The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-21

thy gates grew mao at Cne SlSnC OF the
fire, and dreaming there was no escape
they stabbed themselves with assegais
or leaped into the flames"
II have heard it. o king! What of it2
Any river is deep enough to drown a
fool!"
Thou hast heard it, Mopo, but thou
hast not yet heard ALL Knowest thou,
Mopo. that among those who died in thy
kraal was she who bore me, she who
was named Mother of the Heavens?"
Then | walled aloud as though in
utter grief.
Spare my ears, Black Onel" walled.
Tell me not that she who bore thee is
dead, U Lion Of the Zulu. For the others,
what is it? 1t is breath of wind, it is
a drop of water; but this trouble is as
the gale or as the sea-.
cease, my servant, cease!' said the
hooking voice of Chaka; "but know
this: thou hast done well to grieve aloud
because the Mother of the Heavens is no
more, and ill wouldst thou have done to
grieve because the fire from above has
kissed thy gates. For hadst thou done
this last thing or left the first undone,
by now thou wouldst have wept indeed
tears Of blood, Mcpo."
Now saw the greatness of the pit that
Chaka had dug for me, and blessed my
Ehlose, who had put into my heart these
words which should answer.
"Knowest thou, Mopo," said the king,
that az my mother died in yonder flames
Of thy kraal, she cried out that thou
Mopo and thy sister Balelza, and thy
wives had conspired together to give
child to me who would be childless
Tell me now, Mopo, where are those chill
dren that thou ledest from my kraal,
the boy with the lion eyes who is named
Umslopogaas, and the girl who is named
Nada?'
"Umslopogaas is dead by the lions
mouth, o kingl" l answered, land NADIA
sits in the Swat caves" and told him
of the death of Umslopogaas and of how
had divorced Macropha, my wife.
1.-THE boy with the lion eyes to the
lions MOUTH said Chaka. enough of
him; he is gone. NADIA may yet be
sought for with the assegai in the Swat
caves; enough of her. Let us speak Of
this song that my mother sang through
the flames. Tell me, was it true taleY'
"Nay. o king; surely the Mother Of
the Heavens was maddened by the heav-
ems when she sang that song" an
swered. II know naught of it, o king"
Thou knowest naught of it, MopoY'
said the king. ''Thou knowest naught
OF it, Mopo? Surely thou art a-cold; thy
hands shake with cold. Nay, man, fear
not-warm them, warm them, Mopo!
See, now, plunge that hand of thine into
the heart of the flame!' and he pointed
with his little assegai, the assegai han
died with the royal wood, to where the
fire glowed reddest- he pointed and
laughed.
Then, my father, grew cold indeed.
Chaka would put me to the trial by fire.
For moment | sat silent, thinking.
Then the king spoke again in great
voice: May. Mopo, be not SO backward;
shall sit warm and see thee suffer cold!
What, my councillors, rise, take the
( hand of Mopo and hold it in the flame,
that his heart may rejoice in the
warmth"
There is little need for that, O king"
| answered. 81 thank the king for his
graciousness and will warm me at the
fire. Speak on, o king. while warm
! me at the fire, and thou shalt hear true
words, said boldly.
Then, my father. | stretched out nv
! left hand and plunged it into the fire.
not into the hottest Of the fire, but
where the smoke leaped from the flame.
Now my flesh was wet with the sweat
Of fear, and for little moment the
flames curled around it and did not
burn it.
For a short while Chaka watched
me, smiling. Then he spoke slowly,
that the fire might find time to do it's
| work:
Say, then, Mopo, thou knowest moth
ing of this matter of the birth of a son
to thy sister Baleka?"
81 know this only, o king" an
| swered, "that son was born in past
years to thy wife, Baleka, that killed
the child according to thy word, and
laid it's body before thee"
Then the king spoke again. "Dost
thou swear by my head, Mopo, that no
son of mine was sucked in thy kraalsY'
81 swear it, o kingl swear it by thy
head, answered.
"Ah!' Chaka said at length, 81 see
that thou growest warm, Mopo. With
draw thy hand from the flame. am
answered; thou hass passed the trial;
thy heart is Clean"
at is well, o kingl" l said calmly.
Fire has no power of hurt on those
whose heart is pure"
| But as spoke | looked at my left
hand. 1t was black. Look at it now,
my father; you can see, though my eyes
are blind. The hand is white, like yours
1t is white and dead and shriveled.
ut seems that Nobela, the doctress
who is dead, lied when she prophesied
evil on me from thee, Mopo, said Chaka
again. ut seems that thou art innocent
of this offense, and that Baleka, thy
sister, is innocent, and that the song
which the Mother of the Heavens sang
through the singing flames was no true
i