Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 6, 2025
Chaka bade him rise, and greeted him kindly; but all the thousands of the people yet lay upon their breasts beating the dust with their heads. "Rise, Makedama, my child, father of the people of the Langeni," said Chaka, "and tell me why art thou late in coming to my mourning?" "The way was far, O King," answered Makedama, my father, who did not know me. "The way was far and the time short.
Here Chaka sat down at the end of the rift, pondering. Presently he looked up and saw a vast multitude of men, women, and children, who wound like a snake across the plain beneath towards the kraal Gibamaxegu. "I think, Mopo," said the king, "that by the colour of their shields, yonder should be the Langeni tribe thine own people, Mopo." "It is my people, O King," I answered.
When midday was past, Chaka said that he would walk, and ordered me and other of his indunas and servants to walk with him. We went on in silence, the king leaning on my shoulder as on a stick. "What of thy people, Mopo," he said at length, "what of the Langeni tribe? Were they at my mourning? I did not see them."
And when I am big and my people are big, and we have stamped the earth flat as far as men can travel, then I will remember your tribe the tribe of the Langeni, who would not give me and my mother a cup of milk when we were weary. You see this gourd; for every drop it can hold the blood of a man shall flow the blood of one of your men.
Thus was Makedama buried beneath the bodies of his people; thus was ended the tribe of the Langeni; as my mother had dreamed, so it came about; and thus did Chaka take vengeance for that cup of milk which was refused to him many a year before. "Thou hast not won thy bet, Mopo," said the king presently. "See there is a little space where one more may find room to sleep.
I stopped, and a great shout of laughter went up from all who stood round. "Very well, Mopo and thy sister Baleka," said Chaka, grimly. "Good-morning to you, Mopo and Baleka also, good-night!" "O Chaka," I broke in, "I am Mopo, son of Makedama of the Langeni tribe. It was I who gave thee a gourd of water many years ago, when we were both little.
Moreover, I slay thee not, for it is against my oath. Also, do we not mourn together, thou and I?" "There is no other left living of the tribe of the Langeni, O King! The bet is lost; it shall be paid." "I think that there is another," said Chaka. "There is a sister to thee and me, Mopo. Ah, see, she comes!"
"What is your name, boy?" he said to me as a big rich man speaks to one who is little and poor. "Mopo is my name," I answered. "And what is the name of your people?" I told him the name of my tribe, the Langeni tribe. "Very well, Mopo; now I will tell you my name. My name is Chaka, son of Senzangacona, and my people are called the Amazulu. And I will tell you something more.
Do not men lie here more in number than the drops of water in a gourd, and with them woman and children countless as the leaves? O people of the Langeni tribe, who refused me milk when I was little, having grown great, I am avenged upon you! Having grown great!
I told him also of the death of Baleka, my sister, and of all my people of the Langeni, and of how I had revenged my wrongs upon Chaka, and made Dingaan to be king in his place, and was now the first man in the land under the king, though the king feared me much and loved me little. But I did not tell him that Baleka, my sister, was his own mother.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking