The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-07-19
"Ask of her. great chieftainess,"


brother, has come from him who is my
lord and thy son, to STAY that which
shall be born of me. o thou whose
breasts have given suck, plead for me;
Thy son was not slain at birth"
"Perchance it were well if he had
been so slain, Baleka," said Unandi;
then had many another man lived to
look upon the sun who now is dead"
AT the least. as an infant he was
good and gentle, and thou mightest love
him. mother of the Zulu"
Never, Baleka! AS babe he bit my
breast and tore my hair; as the man is,
so was the babe"
"Yet may his child be otherwise,
mother of the heavens! Think, thou
hast no grandson to comfort thee in thy
age. Wilt thou, then, see all thy stock
wither? The king, our lord. lives in
war. He, too, may die, and what them
Then the root of Senzangacona yet
grows green. Has the king no broth
ers?'
They are not of thy flesh, mother
What! thou dost not hearken? Then as
woman to woman l plead with thee.
Save my child or shay me with my
childr'
Now the heart Of Unandi grew gentle
How may this be done, Mopo?" she
said. 1.-The king must see the dead
babe, and if be suspect, and even reeds
have ears, you know the heart Of
Chaka and where we shah lie tonOr
row.
"Are there then no other newborn
babes in ZulUland?' said Baleka, sitting
up and speaking IN whisper like the
hiss of a snake. "Hearken, MOpo! Is
not your wife Also in labor? Now hear
me, Mother of the Heavens, and my
brother hear me also. Think not to
play with me Ia this matter. Will
rave my child or you twain shall perish.
For will tell the king that you came
20 me, the two of you. and whispered
plots into my ear-plots to save the
child and slay the king. Now choose.
and swiftly.'
She sank back. there was silence and
we looked upon one another. Then
Unand spoke.
''Give me your hand, Mopo, and swear
that you viii be faithful to me in this
secret, as l swear to you. But if you
break your oath, then beware, for 1 will
not die alone!'
II swear, Mother of the Heavens"
answered
at is well, son of Makedama."
at is well. my brother" said Baleka.
Now go swiftly, knowing that if you
fail l will bring you to your death!
Yes; even if my own death is the price,,
So went. whittier go your" asked
the guard at the gate.
81 go to bring my medicines, men of
the king" answered.
l reached my own huts, there to find
that my wife Macropha was delivered of
twins. l sent away all in the hut ex-
cept my other wife, Anadi, she who
eight days gone had borne me a son.
The second of the twins was born; it
was boy, born dead. The first was a
girl, she who lived to be NADIA the Beau
tiful, NADIA the Lily. Then a thought
came into my heart. Here was path
to run on!
Give me the boy babe" said to
Anadi. HE is not dead. Give him to
me that | may take him outside the
kraal and awake him to life by my
medicine"
at is of no use-the child is dead"
said Anadi.
Give him to me, woman" l SAID
Gercely, and she gave me the body
Then | took him and wrapped him up
in my bundle of medicines, and outside
Of all rolled a mat of plated grass
Suffer none to enter the hut till re
turn" 1 said, land speak 40 word 81 the
child that seems to be dead. If yousuf
fer any to enter, or If You speak word,
then my medicine viii not work and the
babe will be dead indeed"
So ! went, leaving the women wonder
ing, for it is not our custom 70 save t-n.a
when twins are born; but ran swis,.E
to the gates Of the Emposcui.
Il bring the medicines, men Of The
king!" | said to the guards
Pass in they answered
Ipassed through the gates and into
the hut of Baleka- Unandi was alone il
the hut with my sister.
The child Is born" said the mother
Of the king. Look on him, Mopa, son
OF Makedama%'
Hooked He was great child. with
large black eyes like the eyes of Chaka,
the king, aud Unandi. too. looked 1T
me. Where Is it,? she whispered.
child from the medicines, CHANGING
around fearfuIly as did so.
Give me the living babe" | whis-
pered back.
They gave it to me and | took Of a
drug that l knew and rubbed it on the
tongue Of the child. Now this drug has
the power to make the tongue it touches
dumb for awhile. Then | wrapped up
the child in my medicines and again
bound the bundle around with the mat.
But around the throat of the stillborn
babe tied string of fiber, as though |
had strangled it, and wrapped it loosely
in a piece of mating. Now for the first
time | spoke to Baleka. Woman"
said, land thou also, Mother of the
Heavens, | have done your wish, bat
know this, before all is finished this deed
shall bring about the death of many.
Be secret as the grave, for the grave