Post by Ole tUbi on Jan 8, 2006 12:30:17 GMT -5
The Tale of the Blue Lion
Gather round the fire cubs and I shall tell you a tale of your ancestors and how the tail of the blue lion came to be ours.
Many rains ago, in a kraal not unlike this one, there lived five young Shombe. At first glance they were no different from the rest of the children their age, but such is the way of heroes. Who among us will some day become chief? Only mganga know.
They are known to us as Yakubu, Somb Unto, Ole tUbi, Haulib, Runako, and Komasa. Ah yes! I can see in your eyes that you know them. But what you don’t know is how it all started. You see, not unlike yourselves, they too were tasked with herding the cattle. From such humble beginnings, heroes do arise.
One day, as they were returning the cattle to the kraal, they spotted an oryx staring at them. It did not flee from them but looked strait into their eyes before moving on. Following it a short distance Ole tUbi spotted what looked like a flying coconut with bat wings. Puzzled by this strange site he pointed it out to his friends. They threw stones at it to drive it away from the herd fearing a beating if the strange flying thing were to harm any of the cattle. Haulib pointed out to the rest of the Shombe that the oryx may have alerted them to the flying creature and that they should be more vigilant for such omens.
Even then, at such a tender age, their eyes were beginning to open to the signs their ancestors were setting before them. Two days later, as they were returning to the kraal, the oryx appeared before them. It led them to take a different path home that doubled back and appeared at first to be leading them in a big circle. They had faith in the oryx and followed without hesitation. The oryx led them to some ingogo that were waiting to ambush them. Ole tUbi stalked the ingogo and was able to kill one with his javelin before the others were aware that they were being ambushed by their intended prey! The brave Shombe dispatched the ingogo and retrieved trophies to return to the kraal. Had they not followed the oryx, they may have very well joined their ancestors that day.
That night they presented their trophies to their elders and the elders agreed that it was time for their naming ritual. During the ritual they learned that an oryx would show them to their names.
Sure enough, the next day they were sent out to acquire the tail of a blue lion. Three days into their search the oryx appeared and led them to a cave in the side of some mountains. The Shombe entered the cave, killed three ingogo and came across the lair of an ngoloko mchawi wizard. They ambushed the wizard and looked around his lair. In it was a blue lion inside a cage. The lion asked them to set it free and in exchange it would give them its tail. Understanding that their ancestors were guiding them, they wisely, did as instructed and were rewarded with the tail of the blue lion.
And that, my dear cubs, is how the tail of the blue lion came to be ours. Keep yours eyes open to the signs of our ancestors and you too may bring great trophies and honor to your kraal.