nada the lily-第4章

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Umslopogaas　and　Nada　the　Lily？　I　will　tell　you。　I　stabbed　Chaka　for

the　sake　of　my　sister；　Baleka；　the　mother　of　Umslopogaas；　and　because

he　had　murdered　my　wives　and　children。　I　and　Umslopogaas　slew　Dingaan

for　the　sake　of　Nada；　who　was　my　daughter。



There　are　great　names　in　the　story；　my　father。　Yes；　many　have　heard

the　names：　when　the　Impis　roared　them　out　as　they　charged　in　battle；　I

have　felt　the　mountains　shake　and　seen　the　waters　quiver　in　their

sound。　But　where　are　they　now？　Silence　has　them；　and　the　white　men

write　them　down　in　books。　I　opened　the　gates　of　distance　for　the

holders　of　the　names。　They　passed　through　and　they　are　gone　beyond。　I

cut　the　strings　that　tied　them　to　the　world。　They　fell　off。　Ha！　ha！

They　fell　off！　Perhaps　they　are　falling　still；　perhaps　they　creep

about　their　desolate　kraals　in　the　skins　of　snakes。　I　wish　I　knew　the

snakes　that　I　might　crush　them　with　my　heel。　Yonder；　beneath　us；　at

the　burying　place　of　kings；　there　is　a　hole。　In　that　hole　lies　the

bones　of　Chaka；　the　king　who　died　for　Baleka。　Far　away　in　Zululand

there　is　a　cleft　upon　the　Ghost　Mountain。　At　the　foot　of　that　cleft

lie　the　bones　of　Dingaan；　the　king　who　died　for　Nada。　It　was　far　to

fall　and　he　was　heavy；　those　bones　of　his　are　broken　into　little

pieces。　I　went　to　see　them　when　the　vultures　and　the　jackals　had　done

their　work。　And　then　I　laughed　three　times　and　came　here　to　die。



All　that　is　long　ago；　and　I　have　not　died；　though　I　wish　to　die　and

follow　the　road　that　Nada　trod。　Perhaps　I　have　lived　to　tell　you　this

tale；　my　father；　that　you　may　repeat　it　to　the　white　men　if　you　will。

How　old　am　I？　Nay；　I　do　not　know。　Very；　very　old。　Had　Chaka　lived　he

would　have　been　as　old　as　I。＇2＇　None　are　living　whom　I　knew　when　I　was

a　boy。　I　am　so　old　that　I　must　hasten。　The　grass　withers；　and　the

winter　comes。　Yes；　while　I　speak　the　winter　nips　my　heart。　Well；　I　am

ready　to　sleep　in　the　cold；　and　perhaps　I　shall　awake　again　in　the

spring。



＇2＇　This　would　have　made　him　nearly　a　hundred　years　old；　an　age　rarely

　　　　attained　by　a　native。　The　writer　remembers　talking　to　an　aged　Zulu

　　　　woman；　however；　who　told　him　that　she　was　married　when　Chaka　was

　　　　king。ED。



Before　the　Zulus　were　a　peoplefor　I　will　begin　at　the　beginningI

was　born　of　the　Langeni　tribe。　We　were　not　a　large　tribe；　afterwards；

all　our　able…bodied　men　numbered　one　full　regiment　in　Chaka's　army；

perhaps　there　were　between　two　and　three　thousand　of　them；　but　they

were　brave。　Now　they　are　all　dead；　and　their　women　and　children　with

them；that　people　is　no　more。　It　is　gone　like　last　month's　moon；　how

it　went　I　will　tell　you　by…and…bye。



Our　tribe　lived　in　a　beautiful　open　country；　the　Boers；　whom　we　call

the　Amaboona；　are　there　now；　they　tell　me。　My　father；　Makedama；　was

chief　of　the　tribe；　and　his　kraal　was　built　on　the　crest　of　a　hill；

but　I　was　not　the　son　of　his　head　wife。　One　evening；　when　I　was　still

little；　standing　as　high　as　a　man's　elbow　only；　I　went　out　with　my

mother　below　the　cattle　kraal　to　see　the　cows　driven　in。　My　mother　was

very　fond　of　these　cows；　and　there　was　one　with　a　white　face　that

would　follow　her　about。　She　carried　my　little　sister　Baleka　riding　on

her　hip；　Baleka　was　a　baby　then。　We　walked　till　we　met　the　lads

driving　in　the　cows。　My　mother　called　the　white…faced　cow　and　gave　it

mealie　leaves　which　she　had　brought　with　her。　Then　the　boys　went　on

with　the　cattle；　but　the　white…faced　cow　stopped　by　my　mother。　She

said　that　she　would　bring　it　to　the　kraal　when　she　came　home。　My

mother　sat　down　on　the　grass　and　nursed　her　baby；　while　I　played　round

her；　and　the　cow　grazed。　Presently　we　saw　a　woman　walking　towards　us

across　the　plain。　She　walked　like　one　who　is　tired。　On　her　back　was　a

bundle　of　mats；　and　she　led　by　the　hand　a　boy　of　about　my　own　age；　but

bigger　and　stronger　than　I　was。　We　waited　a　long　while；　till　at　last

the　woman　came　up　to　us　and　sank　down　on　the　veldt；　for　she　was　very

weary。　We　saw　by　the　way　her　hair　was　dressed　that　she　was　not　of　our

tribe。



〃Greeting　to　you！〃　said　the　woman。



〃Good…morrow！〃　answered　my　mother。　〃What　do　you　seek？〃



〃Food；　and　a　hut　to　sleep　in；〃　said　the　woman。　〃I　have　travelled　far。〃



〃How　are　you　named？and　what　is　your　people？〃　asked　my　mother。



〃My　name　is　Unandi：　I　am　the　wife　of　Senzangacona；　of　the　Zulu　tribe；〃

said　the　stranger。



Now　there　had　been　war　between　our　people　and　the　Zulu　people；　and

Senzangacona　had　killed　some　of　our　warriors　and　taken　many　of　our

cattle。　So；　when　my　mother　heard　the　speech　of　Unandi　she　sprang　up　in

anger。



〃You　dare　to　come　here　and　ask　me　for　food　and　shelter；　wife　of　a　dog

of　a　Zulu！〃　she　cried；　〃begone；　or　I　will　call　the　girls　to　whip　you

out　of　our　country。〃



The　woman；　who　was　very　handsome；　waited　till　my　mother　had　finished

her　angry　words；　then　she　looked　up　and　spoke　slowly；　〃There　is　a　cow

by　you　with　milk　dropping　from　its　udder；　will　you　not　even　give　me

and　my　boy　a　gourd　of　milk？〃　And　she　took　a　gourd　from　her　bundle　and

held　it　towards　us。




〃I　will　not；〃　said　my　mother。



〃We　are　thirsty　with　long　travel；　will　you　not；　then；　give　us　a　cup　of

water？　We　have　found　none　for　many　hours。〃



〃I　will　not；　wife　of　a　dog；　go　and　seek　water　for　yourself。〃



The　woman's　eyes　filled　with　tears；　but　the　boy　folded　his　arms　on　his

breast　and　scowled。　He　was　a　very　handsome　boy；　with　bright　black

eyes；　but　when　he　scowled　his　eyes　were　like　the　sky　before　a

thunderstorm。



〃Mother；〃　he　said；　〃we　are　not　wanted　here　any　more　than　we　were

wanted　yonder；〃　and　he　nodded　towards　the　country　where　the　Zulu

people　lived。　〃Let　us　be　going　to　Dingiswayo；　the　Umtetwa　people　will

protect　us。〃



〃Yes；　let　us　be　going；　my　son；〃　answered　Unandi；　〃but　the　path　is

long；　we　are　weary　and　shall　fall　by　the　way。〃



I　heard；　and　something　pulled　at　my　heart；　I　was　sorry　for　the　woman

and　her　boy；　they　looked　so　tired。　Then；　without　saying　anything　to　my

mother；　I　snatched　the　gourd　and　ran　with　it　to　a　little　donga　that

was　hard　by；　for　I　knew　that　there　was　a　spring。　Presently　I　came　back

with　the　gourd　full　of　water。　My　mother　wanted　to　catch　me；　for　she

was　very　angry；　but　I　ran　past　her　and　gave　the　gourd　to　the　boy。　Then

my　mother　ceased　trying　to　interfere；　only　she　beat　the　woman　with　her

tongue　all　the　while；　saying　that　evil　had　come　to　our　kraals　from　her

husband；　and　she　felt　in　her　heart　that　more　evil　would　come　upon　us

from　her　son。　Her　Ehlose＇3＇　told　her　so。　Ah！　my　father；　her　Ehlose

told　her　true。　If　the　woman　Unandi　and　her　child　had　died　that　day　on

the　veldt；　the　gardens　of　my　people　would　not　now　be　a　wilderness；　and

their　bones　would　not　lie　in　the　great　gulley　that　is　near

U'Cetywayo's　kraal。



＇3＇　Guardian　spirit。ED。



While　my　mother　talked　I　and　the　cow　with　the　white　face　stood　still

and　watched；　and　the　baby　Baleka　cried　aloud。　The　boy；　Unandi's　son；

having　taken　the　gourd；　did　not　offer　the　water　to　his　mother。　He

drank　two…thirds　of　it　himself；　I　think　that　he　would　have　drunk　it

all　had　not　his　thirst　been　slaked；　but　when　he　had　done　he　gave　what

was　left　to　his　mother；　and　she　finished　it。　Then　he　took　the　gourd

again；　and　came　forward；　holding　it　in　one　hand；　in　the　other　he

carried　a　short　stick。



〃What　is　your　name；　boy？〃　he　said　to　me　as　a　big　rich　man　speaks　to

one　who　is　little　and　poor。



〃Mopo　is　my　name；〃　I　answered。



〃And　what　is　the　name　of　your　people？〃



I　told　him　the　name　of　my　tribe；　the　Langeni　tribe。



〃Very　well；　Mopo；　now　I　will　tell　you　my　name。　My　name　is　Chaka；　son

of　Senzangacona；　and　my　people　are　called　the　Amazulu。　And　I　will　tell

you　something　more。　I　am　little　to…day；　and　my　people　are　a　small

people。　But　I　shall　grow　big；　so　big　that　my　head　will　be　lost　in　the

clouds；　you　will　look　up　and　you　shall　not　see　it。　My　face　will　blind

you；　it　will　be　bright　like　the　sun；　and　my　people　will　grow　grea