An African Tale

There used to be a time when there was no night or day. There was some light so that everyone could see, but it did not change.

In that time, there was a village in which all the women had children but one. She wanted children badly. The women teased her and insulted her, telling each other that she must be evil. At last she heard of a medicine man who could make a woman pregnant simply by touching her belly with the palm of his hand. She walked a long way to find him, for he lived in a land beyond seven hills.

Though the medicine man warned her that any baby that he made at that time would turn out to be a bad person, she was so impatient that she could not wait. The medicine man sadly consented. He rubbed the palm of his hand on her belly. Instantly she knew she would have a baby.

The boy she gave birth to had a bad temper and was hard to keep from crying, but she had seen worse children, and was so content with him that she did not worry about having more children.

The boy grew as all children do, but he became more and more evil. He began killing small, helpless animals and tormenting other children. As he grew into a young man, he delighted in hurting others and causing them misery. There was nothing anyone, including his parents, could do to change him.

Finally the boy decided to kill everyone who was trying to change him. He went to a magician and got a magic charm from him. Among other things, this charm would protect him by causing darkness so he could hide if need be. He began his evil work by killing the magician.

He hurried back to his village and began his attack. An old woman there also had a magic charm. She fought him with it. Her charm would expose enemies by making a great light. He would use his charm to cause darkness; she would use hers to cause bright light. Back and forth they went with their magic, till both of them died.

Because the old woman, the evil youth and the magician were all dead, no one knew how to use the charms. The charms are still working against each other, causing day and then night.