The Orange Fairy
Book
The Story of the
Hero Makoma From the Senna (Oral Tradition)
Once upon a time, at
the town of Senna on the banks of the Zambesi, was born a child. He was not
like other children, for he was very tall and strong; over his shoulder he
carried a big sack, and in his hand an iron hammer. He could also speak like a
grown man, but usually he was very silent.
One day his mother
said to him: 'My child, by what name shall we know you?'
And he answered:
'Call all the head men of Senna here to the river's bank.' And his mother
called the head men of the town, and when they had come he led them down to a
deep black pool in the river where all the fierce crocodiles lived.
'O great men!' he
said, while they all listened, 'which of you will leap into the pool and
overcome the crocodiles?' But no one would come forward. So he turned and
sprang into the water and disappeared.
The people held
their breath, for they thought: 'Surely the boy is bewitched and throws away
his life, for the crocodiles will eat him!' Then suddenly the ground trembled,
and the pool, heaving and swirling, became red with blood, and presently the
boy rising to the surface swam on shore.
But he was no longer
just a boy! He was stronger than any man and very tall and handsome, so that
the people shouted with gladness when they saw him.
'Now, O my people!'
he cried, waving his hand, 'you know my name--I am Makoma, "the
Greater"; for have I not slain the crocodiles into the pool where none
would venture?'
Then he said to his
mother: 'Rest gently, my mother, for I go to make a home for myself and become
a hero.' Then, entering his hut he took Nu-endo, his iron hammer, and throwing
the sack over his shoulder, he went away.
Makoma crossed the
Zambesi, and for many moons he wandered towards the north and west until he
came to a very hilly country where, one day, he met a huge giant making
mountains.
'Greeting,' shouted
Makoma, 'you are you?'
'I am
Chi-eswa-mapiri, who makes the mountains,' answered the giant; 'and who are
you?'
'I am Makoma, which
signifies "greater,"' answered he.
'Greater than who?'
asked the giant.
'Greater than you!'
answered Makoma.
The giant gave a
roar and rushed upon him. Makoma said nothing, but swinging his great hammer,
Nu-endo, he struck the giant upon the head.
He struck him so
hard a blow that the giant shrank into quite a little man, who fell upon his
knees saying: 'You are indeed greater than I, O Makoma; take me with you to be
your slave!' So Makoma picked him up and dropped him into the sack that he
carried upon his back.
He was greater than
ever now, for all the giant's strength had gone into him; and he resumed his
journey, carrying his burden with as little difficulty as an eagle might carry
a hare.
Before long he came
to a country broken up with huge stones and immense clods of earth. Looking
over one of the heaps he saw a giant wrapped in dust dragging out the very
earth and hurling it in handfuls on either side of him.
'Who are you,' cried
Makoma, 'that pulls up the earth in this way?'
'I am
Chi-dubula-taka,' said he, 'and I am making the river-beds.'
'Do you know who I
am?' said Makoma. 'I am he that is called "greater"!'
'Greater than who?'
thundered the giant.
'Greater than you!'
answered Makoma.
With a shout,
Chi-dubula-taka seized a great clod of earth and launched it at Makoma. But the
hero had his sack held over his left arm and the stones and earth fell
harmlessly upon it, and, tightly gripping his iron hammer, he rushed in and
struck the giant to the ground. Chi-dubula-taka grovelled before him, all the
while growing smaller and smaller; and when he had become a convenient size
Makoma picked him up and put him into the sack beside Chi-eswa-mapiri.
He went on his way
even greater than before, as all the river-maker's power had become his; and at
last he came to a forest of bao-babs and thorn trees. He was astonished at
their size, for every one was full grown and larger than any trees he had ever
seen, and close by he saw Chi-gwisa-miti, the giant who was planting the
forest.
Chi-gwisa-miti was
taller than either of his brothers, but Makoma was not afraid, and called out
to him: 'Who are you, O Big One?'
'I,' said the giant,
'am Chi-gwisa-miti, and I am planting these bao-babs and thorns as food for my
children the elephants.'
'Leave off!' shouted
the hero, 'for I am Makoma, and would like to exchange a blow with thee!'
The giant, plucking
up a monster bao-bab by the roots, struck heavily at Makoma; but the hero
sprang aside, and as the weapon sank deep into the soft earth, whirled Nu-endo
the hammer round his head and felled the giant with one blow.
So terrible was the
stroke that Chi-gwisa-miti shrivelled up as the other giants had done; and when
he had got back his breath he begged Makoma to take him as his servant. 'For,'
said he, 'it is honourable to serve a man so great as thou.'
Makoma, after
placing him in his sack, proceeded upon his journey, and travelling for many
days he at last reached a country so barren and rocky that not a single living
thing grew upon it--everywhere reigned grim desolation. And in the midst of
this dead region he found a man eating fire.
'What are you doing?'
demanded Makoma.
'I am eating fire,'
answered the man, laughing; 'and my name is Chi-idea-moto, for I am the
flame-spirit, and can waste and destroy what I like.'
'You are wrong,'
said Makoma; 'for I am Makoma, who is "greater" than you--and you
cannot destroy me!'
The fire-eater
laughed again, and blew a flame at Makoma. But the hero sprang behind a
rock--just in time, for the ground upon which he had been standing was turned
to molten glass, like an overbaked pot, by the heat of the flame-spirit's
breath.
Then the hero flung
his iron hammer at Chi-idea-moto, and, striking him, it knocked him helpless;
so Makoma placed him in the sack, Woro-nowu, with the other great men that he
had overcome.
And now, truly,
Makoma was a very great hero; for he had the strength to make hills, the
industry to lead rivers over dry wastes, foresight and wisdom in planting
trees, and the power of producing fire when he wished.
Wandering on he
arrived one day at a great plain, well watered and full of game; and in the
very middle of it, close to a large river, was a grassy spot, very pleasant to
make a home upon.
Makoma was so
delighted with the little meadow that he sat down under a large tree and
removing the sack from his shoulder, took out all the giants and set them before
him. 'My friends,' said he, 'I have travelled far and am weary. Is not this
such a place as would suit a hero for his home? Let us then go, to-morrow, to
bring in timber to make a kraal.'
So the next day
Makoma and the giants set out to get poles to build the kraal, leaving only
Chi-eswa-mapiri to look after the place and cook some venison which they had
killed. In the evening, when they returned, they found the giant helpless and
tied to a tree by one enormous hair!
'How is it,' said
Makoma, astonished, 'that we find you thus bound and helpless?'
'O Chief,' answered
Chi-eswa-mapiri, 'at mid-day a man came out of the river; he was of immense
statue, and his grey moustaches were of such length that I could not see where
they ended! He demanded of me "Who is thy master?" And I answered: "Makoma,
the greatest of heroes." Then the man seized me, and pulling a hair from
his moustache, tied me to this tree--even as you see me.'
Makoma was very
wroth, but he said nothing, and drawing his finger-nail across the hair (which
was as thick and strong as palm rope) cut it, and set free the mountain-maker.
The three following
days exactly the same thing happened, only each time with a different one of
the party; and on the fourth day Makoma stayed in camp when the others went to
cut poles, saying that he would see for himself what sort of man this was that
lived in the river and whose moustaches were so long that they extended beyond
men's sight.
So when the giants
had gone he swept and tidied the camp and put some venison on the fire to
roast. At midday, when the sun was right overhead, he heard a rumbling noise
from the river, and looking up he saw the head and shoulders of an enormous man
emerging from it. And behold! right down the river-bed and up the river-bed,
till they faded into the blue distance, stretched the giant's grey moustaches!
'Who are you?'
bellowed the giant, as soon as he was out of the water.
'I am he that is
called Makoma,' answered the hero; 'and, before I slay thee, tell me also what
is thy name and what thou doest in the river?'
'My name is
Chin-debou Mau-giri,' said the giant. 'My home is in the river, for my
moustache is the grey fever-mist that hangs above the water, and with which I
bind all those that come unto me so that they die.'
'You cannot bind
me!' shouted Makoma, rushing upon him and striking with his hammer. But the
river giant was so slimy that the blow slid harmlessly off his green chest, and
as Makoma stumbled and tried to regain his balance, the giant swung one of his
long hairs around him and tripped him up.
For a moment Makoma
was helpless, but remembering the power of the flame-spirit which had entered
into him, he breathed a fiery breath upon the giant's hair and cut himself
free.
As Chin-debou
Mau-giri leaned forward to seize him the hero flung his sack Woronowu over the
giant's slippery head, and gripping his iron hammer, struck him again; this
time the blow alighted upon the dry sack and Chin-debou Mau-giri fell dead.
When the four giants
returned at sunset with the poles, they rejoiced to find that Makoma had
overcome the fever-spirit, and they feasted on the roast venison till far into
the night; but in the morning, when they awoke, Makoma was already warming his
hands to the fire, and his face was gloomy.
'In the darkness of
the night, O my friends,' he said presently, 'the white spirits of my fathers
came upon me and spoke, saying: "Get thee hence, Makoma, for thou shalt
have no rest until thou hast found and fought with Sakatirina, who had five heads,
and is very great and strong; so take leave of thy friends, for thou must go
alone."'
Then the giants were
very sad, and bewailed the loss of their hero; but Makoma comforted them, and
gave back to each the gifts he had taken from them. Then bidding them
'Farewell,' he went on his way.
Makoma travelled far
towards the west; over rough mountains and water-logged morasses, fording deep
rivers, and tramping for days across dry deserts where most men would have
died, until at length he arrived at a hut standing near some large peaks, and
inside the hut were two beautiful women.
'Greeting!' said the
hero. 'Is this the country of Sakatirina of five heads, whom I am seeking?'
'We greet you, O
Great One!' answered the women. 'We are the wives of Sakatirina; your search is
at an end, for there stands he whom you seek!' And they pointed to what Makoma
had thought were two tall mountain peaks. 'Those are his legs,' they said; 'his
body you cannot see, for it is hidden in the clouds.'
Makoma was
astonished when he beheld how tall was the giant; but, nothing daunted, he went
forward until he reached one of Sakatirina's legs, which he struck heavily with
Nu-endo. Nothing happened, so he hit again and then again until, presently, he
heard a tired, far-away voice saying: 'Who is it that scratches my feet?'
And Makoma shouted
as loud as he could, answering: 'It is I, Makoma, who is called
"Greater"!' And he listened, but there was no answer.
Then Makoma
collected all the dead brushwood and trees that he could find, and making an
enormous pile round the giant's legs, set a light to it.
This time the giant
spoke; his voice was very terrible, for it was the rumble of thunder in the
clouds. 'Who is it,' he said, 'making that fire smoulder around my feet?'
'It is I, Makoma!'
shouted the hero. 'And I have come from far away to see thee, O Sakatirina, for
the spirits of my fathers bade me go seek and fight with thee, lest I should
grow fat, and weary of myself.'
There was silence
for a while, and then the giant spoke softly: 'It is good, O Makoma!' he said.
'For I too have grown weary. There is no man so great as I, therefore I am all
alone. Guard thyself!' and bending suddenly he seized the hero in his hands and
dashed him upon the ground. And lo! instead of death, Makoma had found life,
for he sprang to his feet mightier in strength and stature than before, and
rushing in he gripped the giant by the waist and wrestled with him.
Hour by hour they
fought, and mountains rolled beneath their feet like pebbles in a flood; now
Makoma would break away, and summoning up his strength, strike the giant with
Nu-endo his iron hammer, and Sakatirina would pluck up the mountains and hurl
them upon the hero, but neither one could slay the other. At last, upon the
second day, they grappled so strongly that they could not break away; but their
strength was failing, and, just as the sun was sinking, they fell together to
the ground, insensible.
In the morning when
they awoke, Mulimo the Great Spirit was standing by them; and he said: 'O
Makoma and Sakatirina! Ye are heroes so great that no man may come against you.
Therefore ye will leave the world and take up your home with me in the clouds.'
And as he spake the heroes became invisible to the people of the Earth, and
were no more seen among them.
[Native Rhodesian
Tale.]
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