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Now there had been war between our people and the Zulu people, and Senzangacona had killed some of our warriors and taken many of our cattle. So, when my mother heard the speech of Unandi she sprang up in anger. "You dare to come here and ask me for food and shelter, wife of a dog of a Zulu!" she cried; "begone, or I will call the girls to whip you out of our country."
"Greeting to you!" said the woman. "Good-morrow!" answered my mother. "What do you seek?" "Food, and a hut to sleep in," said the woman. "I have travelled far." "How are you named? and what is your people?" asked my mother. "My name is Unandi: I am the wife of Senzangacona, of the Zulu tribe," said the stranger.
Thus, it is said that Chaka did actually kill his mother, Unandi, for the reason given, and destroy an entire tribe in the Tatiyana cleft, and that he prophesied of the coming of the white man after receiving his death wounds. Of the incident of the Missionary and the furnace of logs, it is impossible to speak so certainly.
Chaka stood quite still till she was near; then suddenly he lifted the stick in his hand, and hit her so hard on the head that she fell down. After that he laughed, turned, and went away with his mother Unandi. These, my father, were the first words I heard Chaka speak, and they were words of prophecy, and they came true.
Now the heart of Unandi grew gentle, and she was moved to tears. "How may this be done, Mopo?" she said. "The king must see the dead infant, and if he suspect, and even reeds have ears, you know the heart of Chaka and where we shall lie to-morrow." "Are there then no other new-born babes in Zululand?" said Baleka, sitting up and speaking in a whisper like the hiss of a snake. "Listen, Mopo!
Then he spoke to them, saying, "You wonder, Unandi, my mother, and Baleka, my wife, why it is that I am come here into the hut of Mopo, son of Makedama. I will tell you: it is because he is away upon my business, and I hear that his wife Anadi is sick it is she who lies there, is it not? Therefore, as the first doctor in the land, I am come to cure her, Unandi, my mother, and Baleka, my sister."
Thus he spoke, eyeing them as he did so, and taking snuff from the blade of his little assegai, and though his words were gentle they shook with fear, for when Chaka spoke thus gently he meant death to many. But Unandi, Mother of the Heavens, answered, saying that it was well that the king had come, since his medicine would bring rest and peace to her who lay sick.
In vain did I pray them to forbear. Love pulled at their heart-strings more heavily than my words, and still they came. This was the end of it that Chaka saw the child sitting on the knee of Unandi, his mother. "What does my mother with that brat of thine, Mopo?" he asked of me. "Cannot she kiss me, if she will find a child to kiss?" And he laughed like a wolf.
I, who on earth was named Mother of the Heavens, on behalf of all this company, pray to thee, Queen of the Heavens, for justice on him who murdered us." "How is he named?" asked the voice that was low and awful. "Chaka, king of the Zulus," answered the voice of Unandi. "Chaka, my son."
Now the woman spoke for the first time, in a low voice that was sad and awful to hear. "Pass in, children of my people, pass in to the judgment. Why tarry ye? Pass in through the gates of light." But still they tarried, and in my vision Unandi spoke: "We tarry, Queen of the Heavens we tarry to pray for justice on him who murdered us.
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