Nada the Lily

have no children, though he had many wives. Every ch

rant. Say, how do those chiefs die whom men name tyrants? They die at the hands of those whom they have bred. Nay, Mo

ond wife, Anadi, had given birth to a son. You ask, my father, how I came to be married, seeing that Chaka forbade marriage to all his soldiers till they were in middle life and had put the man's ring upon their

heart, for was not Baleka my sister? and would not her child be of my own blood? Still, it must be so, for Chaka's whisper was as the shout of other kings, and, if we dared to disobey, then our lives and the lives of all in our kraals would answer for it. Better that an infant should die than that we should become food for jackals. Presently I came to t

not speak, though I saw by the heavin

aid at length; "your so

begun. Oh, cruel man! I know the reason of your coming.

king's wo

is the king's word? Have I, the

king's ch

d I not flee with you from our people and the vengeance of our father? Do you know that not two moons gone the king was wroth with you because he fell sick, an

" I answered sternly; but my h

ning her face to the wall of the h

lone. I looked round to see who it was, then fell upon the ground in salutation, for before me was Unandi, mo

r of the Hea

y, why does Baleka weep? Is it beca

great chiefta

s come from him who is my lord and thy son, to murder that which shall be born of me.

Baleka," said Unandi; "then had many another

s good and gentle, and thou might

it my breast and tore my hair;

no grandson to comfort thee in thy age. Wilt thou, then, see all thy stoc

gacona is still green. H

st not hearken! Then as a woman to woman I plead w

di grew gentle, and s

e dead infant, and if he suspect, and even reeds have ears, y

labour? Now hear me, Mother of the Heavens, and, my brother, hear me also. Do not think to play with me in this matter. I will save my child or you twain will perish wi

ence, and we looked one upon

n this child who has not seen the light rules as king in Zululand, and then in reward you shall be the greatest of the pe

r of the Heaven

l, son of

wiftly, for my sorrow is upon me. Go, knowing that if you fail I will be pitile

to you go?" asked th

edicines, men of th

fe might be given for the life of the babe of Baleka? And should I lift up my will against the will of the king, saving the child to look upon the sun which he had doomed to d

wife, Anadi, she who eight days gone had born me a son. The second of the twins was born; it was a boy, born dead. The first w

dead. Give him to me that I may take him outsid

-the child is de

!" I said fiercely. An

my bundle of medicines, and outside

the child that seems to be dead. If you allow any to enter, or if you spea

s not our custom to save both when twins are bor

s, men of the king!"

," they

nto the hut of Baleka. Unandi wa

mother of the king. "Look at

eyes like the eyes of Chaka the king; and Unandi

ad child from the medicines, gla

iving babe," I

tongue it touches dumb for awhile. Then I wrapped up the child in my medicines and again bound the mat about the bundle. But round t

e Heavens, I have done your wish, but know that before all is finished this deed shall

at held the living one I fastened across my shoulders. I passed out of the Emposeni, and, as I went, I h

," they sai

r just outside the Emposeni I me

. "The king summons you to the Intunku

ace to see how it goes with Macropha, my wife. Here is that which the ki

o," they answered. "His word is that

d? And how dared I go before the Lion bearing his living child hidden on my back? Y

red. And we walked to t

rd in front of his hut. I went down on my knees before

of Makedama

red, "I cannot rise, having royal blood on

s it?" h

to the mat

e look

and he looked on the c

councillor take it away. "Mopo, thou hast slain o

, "the child is killed by o

was idle. "To-morrow thou shalt have five oxen for t

ht; he satisfies my hunger. Will the king suffer tha

how it is with Baleka

is w

hen you took th

She said, 'My lord

he had been slain als

er of the

, what did she there? By myself I swear, thoug

, what is in that mat?" and he pointed with hi

cine,

doctor an impi. Undo the

lted in my bones with terror, for if I undid t

tched, O king. It is not

I not look at that which I am forced to

was tied, while the sweat of terror ran down by face blinding me like tears. What would I do if he saw the child? What if the child awoke and cried? I would snatch the assegai from his hand and

fted his assegai to throw it through the bundle. But as he threw, my snake put it into the king's heart to sneeze, a

ss the king!" I said

, begone! Take my advice: kill thy children, as I kill mine, les

one; I rose and saluted the king. Then I doubled myself up and passed from before him. Scarcely was I outsid

ssed, "have you got a puppy hid

sed of skin and

till I came to my huts. I enter

child, women," I said,

him and loo

bigger than he

come into him and puff

she said again. "Now they are big a

his eyes and made them

s thigh," she said a third time. "

dicine there,

id sullenly. "It is a changeling w

ily, for I saw that if she was not stopped th

aw down a curse upon our roof? Would you make us all food for the king's spear? Say such w

rew fearful, and fell at my feet praying for mercy and forgiveness. But