
sat　up　with　her　hands　over　her　face。　The　blood　from　the　wound　the
stick　had　made　ran　down　her　face　on　to　her　breast；　and　I　wiped　it　away
with　grass。　She　sat　for　a　long　while　thus；　while　the　child　cried；　the
cow　lowed　to　be　milked；　and　I　wiped　up　the　blood　with　the　grass。　At
last　she　took　her　hands　away　and　spoke　to　me。

〃Mopo；　my　son；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　dreamed　a　dream。　I　dreamed　that　I
saw　the　boy　Chaka　who　struck　me：　he　was　grown　like　a　giant。　He　stalked
across　the　mountains　and　the　veldt；　his　eyes　blazed　like　the
lightning；　and　in　his　hand　he　shook　a　little　assegai　that　was　red　with
blood。　He　caught　up　people　after　people　in　his　hands　and　tore　them；　he
stamped　their　kraals　flat　with　his　feet。　Before　him　was　the　green　of
summer；　behind　him　the　land　was　black　as　when　the　fires　have　eaten　the
grass。　I　saw　our　people；　Mopo；　they　were　many　and　fat；　their　hearts
laughed；　the　men　were　brave；　the　girls　were　fair；　I　counted　their
children　by　the　hundreds。　I　saw　them　again；　Mopo。　They　were　bones；
white　bones；　thousands　of　bones　tumbled　together　in　a　rocky　place；　and
he；　Chaka；　stood　over　the　bones　and　laughed　till　the　earth　shook。
Then；　Mopo；　in　my　dream；　I　saw　you　grown　a　man。　You　alone　were　left　of
our　people。　You　crept　up　behind　the　giant　Chaka；　and　with　you　came
others；　great　men　of　a　royal　look。　You　stabbed　him　with　a　little
spear；　and　he　fell　down　and　grew　small　again；　he　fell　down　and　cursed
you。　But　you　cried　in　his　ear　a　namethe　name　of　Baleka；　your　sister
and　he　died。　Let　us　go　home；　Mopo；　let　us　go　home；　the　darkness
falls。〃

So　we　rose　and　went　home。　But　I　held　my　peace；　for　I　was　afraid；　very
much　afraid。



CHAPTER　II

MOPO　IS　IN　TROUBLE

Now；　I　must　tell　how　my　mother　did　what　the　boy　Chaka　had　told　her；
and　died　quickly。　For　where　his　stick　had　struck　her　on　the　forehead
there　came　a　sore　that　would　not　be　healed；　and　in　the　sore　grew　an
abscess；　and　the　abscess　ate　inwards　till　it　came　to　the　brain。　Then
my　mother　fell　down　and　died；　and　I　cried　very　much；　for　I　loved　her；
and　it　was　dreadful　to　see　her　cold　and　stiff；　with　not　a　word　to　say
however　loudly　I　called　to　her。　Well；　they　buried　my　mother；　and　she
was　soon　forgotten。　I　only　remembered　her；　nobody　else　didnot　even
Baleka；　for　she　was　too　littleand　as　for　my　father　he　took　another
young　wife　and　was　content。　After　that　I　was　unhappy；　for　my　brothers
did　not　love　me；　because　I　was　much　cleverer　than　they；　and　had
greater　skill　with　the　assegai；　and　was　swifter　in　running；　so　they
poisoned　the　mind　of　my　father　against　me　and　he　treated　me　badly。　But
Baleka　and　I　loved　each　other；　for　we　were　both　lonely；　and　she　clung
to　me　like　a　creeper　to　the　only　tree　in　a　plain；　and　though　I　was
young；　I　learned　this：　that　to　be　wise　is　to　be　strong；　for　though　he
who　holds　the　assegai　kills；　yet　he　whose　mind　directs　the　battle　is
greater　than　he　who　kills。　Now　I　saw　that　the　witch…finders　and　the
medicine…men　were　feared　in　the　land；　and　that　everybody　looked　up　to
them；　so　that；　even　when　they　had　only　a　stick　in　their　hands；　ten　men
armed　with　spears　would　fly　before　them。　Therefore　I　determined　that　I
should　be　a　witch…doctor；　for　they　alone　can　kill　those　whom　they　hate
with　a　word。　So　I　learned　the　arts　of　the　medicine…men。　I　made
sacrifices；　I　fasted　in　the　veldt　alone；　I　did　all　those　things　of
which　you　have　heard；　and　I　learned　much；　for　there　is　wisdom　in　our
magic　as　well　as　liesand　you　know　it；　my　father；　else　you　had　not
come　here　to　ask　me　about　your　lost　oxen。

So　things　went　on　till　I　was　twenty　years　of　agea　man　full　grown。　By
now　I　had　mastered　all　I　could　learn　by　myself；　so　I　joined　myself　on
to　the　chief　medicine…man　of　our　tribe；　who　was　named　Noma。　He　was
old；　had　one　eye　only；　and　was　very　clever。　Of　him　I　learned　some
tricks　and　more　wisdom；　but　at　last　he　grew　jealous　of　me　and　set　a
trap　to　catch　me。　As　it　chanced；　a　rich　man　of　a　neighbouring　tribe
had　lost　some　cattle；　and　came　with　gifts　to　Noma　praying　him　to　smell
them　out。　Noma　tried　and　could　not　find　them；　his　vision　failed　him。
Then　the　headman　grew　angry　and　demanded　back　his　gifts；　but　Noma
would　not　give　up　that　which　he　once　had　held；　and　hot　words　passed。
The　headman　said　that　he　would　kill　Noma；　Noma　said　that　he　would
bewitch　the　headman。

〃Peace；〃　I　said；　for　I　feared　that　blood　would　be　shed。　〃Peace；　and
let　me　see　if　my　snake　will　tell　me　where　the　cattle　are。〃

〃You　are　nothing　but　a　boy；〃　answered　the　headman。　〃Can　a　boy　have
wisdom？〃

〃That　shall　soon　be　known；〃　I　said；　taking　the　bones　in　my　hand。＇1＇

＇1＇　The　Kafir　witch…doctors　use　the　knuckle…bones　of　animals　in　their
　　　　magic　rites；　throwing　them　something　as　we　throw　dice。ED。

〃Leave　the　bones　alone！〃　screamed　Noma。　〃We　will　ask　nothing　more　of
our　snakes　for　the　good　of　this　son　of　a　dog。〃

〃He　shall　throw　the　bones；〃　answered　the　headman。　〃If　you　try　to　stop
him；　I　will　let　sunshine　through　you　with　my　assegai。〃　And　he　lifted
his　spear。

Then　I　made　haste　to　begin；　I　threw　the　bones。　The　headman　sat　on　the
ground　before　me　and　answered　my　questions。　You　know　of　these　matters；
my　fatherhow　sometimes　the　witch…doctor　has　knowledge　of　where　the
lost　things　are；　for　our　ears　are　long；　and　sometimes　his　Ehlose　tells
him；　as　but　the　other　day　it　told　me　of　your　oxen。　Well；　in　this　case；
my　snake　stood　up。　I　knew　nothing　of　the　man's　cattle；　but　my　Spirit
was　with　me　and　soon　I　saw　them　all；　and　told　them　to　him　one　by　one；
their　colour；　their　ageeverything。　I　told　him；　too；　where　they　were；
and　how　one　of　them　had　fallen　into　a　stream　and　lay　there　on　its　back
drowned；　with　its　forefoot　caught　in　a　forked　root。　As　my　Ehlose　told
me　so　I　told　the　headman。

Now；　the　man　was　pleased；　and　said　that　if　my　sight　was　good；　and　he
found　the　cattle；　the　gifts　should　be　taken　from　Noma　and　given　to　me；
and　he　asked　the　people　who　were　sitting　round；　and　there　were　many；
if　this　was　not　just。　〃Yes；　yes；〃　they　said；　it　was　just；　and　they
would　see　that　it　was　done。　But　Noma　sat　still　and　looked　at　me
evilly。　He　knew　that　I　had　made　a　true　divination；　and　he　was　very
angry。　It　was　a　big　matter：　the　herd　of　cattle　were　many；　and；　if　they
were　found　where　I　had　said；　then　all　men　would　think　me　the　greater
wizard。　Now　it　was　late；　and　the　moon　had　not　yet　risen；　therefore　the
headman　said　that　he　would　sleep　that　night　in　our　kraal；　and　at　the
first　light　would　go　with　me　to　the　spot　where　I　said　the　cattle　were。
After　that　he　went　away。

I　too　went　into　my　hut　and　lay　down　to　sleep。　Suddenly　I　awoke；
feeling　a　weight　upon　my　breast。　I　tried　to　start　up；　but　something
cold　pricked　my　throat。　I　fell　back　again　and　looked。　The　door　of　the
hut　was　open；　the　moon　lay　low　on　the　sky　like　a　ball　of　fire　far
away。　I　could　see　it　through　the　door；　and　its　light　crept　into　the
hut。　It　fell　upon　the　face　of　Noma　the　witch…doctor。　He　was　seated
across　me；　glaring　at　me　with　his　one　eye；　and　in　his　hand　was　a
knife。　It　was　that　which　I　had　felt　prick　my　throat。

〃You　whelp　whom　I　have　bred　up　to　tear　me！〃　he　hissed　into　my　ear；
〃you　dared　to　divine　where　I　failed；　did　you？　Very　well；　now　I　will
show　you　how　I　serve　such　puppies。　First；　I　will　pierce　through　the
root　of　your　tongue；　so　that　you　cannot　squeal；　then　I　will