nada the lily-第14章

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〃Thanks　to　thee；　Mopo；　it　is　a　good　omen；〃　he　answered。　〃And　now；

begone！　Take　my　advice：　kill　thy　children；　as　I　kill　mine；　lest　they

live　to　worry　thee。　The　whelps　of　lions　are　best　drowned。〃



I　did　up　the　bundle　fastfast；　though　my　hands　trembled。　Oh！　what　if

the　child　should　wake　and　cry。　It　was　done；　I　rose　and　saluted　the

king。　Then　I　doubled　myself　up　and　passed　from　before　him。　Scarcely

was　I　outside　the　gates　of　the　Intunkulu　when　the　infant　began　to

squeak　in　the　bundle。　If　it　had　been　one　minute　before！



〃What；〃　said　a　soldier；　as　I　passed；　〃have　you　got　a　puppy　hidden

under　your　moocha；＇1＇　Mopo？〃



＇1＇　Girdle　composed　of　skin　and　tails　of　oxen。…ED。



I　made　no　answer；　but　hurried　on　till　I　came　to　my　huts。　I　entered；

there　were　my　two　wives　alone。



〃I　have　recovered　the　child；　women；〃　I　said；　as　I　undid　the　bundle。



Anadi　took　him　and　looked　at　him。



〃The　boy　seems　bigger　than　he　was；〃　she　said。



〃The　breath　of　life　has　come　into　him　and　puffed　him　out；〃　I　answered。



〃His　eyes　are　not　as　his　eyes　were；〃　she　said　again。　〃Now　they　are　big

and　black；　like　the　eyes　of　the　king。〃



〃My　spirit　looked　upon　his　eyes　and　made　them　beautiful；〃　I　answered。



〃This　child　has　a　birth…mark　on　his　thigh；〃　she　said　a　third　time。

〃That　which　I　gave　you　had　no　mark。〃



〃I　laid　my　medicine　there；〃　I　answered。



〃It　is　not　the　same　child；〃　she　said　sullenly。　〃It　is　a　changeling　who

will　lay　ill…luck　at　our　doors。〃



Then　I　rose　up　in　my　rage　and　cursed　her　heavily；　for　I　saw　that　if

she　was　not　stopped　this　woman's　tongue　would　bring　us　all　to　ruin。



〃Peace；　witch！〃　I　cried。　〃How　dare　you　to　speak　thus　from　a　lying

heart？　Do　you　wish　to　draw　down　a　curse　upon　our　roof？　Would　you　make

us　all　food　for　the　king's　spear？　Say　such　words　again；　and　you　shall

sit　within　the　circlethe　Ingomboco　shall　know　you　for　a　witch！〃



So　I　stormed　on；　threatening　to　bring　her　to　death；　till　at　length　she

grew　fearful；　and　fell　at　my　feet　praying　for　mercy　and　forgiveness。

But　I　was　much　afraid　because　of　this　woman's　tongue；　and　not　without

reason。







CHAPTER　VII



UMSLOPOGAAS　ANSWERS　THE　KING



Now　the　years　went　on；　and　this　matter　slept。　Nothing　more　was　heard

of　it；　but　still　it　only　slept；　and；　my　father；　I　feared　greatly　for

the　hour　when　it　should　awake。　For　the　secret　was　known　by　two　women

Unandi；　Mother　of　the　Heavens；　and　Baleka；　my　sister；　wife　of　the

king；　and　by　two　moreMacropha　and　Anadi；　my　wivesit　was　guessed

at。　How；　then；　should　it　remain　a　secret　forever？　Moreover；　it　came

about　that　Unandi　and　Baleka　could　not　restrain　their　fondness　for

this　child　who　was　called　my　son　and　named　Umslopogaas；　but　who　was

the　son　of　Chaka；　the　king；　and　of　the　Baleka；　and　the　grandson　of

Unandi。　So　it　happened　that　very　often　one　or　the　other　of　them　would

come　into　my　hut；　making　pretence　to　visit　my　wives；　and　take　the　boy

upon　her　lap　and　fondle　it。　In　vain　did　I　pray　them　to　forbear。　Love

pulled　at　their　heart…strings　more　heavily　than　my　words；　and　still

they　came。　This　was　the　end　of　itthat　Chaka　saw　the　child　sitting　on

the　knee　of　Unandi；　his　mother。



〃What　does　my　mother　with　that　brat　of　thine；　Mopo？〃　he　asked　of　me。

〃Cannot　she　kiss　me；　if　she　will　find　a　child　to　kiss？〃　And　he　laughed

like　a　wolf。



I　said　that　I　did　not　know；　and　the　matter　passed　over　for　awhile。　But

after　that　Chaka　caused　his　mother　to　be　watched。　Now　the　boy

Umslopogaas　grew　great　and　strong；　there　was　no　such　lad　of　his　years

for　a　day's　journey　round。　But　from　a　babe　he　was　somewhat　surly；　of

few　words；　and　like　his　father；　Chaka；　afraid　of　nothing。　In　all　the

world　there　were　but　two　people　whom　he　lovedthese　were　I；　Mopo；　who

was　called　his　father；　and　Nada；　she　who　was　said　to　be　his　twin

sister。



Now　it　must　be　told　of　Nada　that　as　the　boy　Umslopogaas　was　the

strongest　and　bravest　of　children；　so　the　girl　Nada　was　the　gentlest

and　most　fair。　Of　a　truth；　my　father；　I　believe　that　her　blood　was　not

all　Zulu；　though　this　I　cannot　say　for　certain。　At　the　least；　her　eyes

were　softer　and　larger　than　those　of　our　people；　her　hair　longer　and

less　tightly　curled；　and　her　skin　was　lightermore　of　the　colour　of

pure　copper。　These　things　she　had　from　her　mother；　Macropha；　though

she　was　fairer　than　Macrophafairer；　indeed；　than　any　woman　of　my

people　whom　I　have　seen。　Her　mother；　Macropha；　my　wife；　was　of　Swazi

blood；　and　was　brought　to　the　king's　kraal　with　other　captives　after　a

raid；　and　given　to　me　as　a　wife　by　the　king。　It　was　said　that　she　was

the　daughter　of　a　Swazi　headman　of　the　tribe　of　the　Halakazi；　and　that

she　was　born　of　his　wife　is　true；　but　whether　he　was　her　father　I　do

not　know；　for　I　have　heard　from　the　lips　of　Macropha　herself；　that

before　she　was　born　there　was　a　white　man　staying　at　her　father's

kraal。　He　was　a　Portuguese　from　the　coast；　a　handsome　man；　and　skilled

in　the　working　of　iron。　This　white　man　loved　the　mother　of　my　wife；

Macropha；　and　some　held　that　Macropha　was　his　daughter；　and　not　that

of　the　Swazi　headman。　At　least　I　know　this；　that　before　my　wife's

birth　the　Swazi　killed　the　white　man。　But　none　can　tell　the　truth　of

these　matters；　and　I　only　speak　of　them　because　the　beauty　of　Nada　was

rather　as　is　the　beauty　of　the　white　people　than　of　ours；　and　this

might　well　happen　if　her　grandfather　chanced　to　be　a　white　man。



Now　Umslopogaas　and　Nada　were　always　together。　Together　they　ate；

together　they　slept　and　wandered；　they　thought　one　thought　and　spoke

with　one　tongue。　Ou！　it　was　pretty　to　see　them！　Twice　while　they　were

still　children　did　Umslopogaas　save　the　life　of　Nada。



The　first　time　it　came　about　thus。　The　two　children　had　wandered　far

from　the　kraal；　seeking　certain　berries　that　little　ones　love。　On　they

wandered　and　on；　singing　as　they　went；　till　at　length　they　found　the

berries；　and　ate　heartily。　Then　it　was　near　sundown；　and　when　they　had

eaten　they　fell　asleep。　In　the　night　they　woke　to　find　a　great　wind

blowing　and　a　cold　rain　falling　on　them；　for　it　was　the　beginning　of

winter；　when　fruits　are　ripe。



〃Up；　Nada！〃　said　Umslopogaas；　〃we　must　seek　the　kraal　or　the　cold　will

kill　us。〃



So　Nada　rose；　frightened；　and　hand　in　hand　they　stumbled　through　the

darkness。　But　in　the　wind　and　the　night　they　lost　their　path；　and　when

at　length　the　dawn　came　they　were　in　a　forest　that　was　strange　to

them。　They　rested　awhile；　and　finding　berries　ate　them；　then　walked

again。　All　that　day　they　wandered；　till　at　last　the　night　came　down；

and　they　plucked　branches　of　trees　and　piled　the　branches　over　them

for　warmth；　and　they　were　so　weary　that　they　fell　asleep　in　each

other's　arms。　At　dawn　they　rose；　but　now　they　were　very　tired　and

berries　were　few；　sot　hat　by　midday　they　were　spent。　Then　they　lay

down　on　the　side　of　a　steep　hill；　and　Nada　laid　her　head　upon　the

breast　of　Umslopogaas。



〃Here　let　us　die；　my　brother；〃　she　said。



But　even　then　the　boy　had　a　great　spirit；　and　he　answered；　〃Time　to

die；　sister；　when　Death　chooses　us。　See；　now！　Do　you　rest　here；　and　I

will　climb　the　hill　and　look　across　the　forest。〃



So　he　left　her　and　climbed　the　hill；　and　on　its　side　he　found　many

berries　and　a　root　that　is　good　for　food；　and　filled　himself　with

them。　At　length　he　came　to　the　crest　of　the　hill　and　looked　out　across

the　sea　of　green。　Lo！　there；　far　away　to　the　east；　he　saw　a　line　of

white　that　lay　like　smoke　against　the　black　surface　of　a　cliff；　and

knew　it　for　the　waterfall　beyond　the　royal　town。　Then　he　came　down　the

hill；　shouting　for　joy　and　bearing　roots　and　berries　in　his　hand。　But

when　he　reached　the　spot　where　Nada　was；　he　found　that　her　senses　had

left　her　through　hunger；　cold；　and　weariness。　She　lay　upon　the　ground

like　one　asleep；　and　over　her　stood　a　jackal　that　fled　as　he　drew

nigh。　Now　it　would　seem　that　there　but　two　shoots　to　the　stick　of

Umslopogaas。　One　was　to　save　himself；　and　the　other