The Orange Fairy Book

the White Men were seen in Senna,

and coiled itself around it; the antelope, striking out in despair with its horns, had pinned the python

no harm, yet I have been caught, and would

I am Insato, King of all the Re

, then stabbing the antelope with h

with the new moon, when I shall have eaten the

he will reward you, and lo! your

with the new moon he returned again to

and when he saw the man he thanked him again, and said: ‘Come with me now to Pita,

what the antelope had said, but finally he

rth. It was not very wide, but large enough to admit a man. ‘Hold on to my tail,’ said In

ed into a beautiful country; around them grew short green grass, on which browsed herds of cattle and sheep and goats. In the distance Gopan

a man, strong and handsome, with the great snake’s skin wrapped rou

’s shape — even as you see me — for this is Pita, the land over which I a

e and maize, and many other grains which Gopani-Kufa did not even know the name of. And as they passed, the people who were singing at their work in the field

that he saw, but he said nothing. Presently they came to the town; everything here, too, was beautiful, and eve

ould wait upon him, told him that they would have a great feast that night, and on the morro

eedingly wise. In times of doubt Gopani-Kufa always consulted the wasp as to what had better be done, so on this occasion he took it out of the little rush baske

ask him for Sipao the Mirror.’

were true words, he determined to make the request. So that night they feasted, and

r choice amongst my possess

, ‘out of all your possessions

, ‘ask anything but that! I did not think that you

g,’ said Gopani-Kufa, ‘and to-morrow I

he mirror had magic powers, so that he who owned it had but to ask and

asket. ‘Zengi-mizi,’ he said, ‘the king seems loth to grant my request for th

for it is a Wishing Mirror, and accomplishes the desires of him who owns it. If the king hesitates, go to him

tears in his eyes, Insato gave him the Mirror, which was of polished iron, saying: ‘Take Sipao, then, O

ced, and, taking farewell of

ish to be back upo

pon the upper earth; but, not knowing

want the path t

ght before him

e had been eaten by lions; but he comforted them, saying that while following a wounded antel

hom sat the spirit of his father, wh

‘would you not like to be

led, and took the M

at as that of Insato, the King of P

Pita; and in the streets men and women were walking, and young boys were driving out the sheep and cattle to pasture; and from the river came shouts and laughter from the

r buildings right in the middle of the town. His wife was too astonished at all these wonders to ask any questions, but his daughter Shasasa kept beggi

dwell apart; whereas men come to consult me on

at for many years Gopani-Kufa ruled his people both well and wisely, so that a

ercely with Gopani-Kufa; but, because of the power of the Magic Mirror, he beat them, and they fled to the sea-coast. Chief among them was one Rei, a man of much cunning, who sought to di

ni-Kufa. When the white man saw him he humbled himself, and said: ‘O Chief! take pity on me, for I have no home! When Rei marched against you I alone stood ap

man’s story, and he took him in and

itor, and from her he learnt the secret of the Magic Mirror. One night, when all the town slept, he felt ben

he river from a window of the palace he again saw the war-can

wildly, ‘go fetch me the mirror

Mirror is gone! For I loved Butou the t

mself, and drew out Zengi-

ther!’ he said, ‘w

thing now that can be done, for the words of t

hief. ‘The words of the antelope were true words — my

and his daughter Shasasa; and since then all the power of the Earth has rested in the hands