SUN

DIA

TAan

epi

c of

old

Mal

iD

. T. N

iane

Tran

slat

ed b

y G

. D. P

icke

tt

With

extra

mat

eria

l by

Dav

id C

happ

ell,

Uni

vers

ity o

f Haw

aii

Jam

es A

Jone

s, W

est C

heste

r Uni

vers

ity o

f Pen

nsyl

vani

a

PE ARSO

N

Long

man

Pear

son

Edu

catio

n L

imite

d,E

dinb

urgh

Gat

e, H

arlo

w,

Ess

ex C

M20

2JE

, Eng

land

and

Ass

ocia

ted

Com

pani

es th

roug

hout

the

wor

ld.

C P

rdse

nce

Afr

icai

ne 1

960

(ori

gina

l Fre

nch

vers

ion:

Soun

djat

a, o

u l E

popo

fe M

andi

ngue

)C

Lon

gman

Gro

up L

td (E

nglis

h V

ersi

on) 1

965

All

righ

ts r

eser

ved.

No

part

of t

his p

ublic

atio

n m

ay b

ere

prod

uced

, sto

red

in a

ret

riev

al sy

stem

, or

tran

smitt

edin

any

form

or

by a

ny m

eans

, ele

ctro

nic,

mec

hani

cal,

phot

ocop

ying

, rec

ordi

ng, o

r ot

herw

ise,

with

out

the

prio

r w

ritt

en p

erm

issi

on o

f the

Pub

lishe

rs.

Firs

t pub

lishe

d as

Lon

gman

Afr

ican

Cla

ssic

198

6Fi

rst p

ublis

hed

as L

ongm

an A

fric

an W

rite

rs 1

994

Rev

ised

edi

tion

2006

ISB

N-1

0: 1

-405

8-49

42-8

ISB

N-1

3: 9

78-1

-405

8-49

42-5

Prin

ted

in C

hina

EPC

/01

Cont

ents

Intro

duct

ion

to th

e R

evis

ed E

ditio

n vi

iB

ackg

roun

d In

form

atio

n

ixW

ho's

Who

of C

hara

cter

s/G

loss

ary

of P

lace

s

xvii

Ora

l Tra

ditio

n, P

ronu

ncia

tion

and

Spel

ling

xv

Pref

ace

xxiii

The

Wor

ds o

f the

Grio

t Mam

adou

Kou

yate

I

The

Firs

t Kin

gs o

f Mal

i

2

The

Buf

falo

Wom

an

4

The

Lion

Chi

ld

12C

hild

hood

15

The

Lion

's A

wak

enin

g

18Ex

ile26

Soum

aoro

Kan

te: T

he S

orce

rer K

ing

38

His

tory

40Th

e B

aoba

b Le

aves

43Th

e R

etur

n

47Th

e N

ames

of t

he H

eroe

s

54N

ana

Trib

an a

nd B

alla

Fas

seke

56

Krin

a59

The

Empi

re

70K

ouro

ukan

Fou

gan

or T

he D

ivis

ion

of th

e W

orld

73N

iani

79Et

erna

l Mal

i

83

Not

es85

villa

ge o

f tr

aditi

onis

ts to

eac

h pr

ovin

ce, t

hus:

Fad

ama

for

Ham

ana

prov

ince

(K

ouro

ussa

, Gui

nea)

; Djd

6la

(Dro

ma,

Sig

uiri

); K

eyla

(Rep

ublic

of

Mal

i), e

tc.

Unf

ortu

nate

ly th

e W

est h

as ta

ught

us

to s

corn

ora

l sou

rces

inm

atte

rs o

f hi

stor

y, a

ll th

at is

not

wri

tten

in b

lack

and

whi

te b

eing

cons

ider

ed w

ithou

t fou

ndat

ion.

Thu

s, e

ven

amon

g A

fric

an in

tel-

lect

uals

, the

re a

re th

ose

who

are

suf

fici

entl

y na

rrow

-min

ded

tore

gard

`sp

eaki

ng d

ocum

ents

', w

hich

the

grio

ts a

re, w

ith d

isda

in,

and

to b

elie

ve t

hat

we

know

not

hing

of

our

past

for

wan

t of

wri

tten

doc

umen

ts. T

hese

men

sim

ply

prov

e th

at th

ey d

o no

tkn

ow th

eir

coun

try

exce

pt th

roug

h th

e ey

es o

f W

hite

s.T

he w

ords

of

trad

itio

nist

gri

ots

dese

rve

anyt

hing

but

sco

rn.

The

gri

ot w

ho o

ccup

ies

the

chai

r of

his

tory

of

a vi

llage

and

who

bear

s th

e ti

tle

of `

Bel

en-T

igui

' is

a ve

ry r

espe

ctab

le g

entl

eman

and

has

tour

ed M

ali.

He

has

gone

fro

m v

illag

e to

vill

age

to h

ear

the

teac

hing

of

grea

t mas

ters

; he

has

lear

nt th

e ar

t of

hist

oric

alor

ator

y th

roug

h lo

ng y

ears

; he

is, m

oreo

ver,

bou

nd b

y an

oat

han

d do

es n

ot te

ach

anyt

hing

exc

ept w

hat h

is g

uild

stip

ulat

es, f

or,

say

the

grio

ts, `

All

tru

e le

arni

ng s

houl

d be

a s

ecre

t.' A

lso

the

trad

ition

ist i

s a

mas

ter

in th

e ar

t of

circ

umlo

cutio

n, h

e sp

eaks

inar

chai

c fo

rmul

as, o

r el

se h

e tu

rns

fact

s in

to a

mus

ing

lege

nds

for

the

publ

ic, w

hich

lege

nds

have

, how

ever

, a s

ecre

t sen

se w

hich

the

vulg

ar li

ttle

susp

ect.

My

eyes

hav

e on

ly ju

st o

pene

d on

thes

e m

yste

ries

of

eter

nal

Afr

ica

and

mor

e th

an o

nce,

in m

y th

irst

to k

now

, I h

ave

had

togi

ve u

p m

y li

ttle

cla

im a

s an

arm

chai

r in

tell

ectu

al b

efor

e th

esi

lenc

es o

f tr

adit

ion

just

as

my

over

-im

pert

inen

t que

stio

ns w

ere

abou

t to

unco

ver

a m

yste

ry.

Thi

s bo

ok is

, the

n, th

e fr

uit o

f an

initi

al c

onta

ct w

ith th

e m

ost

auth

enti

c tr

adit

ioni

sts

of M

ali.

I am

not

hing

mor

e th

au a

tran

s-la

tor,

I o

we

ever

ythi

ng to

the

mas

ters

of

Fad

ama,

Dje

liba

Kor

oan

d K

eyla

and

mor

e pa

rtic

ular

ly to

Dje

li M

amou

dou

Kou

yatd

of

the

villa

ge o

f D

jelib

a K

oro

(Sig

uiri

) in

Gui

nea.

May

this

boo

k op

en -

the

eyes

of

mor

e th

an o

ne A

fric

an a

ndin

duce

him

to c

ome

and

sit h

umbl

y be

side

the

anci

ents

and

hea

rth

e w

ords

of

the

grio

ts w

ho te

ach

wis

dom

and

his

tory

.D

. T. N

IAN

E

xxiv

The

Wor

ds o

f th

e G

riot

Mam

adou

Kou

yate

I am

a g

riot

. It i

s I,

Dje

li M

amou

dou

Kou

yat6

, son

of

Bin

tou

Kou

yatd

and

Dje

li K

edia

n K

ouya

td, m

aste

r in

the

art o

f el

o-qu

ence

. Sin

ce ti

me

imm

emor

ial t

he K

ouya

tds

have

bee

n in

the

serv

ice

of th

e K

eita

pri

nces

of

Mal

i; w

e ar

e ve

ssel

s of

spe

ech,

we

are

the

repo

sito

ries

whi

ch h

arbo

ur s

ecre

ts m

any

cent

urie

s ol

d. T

hear

t of

eloq

uenc

e ha

s no

sec

rets

for

us;

wit

hout

us

the

nam

es o

fki

ngs

wou

ld v

anis

h in

to o

bliv

ion,

we

are

the

mem

ory

of m

anki

nd;

by th

e sp

oken

wor

d w

e br

ing

to li

fe th

e de

eds

and

expl

oits

of k

ings

for

youn

ger

gene

ratio

ns.

I de

rive

my

know

ledg

e fr

om m

y fa

ther

Dje

li K

edia

n, w

ho a

lso

got i

t fro

m h

is f

athe

r; h

isto

ry h

olds

no

mys

tery

for

us;

we

teac

hto

the

vulg

ar ju

st a

s m

uch

as w

e w

ant t

o te

ach

them

, for

it is

we

who

kee

p th

e ke

ys to

the

twel

ve d

oors

of

Mal

i.'I k

now

the

list o

f all

the

sove

reig

ns w

ho s

ucce

eded

to th

e th

rone

ofM

ali.

I kn

ow h

ow th

e bl

ack

peop

le d

ivid

ed in

to tr

ibes

,fo

rmy

fath

er b

eque

athe

d to

me

all h

is le

arni

ng; I

kno

w w

hy s

uch

and

such

is c

alle

d K

amar

a, a

noth

er K

eita

, and

yet

ano

ther

Sib

ibd

orT

raor

d; e

very

nam

e ha

s a

mea

ning

, a s

ecre

t im

port

.I

teac

h ki

ngs

the

hist

ory

of th

eir

ance

stor

s so

that

the

lives

of

the

anci

ents

mig

ht s

erve

them

as

an e

xam

ple,

for

the

wor

ld is

old

,bu

t the

fut

ure

spri

ngs

from

the

past

.M

y w

ord

is p

ure

and

free

of

all u

ntru

th; i

t is

the

wor

d of

my

fath

er; i

t is

the

wor

d of

my

fath

er's

fat

her.

I w

ill g

ive

you

my

fath

er's

wor

ds ju

st a

s I

rece

ived

them

; roy

al g

riot

s do

not

kno

ww

hat l

ying

is. W

hen

a qu

arre

l bre

aks

out b

etw

een

trib

es it

is w

ew

ho s

ettl

e th

e di

ffer

ence

, for

we

are

the

depo

sita

ries

of

oath

sw

hich

the

ance

stor

s sw

ore.

Lis

ten

to m

y w

ord,

you

who

wan

t to

know

; by

my

mou

th y

ouw

ill le

arn

the

hist

ory

of M

ali.

By

my

mou

th y

ou w

ill g

et to

kno

w th

e st

ory

of th

e an

cest

or o

fgr

eat M

ali,

the

stor

y of

him

who

, by

his

expl

oits

, sur

pass

ed e

ven 1

Ale

xand

er th

e G

reat

; he

who

, fro

m th

e E

ast,

shed

his

ray

s up

onal

l the

cou

ntri

es o

f th

e W

est.

Lis

ten

to th

e st

ory

of th

e so

n of

the

Buf

falo

, the

son

of

the

Lio

n.' I

am

goi

ng to

tell

you

of M

agha

n Su

ndia

ta, o

f M

ari-

Dja

ta,

of S

ogol

on D

jata

, of

Nar

d M

agha

n D

jata

; the

man

of

man

y na

mes

agai

nst w

hom

sor

cery

cou

ld a

vail

noth

ing.

The

Firs

t Kin

gs o

f Mal

iL

iste

n th

en, s

ons

of M

ali,

child

ren

of th

e bl

ack

peop

le, l

iste

n to

my

wor

d, f

or I

am

goi

ng to

tell

you

of S

undi

ata,

the

fath

er o

f th

eB

righ

t Cou

ntry

, of

the

sava

nna

land

, the

anc

esto

r of

thos

e w

hodr

aw th

e bo

w, t

he m

aste

r of

a h

undr

ed v

anqu

ishe

d ki

ngs.

I am

goi

ng to

talk

of

Sund

iata

, Man

ding

Dia

ra, L

ion

of M

ali,

Sogo

lon

Dja

ta, s

on o

f So

golo

n, N

are

Mag

han

Dja

ta, s

on o

f N

ar6

Mag

han,

Sog

o So

go S

imbo

n Sa

laba

, her

o of

man

y na

mes

.I

am g

oing

to

tell

you

of

Sun

diat

a, h

e w

hose

exp

loit

s w

ill

asto

nish

men

for

a lo

ng ti

me

yet.

He

was

gre

at a

mon

g ki

ngs,

he

was

pee

rles

s am

ong

men

; he

was

bel

oved

of

God

bec

ause

he

was

the

last

of

the

grea

t con

quer

ors.

Rig

ht a

t the

beg

inni

ng th

en, M

ali w

as a

pro

vinc

e of

the

Bam

-ba

ra k

ings

; tho

se w

ho a

re to

day

calle

d M

andi

ngo,

$ in

habi

tant

s of

Mal

i, ar

e no

t ind

igen

ous;

they

com

e fr

om th

e E

ast.

Bila

li B

ou-

nam

a, a

nces

tor

of t

he K

eita

s, w

as t

he f

aith

ful

serv

ant

of t

heP

roph

et M

uham

mad

4(m

ay t

he p

eace

of

God

be

upon

him

).B

ilali

Bou

nam

a ha

d se

ven

sons

of

who

m th

e el

dest

, Law

alo,

left

the

Hol

y C

ity

and

cam

e to

set

tle

in M

ali;

Law

alo

had

Lat

alK

alab

i for

a s

on, L

atal

Kal

abi h

ad D

amul

Kal

abi w

ho th

en h

adL

ahila

toul

Kal

abi.

Lah

ilato

ul K

alab

i was

the

firs

t bla

ck p

rinc

e to

mak

e th

e P

il-gr

imag

e to

Mec

ca. O

n hi

s re

turn

he

was

rob

bed

by b

riga

nds

in th

ede

sert

; his

men

wer

e sc

atte

red

and

som

e di

ed o

f th

irst

, but

God

save

d L

ahila

toul

Kal

abi,

for

he w

as a

rig

hteo

us m

an. H

e ca

lled

upon

the

Alm

ight

y an

d ji

nn a

ppea

red

and

reco

gniz

ed h

im a

ski

ng. A

fter

sev

en y

ears

' abs

ence

Lah

ilato

ul w

as a

ble

to r

etur

n, b

yth

e gr

ace

of A

llah

the

Alm

ight

y, to

Mal

i whe

re n

one

expe

cted

tose

e hi

m a

ny m

ore.

2

Lah

ilato

ul K

alab

i had

two

sons

, the

eld

er b

eing

cal

led

Kal

abi

Bom

ba a

nd th

e yo

unge

r K

alab

i Dau

man

; the

eld

er c

hose

roy

alpo

wer

and

rei

gned

, whi

le t

he y

oung

er p

refe

rred

for

tune

and

wea

lth a

nd b

ecam

e th

e an

cest

or o

f th

ose

who

go

from

cou

ntry

toco

untr

y se

ekin

g th

eir

fort

une.

Kal

abi B

omba

had

Mam

adi K

ani f

or a

son

. Mam

adi K

ani w

as a

hunt

er k

ing

like

the

firs

t kin

gs o

f M

ali.

It w

as h

e w

ho in

vent

edth

e hu

nter

's w

hist

le;b

he

com

mun

icat

ed w

ith

the

jinn

of

the

fore

st a

nd b

ush.

The

se s

piri

ts h

ad n

o se

cret

s fr

om h

im a

nd h

e w

aslo

ved

by K

ondo

lon

Ni S

an,4

.e H

is fo

llow

ers

wer

e so

num

erou

s th

athe

for

med

them

into

an

arm

y w

hich

bec

ame

form

idab

le; h

e of

ten

gath

ered

them

toge

ther

in th

e bu

sh a

nd ta

ught

them

the

art o

fhu

ntin

g. I

t was

he

who

rev

eale

d to

hun

ters

the

med

icin

al le

aves

whi

ch h

eal w

ound

s an

d cu

re d

isea

ses.

Tha

nks

to th

e st

reng

th o

fhi

s fo

llow

ers,

he

beca

me

king

of

a va

st c

ount

ry;

wit

h th

emM

amad

i Kan

i con

quer

ed a

ll th

e la

nds

whi

ch s

tret

ch f

rom

the

Sank

aran

i to

the

Bou

rd. M

amad

i Kan

i had

fou

r so

ns-K

ani S

im-

bon,

Kam

igno

go S

imbo

n, K

abal

a Si

mbo

n an

d Si

mbo

n T

agno

go-

kelin

.T

hey

wer

e al

l in

itia

ted i

nto

th

e ar

t o

f h

un

tin

g a

nd

dese

rved

the

title

of

Sim

bon.

It w

as th

e lin

eage

of

Bam

ari T

agno

-go

keli

n w

hich

hel

d on

to th

e po

wer

; his

son

was

M'B

ali N

~nb

who

se s

on w

as B

ello

. Bel

lo's

son

was

cal

led

Bel

lo B

akon

and

he

had

a so

n ca

lled

Mag

han

Kon

Fat

ta, a

lso

calle

d F

rako

Mag

han

Kei

gu, M

agha

n th

e ha

ndso

me.

Mag

han

Kon

Fat

ta w

as th

e fa

ther

of

the

grea

t Sun

diat

a an

dha

d th

ree

wiv

es a

nd s

ix c

hild

ren-

thre

e bo

ys a

nd th

ree

girl

s. H

isfir

stw

ife

was

cal

led

Sass

oum

a B

dr4t

4, d

augh

ter

of a

gre

at d

ivin

e;sh

e w

as t

he m

othe

r of

Kin

g D

anka

ran

Tou

man

and

Pri

nces

sN

ana

Tri

ban.

The

sec

ond

wif

e, S

ogol

on K

edjo

u, w

as th

e m

othe

rof

Sun

diat

a an

d th

e tw

o pr

ince

sses

Sog

olon

Kol

onka

n an

d So

go-

lon

Dja

mar

ou. T

he th

ird

wif

e w

as o

ne o

f th

e K

amar

as a

nd w

asca

lled

Nam

andj

4; s

he w

as t

he m

othe

r of

Man

ding

Bor

y (o

rM

andi

ng B

akar

y), w

ho w

as th

e be

st f

rien

d of

his

hal

f-br

othe

rSu

ndia

ta.

3

The

Buf

falo

Wom

an

Mag

han

Kon

Fat

ta, t

he f

athe

r of

Sun

diat

a, w

as r

enow

ned

for

his

beau

ty in

eve

ry la

nd; b

ut h

e w

as a

lso

a go

od k

ing

love

d by

all

the

peop

le. I

n hi

s ca

pita

l of

Nia

niba

7he

love

d to

sit

ofte

n at

the

foot

of t

he g

reat

sil

k-co

tton

tre

e8

whi

ch d

omin

ated

his

pal

ace

ofC

anco

. Mag

han

Kon

Fat

ta h

ad b

een

reig

ning

a lo

ng ti

me

and

his

elde

st s

on D

anka

ran

Tou

man

was

alr

eady

eig

ht y

ears

old

and

oft

enca

me

to s

it on

the

ox-h

ide

besi

de h

is f

athe

r.W

ell

now

, one

day

whe

n th

e ki

ng h

ad t

aken

up

his

usua

lpo

sitio

n un

der

the

silk

-cot

ton

tree

sur

roun

ded

by h

is k

insm

en h

esa

w a

man

dre

ssed

like

a h

unte

r co

min

g to

war

ds h

im; h

e _w

ore

the

tight

-fitt

ing

trou

sers

of

the

favo

urite

s of

Kon

dolo

n N

i San

e,an

d hi

s bl

ouse

ove

rsew

n w

ith

cow

ries

sho

wed

tha

t he

was

am

aste

r of

the

hun

ting

art

. All

pre

sent

tur

ned

tow

ards

the

un-

know

n m

an w

hose

bow

, pol

ishe

d w

ith

freq

uent

usa

ge, s

hone

inth

e su

n. T

he m

an w

alke

d up

in f

ront

of

the

king

, who

m h

e re

cog-

nize

d in

the

mid

st o

f hi

s co

urti

ers.

He

bow

ed a

nd s

aid,

'I s

alut

eyo

u, k

ing

of M

ali,

gree

tings

all

you

of M

ali.

I am

a h

unte

r ch

asin

gga

me

and

com

e fr

om S

anga

ran;

a f

earl

ess

doe

has

guid

ed m

e to

the

wal

ls o

f N

iani

ba. B

y th

e gr

aces

of

my

mas

ter

the

grea

tSi

mbo

n'O

my

arro

ws

have

hit

her

and

now

she

lies

not

far

fro

myo

ur w

alls

. As

is f

ittin

g, o

h ki

ng, I

hav

e co

me

to b

ring

you

you

rpo

rtio

n'. H

e to

ok a

leg

from

his

leat

her

sack

whe

reup

on th

e ki

ng's

grio

t,G

nank

oum

an D

oua,

sei

zed

upon

the

leg

and

said

, 'S

tran

-ge

r, w

hoev

er y

ou m

ay b

e yo

u w

ill b

e th

e ki

ng's

gue

st b

ecau

seyo

u re

spec

t cus

tom

; com

e an

d ta

ke y

our

plac

e on

the

mat

bes

ide

us.

The

kin

g is

ple

ased

bec

ause

he

love

s ri

ghte

ous

men

.' T

heki

ng n

odde

d hi

s ap

prov

al a

nd a

ll th

e co

urti

ers

agre

ed. T

he g

riot

cont

inue

d in

a m

ore

fam

ilia

r to

ne, '

Ohyou

who

com

e fr

om th

eSa

ngar

an, l

and

of th

e fa

vour

ites

of K

ondo

lon

Ni S

ane,

you

who

have

dou

btle

ss h

ad a

n ex

pert

mas

ter,

will

you

ope

n yo

ur p

ouch

of k

now

ledg

e fo

r us

and

inst

ruct

us

wit

h yo

ur c

onve

rsat

ion,

for

you

have

no

doub

t vis

ited

seve

ral l

ands

.'T

he k

ing,

sti

ll s

ilen

t, ga

ve a

nod

of

appr

oval

and

a c

ourt

ier

adde

d, 'T

he h

unte

rs o

f Sa

ngar

an a

re th

e be

st s

ooth

saye

rs; i

f th

est

rang

er w

ishe

s w

e co

uld

lear

n a

lot f

rom

him

.'T

he h

unte

r ca

me

and

sat d

own

near

Gna

nkou

man

Dou

a w

hova

cate

d on

e en

d of

the

mat

to h

im. T

hen

he s

aid,

'Gri

ot o

f th

e4

king

, I a

m n

ot o

ne o

f th

ese

hunt

ers

who

se to

ngue

s ar

e m

ore

dex-

tero

us th

an th

eir

arm

s; I

am

no

spin

ner

of a

dven

ture

yar

ns, n

ordo

I li

ke p

layi

ng u

pon

the

cred

ulit

y of

wor

thy

folk

; but

, tha

nks

to th

e lo

re w

hich

my

mas

ter

has

impa

rted

to m

e, I

can

boa

st o

fbe

ing

a se

er a

mon

g se

ers.

'H

e to

ok o

ut o

f hi

s hu

nter

's b

agel

twel

ve c

owri

es w

hich

he

thre

w o

n th

e m

at. T

he k

ing

and

all h

is e

ntou

rage

now

turn

edto

war

ds t

he s

tran

ger

who

was

jum

blin

g up

the

tw

elve

shi

nysh

ells

with

his

bar

e ha

nd. G

nank

oum

an D

oua

disc

reet

ly b

roug

htto

the

king

's n

otic

e th

at th

e so

oths

ayer

was

left

-han

ded.

The

left

hand

is t

he h

and

of e

vil,

but

in t

he d

ivin

ing

art

it is

sai

d th

atle

ft-h

ande

d pe

ople

are

the

best

. The

hun

ter

mut

tere

d so

me

in-

com

preh

ensi

ble

wor

ds in

a lo

w v

oice

whi

le h

e sh

uffl

ed a

ndju

mbl

ed th

e tw

elve

cow

ries

into

dif

fere

nt p

osit

ions

whi

ch h

em

used

on

at le

ngth

. All

of a

sud

den

he lo

oked

up

at th

e ki

ng a

ndsa

id, '

Oh

king

, the

wor

ld is

ful

l of

mys

tery

, all

is h

idde

n an

d w

ekn

ow n

othi

ng b

ut w

hat w

e ca

n se

e. T

he s

ilk-c

otto

n tr

ee s

prin

gsfr

om a

tin

y se

ed-t

hat

whi

ch d

efie

s th

e te

mpe

st w

eigh

s in

its

germ

no

mor

e th

an a

gra

in o

f ri

ce. K

ingd

oms

are

like

tree

s; s

ome

will

be

silk

-cot

ton

tree

s, o

ther

s w

ill r

emai

n dw

arf

palm

s an

d th

epo

wer

ful s

ilk-c

otto

n tr

ee w

ill c

over

them

with

its

shad

e. O

h, w

hoca

n re

cogn

ize

in th

e lit

tle c

hild

the

grea

t kin

g to

com

e? T

he g

reat

com

es f

rom

the

smal

l; tr

uth

and

fals

ehoo

d ha

ve b

oth

suck

led

at th

e sa

me

brea

st. N

othi

ng is

cer

tain

, but

, sir

e, I

can

see

two

stra

nger

s ov

er th

ere

com

ing

tow

ards

you

r ci

ty.'

He

fell

sile

nt a

nd lo

oked

in th

e di

rect

ion

of th

e ci

ty g

ates

for

ash

ort w

hile

. All

pre

sent

sil

entl

y tu

rned

tow

ards

the

gate

s. T

heso

oths

ayer

ret

urne

d to

his

cow

ries

. He

shoo

k th

em in

his

pal

mw

ith

a sk

ille

d ha

nd a

nd th

en th

rew

them

out

.'K

ing

of M

ali,

dest

iny

mar

ches

with

gre

at s

trid

es, M

ali i

s ab

out

to e

mer

ge f

rom

the

nigh

t. N

iani

ba is

ligh

ting

up, b

ut w

hat i

s th

islig

ht th

at c

omes

fro

m th

e ea

st?'

'Hun

ter,

' sai

d G

nank

oum

an D

oua,

'you

r w

ords

are

obs

cure

.M

ake

your

spe

ech

com

preh

ensi

ble

to u

s, s

peak

in

the

dear

lang

uage

of

your

sav

anna

.'la

'I am

com

ing

to th

at n

ow, g

riot

. Lis

ten

to m

y m

essa

ge. L

iste

n,si

re.

You

hav

e ru

led

over

the

king

dom

whi

ch y

our

ance

stor

sbe

quea

thed

to y

ou a

nd y

ou h

ave

no o

ther

am

biti

on b

ut to

pas

son

this

rea

lm, i

ntac

t if

not i

ncre

ased

, to

your

des

cend

ants

; but

,fi

ne k

ing,

you

r su

cces

sor

is n

ot y

et b

orn.

I s

ee t

wo

hunt

ers 5

com

ing

to y

our

city

; the

y ha

ve c

ome

from

afa

r an

d a

wom

anac

com

pani

es th

em. O

h, th

at w

oman

! Sh

e is

ugl

y, s

he is

hid

eous

,sh

e be

ars

on h

er b

ack

a di

sfig

urin

g hu

mp.

Her

mon

stro

us e

yes

seem

to

have

bee

n m

erel

y la

id o

n he

r fa

ce, b

ut, m

yste

ry o

fm

yste

ries

, thi

s is

the

wom

an y

ou m

ust m

arry

, sir

e, f

or s

he w

illbe

the

mot

her

of h

im w

ho w

ill m

ake

the

nam

e of

Mal

i im

mor

tal

for

ever

. The

chi

ld w

ill b

e th

e se

vent

h st

ar, t

he s

even

th c

on-

quer

or o

f th

e ea

rth.

He

wil

l be

mor

e m

ight

y th

an A

lexa

nder

.B

ut, o

h ki

ng, f

or d

estin

y to

lead

this

wom

an to

you

a s

acri

fice

isne

cess

ary;

you

mus

t off

er u

p a

red

bull,

for

the

bull

is p

ower

ful.

Whe

n it

s bl

ood

soak

s in

to th

e gr

ound

not

hing

mor

e w

ill h

inde

rth

e ar

riva

l of

your

wif

e. T

here

, I h

ave

said

wha

t I h

ad to

say

, but

ever

ythi

ng is

in th

e ha

nds

of th

e A

lmig

hty.

'T

he h

unte

r pi

cked

up

his

cow

ries

and

put

them

aw

ay in

his

bag. `I

am

onl

y pa

ssin

g th

roug

h, k

ing

of M

ali,

and

now

I r

etur

n to

Sang

aran

. Far

ewel

l.'T

he h

unte

r di

sapp

eare

d bu

t nei

ther

the

king

, Nar

6 M

agha

n,no

r hi

s gr

iot,

Gna

nkou

man

Dou

a, f

orgo

t his

pro

phet

ic w

ords

;so

oths

ayer

s se

e fa

r ah

ead,

thei

r w

ords

are

not

alw

ays

for

the

i mm

edia

te p

rese

nt;

man

is

in a

hur

ry b

ut t

ime

is t

ardy

and

ever

ythi

ng h

as it

s se

ason

.N

ow o

ne d

ay th

e ki

ng a

nd h

is s

uite

wer

e ag

ain

seat

ed u

nder

the

grea

t silk

-cot

ton

tree

of

Nia

niba

, cha

ttin

g as

was

thei

r w

ont.

Sudd

enly

thei

r. g

aze

was

dra

wn

by s

ome

stra

nger

s w

ho c

ame

into

the

city

. The

sm

all

ento

urag

e of

the

kin

g w

atch

ed i

n si

lent

surp

rise

.T

wo

youn

g hu

nter

s, h

ands

ome

and

of f

ine

carr

iage

, wer

ew

alki

ng a

long

pre

cede

d by

a y

oung

mai

d. T

hey

turn

ed to

war

dsth

e C

ourt

. The

two

men

wer

e ca

rryi

ng s

hini

ng b

ows

of s

ilver

on

thei

r sh

ould

ers.

The

one

who

see

med

the

elde

r of

the

two

wal

ked

with

the

assu

ranc

e of

a m

aste

r hu

nter

. Whe

n th

e st

rang

ers

wer

ea

few

ste

ps f

rom

the

king

they

bow

ed a

nd th

e el

der

spok

e th

us:

` We

gree

t Kin

g N

are

Mag

han

Kon

Fat

ta a

nd h

is e

ntou

rage

.W

e co

me

from

the

land

of

Do,

' 3bu

t my

brot

her

and

I be

long

toM

ali a

nd w

e ar

e of

the

trib

e of

Tra

ore.

Hun

ting

and

adv

entu

rele

d us

as

far

as th

e di

stan

t lan

d of

Do

whe

re K

ing

Man

sa G

nem

oD

iarr

a re

igns

. I a

m c

alle

d O

ulam

ba a

nd m

y br

othe

r O

ulan

i. T

heyo

ung

girl

is f

rom

Do

and

we

brin

g he

r as

a p

rese

nt to

the

king

,fo

r m

y br

othe

r an

d I

deem

ed h

er w

orth

y to

be

a ki

ng's

wif

e.'

6

The

kin

g an

d hi

s su

ite tr

ied

in v

ain

to g

et a

look

at t

he y

oung

girl

, for

she

sta

yed

knee

ling,

her

hea

d lo

wer

ed, a

nd h

ad d

elib

er-

atel

y le

t her

ker

chie

f ha

ng in

fro

nt o

f he

r fa

ce. I

f th

e yo

ung

girl

succ

eede

d in

hid

ing

her

face

, she

did

not

, how

ever

, man

age

toco

ver

up th

e hu

mp

whi

ch d

efor

med

her

sho

ulde

rs a

nd b

ack.

She

was

ugl

y in

a s

turd

y so

rt o

f w

ay. Y

ou c

ould

see

her

mus

cula

rar

ms,

and

her

bul

ging

bre

asts

pus

hing

sto

utly

aga

inst

the

stro

ngpa

gne

of c

otto

n fa

bric

whi

ch w

as k

nott

ed ju

st u

nder

her

arm

pit.

The

kin

g co

nsid

ered

her

for

a m

omen

t, t

hen

the

hand

som

eM

agha

n tu

rned

his

hea

d aw

ay. H

e st

ared

a lo

ng ti

me

at G

nan-

koum

an D

oua

then

he

low

ered

his

hea

d. T

he g

riot

und

erst

ood

all t

he s

over

eign

's em

barr

assm

ent.

`You

are

the

gues

ts o

f th

e ki

ng; h

unte

rs, w

e w

ish

you

peac

e in

Nia

niba

, for

all

the

sons

of

Mal

i are

but

one

. Com

e an

d si

t dow

n,sl

ake

your

thir

st a

nd r

elat

e to

the

king

by

wha

t adv

entu

re y

oule

ftD

o w

ith th

is m

aide

n.'

The

kin

g no

dded

his

app

rova

l. T

he tw

o br

othe

rs lo

oked

at e

ach

othe

r an

d, a

t a s

ign

from

the

elde

r, th

e yo

unge

r w

ent u

p to

the

king

and

put

dow

n on

the

grou

nd th

e ca

laba

sh o

f co

ld w

ater

whi

ch a

ser

vant

had

bro

ught

him

.T

he h

unte

r sa

id: `

Aft

er th

e gr

eat h

arve

st"

my

brot

her

and

Ile

ft o

ur v

illa

ge t

o hu

nt. I

t w

as in

thi

s w

ay t

hat

our

purs

uit

ofga

me

led

us a

s fa

r as

the

appr

oach

es o

f th

e la

nd o

f D

o. W

e m

ettw

o hu

nter

s, o

ne o

f w

hom

was

wou

nded

, and

we

lear

nt f

rom

them

that

an

amaz

ing

buff

alo

was

rav

agin

g th

e co

untr

ysid

e of

Do.

Eve

ry d

ay it

cla

imed

som

e vi

ctim

s an

d no

body

dar

ed le

ave

the

villa

ge a

fter

sun

set.

The

kin

g, D

o M

ansa

-Gne

mo

Dia

rra,

had

prom

ised

the

fine

st r

ewar

ds to

the

hunt

er w

ho k

illed

the

buff

alo.

We

deci

ded

to tr

y ou

r lu

ck to

o an

d so

we

pene

trat

ed in

to th

e la

ndof

Do.

We

wer

e ad

vanc

ing

war

ily, o

ur e

yes

wel

l ski

nned

, whe

nw

e sa

w a

n ol

d w

oman

by

the

side

of

a ri

ver.

She

was

wee

ping

and

lam

entin

g, g

naw

ed b

y hu

nger

. Unt

il th

en n

o pa

sser

-by

had

deig

ned

to s

top

by h

er. S

he b

esee

ched

us,

in th

e na

me

of th

eA

lmig

hty,

to g

ive

her

som

ethi

ng to

eat

. Tou

ched

by

her

tear

s I

appr

oach

ed a

nd to

ok s

ome

piec

es o

f dr

ied

mea

t fro

m m

y hu

nter

'sba

g.W

hen

she

had

eate

n w

ell

she

said

, "H

unte

r, m

ay G

odre

quit

e yo

u w

ith

the

char

ity

you

have

giv

en m

e."

We

wer

em

akin

g re

ady

to le

ave

whe

n sh

e st

oppe

d m

e. "

I kn

ow,"

she

sai

d,"t

hat y

ou a

re g

oing

to tr

y yo

ur lu

ck a

gain

st th

e B

uffa

lo o

f D

o,bu

t you

sho

uld

know

that

man

y ot

hers

bef

ore

you

have

met

thei

r 7

deat

h th

roug

h th

eir

fool

hard

ines

s, f

or a

rrow

s ar

e us

eles

s ag

ains

tth

e bu

ffal

o; b

ut, y

oung

hun

ter,

you

r he

art i

s ge

nero

us a

nd it

isyo

u w

ho w

ill b

e th

e bu

ffal

o's

vanq

uish

er. I

am

the

buff

alo

you

are

look

ing

for,

and

you

r ge

nero

sity

has

van

quis

hed

me.

I a

m th

ebu

ffal

o th

at r

avag

es D

o. I

hav

e ki

lled

a h

undr

ed a

nd s

even

hunt

ers

and

wou

nded

sev

enty

-sev

en; e

very

day

I k

ill a

n in

habi

-ta

nt o

f D

o an

d th

e ki

ng, G

nem

o D

iarr

a, is

at h

is w

it's

end

whi

chji

nn to

sac

rifi

ce to

. Her

e, y

oung

man

, tak

e th

is d

ista

ff a

nd th

iseg

g an

d go

to th

e pl

ain

of O

uran

tam

ba w

here

I b

row

se a

mon

g th

eki

ng's

cro

ps. B

efor

e us

ing

your

bow

you

mus

t tak

e ai

m a

t me

thre

e ti

mes

wit

h th

is d

ista

ff; t

hen

draw

you

r bo

w a

nd I

sha

ll be

vuln

erab

le to

you

r ar

row

. I s

hall

fall

but s

hall

get u

p an

d pu

rsue

you

into

a d

ry p

lain

. The

n th

row

the

egg

behi

nd y

ou a

nd a

gre

atm

ire

wil

l com

e in

to b

eing

whe

re I

sha

ll b

e un

able

to a

dvan

cean

d th

en y

ou w

ill k

ill m

e. A

s a

proo

f of

you

r vi

ctor

y yo

u m

ust

cut o

ff th

e bu

ffal

o's

tail,

whi

ch is

of

gold

, and

take

it to

the

king

,fr

om w

hom

you

wil

l exa

ct y

our

due

rew

ard.

As

for

me,

I h

ave

run

my

cour

se a

nd p

unis

hed

the

king

of

Do,

my

brot

her,

for

depr

ivin

g m

e of

my

part

of

the

inhe

rita

nce.

" C

razy

wit

h jo

y, I

seiz

ed th

e di

staf

f an

d th

e eg

g, b

ut th

e ol

d w

oman

sto

pped

me

with

a ge

stur

e an

d sa

id, "

The

re i

s on

e co

ndit

ion,

hun

ter.

" "W

hat

cond

itio

n?"

I re

plie

d im

pati

entl

y. "

The

kin

g pr

omis

es th

e ha

ndof

the

mos

t bea

utif

ul m

aide

n of

Do

to th

e vi

ctor

. Whe

n al

l the

peop

le o

f D

o ar

e ga

ther

ed a

nd y

ou a

re to

ld to

cho

ose

her

who

myo

u w

ant a

s a

wif

e yo

u m

ust s

earc

h in

the

crow

d an

d yo

u w

ill

find

a v

ery

ugly

mai

d-ug

lier

tha

n yo

u ca

n im

agin

e-si

ttin

gap

art o

n an

obs

erva

tion

plat

form

; it i

s he

r yo

u m

ust c

hoos

e. S

heis

cal

led

Sogo

lon

Ked

jou,

or

Sogo

lon

Kon

dout

o, b

ecau

se s

he is

ahu

nchb

ack.

You

will

cho

ose

her

for

she

is m

y w

raith

. 1s

She

will

be a

n ex

trao

rdin

ary

wom

an if

you

man

age

to p

osse

ss h

er. P

rom

-is

em

e yo

u w

ill

choo

se h

er, h

unte

r."

I sw

ore

to, s

olem

nly,

betw

een

the

hand

s of

the

old

wom

an, a

nd w

e co

ntin

ued

on o

urw

ay. T

he p

lain

of

Our

anta

mba

was

hal

f a

day'

s jo

urne

y fr

omth

ere.

On

the

way

we

saw

hun

ters

who

wer

e fl

eein

g an

d w

how

atch

ed u

s qu

ite d

umbf

ound

ed. T

he b

uffa

lo w

as a

t the

oth

er e

ndof

the

plai

n bu

t whe

n it

saw

us

it ch

arge

d w

ith m

enac

ing

horn

s.I

did

as th

e ol

d w

oman

had

told

me

and

kille

d th

e bu

ffal

o. I

cut

off

its

tail

and

we

wen

t ba

ck t

o th

e to

wn

of D

o as

nig

ht w

asfa

lling

, but

we

did

not g

o be

fore

the

king

unt

il m

orni

ng c

ame

1e

The

kin

g ha

d th

e dr

ums

beat

en a

nd b

efor

e m

idda

y al

l the

in-

8

habi

tant

s of

the

coun

try

wer

e ga

ther

ed in

the

mai

n sq

uare

. The

mut

ilate

d ca

rcas

s of

the

buff

alo

had

been

pla

ced

in th

e m

iddl

e of

the

squa

re a

nd th

e de

liri

ous

crow

d ab

used

it, w

hile

our

nam

esw

ere

sung

in a

thou

sand

ref

rain

s. W

hen

the

king

app

eare

d a

deep

sile

nce

sett

led

on th

e cr

owd.

"I

prom

ised

the

hand

of

the

mos

tbe

auti

ful m

aide

n in

Do

to th

e br

ave

hunt

er w

ho s

aved

us

from

the

scou

rge

whi

ch o

verw

helm

ed u

s. T

he b

uffa

lo o

f Do

is d

ead

and

here

is th

e hu

nter

who

has

kil

led

it. I

am

a m

an o

f m

y w

ord.

Hun

ter,

her

e ar

e al

l the

dau

ghte

rs o

f D

o; ta

ke y

our

pick

." A

ndth

e cr

owd

show

ed it

s ap

prov

al b

y a

grea

t che

er. O

n th

at d

ay a

llth

e da

ught

ers

of D

o w

ore

thei

r fe

stiv

e dr

ess;

gol

d sh

one

in th

eir

hair

and

fra

gile

wri

sts

bent

und

er t

he w

eigh

t of

hea

vy s

ilve

rbr

acel

ets.

Nev

er d

id s

o m

uch

beau

ty c

ome

toge

ther

in o

ne p

lace

.F

ull o

f pr

ide,

my

quiv

er o

n m

y ba

ck, I

sw

agge

red

befo

re th

ebe

autif

ul g

irls

of

Do

who

wer

e sm

iling

at m

e, w

ith th

eir

teet

h as

whi

te a

s th

e ri

ce o

f M

ali.

But

I r

emem

bere

d th

e w

ords

of

the

old

wom

an. I

wen

t rou

nd th

e gr

eat c

ircl

e m

any

tim

es u

ntil

at la

st I

saw

Sog

olon

Ked

jou

sitti

ng a

part

on

a ra

ised

pla

tfor

m. I

elb

owed

my

way

thro

ugh

the

crow

d, to

ok S

ogol

on b

y th

e ha

nd a

nd d

rew

her

into

the

mid

dle

of t

he c

ircl

e. S

how

ing

her

to t

he k

ing,

Isa

id, "

Oh

Kin

g G

nem

o D

iarr

a, h

ere

is th

e on

e I

have

cho

sen

from

amon

g th

e yo

ung

mai

ds o

f D

o; it

is h

er I

wou

ld li

ke f

or a

wif

e."

The

cho

ice

was

so

para

doxi

cal

that

the

kin

g co

uld

not

help

laug

hing

, and

then

gen

eral

laug

hter

bro

ke o

ut a

nd th

e pe

ople

spli

t th

eir

side

s w

ith

mir

th. T

hey

took

me

for

a fo

ol, a

nd I

beca

me

a lu

dicr

ous

hero

. "Y

ou'v

e go

t to

belo

ng to

the

trib

e of

Tra

orc

to d

o th

ings

like

that

," s

aid

som

ebod

y in

the

crow

d, a

nd it

was

thus

that

my

brot

her

and

I le

ft D

o th

e ve

ry s

ame

day

pur-

sued

by

the

moc

kery

of

the

Kon

des.

'1'

The

hun

ter

ende

d hi

s st

ory

and

the

nobl

e ki

ng N

are

Mag

han

dete

rmin

ed to

sol

emni

ze h

is m

arri

age

wit

h al

l the

cus

tom

ary

form

aliti

es s

o th

at n

obod

y co

uld

disp

ute

the

righ

ts o

f th

e so

n to

be b

orn

to h

im. T

he tw

o hu

nter

s w

ere

cons

ider

ed a

s be

ing

rela

-tiv

es o

f So

golo

n an

d it

was

to th

em th

at G

nank

oum

an D

oua

bore

the

trad

itio

nal c

ola

nuts

.l8

By

agre

emen

t wit

h th

e hu

nter

s th

em

arri

age

was

fix

ed f

or th

e fi

rst W

edne

sday

of

the

new

moo

n. T

hetw

elve

vill

ages

of

old

Mal

i and

all

the

peop

les

allie

d to

them

wer

eac

quai

nted

with

this

and

on

the

appo

inte

d da

y de

lega

tions

flo

cked

from

all

side

s to

Nia

niba

, the

tow

n of

Mag

han

Kon

Fat

ta.

Sogo

lon

had

been

lodg

ed w

ith a

n ol

d au

nt o

f th

e ki

ng's

. Sin

ce 9

her

arri

val i

n N

iani

ba s

he h

ad n

ever

onc

e go

ne o

ut a

nd e

very

one

long

ed to

see

the

wom

an f

or w

hom

Nar

6 M

agha

n w

as p

repa

ring

such

a m

agni

fice

nt w

eddi

ng. I

t w

as k

now

n th

at s

he w

as n

otbe

autif

ul, b

ut th

e cu

rios

ity o

f ev

eryo

ne w

as a

rous

ed, a

nd a

lrea

dya

thou

sand

ane

cdot

es w

ere

circ

ulat

ing,

mos

t of

them

put

abo

utby

Sas

soum

a B

4r&

d, th

e ki

ng's

fir

st w

ife.

The

roy

al d

rum

s of

Nia

niba

ann

ounc

ed th

e fe

stiv

ity a

t cra

ck o

fda

wn.

The

tow

n aw

oke

to th

e so

und

of ta

m-t

ams

whi

ch a

nsw

ered

each

oth

er f

rom

one

dis

tric

t to

anot

her;

fro

m th

e m

idst

of

the

crow

ds a

rose

the

voic

es o

f gr

iots

sin

ging

the

prai

ses

of N

ard

Mag

han.

At t

he h

ome

of th

e ki

ng's

old

aun

t, th

e ha

irdr

esse

r of

Nia

niba

was

pla

itin

g S

ogol

on K

edjo

u's

hair

. As

she

lay

on h

er m

at, h

erhe

ad r

estin

g on

the

hair

dres

ser's

legs

, she

wep

t sof

tly, w

hile

the

king

's si

ster

s ca

me

to c

haff

her

, as

was

the

cust

om.

` Thi

s is

you

r la

st d

ay o

f fr

eedo

m; f

rom

now

onw

ards

you

will

be o

ur w

oman

.'` S

ay f

arew

ell t

o yo

ur y

outh

,' ad

ded

anot

her.

' You

won

't da

nce

in th

e sq

uare

any

mor

e an

d ha

ve y

ours

elf

adm

ired

by

the

boys

,' ad

ded

a th

ird.

Sog

olon

nev

er u

tter

ed a

wor

d an

d fr

om ti

me

to ti

me

the

old

hair

dres

ser

said

, 'T

here

, the

re, s

top

cryi

ng. I

t's a

new

life

beg

in-

ning

, you

kno

w, m

ore

beau

tifu

l tha

n yo

u th

ink.

You

wil

l be

am

othe

r an

d yo

u w

ill k

now

the

joy

of b

eing

a q

ueen

sur

roun

ded

by y

our

child

ren.

Com

e no

w, d

augh

ter,

don

't lis

ten

to th

e gi

bes

of y

our

sist

ers-

in-l

aw.'

In f

ront

of

the

hous

e th

e po

etes

ses

who

belo

nged

to th

e ki

ng's

sis

ters

cha

nted

the

nam

e of

the

youn

gbr

ide. Dur

ing

this

tim

e th

e fe

stiv

ity

was

rea

chin

g it

s he

ight

in f

ront

of th

e ki

ng's

enc

losu

re. E

ach

villa

ge w

as r

epre

sent

ed b

y a

trou

peof

dan

cers

and

mus

icia

ns;

in t

he m

iddl

e of

the

cou

rtya

rd t

heel

ders

wer

e sa

crif

icin

g ox

en w

hich

the

serv

ants

car

ved

up, w

hile

unga

inly

vul

ture

s, p

erch

ed o

n th

e gr

eat s

ilk-c

otto

n tr

ee, w

atch

edth

e he

cato

mb

with

thei

r ey

es.

Sitti

ng in

fro

nt o

f th

e pa

lace

, Nar

e M

agha

n lis

tene

d to

the

grav

em

usic

of

the

'bol

on' 1

9in

the

mid

st o

f hi

s co

urtie

rs. D

oua,

sta

nd-

ing

amid

the

emin

ent g

uest

s, h

eld

his

grea

t spe

ar in

his

han

d an

dsa

ng t

he a

nthe

m o

f th

e M

andi

ngo

king

s. E

very

whe

re i

n th

evi

llag

e pe

ople

wer

e da

ncin

g an

d si

ngin

g an

d m

embe

rs o

f th

ero

yal f

amil

y en

vinc

ed th

eir

joy,

as

was

fit

ting

, by

dist

ribu

ting

to

grai

n, c

loth

es, a

nd e

ven

gold

. Eve

n th

e je

alou

s Sa

ssou

ma

B4r

etg

took

par

t in

this

larg

esse

and

, am

ong

othe

r th

ings

, bes

tow

ed f

ine

loin

-clo

ths

on th

e po

etes

ses.

But

nig

ht w

as f

alli

ng a

nd t

he s

un h

ad h

idde

n be

hind

the

-m

ount

ain.

It w

as ti

me

for

the

mar

riag

e pr

oces

sion

to f

orm

up

infr

ont o

f th

e ho

use

of th

e ki

ng's

aun

t. T

he ta

m-t

ams

had

fall

ensi

lent

.T

he o

ld f

emal

e re

lativ

es o

f th

e ki

ng h

ad w

ashe

d an

d pe

r-fu

med

Sog

olon

and

now

she

was

dre

ssed

com

plet

ely

in w

hite

with

a la

rge

veil

over

her

hea

d.S

ogol

on w

alke

d in

fro

nt h

eld

by tw

o ol

d w

omen

. The

kin

g's

rela

tives

fol

low

ed a

nd, b

ehin

d, th

e ch

oir

of y

oung

gir

ls o

f M

ali

sang

the

brid

e's

depa

rtur

e so

ng, k

eepi

ng ti

me

to th

e so

ngs

bycl

appi

ng th

eir

hand

s. T

he v

illa

gers

and

gue

sts

wer

e li

ned

upal

ong

the

stre

tch

of g

roun

d w

hich

sep

arat

ed th

e au

nt's

hou

sefr

om t

he p

alac

e in

ord

er t

o se

e th

e pr

oces

sion

go

by. W

hen

Sogo

lon

had

reac

hed

the

thre

shol

d of

the

king

's an

tech

ambe

r on

eof

his

you

ng b

roth

ers

lifte

d he

r vi

goro

usly

fro

m th

e gr

ound

and

ran

off

with

her

tow

ards

the

pala

ce w

hile

the

crow

d ch

eere

d.T

he w

omen

dan

ced

in f

ront

of

the

pala

ce o

f th

e ki

ng f

or a

long

whi

le, t

hen,

aft

er r

ecei

ving

mon

ey a

nd p

rese

nts

from

mem

bers

of t

he r

oyal

fam

ily,

the

cro

wd

disp

erse

d an

d ni

ght

dark

ened

over

head

.'S

he w

ill b

e an

ext

raor

dina

ry w

oman

if y

ou m

anag

e to

pos

sess

her.

'T

hose

wer

e th

e w

ords

of

the

old

wom

an o

f D

o, b

ut th

eco

nque

ror

of th

e bu

ffal

o ha

d no

t bee

n ab

le to

con

quer

the

youn

ggi

rl. I

t was

onl

y as

an

afte

rtho

ught

that

the

two

hunt

ers,

Oul

ani

and

Oul

amba

, had

the

idea

of

givi

ng h

er to

the

king

of

Mal

i.T

hat e

veni

ng, t

hen,

Nar

d M

agha

n tr

ied

to p

erfo

rm h

is d

uty

as a

hus

band

but

Sog

olon

rep

ulse

d hi

s ad

vanc

es. H

e pe

rsis

ted,

but

his

effo

rts

wer

e in

vai

n an

d ea

rly

the

next

mor

ning

Dou

a fo

und

the

king

exh

aust

ed, l

ike

a m

an w

ho h

ad s

uffe

red

a gr

eat d

efea

t.'W

hat i

s th

e m

atte

r, m

y ki

ng?'

ask

ed th

e gr

iot.

'I h

ave

been

una

ble

to p

osse

ss h

er-a

nd b

esid

es, s

he f

righ

tens

me,

this

you

ng g

irl.

I ev

en d

oubt

whe

ther

she

is a

hum

an b

eing

;w

hen

I dr

ew c

lose

to

her

duri

ng t

he n

ight

her

bod

y be

cam

eco

vere

d w

ith lo

ng h

airs

and

that

sca

red

me

very

muc

h. A

ll ni

ght

long

I c

alle

d up

on m

y w

rait

h bu

t he

was

una

ble

to m

aste

rSo

golo

n's.

'A

ll th

at d

ay th

e ki

ng d

id n

ot e

mer

ge a

nd D

oua

was

the

only

one

to e

nter

and

leav

e th

e pa

lace

. All

Nia

niba

see

med

puz

zled

. The il

old

wom

en w

ho h

ad c

ome

earl

y to

see

k th

e vi

rgin

ity

pagn

eza

had

been

dis

cree

tly

turn

ed a

way

. And

this

wen

t on

for

a w

eek.

Nar

d M

agha

n ha

d va

inly

sou

ght a

dvic

e fr

om s

ome

grea

t sor

-ce

rers

but

all

the

ir t

rick

s w

ere

pow

erle

ss in

ove

rcom

ing

the

wra

ith

of S

ogol

on. B

ut o

ne n

ight

, whe

n ev

eryo

ne w

as a

slee

p,N

ard

Mag

han

got u

p. H

e un

hook

ed h

is h

unte

r's b

ag f

rom

the

wal

l and

, sit

ting

in th

e m

iddl

e of

the

hous

e, h

e sp

read

on

the

grou

nd th

e sa

nd w

hich

the

bag

cont

aine

d. T

he k

ing

bega

n tr

acin

gm

yste

riou

s si

gns

in th

e sa

nd; h

e tr

aced

, eff

aced

and

beg

an a

gain

.So

golo

n w

oke

up. S

he k

new

that

san

d ta

lks,

21bu

t she

was

in-

trig

ued

to s

ee t

he k

ing

so a

bsor

bed

at d

ead

of n

ight

. Nar

dM

agha

n st

oppe

d dr

awin

g si

gns

and

wit

h hi

s ha

nd u

nder

his

chin

he

seem

ed to

be

broo

ding

on

the

sign

s. A

ll of

a s

udde

n he

jum

ped

up, b

ound

ed a

fter

his

sw

ord

whi

ch h

ung

abov

e hi

s be

d,an

d sa

id, `

Sogo

lon,

Sog

olon

, wak

e up

. A d

ream

has

aw

aken

ed m

eou

t of

my

slee

p an

d th

e pr

otec

tive

spi

rit o

f th

e M

andi

ngo

king

sha

s ap

pear

ed to

me.

I w

as m

ista

ken

in th

e in

terp

reta

tion

I p

utup

on th

e w

ords

of

the

hunt

er w

ho le

d yo

u to

me.

The

jinn

has

reve

aled

to m

e th

eir

real

mea

ning

. Sog

olon

, I m

ust s

acri

fice

you

to th

e gr

eatn

ess

of m

y ho

use.

The

blo

od o

f a

virg

in o

f th

e tr

ibe

of K

ondd

mus

t be

spilt

, and

you

are

the

Kon

dd v

irgi

n w

hom

fat

eha

s br

ough

t und

er m

y ro

of. F

orgi

ve m

e, b

ut I

mus

t acc

ompl

ish

my

mis

sion

. For

give

the

hand

whi

ch is

goi

ng to

she

d yo

ur b

lood

.'' N

o, n

o-w

hy m

e?-n

o, I

don

't w

ant

to d

ie.'

`It i

s us

eles

s,' s

aid

the

king

. `It

is n

ot m

e w

ho h

as d

ecid

ed.'

He

seiz

ed S

ogol

on b

y th

e ha

ir w

ith

an ir

on g

rip,

but

so

grea

tha

d be

en h

er f

righ

t tha

t she

had

alr

eady

fai

nted

. In

this

fai

nt, s

hew

as c

onge

aled

in h

er h

uman

bod

y an

d he

r w

raith

was

no

long

erin

her

, and

whe

n sh

e w

oke

up, s

he w

as a

lrea

dy a

wif

e. T

hat v

ery

nigh

t, So

golo

n co

ncei

ved.

QZ

The

Lion

Chi

ldA

wif

e qu

ickl

y gr

ows

accu

stom

ed to

her

sta

te. S

ogol

on n

oww

alke

d fr

eely

in th

e ki

ng's

gre

at e

nclo

sure

and

peo

ple

also

got

12

used

to h

er u

glin

ess.

But

the

firs

t wif

e of

the

king

, Sas

soum

aB

drdt

d, t

urne

d ou

t to

be

unbe

arab

le. S

he w

as r

estl

ess,

and

smar

ted

to s

ee th

e ug

ly S

ogol

on p

roud

ly f

laun

ting

her

preg

nanc

yab

out t

he p

alac

e. W

hat w

ould

bec

ome

of h

er, S

asso

uma

Bdr

dtd,

ifhe

r so

n, a

lrea

dy e

ight

yea

rs o

ld, w

as d

isin

heri

ted

in f

avou

r of

the

chil

d th

at S

ogol

on w

as g

oing

to b

ring

into

the

wor

ld?

All

the

king

's a

tten

tion

s w

ent t

o th

e m

othe

r-to

-be.

On

retu

rnin

g fr

omth

e w

ars

he w

ould

bri

ng h

er th

e be

st p

orti

on o

f th

e bo

oty-

fine

loin

-clo

ths

and

rare

jew

els.

Soo

n, d

ark

sche

mes

took

for

m in

the

min

d of

Sas

soum

aBdrdtd;

she

dete

rmin

ed to

kil

l Sog

olon

. In

grea

t sec

recy

she

had

the

fore

mos

t sor

cere

rs o

f M

ali c

ome

to h

er,

but t

hey

all d

ecla

red

them

selv

es in

capa

ble

of ta

cklin

g So

golo

n.In

fac

t, fr

om tw

iligh

t onw

ards

, thr

ee o

wls

zs c

ame

and

perc

hed

onth

e ro

of o

f he

r ho

use

and

wat

ched

ove

r he

r. F

or th

e sa

ke o

f pe

ace

and

quie

t Sas

soum

a sa

id to

her

self

, `V

ery

wel

l the

n, le

t him

be

born

, thi

s ch

ild, a

nd th

en w

e'll

see.

"So

golo

n's

time

cam

e. T

he k

ing

com

man

ded

the

nine

gre

ates

tm

idw

ives

of

Mal

i to

com

e to

Nia

ni, a

nd th

ey w

ere

now

con

stan

tlyin

att

enda

nce

on th

e da

mse

l of

Do.

The

kin

g w

as in

the

mid

st o

fhi

s co

urti

ers

one

day

whe

n so

meo

ne c

ame

to a

nnou

nce

to h

imth

at S

ogol

on's

labo

urs

wer

e be

ginn

ing.

He

sent

all

his

cour

tiers

away

and

onl

y G

nank

oum

an D

oua

stay

ed b

y hi

s si

de. O

ne w

ould

have

thou

ght t

hat t

his

was

the

firs

t tim

e th

at h

e ha

d be

com

e a

fath

er, h

e w

as s

o w

orri

ed a

nd a

gita

ted.

The

who

le p

alac

e ke

ptco

mpl

ete

sile

nce.

Dou

a tr

ied

to d

istr

act t

he s

over

eign

wit

h hi

son

e-st

ring

ed g

uita

r bu

t in

vain

. He

even

had

to s

top

this

mus

icas

it ja

rred

on

the

king

. Sud

denl

y th

e sk

y da

rken

ed a

nd g

reat

clou

ds c

omin

g fr

om th

e ea

st h

id th

e su

n, a

ltho

ugh

it w

as s

till

the

dry

seas

on. T

hund

er b

egan

to r

umbl

e an

d sw

ift l

ight

ning

rent

the

clou

ds; a

few

larg

e dr

ops

of r

ain

bega

n to

fal

l whi

le a

stro

ng w

ind

blew

up.

A f

lash

of

light

ning

acc

ompa

nied

by

a du

llra

ttle

of

thun

der

burs

t out

of

the

east

and

lit u

p th

e w

hole

sky

as f

ar a

s th

e w

est.

The

n th

e ra

in s

topp

ed a

nd th

e su

n ap

pear

edan

d it

was

at

this

ver

y m

omen

t th

at a

mid

wif

e ca

me

out

ofSo

golo

n's

hous

e, r

an to

the

ante

cham

ber

and

anno

unce

d to

Nar

dM

agha

n th

at h

e w

as th

e fa

ther

of

a bo

y.T

he k

ing

show

ed n

o re

acti

on a

t al

l. H

e w

as a

s th

ough

in a

daze

. The

n D

oua,

rea

lizin

g th

e ki

ng's

em

otio

n, g

ot u

p an

d si

g-na

lled

to tw

o sl

aves

who

wer

e al

read

y st

andi

ng n

ear

the

roya

l`t

abal

a'.'°

The

has

ty b

eats

of

the

roya

l dru

m a

nnou

nced

to M

ali 13

the

birth

of a

son

; the

vil

lage

tam

-tam

s to

ok it

up

and

thus

all

Mal

i got

the

good

new

s th

e sa

me

day.

Sho

uts

of jo

y, ta

m-t

ams

and

`bal

afon

s's6

took

the

plac

e of

the

rece

nt s

ilen

ce a

nd a

ll th

em

usic

ians

of

Nia

ni m

ade

thei

r w

ay t

o th

e pa

lace

. His

ini

tial

emot

ion

bein

g ov

er, t

he k

ing

had

got

up a

nd o

n le

avin

g th

ean

tech

ambe

r he

was

gre

eted

byth

e w

arm

voi

ce o

f G

nank

oum

anD

oua

sing

ing:

` I s

alut

e yo

u, f

athe

r; I

sal

ute

you,

kin

g N

ard

Mag

han;

I s

alut

eyo

u,M

agha

n K

on F

atta

, Fra

ko M

agha

n K

eigu

.$e

The

chi

ld is

born

who

m t

he w

orld

aw

aite

d. M

agha

n, o

h ha

ppy

fath

er, I

salu

te y

ou. T

he l

ion

chil

d, t

he b

uffa

lo c

hild

is

born

, and

to

anno

unce

him

the

Alm

ight

y ha

s m

ade

the

thun

der

peal

, the

who

le s

ky h

as li

t up

and

the

eart

h ha

s tr

embl

ed. A

ll ha

il, f

athe

r,ha

il ki

ng N

ard

Mag

han!

'A

ll th

e gr

iots

wer

e th

ere

and

had

alre

ady

com

pose

d a

song

inpr

aise

of

the

roya

l inf

ant.

The

gen

eros

ity

of k

ings

mak

es g

riot

sel

oque

nt, a

nd M

agha

n K

on F

atta

dis

trib

uted

on

this

day

alo

nesi

x gr

anar

ies

of r

ice

amon

g th

e po

pula

ce. S

asso

uma

Bdr

dtd

dis-

tingu

ishe

d he

rsel

f by

her

larg

esse

s, b

ut th

at d

ecei

ved

nobo

dy. S

hew

as s

uffe

ring

in h

er h

eart

but

did

not

wan

t to

betr

ay a

nyth

ing.

The

nam

e w

as g

iven

the

eigh

th d

ay a

fter

his

bir

th. I

t was

agr

eat f

east

day

and

peo

ple

cam

e fr

om a

ll th

e vi

llag

es o

f M

ali

whi

le e

ach

neig

hbou

ring

peo

ple

brou

ght g

ifts

to th

e ki

ng. F

irst

thin

g in

the

mor

ning

a g

reat

cir

cle

had

form

ed in

fro

nt o

f th

epa

lace

. In

the

mid

dle,

ser

ving

wom

en w

ere

poun

ding

ric

e w

hich

was

to s

erve

as

brea

d, a

nd s

acri

fice

d ox

en la

y at

the

foot

of

the

grea

t silk

-cot

ton

tree

.In

Sog

olon

's ho

use

the

king

's au

nt c

ut o

ff th

e ba

by's

firs

t cro

p of

hair

whi

le th

e po

etes

ses,

equ

ippe

d w

ith

larg

e fa

ns, c

oole

d th

em

othe

r w

ho w

as n

onch

alan

tly s

tret

ched

out

on

soft

cus

hion

s.T

he k

ing

was

in h

is a

ntec

ham

ber

but h

e ca

me

out f

ollo

wed

by

Dou

a. T

he c

row

d fe

ll si

lent

and

Dou

a cr

ied,

`The

chi

ld o

f So

golo

nw

ill b

e ca

lled

Mag

han

afte

r hi

s fa

ther

, and

Mar

i Dja

ta, a

nam

ew

hich

no

Man

ding

o pr

ince

has

eve

r bo

rne.

Sog

olon

's s

on w

ill b

eth

e fi

rst o

f th

is n

ame.

"S

trai

ght a

way

the

grio

ts s

hout

ed th

e na

me

of th

e in

fant

and

the

tam

-tam

s so

unde

d an

ew. T

he k

ing'

s au

nt, w

ho h

ad c

ome

out

to h

ear

the

nam

e of

the

chi

ld, w

ent

back

into

the

hou

se, a

ndw

hisp

ered

the

doub

le n

ame

of M

agha

n an

d M

ari D

jata

in th

e ea

rof

the

new

ly-b

orn

so th

at h

e w

ould

rem

embe

r it.

14

The

fes

tivity

end

ed w

ith th

e di

stri

butio

n of

mea

t to

the

head

sof

fam

ilies

and

eve

ryon

e di

sper

sed

joyf

ully

. The

nea

r re

lati

ves

one

by o

ne w

ent t

o ad

mir

e th

e ne

wly

-bor

n.

Chi

ldho

odG

od h

as h

is m

yste

ries

whi

ch n

one

can

fath

om. Y

ou, p

erha

ps, w

illbe

a k

ing.

You

can

do

noth

ing

abou

t it.

You

, on

the

othe

r ha

nd,

will

be

unlu

cky,

but

you

can

do

noth

ing

abou

t tha

t eit

her.

Eac

hm

an f

inds

his

way

alr

eady

mar

ked

out f

or h

im a

nd h

e ca

n ch

ange

noth

ing

of it

.So

golo

n's

son

had

a sl

ow a

nd d

iffi

cult

child

hood

. At t

he a

ge o

fth

ree

he s

till c

raw

led

alon

g on

all-

four

s w

hile

chi

ldre

n of

the

sam

eag

e w

ere

alre

ady

wal

king

. He

had

noth

ing

of th

e gr

eat b

eaut

y of

his

fath

er N

ard

Mag

han.

He

had

a he

ad s

o bi

g th

at h

e se

emed

unab

le to

sup

port

it; h

e al

so h

ad la

rge

eyes

whi

ch w

ould

ope

nw

ide

whe

neve

r an

yone

ent

ered

his

mot

her'

s ho

use.

He

was

taci

turn

and

use

d to

spe

nd th

e w

hole

day

just

sitt

ing

in th

e m

iddl

eof

the

hous

e. W

hene

ver

his

mot

her

wen

t out

he

wou

ld c

raw

l on

all f

ours

to r

umm

age

abou

t in

the

cala

bash

es in

sea

rch

of f

ood,

for

he w

as v

ery

gree

dy."

Mal

icio

us to

ngue

s be

gan

to b

lab.

Wha

t thr

ee-y

ear-

old

has

not

yet t

aken

his

fir

st s

teps

?W

hat t

hree

-yea

r-ol

d is

not

the

desp

air

of h

is p

aren

ts th

roug

h hi

s w

him

s an

d sh

ifts

of

moo

d? W

hat t

hree

-ye

ar-o

ld is

not

the

joy

of h

is c

ircl

e th

roug

h hi

s ba

ckw

ardn

ess

inta

lkin

g? S

ogol

on D

jata

(fo

r it

was

thus

that

they

cal

led

him

, pre

-fi

xing

his

mot

her's

nam

e to

his

), S

ogol

on D

jata

, the

n, w

as v

ery

diff

eren

t fr

om o

ther

s of

his

ow

n ag

e. H

e sp

oke

litt

le a

nd h

isse

vere

fac

e ne

ver

rela

xed

into

a s

mile

. You

wou

ld h

ave

thou

ght

that

he

was

alr

eady

thin

king

, and

wha

t am

used

chi

ldre

n of

his

age

bore

d hi

m. O

ften

Sog

olon

wou

ld m

ake

som

e of

them

com

e to

him

to k

eep

him

com

pany

. The

se c

hild

ren

wer

e al

read

y w

alki

ng a

ndsh

e ho

ped

that

Dja

ta, s

eein

g hi

s co

mpa

nion

s w

alki

ng, w

ould

be

tem

pted

to d

o lik

ewis

e. B

ut n

othi

ng c

ame

of it

. Bes

ides

, Sog

olon

Dja

ta w

ould

bra

in th

e po

or li

ttle

thin

gs w

ith

his

alre

ady

stro

ngar

ms

and

none

of

them

wou

ld c

ome

near

him

any

mor

e.T

he k

ing'

s fi

rst w

ife

was

the

firs

t to

rejo

ice

at S

ogol

on D

jata

's 15

infi

rmity

. Her

ow

n so

n, D

anka

ran

Tou

man

, was

alr

eady

ele

ven.

He

was

a f

ine

and

livel

y bo

y, w

ho s

pent

the

day

runn

ing

abou

tth

e vi

llag

e w

ith

thos

e of

his

ow

n ag

e. H

e ha

d ev

en b

egun

his

init

iati

on in

the

bush

.$s

The

kin

g ha

d ha

d a

bow

mad

e fo

r hi

man

d he

use

d to

go

behi

nd th

e to

wn

to p

ract

ise

arch

ery

wit

h hi

sco

mpa

nion

s. S

asso

uma

was

qui

te h

appy

and

sna

pped

her

fin

gers

at S

ogol

on, w

hose

chi

ld w

as s

till c

raw

ling

on th

e gr

ound

. Whe

n-ev

er th

e la

tter

hap

pene

d to

pas

s by

her

hou

se, s

he w

ould

say

,`C

ome,

my

son,

wal

k, ju

mp,

leap

abo

ut. T

he ji

nn d

idn'

t pro

mis

eyo

u an

ythi

ng o

ut o

f th

e or

dina

ry, b

ut I

pre

fer

a so

n w

ho w

alks

on h

is tw

o le

gs to

a li

on th

at c

raw

ls o

n th

e gr

ound

.' S

he s

poke

thus

whe

neve

r So

golo

n w

ent b

y he

r do

or. T

he in

nuen

do w

ould

go s

trai

ght h

ome

and

then

she

wou

ld b

urst

into

laug

hter

, tha

tdi

abol

ical

laug

hter

whi

ch a

jeal

ous

wom

an k

now

s ho

w to

use

so

wel

l. Her

son

's in

firm

ity w

eigh

ed h

eavi

ly u

pon

Sogo

lon

Ked

jou;

she

had

reso

rted

to a

ll he

r ta

lent

as

a so

rcer

ess

to g

ive

stre

ngth

to h

erso

n's

legs

, but

the

rare

st h

erbs

had

bee

n us

eles

s. T

he k

ing

him

self

lost

hop

e.H

ow im

pati

ent m

an is

! N

are

Mag

han

beca

me

impe

rcep

tibl

yes

tran

ged

but

Gna

nkou

man

Dou

a ne

ver

ceas

ed r

emin

ding

him

of

the

hunt

er's

wor

ds. S

ogol

on b

ecam

e pr

egna

nt a

gain

. The

king

hop

ed f

or a

son

, but

it w

as a

dau

ghte

r ca

lled

Kol

onka

n.S

he r

esem

bled

her

mot

her

and

had

noth

ing

of h

er f

athe

r's

beau

ty. T

he d

ishe

arte

ned

king

deb

arre

d So

golo

n fr

om h

is h

ouse

and

she

live

d in

sem

i-di

sgra

ce f

or a

whi

le. N

are

Mag

han

mar

ried

the

daug

hter

of

one

of h

is a

llies

, the

kin

g of

the

Kam

aras

.S

he w

as c

alle

d N

aman

dje

and

her

beau

ty w

as l

egen

dary

. Aye

ar l

ater

she

bro

ught

a b

oy i

nto

the

wor

ld. W

hen

the

king

cons

ulte

d so

oths

ayer

s on

the

dest

iny

of th

is s

on h

e re

ceiv

ed th

ere

ply

that

Nam

andj

e's

chil

d w

ould

be

the

righ

t han

d of

som

em

ight

y ki

ng. T

he k

ing

gave

the

new

ly-b

orn

the

nam

e of

Bou

-ka

ri.

He

was

to b

e ca

lled

Man

ding

Bou

kari

or

Man

ding

Bor

yla

ter

on.

Nar

e M

agha

n w

as v

ery

perp

lexe

d. C

ould

it b

e th

at th

e st

iff-

join

ted

son

of S

ogol

on w

as th

e on

e th

e hu

nter

soo

thsa

yer

had

fore

told

?`T

he A

lmig

hty

has

his

mys

teri

es,'

Gna

nkou

man

Dou

a w

ould

say

and,

taki

ng u

p th

e hu

nter

's w

ords

, add

ed, `

The

sil

k-co

tton

tree

em

erge

s fr

om a

tiny

see

d.'

16

One

day

Nar

e M

agha

n ca

me

alon

g to

the

hous

e of

Nou

nfai

ri,

the

blac

ksm

ith

seer

of

Nia

ni. H

e w

as a

n ol

d, b

lind

man

. He

rece

ived

the

king

in th

e an

tero

om w

hich

ser

ved

as h

is w

orks

hop.

To

the

king

's q

uest

ion

he r

epli

ed, `

Whe

n th

e se

ed g

erm

inat

esgr

owth

is n

ot a

lway

s ea

sy;

grea

t tr

ees

grow

slo

wly

but

the

ypl

unge

thei

r ro

ots

deep

into

the

grou

nd.'

`But

has

the

seed

rea

lly g

erm

inat

ed?'

sai

d th

e ki

ng.

`Of

cour

se,'

repl

ied

the

blin

d se

er. `

Onl

y th

e gr

owth

is n

ot a

squ

ick

as y

ou w

ould

like

it; h

ow im

patie

nt m

an is

.'T

his

inte

rvie

w a

nd D

oua'

s co

nfid

ence

gav

e th

e ki

ng s

ome

assu

ranc

e. T

o th

e gr

eat d

ispl

easu

re o

f Sa

ssou

ma

Ber

ete

the

king

rest

ored

Sog

olon

to f

avou

r an

d so

on a

noth

er d

augh

ter

was

bor

nto

her

. She

was

giv

en th

e na

me

of D

jam

arou

.H

owev

er, a

ll N

iani

talk

ed o

f no

thin

g el

se b

ut th

e st

iff-

legg

edso

n of

Sog

olon

. He

was

now

sev

en a

nd h

e st

ill c

raw

led

to g

etab

out.

In s

pite

of

all t

he k

ing'

s af

fect

ion,

Sog

olon

was

in d

espa

ir.

Nar

e M

agha

n ag

ed a

nd h

e fe

lt h

is t

ime

com

ing

to a

n en

d.D

anka

ran

Tou

man

, the

son

of

Sass

oum

a B

eret

e, w

as n

ow a

fin

eyo

uth.

One

day

Nar

e M

agha

n m

ade

Mar

i Dja

ta c

ome

to h

im a

nd h

esp

oke

to th

e ch

ild

as o

ne s

peak

s to

an

adul

t. 'M

ari D

jata

, I a

mgr

owin

g ol

d an

d so

on I

sha

ll be

no

mor

e am

ong

you,

but

bef

ore

deat

h ta

kes

me

off

I am

goi

ng to

giv

e yo

u th

e pr

esen

t eac

h ki

nggi

ves

his

succ

esso

r. In

Mal

i eve

ry p

rinc

e ha

s hi

s ow

n gr

iot.

Dou

a's

fath

er w

as m

y fa

ther

's g

riot

, Dou

a is

min

e an

d th

e so

n of

Dou

a,B

alla

Fas

seke

her

e, w

ill b

e yo

ur g

riot

. Be

inse

para

ble

frie

nds

from

this

day

for

war

d. F

rom

his

mou

th y

ou w

ill h

ear

the

hist

ory

ofyo

ur a

nces

tors

, you

will

lear

n th

e ar

t of

gove

rnin

g M

ali a

ccor

ding

to th

e pr

inci

ples

whi

ch o

ur a

nces

tors

hav

e be

quea

thed

to u

s. I

have

ser

ved

my

term

and

don

e m

y du

ty to

o. I

hav

e do

ne e

very

-th

ing

whi

ch a

kin

g of

Mal

i oug

ht to

do.

I a

m h

andi

ng a

n en

larg

edki

ngdo

m o

ver t

o yo

u an

d I l

eave

you

sur

e al

lies.

May

you

r des

tiny

be a

ccom

plis

hed,

but

nev

er f

orge

t tha

t Nia

ni is

you

r ca

pita

l and

Mal

i the

cra

dle

of y

our a

nces

tors

.'T

he c

hild

, as

if h

e ha

d un

ders

tood

the

who

le m

eani

ng o

f th

eki

ng's

wor

ds, b

ecko

ned

Bal

la F

asse

ke to

app

roac

h. H

e m

ade

room

for

him

on

the

hide

he

was

sit

ting

on

and

then

sai

d, 'B

alla

, you

will

be

my

grio

t.'`Y

es, s

on o

f So

golo

n, if

it p

leas

es G

od,'

repl

ied

Bal

la F

asse

ke.

The

kin

g an

d D

oua

exch

ange

d gl

ance

s th

at ra

diat

ed c

onfi

denc

e. 17

A s

hort

whi

le a

fter

this

inte

rvie

w b

etw

een

Nar

d M

agha

n an

d hi

sso

n th

e ki

ng d

ied.

Sog

olon

's s

on w

as n

o m

ore

than

sev

en y

ears

old.

The

cou

ncil

of e

lder

s m

et in

the

king

's p

alac

e. I

t was

no

use

Dou

a's

defe

ndin

g th

e ki

ng's

will

whi

ch r

eser

ved

the

thro

ne f

orM

ari D

jata

, for

the

coun

cil t

ook

no a

ccou

nt o

f N

are

Mag

han'

sw

ish.

Wit

h th

e he

lp o

f S

asso

uma

Ber

dtd'

s in

trig

ues,

Dan

kara

nT

oum

an w

as p

rocl

aim

ed k

ing

and

a re

genc

y co

unci

l was

for

med

in w

hich

the

quee

n m

othe

r w

as a

ll-po

wer

ful.

A s

hort

tim

e af

ter,

Dou

a di

ed.

As

men

hav

e sh

ort m

emor

ies,

Sog

olon

's so

n w

as s

poke

n of

with

noth

ing

but i

rony

and

sco

rn. P

eopl

e ha

d se

en o

ne-e

yed

king

s,on

e-ar

med

kin

gs, a

nd la

me

king

s, b

ut a

sti

ff-l

egge

d ki

ng h

adne

ver

been

hea

rd t

ell

of. N

o m

atte

r ho

w g

reat

the

des

tiny

prom

ised

for

Mar

i Dja

ta m

ight

be,

the

thro

ne c

ould

not

be

give

nto

som

eone

who

had

no

pow

er in

his

legs

; if

the

jinn

love

d hi

m,

let t

hem

beg

in b

y gi

ving

him

the

use

of h

is le

gs. S

uch

wer

e th

ere

mar

ks t

hat

Sog

olon

hea

rd e

very

day

. The

que

en m

othe

r,Sa

ssou

ma

Bdr

etd,

was

the

sour

ce o

f all

this

gos

sip.

Hav

ing

beco

me

all-

pow

erfu

l, S

asso

uma

Bdr

etd

pers

ecut

edS

ogol

on b

ecau

se th

e la

te N

are

Mag

han

had

pref

erre

d he

r. S

heba

nish

ed S

ogol

on a

nd h

er s

on to

a b

ack

yard

of

the

pala

ce. M

ari

Dja

ta's

mot

her

now

occ

upie

d an

old

but

whi

ch h

ad s

erve

d as

alu

mbe

r-ro

om o

f Sa

ssou

ma'

s.T

he w

icke

d qu

een

mot

her

allo

wed

fre

e pa

ssag

e to

all

thos

ein

quis

itive

peo

ple

who

wan

ted

to s

ee th

e ch

ild th

at s

till c

raw

led

at th

e ag

e of

sev

en. N

earl

y al

l the

inha

bita

nts

of N

iani

file

d in

toth

e pa

lace

and

the

poor

Sog

olon

wep

t to

see

hers

elf

thus

giv

enov

er to

pub

lic

ridi

cule

..Mar

i Dja

ta to

ok o

n a

fero

ciou

s lo

ok in

fron

t of

the

crow

d of

sig

htse

ers.

Sog

olon

fou

nd a

littl

e co

nsol

atio

non

ly in

the

love

of

her

elde

st d

augh

ter,

Kol

onka

n. S

he w

as f

our

and

she

coul

d w

alk.

She

see

med

to u

nder

stan

d al

l her

mot

her's

mis

erie

s an

d al

read

y sh

e he

lped

her

with

the

hous

ewor

k. S

ome-

times

, whe

n So

golo

n w

as a

ttend

ing

to th

e ch

ores

, it w

as s

he w

host

ayed

bes

ide

her

sist

er D

jam

arou

, qui

te s

mal

l as

yet.

Sogo

lon

Ked

jou

and

her

child

ren

lived

on

the

quee

n m

othe

r'sle

ft-o

vers

, but

she

kep

t a li

ttle

gar

den

in th

e op

en g

roun

d be

hind

the

vill

age.

It w

as th

ere

that

she

pas

sed

her

brig

htes

t mom

ents

18

look

ing

afte

r he

r on

ions

and

gno

ugou

s.99

One

day

she

hap

pene

dto

be

shor

t of

cond

imen

ts a

nd w

ent t

o th

e qu

een

mot

her

to b

ega

little

bao

bab

leaf

."` L

ook

you,

' sai

d th

e m

alic

ious

Sas

soum

a, `I

hav

e a

cala

bash

full.

Hel

p yo

urse

lf, y

ou p

oor

wom

an. A

s fo

r m

e, m

y so

n kn

ew h

ow to

wal

k at

sev

en a

nd it

was

he

who

wen

t and

pic

ked

thes

e ba

obab

leav

es. T

ake

them

then

, sin

ce y

our

son

is u

nequ

al to

min

e.' T

hen

she

laug

hed

deri

sive

ly w

ith

that

fie

rce

laug

hter

whi

ch c

uts

thro

ugh

your

fle

sh a

nd p

enet

rate

s ri

ght t

o th

e bo

ne.

Sogo

lon

Ked

jou

was

dum

bfou

nded

. She

had

nev

er im

agin

edth

at h

ate

coul

d be

so

stro

ng in

a h

uman

bei

ng. W

ith

a lu

mp

inhe

r th

roat

she

lef

t S

asso

uma'

s. O

utsi

de h

er b

ut M

ari

Dja

ta,

sitt

ing

on h

is u

sele

ss le

gs, w

as b

land

ly e

atin

g ou

t of

a ca

laba

sh.

Una

ble

to c

onta

in h

erse

lf a

ny lo

nger

, Sog

olon

bur

st in

to s

obs

and

seiz

ing

a pi

ece

of w

ood,

hit

her

son.

` Oh

son

of m

isfo

rtun

e, w

ill y

ou n

ever

wal

k? T

hrou

gh y

our

faul

t I h

ave

just

suf

fere

d th

e gr

eate

st a

ffro

nt o

f my

life!

Wha

t hav

eI

done

, God

, for

you

to p

unis

h m

e in

this

way

?'M

ari D

jata

sei

zed

the

piec

e of

woo

d an

d, lo

okin

g at

his

mot

her,

said

, `M

othe

r, w

hat's

the

mat

ter?

'` S

hut u

p, n

othi

ng c

an e

ver

was

h m

e cl

ean

of th

is in

sult.

'`B

ut w

hat t

hen?

'` S

asso

uma

has

just

hum

iliat

ed m

e ov

er a

mat

ter

of a

bao

bab

leaf

.A

t you

r ag

e he

r ow

n so

n co

uld

wal

k an

d us

ed to

bri

ng h

ism

othe

r ba

obab

leav

es."

` Che

er u

p, M

othe

r, c

heer

up.

'` N

o. I

t's to

o m

uch.

I c

an't.

'` V

ery

wel

l the

n, I

am

goi

ng to

wal

k to

day,

' sai

d M

ari D

jata

.` G

o an

d te

ll m

y fa

ther

's s

mith

s to

mak

e m

e th

e he

avie

st p

ossi

ble

iron

rod

.M

othe

r, d

o yo

u w

ant j

ust t

he le

aves

of

the

baob

ab o

rw

ould

you

rat

her

I br

ough

t you

the

who

le tr

ee?'

` Ah,

my

son,

to w

ipe

out t

his

insu

lt I

wan

t the

tree

and

its

root

sat

my

feet

out

side

my

hut.'

Bal

la F

assd

kd, w

ho w

as p

rese

nt, r

an t

o th

e m

aste

r sm

ith,

Fara

kour

ou, t

o or

der

an ir

on r

od.

Sog

olon

had

sat

dow

n in

fro

nt o

f he

r hu

t. S

he w

as w

eepi

ngso

ftly

and

hol

ding

her

hea

d be

twee

n he

r tw

o ha

nds.

Mar

i Dja

taw

ent c

alm

ly b

ack

to h

is c

alab

ash

of r

ice

and

bega

n ea

ting

agai

nas

if n

othi

ng h

ad h

appe

ned.

Fro

m t

ime

to t

ime

he lo

oked

up

disc

reet

ly a

t his

mot

her

who

was

mur

mur

ing

in a

low

voi

ce, 19

`Iw

ant

the

who

le t

ree,

in

fron

t of

my

hut,

the

who

le t

ree.

'A

ll o

f a

sudd

en a

voi

ce b

urst

into

laug

hter

beh

ind

the

hut.

Itw

as th

e w

icke

d Sa

ssou

ma

telli

ng o

ne o

f he

r se

rvin

g w

omen

abo

utth

e sc

ene

of h

umil

iati

on a

nd s

he w

as la

ughi

ng lo

udly

so

that

Sog

olon

cou

ld h

ear.

Sog

olon

fle

d in

to th

e bu

t and

hid

her

fac

eun

der

the

blan

kets

so

as n

ot to

hav

e be

fore

her

eye

s th

is h

eedl

ess

boy,

who

was

mor

e pr

eocc

upie

d w

ith e

atin

g th

an w

ith a

nyth

ing

else

.W

ith

her

head

bur

ied

in th

e be

d-cl

othe

s So

golo

n w

ept a

ndhe

r bo

dy s

hook

vio

lent

ly. H

er d

augh

ter,

Sog

olon

Dja

mar

ou,

had

com

e an

d sa

t dow

n be

side

her

and

she

sai

d, `M

othe

r, M

othe

r,do

n't c

ry.

Why

are

you

cry

ing?

'M

ari D

jata

had

fin

ishe

d ea

ting

and

, dra

ggin

g hi

mse

lf a

long

on h

is le

gs, h

e ca

me

and

sat

unde

r th

e w

all o

f th

e bu

t fo

r th

esu

n w

as s

corc

hing

. Wha

t was

he

thin

king

abo

ut?

He

alon

e kn

ew.

The

roy

al f

orge

s w

ere

situ

ated

out

side

the

wal

ls a

nd o

ver

ahu

ndre

d sm

iths

wor

ked

ther

e. T

he b

ows,

spe

ars,

arr

ows

and

shie

lds

of N

iani

's w

arri

ors

cam

e fr

om th

ere.

Whe

n B

alla

Fas

-se

ke c

ame

to o

rder

the

iron

rod

, Far

akou

rou

said

to h

im, `

The

grea

t day

has

arr

ived

then

?'`Y

es. T

oday

is a

day

like

any

oth

er, b

ut it

wil

l see

wha

t no

othe

r da

y ha

s se

en.'

The

mas

ter

of th

e fo

rges

, Far

akou

rou,

was

the

son

of th

e ol

dN

ounf

airi

, and

he

was

a s

ooth

saye

r lik

e hi

s fa

ther

. In

his

wor

k-sh

ops

ther

e w

as a

n en

orm

ous

iron

bar

wro

ught

by

his

fath

erN

ounf

airi

. Eve

rybo

dy w

onde

red

wha

t thi

s ba

r w

as d

estin

ed to

be

used

for

. Far

akou

rou

calle

d si

x of

his

app

rent

ices

and

told

them

to c

arry

the

iron

bar

to S

ogol

on's

hou

se.

Whe

n th

e sm

iths

put t

he g

igan

tic ir

on b

ar d

own

in f

ront

of

the

but t

he n

oise

was

so

frig

hten

ing

that

Sog

olon

, who

was

lyin

gdo

wn,

jum

ped

up w

ith

a st

art.

The

n B

alla

Fas

seke

, son

of

Gna

nkou

man

Dou

a, s

poke

.`H

ere

is t

he g

reat

day

, Mar

i D

jata

. I a

m s

peak

ing

to y

ou,

Mag

han,

son

of

Sogo

lon.

The

wat

ers

of th

e N

iger

can

eff

ace

the

stai

n fr

om th

e bo

dy, b

ut th

ey c

anno

t wip

e ou

t an

insu

lt. A

rise

,yo

ung

lion,

roa

r, a

nd m

ay th

e bu

sh k

now

that

fro

m h

ence

fort

hit

has

a m

aste

r.'

The

app

rent

ice

smith

s w

ere

still

ther

e, S

ogol

on h

ad c

ome

out

and

ever

yone

was

wat

chin

g M

ari D

jata

. He

crep

t on

all-

four

san

d ca

me

to th

e ir

on b

ar. S

uppo

rtin

g hi

mse

lf o

n hi

s kn

ees

and

one

hand

, with

the

othe

r ha

nd h

e pi

cked

up

the

iron

bar

with

out

20

any

effo

rt a

nd s

tood

it u

p ve

rtic

ally

. Now

he

was

res

ting

on

noth

ing

but h

is k

nees

and

hel

d th

e ba

r w

ith

both

his

han

ds. A

deat

hly

sile

nce

had

grip

ped

all t

hose

pre

sent

. Sog

olon

Dja

ta c

lose

dhi

s ey

es, h

eld

tight

, the

mus

cles

in h

is a

rms

tens

ed. W

ith a

vio

lent

jerk

he

thre

w h

is w

eigh

t on

to it

and

his

kne

es le

ft th

e gr

ound

.So

golo

n K

edjo

u w

as a

ll ey

es a

nd w

atch

ed h

er s

on's

legs

whi

chw

ere

trem

blin

g as

tho

ugh

from

an

elec

tric

sho

ck. D

jata

was

swea

ting

and

the

swea

t ran

fro

m h

is b

row

. In

a gr

eat e

ffor

t he

stra

ight

ened

up

and

was

on

his

feet

at o

ne g

o-bu

t the

gre

at b

arof

iron

was

twis

ted

and

had

take

n th

e fo

rm o

f a

bow

!T

hen

Bal

la F

ass&

e sa

ng o

ut th

e `H

ymn

to th

e B

ow',

stri

king

up w

ith h

is p

ower

ful v

oice

:

` Tak

e yo

ur b

ow, S

imbo

n,T

ake

your

bow

and

let u

s go

.T

ake

your

bow

, Sog

olon

Dja

ta.'

Whe

n S

ogol

on s

aw h

er s

on s

tand

ing

she

stoo

d du

mb

for

am

omen

t, th

en s

udde

nly

she

sang

thes

e w

ords

of

than

ks to

God

who

had

giv

en h

er s

on th

e us

e of

his

legs

:

` Oh

day,

wha

t a b

eaut

iful

day

,O

h da

y, d

ay o

f joy

;A

llah

Alm

ight

y, y

ou n

ever

cre

ated

a f

iner

day

.So

my

son

is g

oing

to w

alk!

'

Stan

ding

in th

e po

sitio

n of

a s

oldi

er a

t eas

e, S

ogol

on D

jata

, sup

-po

rted

by

his

enor

mou

s ro

d, w

as s

wea

ting

grea

t bea

ds o

f sw

eat.

Bal

la F

asse

k6's

song

had

ale

rted

the

who

le p

alac

e an

d pe

ople

cam

eru

nnin

g fr

om a

ll ov

er to

see

wha

t had

hap

pene

d, a

nd e

ach

stoo

dbe

wild

ered

bef

ore

Sogo

lon'

s so

n. T

he q

ueen

mot

her

had

rush

edth

ere

and

whe

n sh

e sa

w M

ari D

jata

sta

ndin

g up

she

trem

bled

from

hea

d to

foo

t. A

fter

rec

over

ing

his

brea

th S

ogol

on's

son

drop

ped

the

bar

and

the

crow

d st

ood

to o

ne s

ide.

His

fir

st s

teps

wer

e th

ose

of a

gia

nt. B

alla

Fas

s&e

fell

into

ste

p an

d po

inti

nghi

s fi

nger

at D

jata

, he

crie

d:

` Roo

m, r

oom

, mak

e ro

om!

The

lion

has

wal

ked;

Hid

e an

telo

pes,

Get

out

of

his

way

.'

Beh

ind

Nia

ni th

ere

was

a y

oung

bao

bab

tree

and

it w

as th

ere

that

the

child

ren

of th

e to

wn

cam

e to

pic

k le

aves

for

thei

rm

othe

rs.W

ith a

ll hi

s m

ight

the

son

of S

ogol

on to

re u

p th

e tr

eean

d pu

t it o

n hi

s sh

ould

ers

and

wen

t bac

k to

his

mot

her.

He

thre

w th

e tr

ee in

fro

nt o

f th

e bu

t and

sai

d, `M

othe

r, h

ere

are

som

e ba

obab

leav

es fo

r you

. Fro

m h

ence

fort

h it

will

be

outs

ide

your

but

that

the

wom

en o

f Nia

ni w

ill c

ome

to s

tock

up.

'So

golo

nD

jata

wal

ked.

Fro

m th

at d

ay f

orw

ard

the

quee

nm

othe

r had

no

mor

e pe

ace

of m

ind.

But

wha

t can

one

do

agai

nst

dest

iny?

Not

hing

. Man

, und

er th

e in

fluen

ce o

f cer

tain

illu

sion

s,th

inks

he

can

alte

r the

cou

rse

whi

ch G

od h

as m

appe

d ou

t, bu

tev

eryt

hing

he

does

fal

ls in

to a

hig

her

orde

r w

hich

he

bare

lyun

ders

tand

s. T

hat i

s w

hy S

asso

uma'

s ef

fort

s w

ere

vain

aga

inst

Sogo

lon'

s so

n, e

very

thin

g sh

e di

d la

y in

the

child

's de

stin

y.Sc

orne

d th

e da

y be

fore

and

the

obje

ct o

f pub

lic ri

dicu

le, n

owSo

golo

n's

son

was

as

popu

lar a

s he

had

bee

n de

spis

ed. T

he m

ul-

titud

e lo

ves

and

fear

s st

reng

th. A

ll N

iani

talk

ed o

f not

hing

but

Dja

ta; t

he m

othe

rs u

rged

thei

r son

s to

bec

ome

hunt

ing

com

-pa

nion

s of

Dja

ta a

nd to

sha

re h

is g

ames

, as

if th

ey w

ante

d th

eir

offs

prin

g to

pro

fit fr

om th

e na

scen

t glo

ry o

f the

buf

falo

-wom

an's

son.

The

wor

ds o

f Dou

a on

the

nam

e-gi

ving

day

cam

e ba

ck to

men

's m

inds

and

Sog

olon

was

now

sur

roun

ded

with

muc

hre

spec

t; in

con

vers

atio

n pe

ople

wer

e fo

nd o

f con

trast

ing

Sogo

lon'

sm

odes

ty w

ith th

e pr

ide

and

mal

ice

of S

ouss

oum

a B

eret

e. It

was

beca

use

the

form

er h

ad b

een

an e

xem

plar

y w

ife a

nd m

othe

r tha

tG

od h

ad g

rant

ed s

tren

gth

to h

er s

on's

legs

for,

it w

as s

aid,

the

mor

e a

wif

e lo

ves

and

resp

ects

her

hus

band

and

the

mor

e sh

esu

ffer

s for

her

chi

ld, t

he m

ore

valo

rous

will

the

child

be

one

day.

Each

is th

e ch

ild o

f his

mot

her;

the

child

is w

orth

no

mor

e th

anth

em

othe

r is

wor

th. I

t was

not

ast

onis

hing

that

the

king

Dan

kara

n To

uman

was

so

colo

urle

ss, f

or h

is m

othe

r had

nev

ersh

own

the

slig

htes

t res

pect

to h

er h

usba

nd a

nd n

ever

, in

the

pres

ence

of t

he la

te k

ing,

did

she

show

that

hum

ility

whi

ch e

very

wife

sho

uld

show

bef

ore

her h

usba

nd. P

eopl

e re

calle

d he

r sce

nes

of je

alou

sy a

nd th

e sp

itefu

l rem

arks

she

circ

ulat

ed a

bout

her

co-

wif

e an

d he

r chi

ld. A

nd p

eopl

e w

ould

con

clud

e gr

avel

y, 'N

o-bo

dy k

now

s G

od's

mys

tery

. The

sna

ke h

as n

o le

gs y

et it

is a

ssw

ift a

s an

y ot

her a

nim

al th

at h

as fo

ur.'

Sogo

lon

Dja

ta's

popu

larit

y gr

ew fr

om d

ay to

day

and

he

was

surr

ound

ed b

y a

gang

of c

hild

ren

of th

e sa

me

age

as h

imse

lf.

22

Thes

e w

ere

Fran

Kam

ara,

son

of th

e ki

ng o

f Tab

on; K

aman

djan

,so

n of

the

king

of S

ibi;

and

othe

r prin

ces

who

se fa

ther

s ha

d se

ntth

em to

the

cour

t of N

iani

.3i

The

son

of N

aman

dje,

Man

ding

Bor

y, w

as a

lread

y jo

inin

g in

thei

r gam

es. B

alla

Fas

seke

follo

wed

Sogo

lon

Dja

ta a

ll th

e tim

e. H

e w

as p

ast t

wen

ty a

nd it

was

he

who

gav

e th

e ch

ild e

duca

tion

and

inst

ruct

ion

acco

rdin

g to

Man

-di

ngo

rule

s of c

ondu

ct. W

heth

er in

tow

n or

at t

he h

unt,

he m

isse

dno

opp

ortu

nity

of i

nstr

uctin

g hi

s pu

pil.

Man

y yo

ung

boys

of

Nia

ni c

ame

to jo

in in

the

gam

es o

f the

roya

l chi

ld.

He

liked

hun

ting

best

of a

ll. F

arak

ouro

u, m

aste

r of t

he fo

rges

,ha

d m

ade

Dja

ta a

fin

e bo

w, a

nd h

e pr

oved

him

self

to b

ea

good

sho

t with

the

bow

. He

mad

e fr

eque

nt h

untin

g tr

ips

with

his

troo

ps, a

nd in

the

even

ing

all N

iani

wou

ld b

e in

the

squa

reto

be

pres

ent a

t the

ent

ry o

f th

e yo

ung

hunt

ers.

The

cro

wd

wou

ld si

ng th

e `H

ymn

to th

e B

ow' w

hich

Bal

la F

asse

ke h

ad c

om-

pose

d, a

nd S

ogol

on D

jata

was

qui

te y

oung

whe

n he

rece

ived

the

title

of S

imbo

n, o

r mas

ter h

unte

r, w

hich

is o

nly

conf

erre

d on

grea

t hun

ters

who

hav

e pr

oved

them

selv

es.

Eve

ry e

veni

ng S

ogol

on K

edjo

u w

ould

gat

her D

jata

and

his

com

pani

ons

outs

ide

her h

ut. S

he w

ould

tell

them

sto

ries

abo

utth

e be

asts

of t

he b

ush,

the

dum

b br

othe

rs o

f man

. Sog

olon

Dja

tale

arnt

to d

istin

guis

h be

twee

n th

e an

imal

s; h

e kn

ew w

hy th

ebu

ffal

o w

as h

is m

othe

r's w

raith

and

als

o w

hy th

e lio

n w

as th

epr

otec

tor o

f his

fath

er's

fam

ily. H

e al

so li

sten

ed to

the

hist

ory

ofth

e ki

ngs

whi

ch B

alla

Fas

seke

told

him

; enr

aptu

red

by th

e st

ory

of A

lexa

nder

the

Gre

at,3

2th

e m

ight

y ki

ng o

f gol

d an

d si

lver

,w

hose

sun

sho

ne o

ver q

uite

hal

f the

wor

ld. S

ogol

on in

itiat

ed h

erso

n in

to c

erta

in s

ecre

ts a

nd re

veal

ed to

him

the

nam

es o

f the

med

icin

al p

lant

s w

hich

eve

ry h

unte

r sho

uld

know

. Thu

s, b

e-tw

een

his

mot

her a

nd h

is g

riot

, the

chi

ld g

ot to

kno

w a

ll th

atne

eded

co

b-- k

now

n.So

golo

n's

son

was

now

ten.

The

nam

e So

golo

n D

jata

in th

era

pid

Man

ding

o la

ngua

ge b

ecam

e Su

ndia

ta o

r Son

djat

a. H

ew

as a

lad

full

of s

tren

gth;

his

arm

s ha

d th

e st

reng

th o

f ten

and

his

bice

ps in

spire

d fe

ar in

his

com

pani

ons.

He

had

alre

ady

that

auth

orita

tive

way

of s

peak

ing

whi

ch b

elon

gs to

thos

e w

ho a

rede

stin

ed to

com

man

d. H

is b

roth

er, M

andi

ng B

ory,

bec

ame

his

best

fri

end,

and

whe

neve

r D

jata

was

see

n, M

andi

ng B

ory

appe

ared

too.

The

y w

ere

like

a m

an a

nd h

is s

hado

w. F

ran

Kam

ara

and

Kam

andj

an w

ere

the

clos

est f

rien

ds o

f the

you

ng 23

prin

ces,

whi

le B

alla

Fas

s6kd

fol

low

ed th

em a

ll lik

e a

guar

dian

ange

l.B

ut S

undi

ata'

s po

pula

rity

was

so

grea

t tha

t the

que

en m

othe

rbe

cam

e ap

preh

ensi

ve f

or h

er s

on's

thro

ne. D

anka

ran

Tou

man

was

the

mos

t ret

irin

g of

men

. At t

he a

ge o

f ei

ghte

en h

e w

as s

till

unde

r th

e in

flue

nce

of h

is m

othe

r an

d a

hand

ful o

f ol

d sc

hem

ers.

Itw

as S

asso

uma

Ur&

6 w

ho r

eall

y re

igne

d in

his

nam

e. T

hequ

een

mot

her

wan

ted

to p

ut a

n en

d to

this

pop

ular

ity b

y ki

lling

Sun

diat

a an

d it

was

thus

that

one

nig

ht s

he r

ecei

ved

the

nine

grea

t wit

ches

of

Mal

i. T

hey

wer

e al

l old

wom

en. T

he e

ldes

t,an

d th

e m

ost d

ange

rous

too,

ti-va

s ca

lled

Soum

osso

Kon

kom

ba.

Whe

n th

e ni

ne o

ld h

ags

bad

seat

ed th

emse

lves

in a

sem

i-ci

rcle

arou

nd h

er b

ed th

e qu

een

mot

her

said

:'Y

ou w

ho r

ule

supr

eme

at n

ight

, noc

turn

al p

ower

s, o

h yo

u w

hoho

ld th

e se

cret

of

life

, you

who

can

put

an

end

to o

ne li

fe, c

anyo

u he

lp m

e?'

'The

nig

ht is

pot

ent,'

sai

d S

oum

osso

Kon

kom

ba, '

Oh

quee

n,te

ll us

wha

t is

to b

e do

ne, o

n w

hom

mus

t we

turn

the

fata

l bla

de?'

'Iw

ant t

o ki

ll S

undi

ata,

' sai

d S

asso

uma.

'His

des

tiny

run

sco

unte

r to

my

son'

s an

d he

mus

t be

kill

ed w

hile

ther

e is

sti

llti

me.

If

you

succ

eed,

I p

rom

ise

you

the

fine

st r

ewar

ds. F

irst

of

all I

bes

tow

on

each

of y

ou a

cow

and

her

cal

f and

from

tom

orro

wgo

to th

e ro

yal g

rana

ries

and

eac

h of

you

will

rec

eive

a h

undr

edm

easu

res

of r

ice

and

a hu

ndre

d m

easu

res

of h

ay o

n m

y au

thor

ity.'

'Mot

her

of th

e ki

ng,'

rejo

ined

Sou

mos

so K

onko

mba

, 'lif

e ha

ngs

by n

othi

ng b

ut a

ver

y fi

ne t

hrea

d, b

ut a

ll is

inte

rwov

en h

ere

belo

w. L

ife

has

a ca

use,

and

dea

th a

s w

ell.

The

one

com

es f

rom

the

othe

r. Y

our

hate

has

a c

ause

and

you

r ac

tion

mus

t hav

e a

caus

e.M

othe

r of

the

king

, eve

ryth

ing

hold

s to

geth

er, o

ur a

ctio

nw

ill h

ave

no e

ffec

t unl

ess

we

are

ours

elve

s im

plic

ated

, but

Mar

iD

jata

has

don

e us

no

wro

ng. I

t is,

then

, dif

ficu

lt fo

r us

to c

ompa

sshi

s de

ath.

''B

ut y

ou a

re a

lso

conc

erne

d,' r

eplie

d th

e qu

een

mot

her,

'for

the

son

of S

ogol

on w

ill b

e a

scou

rge

to u

s al

l.''T

he s

nake

sel

dom

bite

s th

e fo

ot th

at d

oes

not w

alk,

' sai

d on

eo£

the

witc

hes.

'Yes

, but

the

re a

re s

nake

s th

at a

ttac

k ev

eryb

ody.

All

owSu

ndia

ta to

gro

w u

p an

d w

e w

ill a

ll re

pent

of

it. T

omor

row

go

to S

ogol

on's

veg

etab

le p

atch

and

mak

e a

show

of

pick

ing

a fe

wgn

ougo

u le

aves

. Mar

i Dja

ta s

tand

s gu

ard

ther

e an

d yo

u w

ill s

ee24

how

vic

ious

the

boy

is. H

e w

on't

have

any

res

pect

for

you

r ag

e,he

'll g

ive

you

a go

od th

rash

ing.

'` T

hat's

a c

leve

r id

ea,'

said

one

of

the

old

hags

.`B

ut th

e ca

use

of o

ur d

isco

mfi

ture

will

be

ours

elve

s, f

or h

avin

gto

uche

d so

met

hing

whi

ch d

id n

ot b

elon

g to

us.

'' W

e co

uld

repe

at th

e of

fenc

e,' s

aid

anot

her,

`an

d th

en if

he

beat

s us

aga

in w

e w

ould

be

able

to

repr

oach

him

wit

h be

ing

unki

nd, h

eart

less

. In

that

cas

e w

e w

ould

be

conc

erne

d, I

thin

k.'

` The

idea

is in

geni

ous,

' sai

d So

umos

so K

onko

mba

. 'T

omor

row

we

shal

l go

to S

ogol

on's

vege

tabl

e pa

tch.

'` N

ow th

ere'

s.a

happ

y th

ough

t,' c

oncl

uded

the

quee

n m

othe

r,la

ughi

ng f

or jo

y. 'G

o to

the

vege

tabl

e pa

tch

tom

orro

w a

nd y

ouw

ill s

ee th

at S

ogol

on's

son

is m

ean.

Bef

oreh

and,

pre

sent

you

r-se

lves

at t

he r

oyal

gra

nari

es w

here

you

wil

l rec

eive

the

grai

n I

prom

ised

you

; the

cow

s an

d ca

lves

are

alr

eady

you

rs.'

The

old

hag

s bo

wed

and

dis

appe

ared

into

the

blac

k ni

ght.

The

quee

n m

othe

r w

as n

ow a

lone

and

glo

ated

ove

r he

r an

tici

pate

dvi

ctor

y. B

ut h

er d

augh

ter,

Nan

a T

riba

n, w

oke

up.

' Mot

her,

who

wer

e yo

u ta

lkin

g to

? I

thou

ght I

hea

rd v

oice

s.'

'Sle

ep,

my

daug

hter

, it

is n

othi

ng. Y

ou d

idn'

t he

ar a

ny-

thin

g.'

In t

he m

orni

ng, a

s us

ual,

Sun

diat

a go

t hi

s co

mpa

nion

s to

-ge

ther

in f

ront

of

his

mot

her's

but

and

sai

d, 'W

hat a

nim

al a

rew

e go

ing

to h

unt t

oday

?'K

aman

djan

sai

d, 'I

wou

ldn'

t min

d if

we

atta

cked

som

e el

e-ph

ants

rig

ht n

ow.'

' Yes

, I a

m o

f th

is o

pini

on to

o,' s

aid

Fra

n K

amar

a. 'T

hat w

ill

allo

w u

s to

go

far

into

the

bush

.'A

nd th

e yo

ung

band

left

aft

er S

ogol

on h

ad f

illed

the

hunt

ing

bags

with

eat

able

s. S

undi

ata

and

his

com

pani

ons

cam

e ba

ck la

teto

the

villa

ge, b

ut f

irst

Dja

ta w

ante

d to

take

a lo

ok a

t his

mot

her's

vege

tabl

e pa

tch

as w

as h

is c

usto

m. I

t was

dus

k. T

here

he

foun

dth

e ni

ne w

itche

s st

ealin

g gn

ougo

u le

aves

. The

y m

ade

a sh

ow o

fru

nnin

g aw

ay li

ke th

ieve

s ca

ught

red

-han

ded.

' Sto

p, s

top,

poo

r ol

d w

omen

,' sa

id S

undi

ata,

'wha

t is

the

mat

ter

wit

h yo

u to

run

aw

ay li

ke th

is. T

his

gard

en b

elon

gs to

all.

'St

raig

ht a

way

his

com

pani

ons

and

he f

illed

the

gour

ds o

f th

eol

d ha

gs w

ith le

aves

, aub

ergi

nes

and

onio

ns.

' Eac

h tim

e th

at y

ou r

un s

hort

of

cond

imen

ts c

ome

to s

tock

up

here

wit

hout

fea

r.'

25

`You

dis

arm

us,

' sai

d on

e of

the

old

cron

es, a

nd a

noth

er a

dded

,`A

nd y

ou c

onfo

und

us w

ith y

our

boun

ty.'

`Lis

ten,

Dja

ta,'

said

Sou

mos

so K

onko

mba

, `w

e ha

d co

me

here

to te

st y

ou.

We

have

no

need

of

cond

imen

ts b

ut y

our

gene

rosi

tydi

sarm

s us

.W

e w

ere

sent

her

e by

the

quee

n m

othe

r to

pro

voke

you

and

draw

the

ange

r of

the

noct

urna

l pow

ers

upon

you

. But

noth

ing

can

be d

one

agai

nst a

hea

rt f

ull o

f ki

ndne

ss. A

nd to

thin

kth

at w

e ha

ve a

lrea

dy d

raw

n a

hund

red

mea

sure

s of

ric

e an

d a

hund

red

mea

sure

s of

mil

lets

'-and

the

quee

n pr

omis

es u

s ea

cha

cow

and

her

cal

f in

addi

tion.

For

give

us,

son

of S

ogol

on.'

`I b

ear

you

no il

l-w

ill,'

said

Dja

ta. `

Her

e, I

am

ret

urni

ng f

rom

the

hunt

with

my

com

pani

ons

and

we

have

kill

ed te

n el

epha

nts,

so I

wil

l giv

e yo

u an

ele

phan

t eac

h an

d th

ere

you

have

som

em

eat!

'`T

hank

you

, son

of

Sogo

lon.

'`T

hank

you

, chi

ld o

f Ju

stic

e.'

`Hen

cefo

rth,

' con

clud

ed S

oum

osso

Kon

kom

ba, `

we

will

wat

chov

er y

ou.'

And

the

nin

e w

itch

es d

isap

pear

ed i

nto

the

nigh

t.S

undi

ata

and

his

com

pani

ons

cont

inue

d on

thei

r w

ay to

Nia

nian

d go

t bac

k af

ter

dark

.`Y

ou w

ere

real

ly f

righ

tene

d; th

ose

nine

witc

hes

real

ly s

care

dyo

u, e

h?' s

aid

Sogo

lon

Kol

onka

n, D

jata

's yo

ung

sist

er.

`How

do

you

know

,' re

tort

ed S

undi

ata,

ast

onis

hed.

`I s

aw th

em a

t nig

ht h

atch

ing

thei

r sc

hem

e, b

ut I

kne

w th

ere

was

no

dang

er f

or y

ou.'

Kol

onka

n w

as w

ell v

erse

d in

the

art o

fw

itchc

raft

and

wat

ched

ove

r he

r br

othe

r w

ithou

t his

sus

pect

ing

it.

Exile

But

Sog

olon

was

a w

ise

mot

her.

She

kne

w e

very

thin

g th

atSa

ssou

ma

coul

d do

to h

urt h

er f

amily

, and

so,

one

eve

ning

, aft

erth

e ch

ildr

en h

ad e

aten

, she

cal

led

them

tog

ethe

r an

d sa

id t

oSu

ndia

ta.

`Let

us

leav

e he

re, m

y so

n; M

andi

ng B

ory

and

Dja

mar

ou a

revu

lner

able

. The

y ar

e no

t yet

init

iate

d in

to th

e se

cret

s of

nig

ht,

they

are

not

sor

cere

rs. D

espa

irin

g of

eve

r in

juri

ng y

ou, S

asso

uma

will

aim

her

blo

ws

at y

our

brot

her

or s

iste

r. L

et u

s go

aw

ay f

rom

26

here

. You

wil

l ret

urn

to r

eign

whe

n yo

u ar

e a

man

, for

it is

inM

ali t

hat y

our

dest

iny

mus

t be

fulf

illed

.'It

was

the

wis

est c

ours

e.M

andi

ng B

ory,

the

son

of

Nar

4M

agha

n's

thir

d w

ife,

Nam

andj

d, h

ad n

o gi

ft o

f so

rcer

y. S

undi

ata

love

d hi

m v

ery

muc

h an

d si

nce

the

deat

h of

Nam

andj

d he

had

been

wel

com

ed b

y So

golo

n. S

undi

ata

had

foun

d a

grea

t fri

end

inhi

s ha

lf-b

roth

er. Y

ou c

anno

t cho

ose

your

rel

ativ

es b

ut y

ou c

anch

oose

you

r fri

ends

. Man

ding

Bor

y an

d Su

ndia

ta w

ere

real

frie

nds

and

it w

as to

sav

e hi

s br

othe

r th

at D

jata

acc

epte

d ex

ile.

Bal

la F

assd

kd, D

jata

's g

riot

, pre

pare

d th

e de

part

ure

in d

etai

l.B

ut S

asso

uma

Bdr

dtd

kept

her

eye

on

Sogo

lon

and

her

fam

ily.

One

mor

ning

the

king

, Dan

kara

n T

oum

an, c

alle

d th

e co

unci

lto

geth

er.

He

anno

unce

d hi

s in

tent

ion

of s

endi

ng a

n em

bass

y to

the

pow

erfu

l kin

g of

Sos

so, S

oum

aoro

Kan

td. F

or s

uch

a de

licat

em

issi

on h

e ha

d th

ough

t of

Bal

la F

asse

ke, s

on o

f D

ona,

his

fat

her's

grio

t.T

he c

ounc

il ap

prov

ed th

e ro

yal d

ecis

ion,

the

emba

ssy

was

form

ed a

nd B

alla

Fas

seke

was

at t

he h

ead

of it

.It

was

a v

ery

clev

er w

ay o

f ta

king

aw

ay f

rom

Sun

diat

a th

egr

iot h

is f

athe

r ha

d gi

ven

him

. Dja

ta w

as o

ut h

untin

g an

d w

hen

he c

ame

back

in th

e ev

enin

g, S

ogol

on K

edjo

u to

ld h

im th

e ne

ws.

The

em

bass

y ha

d le

ft th

at v

ery

mor

ning

. Sun

diat

a fl

ew in

to a

frig

htfu

l rag

e.`W

hat!

take

aw

ay th

e gr

iot m

y fa

ther

gav

e m

e! N

o, h

e w

ill

give

me

back

my

grio

t.'` S

top!

' sai

d So

golo

n. `

Let

it g

o. I

t is

Sass

oum

a w

ho is

act

ing

thus

, but

she

doe

s no

t kno

w th

at s

he o

beys

a h

ighe

r or

der.

'` C

ome

wit

h m

e,' s

aid

Sund

iata

to h

is b

roth

er M

andi

ng B

ory,

and

the

two

prin

ces

wen

t out

. Dja

ta b

undl

ed a

side

the

guar

ds o

nth

e ho

use

of D

anka

ran

Tou

man

, but

he

was

so

angr

y th

at h

eco

uld

not u

tter

a w

ord.

It w

as M

andi

ng B

ory

who

spo

ke.

` Bro

ther

Dan

kara

n T

oum

an, y

ou h

ave

take

n aw

ay o

ur p

art o

fth

e in

heri

tanc

e. E

very

pri

nce

has

had

his

grio

t, an

d yo

u ha

ve ta

ken

away

Bal

la F

asse

ke. H

e w

as n

ot y

ours

but

whe

reve

r he

may

be,

Bal

la w

ill a

lway

s be

Dja

ta's

gri

ot. A

nd s

ince

you

do

not w

ant t

oha

ve u

s ar

ound

you

we

shal

l lea

ve M

ali a

nd g

o fa

r aw

ay f

rom

here

.'` B

ut I

will

ret

urn,

' add

ed th

e so

n of

Sog

olon

, veh

emen

tly.

`I

will

ret

urn,

do

you

hear

?'` Y

ou k

now

that

you

are

goi

ng a

way

but

you

do

not k

now

ifyo

u w

ill c

ome

back

,' th

e ki

ng r

eplie

d.

27

`Iw

ill r

etur

n, d

o yo

u he

ar m

e?' D

jata

wen

t on

and

his

tone

was

cat

egor

ical

. A s

hive

r ra

n th

roug

h th

e ki

ng's

who

le b

ody.

Dan

kara

n T

oum

an t

rem

bled

in e

very

lim

b. T

he t

wo

prin

ces

wen

t out

. The

que

en m

othe

r hu

rrie

d in

and

fou

nd h

er s

on in

ast

ate

of c

olla

pse.

`Mot

her,

he

is le

avin

g bu

t he

says

he

will

ret

urn.

But

why

ishe

leav

ing?

I in

tend

to g

ive

him

bac

k hi

s gr

iot,

for

my

part

. Why

is h

e le

avin

g?'

`Of c

ours

e, h

e w

ill s

tay

behi

nd s

ince

you

so

desi

re it

, but

in th

atca

se y

ou m

ight

as

wel

l giv

e up

you

r th

rone

to h

im, y

ou w

hotr

embl

e be

fore

the

thre

ats

of a

ten-

year

-old

chi

ld. G

ive

your

sea

tup

to h

im s

ince

you

can

not r

ule.

As

for

me,

I a

m g

oing

to r

etur

nto

my

pare

nts'

vil

lage

for

I w

ill n

ot b

e ab

le to

live

und

er th

ety

rann

y of

Sog

olon

's s

on. I

will

go

and

fini

sh m

y da

ys a

mon

gm

y ki

nsfo

lk a

nd I

wil

l say

that

I h

ad a

son

who

was

afr

aid

toru

le.'

Sass

oum

a be

wai

led

her

lot s

o m

uch

that

Dan

kara

n T

oum

ansu

dden

ly r

evea

led

him

self

as

a m

an o

f ir

on. N

ow h

e de

sire

d th

ede

ath

of h

is b

roth

ers-

but

he l

et t

hem

lea

ve, i

t co

uld

not

behe

lped

, but

if th

ey s

houl

d ev

er c

ross

his

pat

h ag

ain-

! H

ew

ould

reig

n, a

lone

, for

pow

er c

ould

not

be

shar

ed!

Thu

s So

golo

n an

d he

r ch

ildre

n ta

sted

exi

le. W

e po

or c

reat

ures

!W

e th

ink

we

are

hurt

ing

our

neig

hbou

r at

the

tim

e w

hen

we

are

wor

king

in th

e ve

ry d

irec

tion

of d

estin

y. O

ur a

ctio

n is

not

us

for i

t is

com

man

ded

of u

s.Sa

ssou

ma

Bdr

dtd

thou

ght h

erse

lf v

icto

riou

s be

caus

e So

golo

nan

d he

r ch

ildre

n ha

d fl

ed f

rom

Mal

i. T

heir

fee

t plo

ughe

d up

the

dust

of

the

road

s. T

hey

suff

ered

the

insu

lts w

hich

thos

e w

ho le

ave

thei

r co

untr

y kn

ow o

f. D

oors

wer

e sh

ut a

gain

st th

em a

nd k

ings

chas

ed th

em f

rom

thei

r co

urts

. But

all

that

was

par

t of

the

grea

tde

stin

y of

Sun

diat

a. S

even

yea

rs p

asse

d, s

even

win

ters

fol

low

edon

e an

othe

r an

d fo

rget

fuln

ess

crep

t int

o th

e so

uls

of m

en, b

uttim

e m

arch

ed o

n at

an

even

pac

e. M

oons

suc

ceed

ed m

oons

in th

esa

me

sky

and

rive

rs in

thei

r be

ds c

ontin

ued

thei

r en

dles

s co

urse

.Se

ven

year

s pa

ssed

and

Sun

diat

a gr

ew u

p. H

is b

ody

beca

me

stur

dy a

nd h

is m

isfo

rtun

es m

ade

his

min

d w

ise.

He

beca

me

am

an. S

ogol

on f

elt t

he w

eigh

t of

her

year

s an

d of

the

grow

ing

hum

p on

her

bac

k, w

hile

Dja

ta, l

ike

a yo

ung

tree

, was

sho

otin

gup

to th

e sk

y.A

fter

leav

ing

Nia

ni, S

ogol

on a

nd h

er c

hild

ren

had

sojo

urne

d at

28

Dje

deba

wit

h th

e ki

ng, M

ansa

Kon

kon,

the

gre

at s

orce

rer.

Dje

deba

was

a to

wn

on th

e N

iger

two

days

aw

ay f

rom

Nia

ni. T

heki

ng r

ecei

ved

them

wit

h a

litt

le m

istr

ust,

but e

very

whe

re th

est

rang

er e

njoy

s th

e ri

ght t

o ho

spita

lity,

so

Sogo

lon

and

her

chil-

dren

wer

e lo

dged

in th

e ve

ry e

nclo

sure

of

the

king

and

for

two

mon

ths

Sund

iata

and

Man

ding

Bory

join

ed in

the

gam

es o

f th

eki

ng's

chi

ldre

n. O

ne n

ight

, as

the

chil

dren

wer

e pl

ayin

g at

knuc

kle-

bone

s ou

tsid

e th

e pa

lace

in th

e m

oonl

ight

, the

kin

g's

daug

hter

, who

was

no

mor

e th

an tw

elve

, sai

d to

Man

ding

Bor

y,` Y

ou k

now

that

my

fath

er is

a g

reat

sor

cere

r.'

`Rea

lly?'

sai

d th

e ar

tless

Man

ding

Bory.

` Why

yes

, you

mea

n yo

u di

d no

t kn

ow?

Wel

l any

way

, his

pow

er li

es in

the

gam

e of

wor

i;'°

you

can

pla

y w

ori.'

`My

brot

her

now

, he

is a

gre

at s

orce

rer.

'` N

o do

ubt h

e do

es n

ot c

ome

up to

my

fath

er.'

`But

wha

t did

you

say

? Y

our

fath

er p

lays

at w

ori?

'Ju

st th

en S

ogol

on c

alle

d th

e ch

ildr

en b

ecau

se th

e m

oon

had

just

wan

ed.

` Mot

her

is c

allin

g us

,' sa

id S

undi

ata,

who

was

sta

ndin

g at

one

side

. `C

ome

Man

ding

Bor

y. I

f I

am n

ot m

ista

ken,

you

are

fon

dof

that

dau

ghte

r of

Man

sa K

onko

n's.

'` Y

es b

roth

er, b

ut I

wou

ld h

ave

you

know

that

to d

rive

a c

owin

to th

e st

able

it is

nec

essa

ry to

take

the

calf

in.'

` Of

cour

se, t

he c

ow w

ill f

ollo

w th

e ki

dnap

per.

But

take

car

e,fo

r if

the

cow

is

in a

rag

e so

muc

h th

e w

orse

for

the

kid

-na

pper

.'T

he tw

o br

othe

rs w

ent i

n sw

oppi

ng p

rove

rbs.

Men

's w

isdo

m is

cont

aine

d in

pro

verb

s an

d w

hen

child

ren

wie

ld p

rove

rbs

it is

asi

gn th

at th

ey h

ave

prof

ited

fro

m a

dult

com

pany

. Tha

t mor

ning

Sun

diat

a an

d M

andi

ng B

ory

did

not l

eave

the

roya

l enc

losu

rebu

t pla

yed

wit

h th

e ki

ng's

chi

ldre

n be

neat

h th

e m

eeti

ng tr

ee.s

sA

t the

beg

inni

ng o

f th

e af

tern

oon

Man

sa K

onko

n or

dere

d th

eso

n of

Sog

olon

into

his

pal

ace.

The

kin

g liv

ed in

a v

erita

ble

maz

e an

d af

ter

seve

ral t

wis

ts a

ndtu

rns

thro

ugh

dark

cor

rido

rs a

ser

vant

left

Dja

ta in

a b

adly

-lit

room

. He

look

ed a

bout

him

but

was

not

afr

aid.

Fea

r en

ters

the

hear

t of

him

who

doe

s no

t kno

w h

is d

esti

ny, w

here

as S

undi

ata

knew

that

he

was

str

idin

g to

war

ds a

gre

at d

esti

ny. H

e di

d no

tkn

ow w

hat

fear

was

. Whe

n hi

s ey

es w

ere

accu

stom

ed t

o th

ese

mi-

dark

ness

, Sun

diat

a sa

w th

e ki

ng s

itti

ng w

ith

his

back

to 29

the

ligh

t on

a gr

eat o

x-hi

de. H

e sa

w s

ome

sple

ndid

wea

pons

hang

ing

on th

e w

alls

and

exc

laim

ed:

'Wha

t bea

utif

ul w

eapo

ns y

ou h

ave,

Man

sa K

onko

n,'3

8an

d,se

izin

g a

swor

d, h

e be

gan

to f

ence

on

his

own

agai

nst a

n im

agin

-ar

y fo

e. T

he k

ing,

ast

onis

hed,

wat

ched

the

extr

aord

inar

y ch

ild.

'You

had

me

sent

for

,' sa

id t

he l

atte

r, 'a

nd h

ere

I am

.' H

ehu

ng th

e sw

ord

back

up.

'Sit

dow

n,' s

aid

the

king

. 'It

is a

hab

it w

ith

me

to in

vite

my

gues

ts to

pla

y, s

o w

e ar

e go

ing

to p

lay,

we

are

goin

g to

pla

y at

wor

i. B

ut I

mak

e ra

ther

unu

sual

con

diti

ons;

if I

win

-and

I s

hall

win

-I k

ill

you.

''A

nd if

it is

I w

ho w

in,'

said

Dja

ta w

ithou

t bei

ng p

ut o

ut.

'In

that

cas

e I

wil

l gi

ve y

ou a

ll t

hat

you

ask

of m

e. B

ut I

wou

ld h

ave

you

know

that

I a

lway

s w

in.'

'If I

win

I a

sk f

or n

othi

ng m

ore

than

that

sw

ord,

' sai

d S

un-

diat

a, p

oint

ing

to th

e sw

ord

he h

ad b

rand

ishe

d.'A

ll r

ight

,' sa

id t

he k

ing,

'you

are

sur

e of

you

rsel

f, e

h?' H

edr

ew u

p th

e lo

g in

whi

ch th

e w

ori h

oles

wer

e du

g an

d pu

t fou

rpe

bble

s in

eac

h of

the

hole

s.'I

go f

irst

,' sa

id th

e ki

ng, a

nd ta

king

the

four

peb

bles

fro

m o

neho

le h

e de

alt

them

out

, pun

ctua

ting

his

act

ions

wit

h th

ese

wor

ds:

'I d

on d

on, d

on d

on K

okod

ji.W

ori i

s th

e in

vent

ion

of a

hun

ter.

I do

n do

n, d

on d

on K

okod

ji.I

am u

nbea

tabl

e at

this

gam

e.I

am c

alle

d th

e "e

xter

min

ator

kin

g".'

And

Sun

diat

a, t

akin

g th

e pe

bble

s fr

om a

noth

er h

ole,

con

-tin

ued:

'I do

n do

n, d

on d

on K

okod

ji-Fo

rmer

ly g

uest

s w

ere

sacr

ed.

I do

n do

n, d

on d

on K

okod

ji.B

ut th

e go

ld c

ame

only

yes

terd

ay.

Whe

reas

I c

ame

befo

re y

este

rday

.'

'Som

eone

has

bet

raye

d m

e,' r

oare

d th

e ki

ng M

ansa

Kon

kon,

'som

eone

has

bet

raye

d m

e.'

'No,

kin

g, d

o no

t acc

use

anyb

ody,

' sai

d th

e ch

ild.

'Wha

t the

n?'

'It is

nea

rly

thre

e m

oons

sin

ce I

hav

e be

en li

ving

with

you

and

30

you

have

nev

er u

p to

now

sug

gest

ed a

gam

e of

wor

i. G

od is

the

gues

t's to

ngue

.M

y w

ords

exp

ress

onl

y th

e tr

uth

beca

use

I am

your

gue

st.'

The

trut

h w

as th

at th

e qu

een

mot

her

of N

iani

had

sen

t gol

dto

Man

sa K

onko

n so

that

he

wou

ld g

et r

id o

f Su

ndia

ta: '

the

gold

cam

e on

ly y

este

rday

', an

d Su

ndia

ta w

as a

t the

kin

g's

cour

t pri

orto

the

gold

. In

fact

, the

kin

g's

daug

hter

had

rev

eale

d th

e se

cret

toM

andi

ng B

ory.

The

n th

e ki

ng, i

n co

nfus

ion,

sai

d, 'Y

ou h

ave

won

,bu

t you

wil

l not

hav

e w

hat y

ou a

sked

for

, and

I w

ill t

urn

you

out o

f m

y to

wn.

'' T

hank

you

for

tw

o m

onth

s' h

ospi

tali

ty, b

ut I

wil

l re

turn

,M

ansa

Kon

kon.

'O

nce

agai

n So

golo

n an

d he

r ch

ildre

n to

ok to

the

path

of

exile

.T

hey

wen

t aw

ay f

rom

the

riv

er a

nd h

eade

d w

est.

The

y w

ere

goin

g to

see

k ho

spit

alit

y fr

om th

e ki

ng o

f T

abon

in th

e co

untr

yw

hich

is c

alle

d th

e Fo

uta

Dja

llon

toda

y. T

his

regi

on w

as a

t tha

ttim

e in

habi

ted

by th

e K

amar

a bl

acks

mith

s an

d th

e D

jallo

nk6s

. 37

Tab

on w

as a

n im

preg

nabl

e to

wn

firm

ly e

ntre

nche

d be

hind

mou

ntai

ns, a

nd th

e ki

ng h

ad b

een

for

a lo

ng ti

me

an a

lly o

f th

eN

iani

cou

rt. H

is s

on, F

ran

Kam

ara,

had

bee

n on

e of

the

com

-pa

nion

s of

Sun

diat

a. A

fter

Sog

olon

's d

epar

ture

fro

m N

iani

the

com

pani

on p

rinc

es o

f S

undi

ata

had

been

sen

t ba

ck t

o th

eir

resp

ectiv

e fa

mili

es.

But

the

king

of

Tab

on w

as a

lrea

dy o

ld a

nd d

id n

ot w

ant t

o fa

llou

t wit

h w

hoev

er r

uled

at N

iani

. He

wel

com

ed S

ogol

on w

ith

kind

ness

and

adv

ised

her

to g

o aw

ay a

s fa

r as

pos

sibl

e. H

e su

g-ge

sted

the

cour

t of

Gha

na,3

8w

hose

kin

g he

kne

w. A

car

avan

of

mer

chan

ts w

as s

hort

ly le

avin

g fo

r G

hana

. The

old

kin

g co

m-

men

ded

Sog

olon

and

her

chi

ldre

n to

the

mer

chan

ts a

nd e

ven

dela

yed

the

depa

rtur

e fo

r a

few

day

s to

all

ow t

he m

othe

r to

reco

ver

a lit

tle f

rom

her

fat

igue

s.It

was

wit

h jo

y th

at S

undi

ata

and

Man

ding

Bor

y m

et F

ran

Kam

ara

agai

n. T

he la

tter,

not

with

out p

ride

, sho

wed

them

rou

ndth

e fo

rtre

sses

of

Tab

on a

nd h

ad th

em a

dmir

e th

e hu

ge ir

on g

ates

and

the

king

's a

rsen

als.

Fra

n K

amar

a w

as v

ery

glad

to r

ecei

veS

undi

ata

at h

is h

ome

but w

as v

ery

grie

ved

whe

n th

e fa

tal d

ayar

rive

d, th

e da

y of

dep

artu

re. T

he n

ight

bef

ore

he h

ad g

iven

ahu

ntin

g pa

rty

to t

he p

rinc

es o

f M

ali

and

the

youn

gste

rs h

adta

lked

in th

e bu

sh li

ke m

en.

' Whe

n I

go b

ack

to M

ali,

' Sun

diat

a ha

d sa

id, '

I w

ill

pass 31

thro

ugh

Tab

on to

pic

k yo

u up

and

we

will

go

to M

ali t

oget

her.

'`B

etw

een

now

and

then

we

wil

l hav

e gr

own

up,'

Man

ding

Bor

y ha

d ad

ded.

`Iw

ill h

ave

all t

he a

rmy

of T

abon

for

my

own,

' Fra

n K

amar

aha

d sa

id, `

The

bla

cksm

iths

and

the

Dja

llonk

es a

re e

xcel

lent

war

-ri

ors.

I a

lrea

dy a

tten

d th

e ga

ther

ing

of a

rmed

men

whi

ch m

yfa

ther

hol

ds o

nce

a ye

ar.'

`Iw

ill m

ake

you

a gr

eat g

ener

al, w

e w

ill tr

avel

thro

ugh

man

yco

untr

ies

and

emer

ge th

e st

rong

est o

f al

l. K

ings

wil

l tre

mbl

ebe

fore

us

as a

wom

an tr

embl

es b

efor

e a

man

.' T

he s

on o

f Sog

olon

had

spok

en th

us.

The

exi

les

took

to th

e ro

ad a

gain

. Tab

on w

as v

ery

far

from

Gha

na,3

sbu

t th

e m

erch

ants

wer

e go

od t

o S

ogol

on a

nd h

erch

ildr

en. T

he k

ing

had

prov

ided

the

mou

nts

and

the

cara

van

head

ed to

the

nort

h, le

avin

g th

e la

nd o

f K

ita

on th

e ri

ght.

On

the

way

the

mer

chan

ts to

ld th

e pr

ince

s a

grea

t dea

l abo

ut e

vent

sof

the

past

. Mar

i Dja

ta w

as p

artic

ular

ly in

tere

sted

in th

e st

orie

sbe

arin

g on

the

grea

t kin

g of

the

day,

Sou

mao

ro K

ante

. It w

asto

him

at S

osso

that

Bal

la F

ass6

k4 b

ad g

one

as e

nvoy

. Dja

tale

arnt

that

Sau

mao

ro w

as th

e ri

ches

t and

mos

t pow

erfu

l kin

gan

d ev

en th

e ki

ng o

f G

hana

pai

d hi

m tr

ibut

e. H

e w

as a

lso

a m

anof

gre

at c

ruel

ty.

The

cou

ntry

of

Gha

na is

a d

ry r

egio

n w

here

wat

er is

sho

rt.

Form

erly

the

Cis

sds

of G

hana

wer

e th

e m

ost p

ower

ful o

f pr

ince

s.T

hey

wer

e de

scen

ded

from

Ale

xand

er th

e G

reat

, the

kin

g of

gold

and

silv

er, b

ut e

ver

sinc

e th

e C

isse

s ha

d br

oken

the

ance

stra

lta

boo4

0th

eir

pow

er h

ad k

ept o

n de

clin

ing.

At t

he ti

me

of S

un-

diat

a th

e de

scen

dant

s of

Ale

xand

er w

ere

payi

ng tr

ibut

e to

the

king

of

Soss

o. A

fter

sev

eral

day

s of

trav

ellin

g th

e ca

rava

n ar

rive

dou

tsid

eW

agad

ou. T

he m

erch

ants

sho

wed

Sog

olon

and

her

chi

l-dr

en th

e gr

eat f

ores

t of

Wag

adou

, whe

re th

e gr

eat s

erpe

nt-g

odus

ed to

live

.41

The

tow

n w

as s

urro

unde

d.w

ith e

norm

ous

wal

ls,

very

bad

ly m

aint

aine

d. T

he tr

avel

lers

not

iced

that

ther

e w

ere

alo

t of

whi

te tr

ader

s at

Wag

adou

42an

d m

any

enca

mpm

ents

wer

eto

be

seen

all

aro

und

the

tow

n. T

ethe

red

cam

els

wer

e ev

ery-

whe

re.

Gha

na w

as th

e la

nd o

f th

e So

nink

e,43

and

the

peop

le th

ere

did

not

spea

k M

andi

ngo

any

mor

e, b

ut n

ever

thel

ess

ther

e w

ere

man

y pe

ople

who

und

erst

ood

it, f

or th

e So

nink

e tr

avel

a lo

t. T

hey

are

grea

t tra

ders

. The

ir d

onke

y ca

rava

ns c

ame

heav

ily la

den

to32

Nia

ni e

very

dry

sea

son.

The

y w

ould

set

them

selv

es u

p be

hind

the

tow

n an

d th

e in

habi

tant

s w

ould

com

e ou

t to

bart

er.

The

mer

chan

ts m

ade

thei

r w

ay to

war

ds th

e co

loss

al c

ity g

ate.

The

hea

d of

the

cara

van

spok

e to

the

guar

ds a

nd o

ne o

f th

embe

ckon

ed to

Sun

diat

a an

d hi

s fa

mil

y to

fol

low

him

, and

they

ente

red

the

city

of

the

Cis

ses.

The

terr

aced

hou

ses

did

not h

ave

stra

w r

oofs

in c

ompl

ete

cont

rast

to th

e to

wns

of

Mal

i. T

here

wer

eal

so a

lot o

f m

osqu

es in

this

city

, but

that

did

not

ast

onis

h Su

n-di

ata

in th

e le

ast,

for

he k

new

that

the

Cis

s6s

wer

e ve

ry r

eli-

giou

s;44

atN

iani

ther

e w

as o

nly

one

mos

que.

The

trav

elle

rsno

tice

d th

at t

he a

nter

oom

s w

ere

inco

rpor

ated

in t

he h

ouse

sw

here

as in

Mal

i the

ant

eroo

m o

r `b

ollo

n' w

as a

sep

arat

e bu

ild-

ing.

As

it w

as e

veni

ng e

very

body

was

mak

ing

his

way

to th

em

osqu

e. T

he tr

avel

lers

cou

ld u

nder

stan

d no

thin

g of

the

prat

tle

whi

ch th

e pa

sser

s-by

exc

hang

ed w

hen

they

saw

them

on

thei

rw

ay to

the

pala

ce.

The

pal

ace

of th

e ki

ng o

f G

hana

was

an

impo

sing

bui

ldin

g.T

he w

alls

wer

e ve

ry h

igh

and

you

wou

ld h

ave

thou

ght i

t was

adw

elli

ng-p

lace

for

jinn

not

for

men

. Sog

olon

and

her

chi

ldre

nw

ere

rece

ived

by

the

king

's b

roth

er, w

ho u

nder

stoo

d M

andi

ngo.

The

kin

g w

as a

t pra

yer,

so

his

brot

her

mad

e th

em c

omfo

rtab

le in

an e

norm

ous

room

and

wat

er w

as b

roug

ht f

or th

em to

que

nch

thei

r th

irst

. Aft

er th

e pr

ayer

the

king

cam

e ba

ck in

to h

is p

alac

ean

d re

ceiv

ed th

e st

rang

ers.

His

bro

ther

act

ed a

s in

terp

rete

r.` T

he k

ing

gree

ts th

e st

rang

ers.

'` W

e gr

eet t

he k

ing

of G

hana

,' sa

id S

ogol

on.

` The

str

ange

rs h

ave

ente

red

Wag

adou

in p

eace

, may

pea

ce b

eup

on th

em in

our

cit

y.'

` So

be it

.'` T

he k

ing

give

s th

e st

rang

ers

perm

issi

on to

spe

ak.'

` We

are

from

Mal

i,' b

egan

Sog

olon

. `T

he f

athe

r of

my

child

ren

was

the

king

Nar

e M

agha

n, w

ho, a

few

yea

rs a

go s

ent a

goo

d-w

ill e

mba

ssy

to G

hana

. My

husb

and

is d

ead

but t

he c

ounc

il ha

sno

t re

spec

ted

his

wis

hes

and

my

elde

st s

on,'

(she

poi

nted

to

Sun

diat

a) `

has

been

exc

lude

d fr

om th

e th

rone

. The

son

of

my

co-w

ife

was

pre

ferr

ed b

efor

e hi

m. I

hav

e kn

own

exile

. The

hat

eof

my

co-w

ife

has

houn

ded

me

out o

f ev

ery

tow

n an

d I

have

trud

ged

alon

g ev

ery

road

with

my

child

ren.

Tod

ay I

hav

e co

me

to a

sk f

or a

sylu

m w

ith th

e C

isse

s of

Wag

adou

.'T

here

was

sile

nce

for

a fe

w m

omen

ts; d

urin

g So

golo

n's

spee

ch 33

the

king

and

his

bro

ther

had

not

take

n th

eir e

yes o

ff S

undi

ata

for

an in

stan

t. A

ny o

ther

chi

ld o

f ele

ven

wou

ld h

ave

been

dis

con-

cert

ed b

y th

e ey

es o

f adu

lts, b

ut S

undi

ata

kept

coo

l and

cal

mly

look

ed a

t the

rich

dec

orat

ions

of t

he k

ing'

s re

cept

ion

hall-

the

rich

car

pets

, the

fin

e sc

imita

rs h

angi

ng o

n th

e w

all-

and

the

sple

ndid

gar

men

ts o

f the

cou

rtier

s.T

o th

e gr

eat a

ston

ishm

ent o

f Sog

olon

and

her

chi

ldre

n th

eki

ng a

lso

spok

e in

the

very

sam

e M

andi

ngo

lang

uage

.`N

o st

rang

er h

as e

ver f

ound

our

hos

pita

lity

wan

ting.

My

cour

tis

your

cou

rt a

nd m

y pa

lace

is y

ours

. Mak

e yo

urse

lf a

t hom

e.C

onsi

der t

hat i

n co

min

g fr

om N

iani

to W

agad

ou y

ou h

ave

done

no m

ore

than

cha

nge

room

s. T

he fr

iend

ship

whi

ch u

nite

s M

ali

and

Gha

na g

oes b

ack

to a

ver

y di

stan

t age

, as t

he e

lder

s and

grio

tskn

ow. T

he p

eopl

e of

Mal

i are

our

cou

sins

.'A

nd, s

peak

ing

to S

undi

ata,

the

king

sai

d in

a fa

mili

ar to

ne o

fvo

ice,

`App

roac

h, c

ousi

n, w

hat i

s you

r nam

e?'

`My

nam

e is

Mar

i-D

jata

and

I am

als

o ca

lled

Mag

han,

but

mos

t com

mon

ly p

eopl

e ca

ll m

e Su

ndia

ta. A

s for

my

brot

her,

he is

calle

dM

andi

ng B

ouka

ry, m

y yo

unge

st s

inte

r is

calle

d D

jam

arou

and

the

othe

r Sog

olon

-Kol

onka

n.'

`The

re's

one

that

will

mak

e a

grea

t kin

g. H

e fo

rget

s no

body

,'Se

eing

that

Sog

olon

was

ver

y tir

ed, t

he k

ing

said

, `B

roth

er, l

ook

afte

r our

gue

sts.

Let

Sog

olon

and

her

chi

ldre

n be

roya

lly tr

eate

dan

d fr

om to

mor

row

let t

he p

rince

s of M

ali s

it am

ong

our c

hild

ren.

'So

golo

n re

cove

red

fairl

y qu

ickl

y fr

om h

er e

xerti

ons.

She

was

trea

ted

like

a qu

een

at th

e co

urt o

f kin

g So

umab

a C

issd

. The

child

ren

wer

e cl

othe

d in

the

sam

e fa

shio

n as

thos

e of

Wag

adou

.Su

ndia

ta a

nd M

andi

ng B

ory

had

long

sm

ocks

spl

endi

dly

em-

broi

dere

d.T

hey

wer

e sh

ower

ed w

ith s

o m

any

atte

ntio

ns th

atM

andi

ng B

ory

was

em

barr

asse

d by

them

, but

Sun

diat

a fo

und

itqu

ite n

atur

al to

be

treat

ed li

ke th

is. M

odes

ty is

the

porti

on o

f the

aver

age

man

, but

sup

erio

r m

en a

re ig

nora

nt o

f hu

mil

ity.

Sund

iata

eve

n be

cam

e ex

actin

g, a

nd th

e m

ore

exac

ting

hebe

cam

e th

e m

ore

the

serv

ants

trem

bled

bef

ore

him

. He

was

hel

din

hig

h es

teem

by

the

king

, who

sai

d to

his

bro

ther

one

day

, `If

he h

as a

kin

gdom

one

day

eve

ryth

ing

will

obe

y hi

m b

ecau

se h

ekn

ows h

ow to

com

man

d.'

How

ever

, Sog

olon

foun

d no

mor

e la

stin

g pe

ace

at W

agad

outh

an s

he h

ad fo

und

at th

e co

urts

of D

jede

ba o

r Tab

on; s

he fe

ll ill

afte

r a y

ear.

34

Kin

g So

umab

a C

issd

dec

ided

to se

nd S

ogol

on a

nd h

er p

eopl

e to

Mem

a to

the

cour

t of h

is c

ousi

n, T

ounk

ara.

Mem

a w

as th

e ca

pita

lof

a g

reat

kin

gdom

on

the

Nig

er b

eyon

d th

e la

nd o

f Do.

The

kin

gre

assu

red

Sogo

lon

of th

e w

elco

me

she

wou

ld b

e gi

ven

ther

e.D

oubt

less

the

air w

hich

ble

w fr

om th

e ri

ver w

ould

be

able

tore

stor

e So

golo

n's h

ealth

.Th

e ch

ildre

n w

ere

sorr

y to

leav

e W

agad

ou fo

r the

y ha

d m

ade

man

y fr

iend

s, b

ut th

eir d

estin

y la

y el

sew

here

and

they

had

to g

oaw

ay.

Kin

g So

umab

a C

isse

ent

rust

ed th

e tra

velle

rs to

som

e m

erch

ants

who

wer

e go

ing

to M

ema.

It w

as a

larg

e ca

rava

n an

d th

e jo

urne

yw

as d

one

by c

amel

. The

chi

ldre

n ha

d fo

r a lo

ng ti

me

accu

stom

edth

emse

lves

to th

ese

anim

als

whi

ch w

ere

unkn

own

in M

ali.

The

king

had

intro

duce

d So

golo

n an

d he

r chi

ldre

n as

mem

bers

of h

isfa

mily

and

they

wer

e th

us tr

eate

d w

ith m

uch

cons

ider

atio

n by

the

mer

chan

ts. A

lway

s ke

en to

lear

n, S

undi

ata

aske

d th

e ca

ra-

vane

ers

man

y qu

estio

ns. T

hey

wer

e ve

ry w

ell-i

nfor

med

peo

ple

and

told

Sun

diat

a a

lot o

f thi

ngs.

He

was

told

abo

ut th

e co

untri

esbe

yond

Gha

na; t

he la

nd o

f the

Ara

bs; t

he H

ejaz

, cra

dle

of Is

lam

,an

d of

Dja

ta's

anc

esto

rs (

for

Bib

ali B

ouna

ma,

the

faith

ful

serv

ant o

f th

e Pr

ophe

t, ca

me

from

Hej

az).

He

lear

nt m

any

thin

gs a

bout

Ale

xand

er th

e G

reat

, too

, but

it w

as w

ith te

rror

that

the

mer

chan

ts s

poke

of S

oum

aoro

, the

sor

cere

r-ki

ng, t

he p

lun-

dere

r who

wou

ld ro

b th

e m

erch

ants

of e

very

thin

g w

hen

he w

asin

a b

ad m

ood.

A c

ourie

r, de

spat

ched

ear

lier f

rom

Wag

adou

, had

her

alde

d th

ear

rival

of S

ogol

on a

t Mem

a; a

gre

at e

scor

t was

sen

t to

mee

t the

trave

llers

and

a p

rope

r rec

eptio

n w

as h

eld

befo

re M

ema.

Arc

hers

and

spea

rmen

for

med

up

in a

dou

ble

line

and

the

mer

chan

tssh

owed

eve

n m

ore

resp

ect t

o th

eir

trav

ellin

g co

mpa

nion

s.Su

rpris

ingl

y en

ough

, the

kin

g w

as a

bsen

t. It

was

his

sis

ter w

hoha

d or

gani

zed

this

gre

at re

cept

ion.

Tlie

who

le o

f Mem

a w

as a

tth

e ci

ty g

ate

and

you

wou

ld h

ave

thou

ght i

t was

the

king

'sho

mec

omin

g. H

ere

man

y pe

ople

cou

ld s

peak

Man

ding

o an

dSo

golo

n an

d he

r chi

ldre

n co

uld

unde

rsta

nd th

e am

azem

ent o

fth

e pe

ople

, who

wer

e sa

ying

to e

ach

othe

r, `

Whe

re d

o th

eyco

me

from

? W

ho a

re th

ey?'

The

kin

g's

sist

er r

ecei

ved

Sogo

lon

and

her

child

ren

in th

epa

lace

. She

spok

e M

anin

kaka

n45

very

wel

l and

talk

ed to

Sog

olon

as if

she

had

kno

wn

her f

or a

long

tim

e. S

he lo

dged

Sog

olon

in a 35

win

g of

the

pala

ce. A

s us

ual,

Sund

iata

ver

y so

on m

ade

his

pres

ence

felt

am

ong

the

youn

g pr

ince

s of

Mem

a an

d in

a f

ew d

ays

hekn

ew e

very

cor

ner

of th

e ro

yal e

nclo

sure

.T

he a

ir o

f M

ema,

the

air

of th

e ri

ver,

did

Sog

olon

's he

alth

a lo

tof

goo

d, b

ut s

he w

as e

ven

mor

e af

fect

ed b

y th

e fr

iend

lines

s of

the

king

's s

iste

r,w

ho w

as c

alle

d M

assi

ran.

Mas

sira

n di

sclo

sed

toS

ogol

on th

at th

e ki

ng h

ad n

o ch

ildr

en a

nd th

at th

e ne

w c

om-

pani

ons

of S

undi

ata

wer

e on

ly th

e so

ns o

f M

ema'

s va

ssal

kin

gs.

The

kin

g ha

d go

ne o

n a

cam

paig

n ag

ains

t the

mou

ntai

n tr

ibes

who

live

d on

the

othe

r si

de o

f th

e ri

ver.

It w

as li

ke th

is e

very

year

, bec

ause

as

soon

as

thes

e tr

ibes

wer

e le

ft in

pea

ce th

ey c

ame

dow

n fr

om th

e m

ount

ains

to p

illag

e th

e co

untr

y.S

undi

ata

and

Man

ding

Bor

y ag

ain

took

up

thei

r fa

vour

ite

past

ime,

hun

ting,

and

wen

t out

with

the

youn

g va

ssal

s of

Mem

a.A

t th

e ap

proa

ch o

f th

e ra

iny

seas

on t

he k

ing'

s re

turn

was

anno

unce

d. T

he c

ity

of M

ema

gave

a tr

ium

phal

wel

com

e to

its

king

.M

ouss

a T

ounk

ara,

ric

hly

dres

sed,

was

rid

ing

on a

mag

-ni

fice

nt h

orse

whi

le h

is f

orm

idab

le c

aval

ry m

ade

an im

pres

sive

esco

rt. T

he in

fant

ry m

arch

ed in

ran

ks c

arry

ing

on th

eir

head

sth

e bo

oty

take

n fr

om th

e en

emy.

The

war

dru

ms

rolle

d w

hile

the

capt

ives

, hea

ds lo

wer

ed a

nd h

ands

tied

beh

ind

thei

r ba

cks,

mov

edfo

rwar

dm

ourn

full

y to

the

acc

ompa

nim

ent

of t

he c

row

d's

deri

sive

laug

hter

.W

hen

the

kin

g w

as i

n h

is p

alac

e, M

assi

ran,

his

sis

ter,

intr

oduc

ed S

ogol

on a

nd h

er c

hild

ren

and

hand

ed h

im t

hele

tter

from

the

king

of

Gha

na. M

ouss

a T

ounk

ara

was

ver

y af

fabl

ean

d sa

id t

o S

ogol

on, `

My

cous

in S

oum

aba

reco

mm

ends

you

and

that

is e

noug

h. Y

ou a

re a

t hom

e. S

tay

here

as

long

as

you

wis

h.'

Itw

as a

t the

cou

rt o

f M

ema

that

Sun

diat

a an

d M

andi

ng B

ory

wen

t on

the

ir f

irst

cam

paig

n. M

ouss

a T

ounk

ara

was

a g

reat

war

rior

and

ther

efor

e he

adm

ired

str

engt

h. W

hen

Sund

iata

was

fift

een

the

king

too

k hi

m w

ith

him

on

cam

paig

n. S

undi

ata

asto

nish

ed th

e w

hole

arm

y w

ith

his

stre

ngth

and

wit

h hi

s da

shin

the

cha

rge.

In

the

cour

se o

f a

skir

mis

h ag

ains

t th

e m

oun-

tain

eers

he

hurl

ed h

imse

lf o

n th

e en

emy

wit

h su

ch v

ehem

ence

that

the

king

fea

red

for

his

life

, but

Man

sa T

ounk

ara

adm

ired

brav

ery

too

muc

h to

sto

p th

e so

n of

Sog

olon

. He

follo

wed

him

clos

ely

to p

rote

ct h

im a

nd h

e sa

w w

ith

rapt

ure

how

the

yout

hso

wed

pan

ic a

mon

g th

e en

emy.

He

had

rem

arka

ble

pres

ence

of

36

min

d, s

truc

k ri

ght a

nd le

ft a

nd o

pene

d up

for

him

self

a g

lori

ous

path

.W

hen

the

enem

y ha

d fl

ed th

e ol

d `s

ofas

'46

said

, `T

here

'son

e th

at'll

mak

e a

good

kin

g.' M

ouss

a T

ounk

ara

took

the

son

ofSo

logo

n in

his

arm

s an

d sa

id, `

It is

des

tiny

that

has

sen

t you

toM

ema.

I w

ill m

ake

a gr

eat w

arri

or o

ut o

f yo

u.'

Fro

m th

at d

ay S

undi

ata

did

not l

eave

the

king

any

mor

e. H

eec

lipse

d al

l the

you

ng p

rinc

es a

nd w

as th

e fr

iend

of

the

who

lear

my.

The

y sp

oke

abou

t not

hing

but

him

in th

e ca

mp.

Men

wer

eev

en m

ore

surp

rise

d by

the

luci

dity

of

his

min

d. I

n th

e ca

mp

he h

ad a

n an

swer

to e

very

thin

g an

d th

e m

ost p

uzzl

ing

situ

atio

nsre

solv

ed th

emse

lves

in h

is p

rese

nce.

Soo

n it

was

in M

ema

itse

lf th

at p

eopl

e be

gan

to ta

lk a

bout

Sund

iata

.W

as it

not

Pro

vide

nce

whi

ch h

ad s

ent t

his

boy

at a

time

whe

n M

ema

had

no h

eir?

Peo

ple

alre

ady

aver

red

that

Sun

-di

ata

wou

ld e

xten

d hi

s do

min

ion

from

Mem

a to

Mal

i. H

e w

ent

on a

ll th

e ca

mpa

igns

. The

ene

my'

s in

curs

ions

bec

ame

rare

r an

dra

rer

and

the

repu

tati

on o

f S

ogol

on's

son

spr

ead

beyo

nd t

heri

ver.

Aft

er th

ree

year

s th

e ki

ng a

ppoi

nted

Sun

diat

a K

an-K

oro-

Sigu

i,hi

s V

icer

oy, a

nd in

the

king

's a

bsen

ce it

was

he

who

gov

erne

d.D

jata

had

now

see

n ei

ghte

en w

inte

rs a

nd a

t tha

t tim

e he

was

ata

ll yo

ung

man

with

a f

at n

eck

and

a po

wer

ful c

hest

. Nob

ody

else

coul

d be

nd h

is b

ow. E

very

one

bow

ed b

efor

e hi

m a

nd h

e w

asgr

eatl

y lo

ved.

Tho

se w

ho d

id n

ot lo

ve h

im f

eare

d hi

m a

nd h

isvo

ice

carr

ied

auth

ority

.T

he k

ing'

s ch

oice

was

app

rove

d of

bot

h by

the

arm

y an

d th

epe

ople

; the

peo

ple

love

all

who

ass

ert t

hem

selv

es o

ver

them

. The

soot

hsay

ers

ofM

ema

reve

aled

the

ext

raor

dina

ry d

esti

ny o

£D

jata

. It w

as s

aid

that

he

was

the

succ

esso

r of

Ale

xand

er th

eG

reat

and

that

he

wou

ld b

e ev

en g

reat

er; t

he s

oldi

ers

alre

ady

had

a th

ousa

nd d

ream

s of

con

ques

t. W

hat w

as im

poss

ible

wit

hsu

ch a

gal

lant

chi

ef?

Sund

iata

insp

ired

con

fide

nce

in th

e so

fas

byhi

s ex

ampl

e, f

or th

e so

fa lo

ves

to s

ee h

is c

hief

sha

re th

e ha

rdsh

ipof

bat

tle.

Dja

ta w

as n

ow a

man

, for

tim

e ha

d m

arch

ed o

n si

nce

the

exod

us f

rom

Nia

ni a

nd h

is d

esti

ny w

as n

ow t

o be

ful

fill

ed.

Sogo

lon

knew

that

the

time

had

arri

ved

and

she

had

perf

orm

edhe

r ta

sk. S

he h

ad n

urtu

red

the

son

for

who

m th

e w

orld

was

wai

t-in

g an

d sh

e kn

ew th

at n

ow h

er m

issi

on w

as a

ccom

plis

hed,

whi

leth

at o

f D

jata

was

abo

ut to

beg

in. O

ne d

ay s

he s

aid

to h

er s

on,

37

`Do

not d

ecei

ve y

ours

elf.

You

r des

tiny

lies

not h

ere

but i

n M

ali.

The

mom

ent h

as c

ome.

I ha

ve fi

nish

ed m

y ta

sk a

nd it

is y

ours

that

is g

oing

to b

egin

, my

son.

But

you

mus

t be

able

to w

ait.

Ever

ythi

ng in

its

own

good

tim

e.'

Soum

aoro

Kan

te, t

he S

orce

rer K

ing

Whi

le S

ogol

on's

son

was

figh

ting

his

first

cam

paig

n fa

r fro

m h

isna

tive

land

,M

ali h

ad f

alle

n un

der

the

dom

inat

ion

of a

new

mas

ter,

Soum

aoro

Kan

te, k

ing

of S

osso

.W

hen

the

emba

ssy

sent

by

Dan

kara

n T

oum

an a

rriv

ed a

tSo

sso,

Suo

mao

ro d

eman

ded

that

Mal

i sho

uld

ackn

owle

dge

itsel

ftri

buta

ry to

Sos

so. B

alla

Fas

seke

foun

d de

lega

tes

from

sev

eral

othe

r kin

gdom

s at

Sou

mao

ro's

cour

t. W

ith h

is p

ower

ful a

rmy

ofsm

iths t

he k

ing

of S

osso

had

qui

ckly

impo

sed

his p

ower

on

ever

y-bo

dy. A

fter

the

defe

at o

f Gha

na a

nd D

iagh

an4'

no o

ne d

ared

oppo

se h

im a

ny m

ore.

Sou

mao

ro w

as d

esce

nded

from

the

line

ofsm

iths

calle

d D

iaris

so w

ho fi

rst h

arne

ssed

fire

and

taug

ht m

enho

w to

wor

k iro

n, b

ut fo

r a lo

ng ti

me

Soss

o ha

d re

mai

ned

a lit

tlevi

llage

of n

o si

gnifi

canc

e. T

he p

ower

ful k

ing

of G

hana

was

the

mas

ter o

f the

cou

ntry

. Litt

le b

y lit

tle th

e ki

ngdo

m o

f Sos

so h

adgr

own

at th

e ex

pens

e of

Gha

na a

nd n

ow th

e K

ante

s do

min

ated

thei

r old

mas

ters

. Lik

e al

l mas

ters

of f

ire, S

oum

aoro

Kan

te w

asa

grea

t sor

cere

r. H

is fe

tishe

s4a

had

a te

rrib

le p

ower

and

it w

asbe

caus

e of

them

that

all

king

s tre

mbl

ed b

efor

e hi

m, f

or h

e co

uld

deal

a s

wift

dea

th to

who

ever

he

plea

sed.

He

had

forti

fied

Soss

ow

ith a

trip

le c

urta

in w

all a

nd in

the

mid

dle

of th

e to

wn

loom

edhi

s pa

lace

, tow

erin

g ov

er th

e th

atch

ed h

uts

of th

e vi

llage

s.49

He

had

had

an im

men

se s

even

-sto

rey

tow

er b

uilt

for h

imse

lf a

ndhe

live

d on

the

seve

nth

floor

in th

e m

idst

of h

is fe

tishe

s. T

his

isw

hy h

e w

as c

alle

d `T

he U

ntou

chab

le K

ing'

.So

umao

ro le

t the

rest

of t

he M

andi

ngo

emba

ssy

retu

rn b

uthe

kep

t Bal

la F

asse

ke b

ack

and

thre

aten

ed to

des

troy

Nia

ni if

Dan

kara

n To

uman

did

not

mak

e hi

s su

bmis

sion

. Frig

hten

ed, t

heso

n of

Sas

soum

a im

med

iate

ly m

ade

his

subm

issi

on, a

nd h

e ev

ense

nt h

is s

iste

r, N

ana

Trib

an, t

o th

e ki

ng o

f Sos

so.

One

day

whe

n th

e ki

ng w

as a

way

, Bal

la F

asse

ke m

anag

ed to

38

get r

ight

into

the

mos

t sec

ret c

ham

ber

of th

e pa

lace

whe

reSo

umao

ro sa

fegu

arde

d hi

s fet

ishe

s. W

hen

he h

ad p

ushe

d th

e do

orop

en h

e w

as tr

ansf

ixed

with

am

azem

ent a

t wha

t he

saw

. The

wal

ls o

f th

e ch

ambe

r w

ere

tape

stri

ed w

ith h

uman

ski

ns a

ndth

ere

was

one

in th

e m

iddl

e of

the

room

on

whi

ch th

e ki

ng s

at;

arou

nd a

n ea

rthe

nwar

e ja

r nin

e he

ads

form

ed a

cir

cle;

whe

nB

alla

had

ope

ned

the

door

the

wat

er h

ad b

ecom

e di

stur

bed

and

am

onst

rous

snak

e ha

d ra

ised

its h

ead.

Bal

la F

asse

ke, w

ho w

as a

lso

wel

l ver

sed

in s

orce

ry, r

ecite

d so

me

form

ulas

and

eve

ryth

ing

inth

e ro

om fe

ll qu

iet,

so h

e co

ntin

ued

his

insp

ectio

n. H

e sa

w o

n a

perc

h ab

ove

the

bed

thre

e ow

ls w

hich

seem

ed to

be

asle

ep; o

n th

efa

rw

all h

ung

stra

ngel

y-sh

aped

wea

pons

, cur

ved

swor

ds a

ndkn

ives

with

thre

e cu

tting

edg

es. H

e lo

oked

at t

he s

kulls

atte

n-tiv

ely

and

reco

gniz

ed th

e ni

ne k

ings

kill

ed b

y So

umao

ro. T

o th

eri

ght o

f the

doo

r he

disc

over

ed a

gre

at b

alaf

on, b

igge

r tha

n he

had

ever

see

n in

Mal

i. In

stin

ctiv

ely

he p

ounc

ed u

pon

it an

d sa

tdo

wn

to p

lay.

The

gri

ot a

lway

s ha

s a

wea

knes

s fo

r mus

ic, f

orm

usic

is th

e gr

iot's

sou

l.H

e be

gan

to p

lay.

He

had

neve

r hea

rd s

uch

a m

elod

ious

bal

a-fo

n. T

houg

h sc

arce

ly to

uche

d by

the

ham

mer

, the

reso

nant

woo

dga

ve o

ut s

ound

s of

an

infin

ite s

wee

tnes

s, n

otes

cle

ar a

nd a

s pu

reas

gol

d du

st; u

nder

the

skilf

ul h

and

of B

alla

the

inst

rum

ent h

adfo

und

its m

aste

r. H

e pl

ayed

with

all

his

soul

and

the

who

le ro

omw

as fi

lled

with

won

derm

ent.

The

drow

sy o

wls

, eye

s ha

lf cl

osed

,be

gan

to m

ove

thei

r hea

ds a

s th

ough

with

sat

isfa

ctio

n. E

very

-th

ing

seem

ed to

com

e to

life

upo

n th

e st

rain

s of

this

mag

icm

usic

. The

nin

e sk

ulls

resu

med

thei

r ear

thly

form

s an

d bl

inke

dat

hea

ring

the

sole

mn

`Vul

ture

Tun

e';5

°w

ith it

s he

ad re

stin

g on

the

rim

, the

sna

ke s

eem

ed to

list

en fr

om th

e ja

r. B

alla

Fas

seke

was

ple

ased

at t

he e

ffec

t his

mus

ic h

ad h

ad o

n th

e st

rang

e in

-ha

bita

nts

of th

is g

houl

ish

cham

ber,

but h

e qu

ite u

nder

stoo

d th

atth

is b

alaf

on w

as n

ot a

t all

like

any

othe

r. It

was

that

of a

gre

atso

rcer

er. S

oum

aoro

was

the

only

one

to p

lay

this

inst

rum

ent.

Afte

r eac

h vi

ctor

y he

wou

ld c

ome

and

sing

his

ow

n pr

aise

s. N

ogr

iot h

ad e

ver t

ouch

ed it

. Not

all

ears

wer

e m

ade

to h

ear t

hat

mus

ic. S

oum

aoro

was

con

stan

tly in

touc

h w

ith th

is x

ylop

hone

and

no m

atte

r how

far a

way

he

was

, one

onl

y ha

d to

touc

h it

for

him

to k

now

that

som

eone

had

got

into

his

sec

ret c

ham

ber.

The

king

was

not

far f

rom

the

tow

n an

d he

rush

ed b

ack

to h

ispa

lace

and

clim

bed

up to

the

seve

nth

stor

ey. B

alla

Fas

seke

hea

rd 39

hurr

ied

step

s in

the

corr

idor

and

Sou

mao

ro b

ound

ed in

to th

ero

om, s

wor

d in

han

d.`W

ho is

ther

e?' h

e ro

ared

. `It

is y

ou, B

alla

Fas

sdkd

!'T

he k

ing

was

foa

min

g w

ith

ange

r an

d hi

s ey

es b

urnt

fie

rcel

yli

ke h

ot e

mbe

rs. Y

et w

itho

ut lo

sing

his

com

posu

re th

e so

n of

Dou

a ch

ange

d ke

y an

d im

prov

ised

a s

ong

in h

onou

r of

the

king

:

The

re h

e is

, Sou

mao

ro K

antd

.A

ll ha

il, y

ou w

ho s

it on

the

skin

s of

kin

gs.

All

hail,

Sim

bon

of th

e de

adly

arr

ow.

I sa

lute

you

, you

who

wea

r cl

othe

s of

hum

an s

kin.

Thi

s im

prov

ised

tune

gre

atly

ple

ased

Sou

mao

ro a

nd h

e ha

dne

ver

hear

d su

ch f

ine

wor

ds. K

ings

are

onl

y m

en, a

nd w

hate

ver

iron

can

not a

chie

ve a

gain

st th

em, w

ords

can

. Kin

gs, t

oo, a

resu

scep

tible

to f

latte

ry, s

o So

umao

ro's

ange

r ab

ated

, his

hea

rt f

illed

with

joy

as h

e lis

tene

d at

tent

ivel

y to

this

sw

eet m

usic

:

His

toryA

ll ha

il, y

ou w

ho w

ear

clot

hes

of h

uman

ski

n.I s

alut

e yo

u, y

ou w

ho s

it on

the

skin

s of

kin

gs.

Bal

la s

ang

and

his

voic

e, w

hich

was

bea

utif

ul, d

elig

hted

the

king

of S

osso

.`H

ow s

wee

t it i

s to

hea

r on

e's

prai

ses

sung

by

som

eone

els

e;B

alla

Fas

sdkd

, you

will

nev

erm

ore

retu

rn to

Mal

i for

fro

m to

day

you

are

my

grio

t.'T

hus

Bal

la F

assd

kd, w

hom

kin

g N

ard

Mag

han

had

give

n to

his

son

Sun

diat

a, w

as s

tole

n fr

om th

e la

tter

by

Dan

kara

n T

oum

an;

now

it w

as th

e ki

ng o

f So

sso,

Sou

mao

ro K

antd

, who

, in

turn

, sto

leth

e pr

ecio

us g

riot

fro

m th

e so

n of

Sas

soum

a B

drdt

e'. I

n th

is w

ayw

ar b

etw

een

Sund

iata

and

Sou

mao

ro b

ecam

e in

evita

ble.

We

are

now

com

ing

to th

e gr

eat m

omen

ts in

the

life

of S

undi

ata.

The

exi

le w

ill e

nd a

nd a

noth

er s

un w

ill a

rise

. It

is t

he s

un o

fS

undi

ata.

Gri

ots

know

the

hist

ory

of k

ings

and

kin

gdom

s an

dth

at is

why

they

are

the

best

cou

nsel

lors

of

king

s. E

very

kin

gw

ants

to h

ave

a si

nger

to p

erpe

tuat

e hi

s m

emor

y, f

or it

is th

e40

grio

t who

res

cues

the

mem

orie

s of

kin

gs f

rom

obl

ivio

n, a

s m

enha

ve s

hort

mem

orie

s.K

ings

hav

e pr

escr

ibed

des

tinie

s ju

st li

ke m

en, a

nd s

eers

who

prob

e th

e fu

ture

kno

w it

. The

y ha

ve k

now

ledg

e of

the

futu

re,

whe

reas

we

grio

ts a

re d

epos

itori

es o

f th

e kn

owle

dge

of th

e pa

st.

But

who

ever

kno

ws

the

hist

ory

of a

cou

ntry

can

rea

d its

fut

ure.

Oth

er p

eopl

es u

se w

ritin

g to

rec

ord

the

past

, but

this

inve

ntio

n'ha

s ki

lled

the

facu

lty o

f m

emor

y am

ong

them

. The

y do

not

fee

lth

e pa

st a

ny m

ore,

for

wri

ting

lack

s th

e w

arm

th o

f th

e hu

man

voic

e.W

ith th

em e

very

body

thin

ks h

e kn

ows,

whe

reas

lear

ning

shou

ld b

e a

secr

et.5

1T

he p

roph

ets

did

not w

rite

and

thei

r w

ords

have

bee

n al

l the

mor

e vi

vid

as a

res

ult.

Wha

t pal

try

lear

ning

isth

at w

hich

is c

onge

aled

in d

umb

book

s!I,

Dje

li M

amou

dou

Kou

yatd

, am

the

resu

lt of

a lo

ng tr

aditi

on.

For

gen

erat

ions

we

have

pas

sed

on th

e hi

stor

y of

kin

gs f

rom

fath

er to

son

. The

nar

rativ

e w

as p

asse

d on

to m

e w

ithou

t alte

ra-

tion

and

I de

liver

it w

ithou

t alte

ratio

n, f

or I

rec

eive

d it

free

fro

mal

l unt

ruth

.L

iste

n no

w to

the

stor

y of

Sun

diat

a, th

e N

a'K

amm

a, th

e m

anw

ho h

ad a

mis

sion

to a

ccom

plis

h.A

t the

tim

e w

hen

Sund

iata

was

pre

pari

ng to

ass

ert h

is c

laim

over

the

king

dom

of

his

fath

ers,

Sou

mao

ro w

as th

e ki

ng o

f ki

ngs,

the

mos

t pow

erfu

l kin

g in

all

the

land

s of

the

sett

ing

sun.

The

fort

ifie

d to

wn

of S

osso

was

the

bulw

ark

of f

etis

hism

aga

inst

the

wor

d of

Alla

h. F

or a

long

tim

e So

umao

ro d

efie

d th

e w

hole

wor

ld.

Sinc

e hi

s ac

cess

ion

to th

e th

rone

of

Soss

o he

had

def

eate

d ni

neki

ngs

who

se h

eads

ser

ved

him

as

fetis

hes

in h

is m

acab

re c

ham

-be

r.T

heir

ski

ns s

erve

d as

sea

ts a

nd h

e cu

t his

foo

twea

r fr

omhu

man

ski

n. S

oum

aoro

was

not

like

oth

er m

en, f

or th

e jin

n ha

dre

veal

ed th

emse

lves

to h

im a

nd h

is p

ower

was

bey

ond

mea

sure

.So

his

cou

ntle

ss s

ofas

wer

e ve

ry b

rave

sin

ce th

ey b

elie

ved

thei

rki

ng to

be

invi

ncib

le. B

ut S

oum

aoro

was

an

evil

dem

on a

nd h

isre

ign

had

prod

uced

not

hing

but

blo

odsh

ed. N

othi

ng w

as ta

boo

for

him

. His

gre

ates

t ple

asur

e w

as p

ublic

ly to

flo

g ve

nera

ble

old

men

. He

had

defi

led

ever

y fa

mil

y an

d ev

eryw

here

in h

is v

ast

empi

re t

here

wer

e vi

llag

es p

opul

ated

by

girl

s w

hom

he

had

forc

ibly

abd

ucte

d fr

om th

eir

fam

ilies

with

out m

arry

ing

them

.T

he tr

ee th

at th

e te

mpe

st w

ill t

hrow

dow

n do

es n

ot s

ee th

est

orm

bui

ldin

g up

on

the

hori

zon.

Its

pro

ud h

ead

brav

es t

hew

inds

eve

n w

hen

it is

nea

r its

end

. Sou

mao

ro h

ad c

ome

to d

espi

se q,1

ever

yone

. Oh!

how

pow

er c

an p

erve

rt a

man

. If m

an h

ad b

ut a

mith

ka15

2of

div

ine

pow

er a

t his

dis

posa

l the

wor

ld w

ould

hav

ebe

en a

nnih

ilate

d lo

ng a

go. S

oum

aoro

arr

ived

at a

poi

nt w

here

he

wou

ld s

top

at n

othi

ng. H

is c

hief

gen

eral

was

his

nep

hew

the

smith

, Fak

oli K

orom

a. H

e w

as th

e so

n of

Sou

mao

ro's

sist

er,

Kas

sia.

Fak

oli h

ad a

won

derf

ul w

ife,

Kel

eya,

who

was

a g

reat

mag

icia

n lik

e he

r hus

band

. She

cou

ld c

ook

bette

r tha

n th

e th

ree

hund

red

wiv

es o

f Sou

mao

ro p

ut to

geth

er.5

3So

umao

ro a

dbuc

ted

Kel

eya

and

lock

ed h

er u

p in

his

pal

ace.

Fak

oli f

ell i

nto

a dr

eadf

ulra

ge a

nd w

ent t

o hi

s un

cle

and

said

, 'Si

nce

you

are

not a

sham

edto

com

mit

ince

st b

y ta

king

my

wife

, I a

m fr

eed

from

all

my

ties

with

you

from

this

day

forw

ard.

Hen

cefo

rth I

shal

l be

on th

e si

deof

you

r ene

mie

s. I

shal

l com

bine

insu

rgen

t Man

ding

oes

with

my

own

troop

s and

wag

e w

ar a

gain

st y

ou.'

And

he

left

Soss

o w

ith th

esm

iths o

f the

Kor

oma

tribe

.It

was

like

a s

igna

l. A

ll th

ose

long

-rep

ress

ed h

ates

and

ran-

cour

s bu

rst o

ut a

nd e

very

whe

re m

en a

nsw

ered

the

call

of F

akol

i.St

raig

ht a

way

Dan

kara

n To

uman

, the

kin

g of

Mal

i, m

obili

zed

and

mar

ched

to jo

in F

akol

i. B

ut S

oum

aoro

, cas

ting

his

neph

ew's

thre

at a

side

, sw

oope

d do

wn

on D

anka

ran

Toum

an, w

ho g

ave

upth

e st

rugg

le a

nd fl

ed to

the

land

of t

he c

ola;

and

in th

ose

fore

sted

regi

ons h

e fo

unde

d th

e to

wn

of K

issi

doug

ou.5

4D

urin

g th

is p

erio

dSo

umao

ro, i

n hi

s an

ger,

puni

shed

all

the

Man

ding

o to

wns

whi

chha

d re

volte

d. H

e de

stro

yed

the

tow

n of

Nia

ni a

nd re

duce

d it

toas

hes.

The

inha

bita

nts

curs

ed th

e ki

ng w

ho h

ad fl

ed.

It is

in th

e m

idst

of c

alam

ity th

at m

an q

uest

ions

him

self

abou

thi

s de

stin

y. A

fter

the

flig

ht o

f Dan

kara

n T

oum

an, S

oum

aoro

proc

laim

ed h

imse

lf ki

ng o

f Mal

i by

right

of c

onqu

est,

but h

e w

asno

t rec

ogni

zed

by th

e po

pula

ce a

nd re

sist

ance

was

org

aniz

ed in

the

bush

. Soo

thsa

yers

wer

e co

nsul

ted

as to

the

fate

of

the

coun

try.

The

soo

thsa

yers

wer

e un

anim

ous

in s

ayin

g th

at it

wou

ld b

e th

e ri

ghtf

ul h

eir t

o th

e th

rone

who

wou

ld s

ave

Mal

i.T

his

heir

was

'The

Man

with

Tw

o N

ames

'. T

he e

lder

s of

the

cour

t of N

iani

then

rem

embe

red

the

son

of S

ogol

on. T

he m

anw

ith tw

o na

mes

was

no

othe

r tha

n M

agha

n Su

ndia

ta.

But

whe

re c

ould

he

be fo

und?

No

one

knew

whe

re S

ogol

on a

ndtie

r chi

ldre

n liv

ed. F

or s

even

yea

rs n

obod

y ha

d ha

d an

y ne

ws

ofth

em. N

ow th

e pr

oble

m w

as to

find

them

. Nev

erth

eles

s a

sear

chpa

rty

was

form

ed to

see

k hi

m o

ut. A

mon

g th

e pe

ople

incl

uded

mus

t be

men

tione

d K

ount

oun

Man

ian,

an

old

grio

t fro

m th

e42

cour

t of N

ars M

agha

n; M

andj

an B

eret

s, a

brot

her o

f Sas

soum

a's,

who

did

not

wan

t to

follo

w D

anka

ran

Toum

an in

flig

ht; S

ing-

bin

Mar

a C

isss

, a d

ivin

e of

the

cour

t; Si

rim

an T

ours

, ano

ther

divi

ne; a

nd, f

inal

ly, a

wom

an, M

agno

uma.

Acc

ordi

ng to

the

clue

sof

the

soot

hsay

ers

they

had

to s

earc

h to

war

ds th

e riv

erin

e la

nds,

that

is, t

owar

ds th

e ea

st. T

he s

earc

hers

left

Mal

i whi

le w

arra

ged

betw

een

Soss

o So

umao

ro a

nd h

is n

ephe

w F

akol

i Kor

oma.

The

Baob

ab L

eave

sA

t Mem

a Su

ndia

ta le

arnt

that

Sou

mao

ro h

ad in

vade

d M

ali a

ndth

at h

is o

wn

brot

her,

Dan

kara

n To

uman

, had

fled

. He

lear

nt a

lso

that

Fak

oli w

as h

oldi

ng h

is o

wn

agai

nst t

he k

ing

of S

osso

. Tha

tye

ar th

e ki

ngdo

m o

f Mem

a w

as a

t pea

ce a

nd th

e ki

ng's

vice

roy

had

a lo

t of l

eisu

re ti

me.

As

alw

ays,

he

wen

t out

hun

ting,

but

sinc

e th

e ne

ws a

bout

Mal

i had

arr

ived

Sun

diat

a ha

d be

com

e ve

rygl

oom

y. T

he a

ged

Sogo

lon

was

ill.

Man

ding

Bor

y w

as fi

fteen

and

was

now

a li

vely

you

th li

ke h

is b

roth

er a

nd fr

iend

Sun

diat

a.D

jata

's si

ster

s had

gro

wn

up a

nd K

olon

kan

was

now

a ta

ll m

aide

nof

mar

riage

able

age

. Now

that

Sog

olon

had

gro

wn

old

it w

as sh

ew

ho d

id th

e co

okin

g an

d sh

e of

ten

wen

t to

the

tow

n m

arke

tw

ith h

er s

ervi

ng w

omen

.W

ell,

one

day

whe

n sh

e w

as a

t the

mar

ket s

he n

otic

ed a

wom

anw

ho w

as o

ffer

ing

for s

ale

nafi

ola 5

5an

d gn

ougo

u, c

ondi

men

tsun

know

n to

the

peop

le o

f Mem

a, w

ho lo

oked

in a

ston

ishm

ent a

tth

e w

oman

who

was

sel

ling

them

. Kol

onka

n ap

proa

ched

. She

reco

gniz

ed b

aoba

b le

aves

and

man

y ot

her v

eget

able

s w

hich

her

mot

her u

sed

to g

row

in h

er g

arde

n at

Nia

ni.

` Bao

bab

leav

es,'

she

mut

tere

d, 'a

nd g

noug

ou, I

kno

w th

ese,

'sh

e sa

id, t

akin

g so

me.

' How

do

you

know

them

pri

nces

s?' s

aid

the

wom

an. '

I hav

ebe

en o

ffer

ing

them

for s

ale

here

in th

e m

arke

t of M

ema

for d

ays

but n

obod

y w

ants

any

her

e.'

' But

I a

m f

rom

Mal

i. A

t hom

e m

y m

othe

r us

ed to

hav

e a

vege

tabl

e ga

rden

and

my

brot

her w

ould

go

to se

ek b

aoba

b le

aves

for u

s.'

' Wha

t is

your

bro

ther

's na

me

prin

cess

?'43

`He

is c

alle

d So

golo

n D

jata

, and

the

othe

r on

e is

cal

led

Men

-di

ng B

ory.

I a

lso

have

a s

iste

r ca

lled

Sogo

lon

Dja

mar

ou.'

Mea

nwhi

le a

man

had

dra

wn

near

and

he

spok

e th

us to

Sog

o-lo

n K

olon

kan,

`Pri

nces

s, w

e ar

e al

so fr

om M

ali.

We

are

mer

chan

tsan

d ar

e go

ing

from

tow

n to

tow

n. I

am

sel

ling

col

as m

ysel

f.H

ere,

I g

ive

you

one.

Pri

nces

s, c

ould

you

r m

othe

r re

ceiv

e us

toda

y?'

`Of

cour

se, s

he w

ill b

e ha

ppy

to ta

lk to

peo

ple

who

com

e fr

omM

ali.

Don

't bu

dge

from

her

e an

d I'l

l go

and

talk

to h

er a

bout

it.'

Kol

onka

n, w

itho

ut c

arin

g ab

out t

he s

cand

al o

f th

e vi

cero

y's

sist

er b

eing

see

n ru

nnin

g ac

ross

the

mar

ket-

plac

e, h

ad k

nott

edhe

r lo

ng d

ress

abo

ut h

er m

iddl

e an

d w

as r

unni

ng a

t ful

l spe

edto

war

ds th

e ro

yal e

nclo

sure

.`N

'na,

se s

he s

aid,

out

of

brea

th a

nd a

ddre

ssin

g he

r m

othe

r, `

Iha

ve f

ound

bao

bab

leav

es, g

noug

ou a

nd m

any

othe

r th

ings

at

the

mar

ket,

look

. Som

e m

erch

ants

fro

m M

ali a

re s

elli

ng th

em.

The

y w

ould

like

to s

ee y

ou.'

Sogo

lon

took

the

baob

ab le

aves

and

gno

ugou

in h

er h

and

and

put h

er n

ose

to th

em a

s th

ough

to in

hale

all

the

scen

t. Sh

e op

ened

her

eyes

wid

e an

d lo

oked

at h

er d

augh

ter.

`The

y co

me

from

Mal

i, yo

u sa

y? T

hen

run

to th

e m

arke

t and

tell

them

that

I a

m w

aiti

ng f

or th

em, r

un, m

y da

ught

er.'

Sogo

lon

rem

aine

d al

one.

She

was

turn

ing

the

prec

ious

con

di-

men

ts o

ver

and

over

in h

er h

ands

whe

n sh

e he

ard

Sund

iata

and

Man

ding

Bor

y re

turn

ing

from

the

hunt

.`H

ail,

mot

her.

We

have

ret

urne

d,' s

aid

Man

ding

Bor

y.`H

ail,

mot

her,

' sai

d S

undi

ata,

`w

e ha

ve b

roug

ht y

ou s

ome

gam

e.'

`Com

e in

and

sit

dow

n,' s

he s

aid,

and

hel

d ou

t to

them

wha

tsh

e ha

d in

her

han

d.`W

hy, i

t's g

noug

ou,'

said

Sun

diat

a, `

whe

re d

id y

ou f

ind

it? T

hepe

ople

her

e gr

ow it

ver

y lit

tle.'

`Yes

, som

e m

erch

ants

fro

m M

ali a

re o

ffer

ing

it fo

r sa

le in

the

mar

ket.

Kol

onka

n ha

s go

ne to

fet

ch th

em f

or th

ey w

ant t

o se

em

e. W

e ar

e go

ing

to h

ave

som

e ne

ws

of M

ali.'

Kol

onka

n so

on a

ppea

red

follo

wed

by

four

men

and

a w

oman

;st

raig

ht a

way

Sog

olon

rec

ogni

zed

the

emin

ent m

embe

rs o

f he

rhu

sban

d's

cour

t. T

he s

alut

atio

ns b

egan

and

gre

etin

gs w

ere

ex-

chan

ged

wit

h al

l the

ref

inem

ent d

eman

ded

by M

andi

ngo

cour

-te

sy.

At

last

Sog

olon

sai

d, `

Her

e ar

e m

y ch

ildr

en;

they

hav

e

44

grow

n up

far

fro

m t

heir

nat

ive

coun

try.

Now

let

us

talk

of

Mal

i.'T

he tr

avel

lers

qui

ckly

exc

hang

ed m

eani

ngfu

l gla

nces

, the

nM

andj

an B

dr&

4, S

asso

uma'

s br

othe

r, b

egan

to s

peak

in th

ese

wor

ds `I gi

ve th

anks

to G

od th

e A

lmig

hty

that

we

are

here

in th

epr

esen

ce o

f So

golo

n an

d he

r ch

ildre

n. I

giv

e th

anks

to G

od th

atou

r jo

urne

y w

ill n

ot h

ave

been

in v

ain.

It i

s tw

o m

onth

s si

nce

we

left

Mal

i. W

e w

ent f

rom

one

roy

al to

wn

to a

noth

er p

osin

g as

mer

chan

ts a

nd M

agno

uma

offe

red

vege

tabl

es o

f M

ali f

or s

ale.

In

thes

e ea

ster

n la

nds

peop

le a

re u

nacq

uain

ted

wit

h th

ese

vege

-ta

bles

. But

at M

ema

our

plan

wor

ked

out p

erfe

ctly

. The

per

son

who

bou

ght s

ome

gnou

gou

was

abl

e to

tell

us o

f yo

ur f

ate

and

that

per

son,

by

a cr

owni

ng s

trok

e of

for

tune

, tur

ned

out t

o be

Sogo

lon

Kol

onka

n.'

`Ala

s! I

bri

ng y

ou s

ad ti

ding

s. T

hat i

s m

y m

issi

on. S

oum

aoro

Kan

te, t

he p

ower

ful k

ing

of S

osso

, has

hea

ped

deat

h an

d de

sola

-tio

n up

on M

ali.

The

kin

g, D

anka

ran

Tou

man

, has

fle

d an

d M

ali

isw

ithou

t a m

aste

r, b

ut th

e w

ar is

not

fin

ishe

d ye

t. C

oura

geou

sm

en h

ave

take

n to

the

bush

and

are

wag

ing

tire

less

war

aga

inst

the

enem

y. F

akol

i Kor

oma,

the

neph

ew o

f th

e ki

ng o

f So

sso,

isfi

ghtin

g pi

tiles

sly

agai

nst h

is in

cest

uous

unc

le w

ho r

obbe

d hi

m o

fhi

s w

ife.

We

have

con

sult

ed th

e jin

n an

d th

ey h

ave

repl

ied

that

only

the

son

of S

ogol

on c

an d

eliv

er M

ali.

Mal

i is

save

d be

caus

ew

e ha

ve f

ound

you

, Sun

diat

a.'

`Mag

han

Sun

diat

a, I

sal

ute

you;

kin

g of

Mal

i, th

e th

rone

of

your

fat

hers

aw

aits

you

.W

hate

ver

rank

you

may

hol

d he

re,

leav

e al

l the

se h

onou

rs a

nd c

ome

and

deli

ver

your

fat

herl

and.

The

bra

ve a

wai

t yo

u, c

ome

and

rest

ore

righ

tful

aut

hori

ty t

oM

ali.

Wee

ping

mot

hers

pra

y on

ly in

you

r na

me,

the

asse

mbl

edki

ngs

awai

t you

, for

you

r na

me

alon

e in

spir

es c

onfi

denc

e in

them

.So

n of

Sog

olon

, you

r ho

ur h

as c

ome,

the

wor

ds o

f th

e ol

d G

nan-

koum

an D

oua

are

abou

t to

com

e to

pas

s, f

or y

ou a

re th

e gi

ant

who

will

cru

sh th

e gi

ant S

oum

aoro

.'A

fter

thes

e w

ords

a p

rofo

und

sile

nce

reig

ned

over

the

room

of

Sogo

lon.

She

, her

eye

s ca

st d

own,

rem

aine

d si

lent

; Kol

onka

n an

dM

andi

ng B

ory

had

thei

r ey

es f

ixed

on

Sund

iata

.`V

ery

wel

l,' h

e sa

id, `

it is

no

long

er th

e ti

me

for

wor

ds. I

am

goin

g to

ask

the

king

's le

ave

and

we

wil

l ret

urn

imm

edia

tely

.M

andi

ng B

ory,

take

cha

rge

of th

e en

voys

fro

m M

ali.

The

kin

g 45

will

ret

urn

this

eve

ning

and

we

will

set

out

fir

st th

ing

tom

orro

w.'

Sund

iata

got

up

and

all t

he e

nvoy

s st

ood

up w

hile

Dja

ta w

ent

out.

He

was

alr

eady

kin

g.T

he k

ing

retu

rned

to M

ema

at n

ight

fall.

He

had

gone

to s

pend

the

day

in o

ne o

f hi

s ne

ighb

ouri

ng r

esid

ence

s. T

he v

icer

oy w

asno

t at t

he k

ing'

s re

cept

ion

and

nobo

dy k

new

whe

re h

e w

as. H

ere

turn

ed a

t ni

ght

and

befo

re g

oing

to

bed

he w

ent

and

saw

Sogo

lon.

She

had

a f

ever

and

was

trem

blin

g un

der

the

blan

kets

.W

ith

a fe

eble

voi

ce s

he w

ishe

d he

r so

n go

od n

ight

. Whe

n Su

n-di

ata

was

in h

is c

ham

ber a

lone

he

turn

ed to

the

east

and

spo

ke th

us:

`Alm

ight

y G

od, t

he ti

me

for

acti

on h

as c

ome.

If

I m

ust s

uc-

ceed

in th

e re

conq

uest

of

Mal

i, A

lmig

hty,

gra

nt th

at I

may

bur

ym

y m

othe

r in

pea

ce h

ere.

' The

n he

lay

dow

n.In

the

mor

ning

, Sog

olon

Ked

jou,

the

buff

alo

wom

an, p

asse

daw

ay, a

nd a

ll th

e co

urt o

f M

ema

wen

t int

o m

ourn

ing,

for

the

vice

roy'

sm

othe

r w

as d

ead.

Sun

diat

a w

ent t

o se

e th

e ki

ng, w

hoof

fere

d hi

s co

ndol

ence

s. H

e sa

id to

the

king

, `K

ing,

you

gav

e m

eho

spita

lity

at y

our

cour

t whe

n I

was

with

out s

helte

r. U

nder

you

ror

ders

I w

ent

on m

y fi

rst

cam

paig

n. I

sha

ll n

ever

be

able

to

than

k yo

u fo

r so

muc

h ki

ndne

ss. H

owev

er, m

y m

othe

r is

dea

d;bu

t I

am n

ow a

man

and

I m

ust

retu

rn t

o M

ali

to c

laim

the

king

dom

of

my

fath

ers.

Oh

king

, I g

ive

you

back

the

pow

ers

you

conf

erre

d up

on m

e, a

nd I

ask

leav

e to

dep

art.

In a

ny c

ase,

allo

wm

e to

bur

y m

y m

othe

r be

fore

I g

o.'

The

se w

ords

dis

plea

sed

the

king

. Nev

er d

id h

e th

ink

that

the

son

of S

ogol

on c

ould

leav

e hi

m. W

hat w

as h

e go

ing

to s

eek

inM

ali?

Did

he

not

live

hap

py a

nd r

espe

cted

by

all

at M

ema?

Was

he

not a

lrea

dy th

e he

ir to

the

thro

ne o

f M

ema?

How

un-

grat

eful

, tho

ught

the

king

, the

son

of

anot

her

is a

lway

s th

e so

nof

ano

ther

.`U

ngra

tefu

l cre

atur

e,' s

aid

the

king

, `si

nce

this

is h

ow it

is, g

oaw

ay, l

eave

my

king

dom

, but

take

you

r m

othe

r's r

emai

ns w

ith

you;

you

will

not

bur

y he

r at

Mem

a.'

But

aft

er a

pau

se h

e w

ent o

n, `

Ver

y w

ell t

hen,

sin

ce y

ou in

sist

on b

uryi

ng y

our

mot

her,

you

will

pay

me

the

pric

e of

the

eart

hw

here

she

wil

l lie

.'`I

wil

l pay

late

r,' r

epli

ed S

undi

ata.

`I

wil

l pay

whe

n I

reac

hM

ali.' `No,

now

, or

you

will

hav

e to

take

you

r m

othe

r's c

orps

e w

ith

you.

'46

The

n Su

ndia

ta g

ot u

p an

d w

ent o

ut. H

e ca

me

back

aft

er a

sho

rtw

hile

and

bro

ught

the

kin

g a

bask

et f

ull

of b

its

of p

otte

ry,

guin

ea f

owl f

eath

ers,

fea

ther

s of

you

ng p

artr

idge

s an

d w

isps

of

stra

w. H

e sa

id, `

Ver

y w

ell k

ing,

her

e is

the

pric

e of

the

land

.'`Y

ou a

re m

ocki

ng, S

undi

ata,

take

you

r ba

sket

of

rubb

ish

away

.T

hat i

s no

t the

pri

ce o

f th

e la

nd. W

hat d

o yo

u m

ean

by it

?'T

hen

the

old

Ara

b w

ho w

as th

e ki

ng's

adv

iser

sai

d, `

Oh

king

,gi

ve t

his

youn

g m

an t

he l

and

whe

re h

is m

othe

r m

ust

rest

.W

hat h

e ha

s br

ough

t you

has

a m

eani

ng. I

f yo

u re

fuse

him

the

land

he

will

mak

e w

ar o

n yo

u. T

hese

bro

ken

pots

and

wis

ps o

fst

raw

ind

icat

e th

at h

e w

ill

dest

roy

the

tow

n. I

t w

ill

only

be

reco

gniz

ed b

y th

e fr

agm

ents

of

brok

en p

ots.

He

will

mak

e su

cha

ruin

of

it th

at g

uine

a-fo

wl a

nd y

oung

par

trid

ges

will

com

e to

take

thei

r du

st b

aths

ther

e. G

ive

him

the

land

for

if h

e re

con-

quer

s hi

s ki

ngdo

m h

e w

ill d

eal g

ently

with

you

, you

r fa

mily

, and

his

will

be

fore

ver

allie

d.'

The

kin

g un

ders

tood

. He

gave

him

the

lan

d an

d S

ogol

onre

ceiv

ed h

er f

uner

al h

onou

rs w

ith a

ll th

e re

gal o

bseq

uies

.

The

Ret

urn

Eve

ry in

an to

his

ow

n la

nd!

If it

is f

oret

old

that

you

r de

stin

ysh

ould

be

fulf

illed

in s

uch

and

such

a la

nd, m

en c

an d

o no

thin

gag

ains

t it.

Man

sa T

ounk

ara

coul

d no

t kee

p Su

ndia

ta b

ack

beca

use

the

dest

iny

of S

ogol

on's

son

was

bou

nd u

p w

ith

that

of

Mal

i.N

eith

er th

e je

alou

sy o

f a

crue

l ste

pmot

her,

nor

her

wic

kedn

ess,

coul

d al

ter

for

a m

omen

t the

cou

rse

of g

reat

des

tiny.

The

sna

ke, m

an's

enem

y, is

not

long

-liv

ed, y

et th

e se

rpen

t tha

tliv

es h

idde

n w

ill s

urel

y di

e ol

d. D

jata

was

str

ong

enou

gh n

ow to

face

his

ene

mie

s. A

t the

age

of

eigh

teen

he

had

the

stat

elin

ess

ofth

e lio

n an

d th

e st

reng

th o

f th

e bu

ffal

o. H

is v

oice

car

ried

aut

hor-

ity, h

is e

yes

wer

e liv

e co

als,

his

arm

was

iron

, he

was

the

husb

and

of p

ower

.M

ouss

a T

ounk

ara,

kin

g of

Mem

a, g

ave

Sun

diat

a ha

lf o

f hi

sar

my.

The

mos

t val

iant

cam

e fo

rwar

d of

thei

r ow

n fr

ee w

ill to

foll

ow S

undi

ata

in th

e gr

eat a

dven

ture

. The

cav

alry

of

Mem

a,w

hich

lie

had

fas

hion

ed h

imse

lf, f

orm

ed h

is i

ron

squa

dron

.47