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小说: nada the lily 字数: 每页4000字

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knew that Chaka was not yet gutted with slaughter。



On the morrow many of the people went back to their homes; having

sought leave from the king; others drew away the dead to the place of

bones; and yet others were sent out in impis to kill such as had not

come to the mourning of the king。 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。〃



Then I answered that I did not know; they had been summoned; but the

way was long and the time short for so many to march so far。



〃Dogs should run swiftly when their master calls; Mopo; my servant;〃

said Chaka; and the dreadful light came into his eyes that never shone

in the eyes of any other man。 Then I grew sick at heart; my father

ay; though I loved my people little; and they had driven me away; I

grew sick at heart。 Now we had come to a spot where there is a great

rift of black rock; and the name of that rift is U'Donga…lu…ka…

Tatiyana。 On either side of this donga the ground slopes steeply down

towards its yawning lips; and from its end a man may see the open

country。 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 tribethine own people; Mopo。〃



〃It is my people; O King;〃 I answered。



Then Chaka sent messengers; running swiftly; and bade them summon the

Langeni people to him where he sat。 Other messengers he sent also to

the kraal; whispering in their ears; but what he said I did not know

then。



Now; for a while; Chaka watched the long black snake of men winding

towards him across the plain till the messengers met them and the

snake began to climb the slope of the hill。



〃How many are these people of thine; Mopo?〃 asked the king。



〃I know not; O Elephant;〃 I answered; 〃who have not seen them for many

years。 Perhaps they number three full regiments。〃



〃Nay; more;〃 said the king; 〃what thinkest thou; Mopo; would this

people of thine fill the rift behind us?〃 and he nodded at the gulf of

stone。



Now; my father; I trembled in all my flesh; seeing the purpose of

Chaka; but I could find no words to say; for my tongue clave to the

roof of my mouth。



〃The people are many;〃 said Chaka; 〃yet; Mopo; I bet thee fifty head

of cattle that they will not fill the donga。〃



〃The king is pleased to jest;〃 I said。



〃Yea; Mopo; I jest; yet as a jest take thou the bet。〃



〃As the king wills;〃 I murmuredwho could not refuse。 Now the people

of my tribe drew near: at their head was an old man; with white hair

and beard; and; looking at him; I knew him for my father; Makedama。

When he came within earshot of the king; he gave him the royal salute

of Bayete; and fell upon his hands and knees; crawling towards him;

and konzaed to the king; praising him as he came。 All the thousands of

the people also fell on their hands and knees; and praised the king

aloud; and the sound of their praising was like the sound of a great

thunder。



At length Makedama; my father; writhing on his breast like a snake;

lay before the majesty of the king。 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。 Moreover; the women and

the children grew weary and footsore; and they are weary in this

hour。〃



〃Speak not of it; Makedama; my child;〃 said the king。 〃Surely thy

heart mourned and that of thy people; and soon they shall rest from

their weariness。 Say; are they here every one?〃



〃Every one; O Elephant!none are wanting。 My kraals are desolate; the

cattle wander untended on the hills; birds pick at the unguarded

crops。〃



〃It is well; Makedama; thou faithful servant! Yet thou wouldst mourn

with me an houris it not so? Now; hearken! Bid thy people pass to

the right and to the left of me; and stand in all their numbers upon

the slopes of the grass that run down to the lips of the rift。〃



So Makedama; my father; bade the people do the bidding of the king;

for neither he nor the indunas saw his purpose; but I; who knew his

wicked heart; I saw it。 Then the people filed past to the right and to

the left by hundreds and by thousands; and presently the grass of the

slopes could be seen no more; because of their number。 When all had

passed; Chaka spoke again to Makedama; my father; bidding him climb

down to the bottom of the donga; and thence lift up his voice in

mourning。 The old man obeyed the king。 Slowly; and with much pain; he

clambered to the bottom of the rift and stood there。 It was so deep

and narrow that the light scarcely seemed to reach to where he stood;

for I could only see the white of his hair gleaming far down in the

shadows。



Then; standing far beneath; he lifted up his voice; and it reached the

thousands of those who clustered upon the slopes。 It seemed still and

small; yet it came to them faintly like the voice of one speaking from

a mountain…top in a time of snow:



〃Mourn; children of Makedama!〃



And all the thousands of the peoplemen; women; and childrenechoed

his words in a thunder of sound; crying:



〃Mourn; children of Makedama!〃



Again he cried:



〃Mourn; people of the Langeni; mourn with the whole world!〃



And the thousands answered:



〃Mourn; people of the Langeni; mourn with the whole world!〃



A third time came his voice:



〃Mourn; children of Makedama; mourn; people of the Langeni; mourn with

the whole world!



〃Howl; ye warriors; weep; ye women; beat your breasts; ye maidens;

sob; ye little children!



〃Drink of the water of tears; cover yourselves with the dust of

affliction。



〃Mourn; O tribe of the Langeni; because the Mother of the Heavens is

no more。



〃Mourn; children of Makedama; because the Spirit of Fruitfulness is no

more。



〃Mourn; O ye people; because the Lion of the Zulu is left so desolate。



〃Let your tears fall as the rain falls; let your cries be as the cries

of women who bring forth。



〃For sorrow is fallen like the rain; the world has conceived and

brought forth death。



〃Great darkness is upon us; darkness and the shadow of death。



〃The Lion of the Zulu wanders and wanders in desolation; because the

Mother of the Heavens is no more。



〃Who shall bring him comfort? There is comfort in the crying of his

children。



〃Mourn; people of the Langeni; let the voice of your mourning beat

against the skies and rend them。



〃Ou…ai! Ou…ai! Ou…ai!〃



Thus sang the old man; my father Makedama; far down in the deeps of

the cleft。 He sang it in a still; small voice; but; line after line;

his song was caught up by the thousands who stood on the slopes above;

and thundered to the heavens till the mountains shook with its sound。

Moreover; the noise of their crying opened the bosom of a heavy rain…

cloud that had gathered as they mourned; and the rain fell in great

slow drops; as though the sky also wept; and with the rain came

lightning and the roll of thunder。



Chaka listened; and large tears coursed down his cheeks; whose heart

was easily stirred by the sound of song。 Now the rain hissed fiercely;

making as it were a curtain about the thousands of the people; but

still their cry went up through the rain; and the roll of the thunder

was lost in it。 Presently there came a hush; and I looked to the

right。 There; above the heads of the people; coming over the brow of

the hill; were the plumes of warriors; and in their hands gleamed a

hedge of spears。 I looked to the left; there also I saw the plumes of

warriors dimly through the falling rain; and in their hands a hedge of

spears。 I looked before me; towards the end of the cleft; there also

loomed the plumes of warriors; and in their hands was a hedge of

spears。



Then; from all the people there arose another cry; a cry of terror and

of agony。



〃Ah! now they mourn indeed; Mopo;〃 said Chaka in my ear; 〃now thy

people mourn from the heart and not with the lips alone。〃



As he spoke the multitude of the people on either side of the rift

surged forward like a wave; surged back again; once more surged

forward; then; with a dreadful crying; driven on by the merciless

spears of the soldiers; they began to fall in a torrent of men; women;

and children; far int

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