The Brave African Huntress (9 page)

After I rested on top of this rock for about two hours, I came down from it and I began to travel along in the jungle. As I was travelling along it was so I was keeping watch of those pigmies who were the survivors, perhaps they were still waiting for me to kill, because as it was a great joy to me as I had ruined their town it was a great sorrow to them as their town was ruined, so by that my own joy was quite different from their own.

I did not travel so far when I was forced to stop by hunger without my wish. Because I had had no sufficient food to eat throughout the whole period that I had spent in the ruined pigmies' town, the town which was under the rock. When I stopped I looked for an animal to kill it for my food, because hunger did not allow me to decide within myself what I should do when I came back to this jungle this time, all my useful thoughts which were in my stomach escaped immediately the hunger came in. And I did not see any animal to pass this time. But when I travelled further I came across a big tortoise and a big snake. The snake was hungry and it was looking for its food.
But the tortoise who was already satisfied with food, was going to and fro and it was bluffing before this hungry snake. Of course I did not see this bluffing tortoise at first except the snake. After I killed this snake and when I bent down to take it then I saw that the tortoise was there as well. And as I saw this tortoise as well I said within myself that—Oh, while I was hungry badly both of you are here when the flesh of both of you is food.

So without hesitation I picked it up as it was still going to and fro with the intention that the snake could not eat it because of its hard shells. After that I went back to the spot that I put the rest of my things. I roasted both of them with fire and I ate them to my satisfaction. I hardly satisfied my hunger when I heard the cry of a dove which reminded me that it was six o'clock evening. When I believed that it was six o'clock and that the darkness was approaching and to be able to get a suitable place to sleep, so I stood up and I began to travel along at the same time, because at the same time that I had satisfied my hunger I could decide within myself what I should do. Of course I could not travel so far when the darkness came but I used the usual “reflecting eyes” as I called it.

After a while I travelled to a big dead wood which had fallen down from a long time. I climbed it and I slept on it till morning and there was nothing happened to me throughout. Because I had nearly killed all the wild animals of this jungle before I had been captured by the stern huge pigmy.

The following morning, having eaten some ripen fruits, I
continued
to roam about in the jungle, I was looking for the “snake of snakes”, the most fearful and dangerous boa constrictor. Before I left my town, my father had warned me very seriously about this boa constrictor, that he was one of the most dangerous creatures of this jungle. Of course I had already killed one of the dangerous birds of this jungle, which had the voice that which was similar to that of the human being, when I was in
the Ibembe town. This bird was going from this jungle to Ibembe town and it was carrying the people of that town to the jungle. It was half-bird and half-human in form.

So I was looking for this boa constrictor to be killed, because I wanted to see that I cleared up all the dangerous creatures before I would leave this jungle, so that anybody who wished to go there after I did so might go there without being killed by any dangerous creatures. But unfortunately, as I was looking about for this “snake of snakes” (boa constrictor) I did not know when I was entirely lost in this jungle. I tried my best to trace out my former track which I made before I had been captured, but I could not. Not knowing that immediately I came down from the top of that rock, I travelled to another part of this jungle instead. Anyhow, I was still travelling along and looking for him.

One morning, having taken my breakfast, I continued to travel along at once. But after a while I travelled to a river. I wondered greatly to see a big river as this in this jungle. It had very strong tides which never stopped or quiet in a moment. This river was so deep and wide that several hippopotami were swimming about on the surface of the water as they liked without any disturbance.

Immediately I came to this river, I stopped on its bank, I put all my things down and then I began to enjoy these hippopotami as they were swimming about, because I had never seen this kind of water animals in my life. As I was still looking at them with wonder they began to swim along to where the river was flowing. But as I wanted to see more about them so I left all my things on the bank of this river and I was following them with the hope to come back in a few minutes time. Unfortunately I did not follow them so far when I found myself amongst of snakes in the bush which was hung overhead near the river.

To my fear I hardly ran to a distance of about three feet when
they covered me from feet to head. Although their bites could not do me anything because I had already taken the medicine which could not allow the snake-bites to affect me before I left my town. Not knowing that these snakes were living together with this dangerous boa constrictor (the snake of snakes) which I was seeking for all the while before I came to this river. His home was near the river.

But as I was still struggling with great excitement to safe myself from these snakes, I did not know that this “snake of snakes” was coming behind and he butted me unexpectedly. I fell down so heavily that these snakes were scattered to different direction with fear. But before they came back to me and as this “snake of snakes” was preparing to kill me, I hastily sprang up and I held one twig of a dead tree that which my hands reached. But as I was trying to hold this twig firmly so that I might not fall down on them and as I did not aware that this twig was already dried, so as I began to dangle to left and right, it broke suddenly and I fell into this river and without hesitation strong tides began to carry me away.

It was like that I left this jungle and my fighting weapons. I was struggling hardly to safe myself from the water but the river was very deep and its tides were too strong and unluckily I did not know how to swim. After I struggled very hardly for about twenty minutes to swim on to the bank but I failed then I left myself to death. At last the tides carried me to a part of the river where there were rocks. And as I was just sinking into the bottom of the water but the tides were still pushing me up continuously. Luckily my head hit one of these rocks and at the same moment I held the rough part of it and then I climbed it to the top. When I sat down I began to breathe quickly and audibly because I was too tired before the kind tides were pushed me there.

After two hours my mind became at rest but I was unable to
go away from this rock. I stood up, I looked at my left, but this river went along without end. Then I watched whether I would see a canoe which was paddling along this time and then to beg the paddler to come and rescue me, but there was nothing on this river that which resembled a canoe. After that I looked at my back and there was nothing like a living creature on the surface of the river except the tides which were making great noises as they were hitting the rocks frequently.

At last when I did not see anyone who would rescue me from this rock which was in the middle of the river, I sat down again and I began to think with sorrow till when it was night and then I fell asleep unnoticed. And I woke suddenly from sleep when it was midnight by hunger and the noises of the
hippopotami
. But when I believed that if I kept longer than this on top of this rock I would die soon, the hunger would kill me. Then I sold my “death” at once, and I crept cautiously from this rock on to the back of one of those hippopotamuses. Luckily, it did not feel that anything was on its back.

After a while these hippopotami left this rock and they were finding their food to another part of the river. And it was like that they were swimming along till when it was nearly daybreak. And after a while they came to another part of this river where there was a big rock which, a part of it reached the ground. Having seen this rock, I hastily jumped from its back on to this rock and the whole of them swam away.

I sat on this rock till the daybreak. This day was the “Day of Immortality” which was Sunday and I was very lucky indeed as this day was so. When I saw every part of this rock clearly then I walk on it to the forest which was near this river and I began to travel along in it at the same time. I was looking for food or fruits to eat because I was badly hungry this time. My intention was that when I satisfied my hunger then I would come back to this river, I would find my way at all costs to go back to the Jungle of the Pigmies and then to see that I killed that boa constrictor (snake of snakes) and after that to take all my things and then to go round the jungle and if I saw that there was no more any harmful creature in it, then I would find my way to go back to my town.

But to my surprise, I did not see anything which I could eat until when I was entirely lost in this forest, except those minute birds which were perching on top of every high tree, but I had nothing with me with which to kill them, and I was simply looking at them in vain as when the tigers were looking at the skylarks in vain. When I tried my best to find the way to come back to that river but all my efforts were in vain, then I left myself to the death's hand and then I began to wander about hopelessly perhaps before I would die I might reach a town or a village.

Within two days that I was wandering about in this thick forest, the thorns had torn my clothes to rags, burrs were so covered my head that my hairs were not seen again except these burrs. The skin of my legs and arms were nearly finished for the thorns which were scratching them as I was going along. Because this forest was so thick that it was hardly for a person to travel even one mile in it for twenty hours. And the worst of it was that I had no cutlass with which to be clearing my way as I was going along in it.

When it was fourth day that I had started to wander about in this forest, I came to a part of it where there was a fruit-tree. The fruits of this tree were very long and very fleshy. Of course I was not quite sure whether they were not poisonous for eating but anyhow, as I was already powerless in respect of hunger before I travelled to this tree. So I did not mind whether the fruits were poisonous or not before I began to eat those which had fallen down. After I ate them to my satisfaction, then I looked at my body but I saw that I was already half naked for the thorns which had torn my clothes to rags. Again when I touched my head the burrs were so covered it that except the whole hairs of it were cleared away before these burrs could come out.

But as I was still checking every part of my body, which was so rough and dirty that if somebody saw me that time would fear that I was insane, I heard that several cocks were crowing loudly from a long distance. When I heard like that I stood up and I began to travel to that direction at the same moment, for I believed that a town or a village must be near there.

Within one hour I travelled to one big town unexpectedly. And to my surprise was that immediately I came to this town thousands of young and old men rushed to me when they saw that I was a lady. I was first ashamed of my rough and dirty
appearance when these people embraced me. But when each of them held me in a lovely way and wanted to take me to his house, then I was not ashamed again. But when I began to shout greatly for pain when my arms were about to tear away as they were scrambling me very greedily, so those old men who were scrambling me as well told the young men that the whole of them must leave me alone and the whole of them did so at the same time. After that they were arguing between themselves who would take me among them as his wife.

But when I heard the word of wife from them it revealed to me that each of them wanted me to be his wife. And as they were still arguing between themselves many young men ran back to their houses, they brought food and they gave it to me to eat it. Each of them gave the food to me in such a charming way so that I might agree to choose him as my husband. Having argued for a few minutes then they arranged between themselves that they must give me chance to choose one of them for myself whom I wished to be my husband, and then they set themselves in a single line. So after I finished with the food, I started to inspect them. But as my intention was only to find my way back to the Jungle of the Pigmies at all costs. So with a trick, I simply chose an old man who was among them. This old man was so old and weary that he could not even distinguish man from woman.

It was a great disappointment and surprise for the rest people when I chose this old man instead of a young man. Of course, when the rest did not allow me to follow him to his house, his family held my arm. But as they were about to be taking me along to his house the rest started to beat them. After a while a very serious fight started. They were beating themselves with whatever they picked from the ground. At last when several people were wounded and several fell down helplessly, then they stopped to beat one another, but they took me to the palace
of their king who had just died a few months ago before I came there.

After this palace was beautifully redecorated and after their king-makers cleared the whole hairs of my head together with the burrs, they took all the rags which were on my body away and after I bathed. They gave me many costly big clothes to wear. After I dressed in these costly clothes, they put the throne at the outside of the palace. They told me to sit on it and many costly clothes were also spread on the ground on which I rested my feet. Having done that and in the presence of the whole people of this town, these king-makers put the crown on my head and then they pronounced loudly that as from this day I became their queen and that I was their ruler and to be punished one who disobeyed me.

After this ceremony was performed, the king-makers took me to the palace while the rest people were beating drums and drinking all kinds of drinks which were specially provided in respect of this ceremony.

When I sat in the palace I could not talk for two hours because when I looked at my surroundings and saw how they were beautifully decorated I wondered greatly how I came to this luxurious position unexpectedly.

When it was eight o'clock in the night, these king-makers wrapped the hairs and burrs which they had cleared away from my head before they installed me their queen, with the rags (my clothes which were torn to rags by thorns) which they had removed from my body. They wrapped the hairs and the burrs with these rags in form of a round parcel. Having done that before me then they took this parcel to a certain part of this palace. But when they returned after a few minutes, I did not see the parcel with them except one big key which one of them held. When they came back with only this key they bowed down before me and then told me to stand up and I did so at
the same moment. And with a soft voice the most senior of them told me that they would be very happy if her majesty would allow them to show me the whole parts of the palace so that they might hand over the palace to me.

So when I stood up they came to my back and then I was following one of them who held a powerful light which reflected to every part of the ground on which I was smashing. They showed me every part of this palace and they repeated it that it blonged to me as from that night. But when they took me to a separate house, which had only one very big room, they showed me this key. After they warned me very seriously, that although this one roomed house blonged to me as well but I must not attempt to open the door of it because it was forbidden for me to see what was inside it. Then they gave me the key and told me to keep it with me. After that they took me back to the throne. After we dined and drank together they went back to their houses while the servants, etc., were with me in the palace.

I wondered greatly when they warned me that I must not open this room and they gave me the key of it to be kept in my possession. And I did not know what they did with my hairs, burrs and my rags which they took away from my body but all I could say was that I only saw them when they wrapped the hairs and the burrs with my rags in form of a round parcel and then took this parcel to the direction of this one roomed house. It was like that I became the queen of these bachelors.

It was after two weeks that I was in this palace as a queen before I noticed that there was not a single woman or female in this town except men or males. And it was this time it revealed to me that no wonder, immediately I came there everyone of them had wanted to marry me. I noticed as well that more than ninety per cent of the people of this ‘Bachelors' town' were very rich but yet none of the ladies agreed to marry any one of
them. And it was a great wonder to me when I found out later, that it was their first generation who had offended their creator who had cursed them that none of the females who would agree to marry either one of them for ever.

Of course a lot of them were musicians and for this, mighty beautiful halls were seen everywhere in the town. But I was very surprised too that as they had no wives they were still happy always. They were always dancing, drinking, beating drums and joking with one another. They were not quarrelling with each other so much. But the noises of their drums and the cheerful noises of the merrymakers were too much in this town. And for the whole period that I spent there as their queen, the
merrymakers
and drummers did not let me enjoy my life as luxuriously as it must be. Because they used to visit me several times a day. Whenever these visitors saw me several of them would not aware when they would open mouths widely and utter—“Ah! this is a lady whom we are longing for to marry!” Whenever they uttered carelessly like that those valets or servants were warning them at the same time not to say so and that they must remember that I was their queen.

Within a few months that I was in this happiness my mind was about to change not to go back to the Jungle of the Pigmies or my town again. It was even coming to my mind once a while that I had been a huntress before or in my life, because I was not suffered for anything and I was so much admired by these bachelors that several special concerts and many other
amusements
were performing each week in respect of me. But I was always afraid greatly that I was only a lady among several thousands of these bachelors whenever I was at the concerts, etc.

But when I completed about six months in this “Bachelors' town” one fine morning, after I ate nice breakfast, I drank and I wore several costly garments and after I put costly gold beads
in my neck, wrists and I put earrings on my ears. Then I thought within myself that why should I not open this one roomed house which these king-makers had warned me for not to open, when the key of it was given to me and again I was the ruler of this town. After I sat down and thought in my mind like that for a few minutes, I stood up, I went to where I kept the key of this room since the day that they had given it to me. I took it and I came back to my seat. When I sat down I
continued
to think over about this locked room. As I was thinking about it, it was so I was throwing this key up and catching it again as if I was simply playing with it.

At last I said within myself that the more I was the ruler of this town there was no reason why I should not know the whole secrets which were in this palace. And then without hesitation, I stood up and I went direct to this locked room. As I stood before the door I reminded myself that the king-makers had already warned me seriously the other night that I must not attempt to open the room because it was forbidden to me to see what was inside it. When I reminded myself like that I feared greatly and I moved my body just to go back to my seat. But as I was about to go back it came to my mind again this moment that as I was the ruler I supposed to know all the secrets which were in the palace. So without hesitation I put this key in the lock of this room and I hardly turned it round when the door opened.

When I entered this room with great fear, I travelled slowly to a part of it where there was darkness and then I stopped when I did not see anything in it. But as I began to scorn those king-makers that why had they warned me not to open this room when there was nothing in it, there I saw one bird which held the parcel (my hairs, burrs and my rags with which the king-makers wrapped the two things) with its beak. As I was still looking at this bird in the darkness with embarrassment. It
flew suddenly to me and put this parcel on my head and at the same moment it flew back to the darkness and vanished immediately.

But immediately I touched this parcel with my hands with hatred just to push it away from my head, it was in the heart of big thick forest I found myself again. And when I opened my eyes and I looked at my body, I saw that I was in my usual rags. When I touched my head it was full of long dirty hairs which were twisted with the burrs and my body was as rough and as scratch as before I had been a queen.

As this was still just a dream for me, so I went to a tree which was near by. I leaned my back on it and I began to think over and over whether it was not myself who came back to this poor condition unexpectedly. And as it was a great sorrow to me immediately I found out my mistake, of course “there is no one Who is rich beyond temptation”. So I blamed myself that if I had not opened that room as the king-makers had warned me not to do, I should had not come back to this my former poor condition.

As I was still blaming myself like that I did not know when I cast down under this tree and I was weeping bitterly. After a few minutes a number of pigmies heard my voice and they came to that spot just to see who was weeping there. And I wondered greatly that immediately they saw me there that I was the very huntress who had ruined their town, they wanted to catch me for killing. But before they could do so, and immediately I saw them that they were pigmies I sprang up and I was running furiously along in this endless forest. Because I believed that they were those pigmies who had escaped when I ruined their town and nearly killed the whole of them some time ago, and they wanted to revenge of what I had done to the rest of them.