登陆注册
5421800000009

第9章

MOPO IS IN TROUBLE

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

So things went on till I was twenty years of age--a man full grown. By now I had mastered all I could learn by myself, so I joined myself on to the chief medicine-man of our tribe, who was named Noma. He was old, had one eye only, and was very clever. Of him I learned some tricks and more wisdom, but at last he grew jealous of me and set a trap to catch me. As it chanced, a rich man of a neighbouring tribe had lost some cattle, and came with gifts to Noma praying him to smell them out. Noma tried and could not find them; his vision failed him.

Then the headman grew angry and demanded back his gifts; but Noma would not give up that which he once had held, and hot words passed.

The headman said that he would kill Noma; Noma said that he would bewitch the headman.

"Peace," I said, for I feared that blood would be shed. "Peace, and let me see if my snake will tell me where the cattle are.""You are nothing but a boy," answered the headman. "Can a boy have wisdom?""That shall soon be known," I said, taking the bones in my hand.[1]

[1] The Kafir witch-doctors use the knuckle-bones of animals in their magic rites, throwing them something as we throw dice.--ED.

"Leave the bones alone!" screamed Noma. "We will ask nothing more of our snakes for the good of this son of a dog.""He shall throw the bones," answered the headman. "If you try to stop him, I will let sunshine through you with my assegai." And he lifted his spear.

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

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

After that he went away.

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

同类推荐
  • 太上洞神三皇传授仪

    太上洞神三皇传授仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说力士移山经

    佛说力士移山经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 正宗心印后续联芳

    正宗心印后续联芳

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 肯堂医论

    肯堂医论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孙子略解

    孙子略解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 宠宠欲动:总裁,夫人又出逃

    宠宠欲动:总裁,夫人又出逃

    在线咨询:怎么报复一个男人,求方法。 网友一:恐吓,恶整他。 穆绵绵:结果我被他绑架,恶整。 网友二:追上他,到手后,甩了他。 穆绵绵:我追上了,我失身了! 网友三:怀上他的孩子,然后带球跑,扳回一局。 穆绵绵:我怀孕了,没跑成,被逼婚,怎么办! 沈擎生:老婆别闹,咱们现在就谈谈二胎计划。 穆绵绵:……
  • 结鼎缘

    结鼎缘

    本是嫡出却因母亲太过怯懦不得宠,被养在二夫人名下。还好生出极品的木火双灵根,得到整个家族的重视,还为自己专门举行了选鼎会,得到极品炉鼎一枚。也因此被哥哥姐姐记恨而设计毁掉灵根。再次醒来,已不是原来那个胆小的人儿。而是融入了另一个灵魂的李吉莲。从此成为五行杂灵根。学练丹,学练器,学制符,学阵法。还自己制做空间,立志成为一名真真正正的修道者。上下求索,成就大道,以期真正长生。
  • 太上慈悲九幽拔罪忏

    太上慈悲九幽拔罪忏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一品农家女

    一品农家女

    揪紧被血浸染的衣裙,感受着腹中生命一点点流逝,苏子墨一脸绝望,哀求的看着面前的丈夫和闺蜜。“看在我们认识十年的份上,求求你们,救救我的孩子……”丈夫和闺蜜均一脸冷漠看着她苦苦挣扎。苏子墨泪涌眼眶,绝美的脸蛋惨白如纸,恨咬破唇,“为……为什么?”对她这么狠,对无辜的腹中孩子这么残忍?!“哎呀,陈尧,你没有告诉苏苏吗?咱们一直以来为的可只有她苏家的钱哟。这孩子……本……
  • 大耳朵爷爷历险记

    大耳朵爷爷历险记

    话说盘古开天辟地以后,天上有了日月星辰,地上有了山河草木,天地日渐显出生机。管天的叫天公,是一个白须白发的老头儿,因他的耳朵长得很大,人又很和蔼,大家便叫他大耳朵爷爷。这个大耳朵爷爷,表面上看着悠闲懒散,实际上却是个极具智慧的人物。他倡导顺应自然,清静无为,依靠自然的力量管理天界。因此,他几乎不费什么力气便把天上管理得井井有条。管地的叫地母,人称女娲娘娘,她可累多了。她补了天,治了洪水,创造了山川河谷,养育了人类万物,慈爱遍及大地。大耳朵爷爷和地母各自管理着天地,虽办法不同,却都非常敬业。因此,天上显得那么亮丽而有序,大地则祥和而又生机盎然。不过,他们两个人都有一个共同的对手,那就是黑洞洞主。
  • 宦官毒妻有喜了

    宦官毒妻有喜了

    重生归来,这一世为了报仇,她选择嫁给了太监总管。*****人说糟糠之妻不下堂,可又有多少男人能够在有了权势和金钱后仍然守住与他风雨与共的枕边人?唐肆肆在宸王最落魄、最无助时嫁与他为妃,却在他登基为帝后,成了弃棋。大雨磅礴之日,她的儿子命丧毒手,而那个男人却搂着毒害了她儿子的女人。她想要除掉那个害了她孩子的女人,却被那个男人挑掉脚筋,挖掉眼睛,烈火焚身。重生归来,这一世为了报仇,她选择嫁给了那有绝美之姿又权倾天下的太监总管为妻。夫妻两狼狈为奸,杀渣男,斗庶姐,让皇位易主,让百官战栗,成了恶贯满盈的“夫妻”。半年后,皇城里有传言,那恶贯满盈作恶多端的九千岁家的毒妻竟然有孕了!一时间孩子的父亲是谁众所纷纭,有人猜是儒雅温润的太子殿下,有人猜是清冷如冰山的三皇子,有人猜是睿智多谋的五皇子的……而孩子的真正父亲此时正媚眼如丝,风情万种的牵着自己的妻子。
  • 觉醒日1

    觉醒日1

    4600年前的涿鹿之战,究竟是谁和谁的战争?长春真人西行途中,在撒马尔罕城发现了什么让他畏惧不已的事物?欧洲中世纪的女巫迫害,到底是为了何种原因?龙虎山天师张彦頨的寻宝活动,寻找到了怎样的恐怖存在?明末起义领袖张献忠,为什么成为了杀人魔王、又在帮谁隐藏着什么?炼金术士尼古拉勒梅的神秘人生,竟然是从一幅与西藏有关的凶画开始的?一系列的历史谜团,整个人类的生存进化之路,似乎都和一股来自远古的神秘力量息息相关……
  • 沙娜拉之剑Ⅰ:传奇之剑

    沙娜拉之剑Ⅰ:传奇之剑

    远古的邪恶力量日渐复苏,笼罩北方的暗云将扩散至四境。在和平的穴地谷,身上有着一半精灵血统的谢伊·欧姆斯福德是沙娜拉血脉留存在这世上的仅存后裔,也是能使用传奇武器“沙娜拉之剑”对抗黑暗势力的最后传人。从黑衣德鲁伊上门警告那一刻起,安定平稳的生活已经是昨日幻梦,因为邪恶的骷髅使者正奉着黑魔君的追杀令,前来摧毁唯一能威胁到它的血脉。受黑暗驱使的地精与巨人大军整军待发,即将侵略四境诸国。在熟知历史的神秘德鲁伊带队之下,谷地人、高地人、边境王子、侏儒、精灵组成八人小队,怀着各自的意志,踏上了路途茫茫的寻剑之旅……
  • 山海笙

    山海笙

    千古李从嘉,百世周公瑾。书到用时方恨少,白首方悔读书迟。
  • 刘耀文感谢青春遇见你

    刘耀文感谢青春遇见你

    我也不知道说啥,第一次写小说,不好的地方请多多担待!!!