Ummemo

**Ummemo** is an animated short that takes place in South Africa. It is an episode part of the anthology series "*Animated Tales of the World*".

## Summary

Ummemo (translated as "The echo") lived in the mountains since the beginning of time where she was an unusual dear friend to many of the animals and her home was the cave just below a giant boulder. Every morning, Ummemo shares the joy and sorrow with many of the animals she encounters. For instance, if Ummemo had a sad story to tell like the dove that visits her, Ummemo would share the sadness with the dove. However, if Ummemo had noisy and exiting stories to tell, she would be as noisy and excited as any of the noisy creatures that visit her. Ummemo was always excited for many of the animals that would visit her, but no one had ever seen Ummemo, even the animals with a keen sense of smell could never find her. No one had been invited to enter the cave, but this did not worry the animals as it just made Ummemo a very special friend. However, only the gray loerie (the bird who liked to have the last word) found it annoying when Ummemo wanted the last word also.

Everything stands in its normal state, until one day, Ukuduma (translated as "The thunder") brought the great storm that changed everything in the mountain. It started when Mpho and Mandisa, the meerkat twins (referred to as "mongooses" in this short film) were playing near the cave and exploring the mountain together until they did not notice the storm arriving. They then notice the storm as the two decide to find shelter. Inside, the meerkat twins decide to have fun inside the cave of Ummemo until Ukuduma struck the giant boulder, trapping the meerkat twins inside. The meerkat twins were trapped alone inside the cave of Ummemo until they spotted a small gap to escape through.

The next day, everything was silent because of the storm that caused the boulder to block the cave. Ummemo, who loved to talk to the animals, was silent. Sandowaan, the jackal, notices that his howling did not cause any echo as he hurried off and told Leguaan, the old lizard, that something was wrong with Ummemo. Leguaan, the old lizard, called the animals together to know what happened with Ummemo. The other animals were worried that they were the ones that caused the boulder to block the cave, but the meerkat twins tell Leguaan that Ummemo is *still* inside the cave as the two hear the echo by making music inside the cave as the two managed to escape when the rock blocked the cave. Leguaan explains to the two that the reason why Ummemo cannot be heard is because she is trapped by the great boulder. Leguaan decides to make a plan to help push the big boulder so that all the animals can hear Ummemo again.

All the animals tried their efforts in pushing the rock so that they can hear Ummemo again, but the boulder cannot be moved. However, the grey loerie surprised all of the animals and he explains that he brought Indlovu, an enormous African elephant to help save Ummemo. Indlovu began to push the boulder, but the animals imagined that he would be tired if he tried to push the boulder, since Indlovu could not push the boulder either because it was too large as he returned to the river. Meanwhile, all the animals that lived on the mountain went very quiet. They all went back to their homes quietly. However, only the meerkat twins refuse to give up. The twins then prevent the monkey from leaving, which causes two rocks to fall on a tree by the great boulder.

Leguaan tells the monkey to call all the animals back as he thinks there could be another way to save Ummemo. The boulder moved once, but the animals were determined to make it move again. All the animals stood on the tree and began to use it as a lever to help move the rock and as a result, this moved the rock and saved Ummemo. The animals are then happy that they saved Ummemo, even that they do not see her, are happy that they hear the echo.

## Voice Cast

* Nambitha Mpumlwana - The Narrator

* Vangile Mpumlwana - Mpho the Meerkat

* Monthati Masebe - Mandisa the Meerkat

* Christopher Tokalon - The Grey Loerie

* Albert Xab - Leguaan the Lizard