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Authors: Amos Tutuola
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was at this moment that I first saw this old man make a very faint motion. Because as soon as I put the roasted meat in my mouth and twitched a bit of it with my teeth and started to shew it, now I saw the twinkling of his dried eyes. The twinkling was so weak that if one’s eyes were not sensitive they would not see it at all. And once he had made that faint twinkling, he did not make any again but remained motionless as usual. Now this showed me that he was still a living old man.
As I was still enjoying this meat, the children saw it in my hand and then they rushed to me. So we shared the rest of it. Although they did not allow me to satisfy my hunger with it, they were lenient to me from this time. As they had eaten from the meat, their joy was increased. They began to shout louder, sing louder and dance with more strength than ever; and then they were flattering the old father with their sweetest voices. But of course, I was doing as they were doing, along the path.
Long-Breasted Mother
of the Mountain
When it was about the sixth hour of the evening, we left the area of the crevices of the rock. We came to a certain part of the top of this mountain which belonged to the wild people of the wild jungle. Although this place was flat and was more than three kilometres in circumference, it was surrounded by the crevices of the rock which were entirely covered by creeping plants. In the middle of the crevices of rock, there was a very big town. But the way of construction of thehouses in this town was very ugly and was quite different from that of the people of the towns.
Then, without hesitation, these children and I followed the thick shadow which was moving swiftly along in the town with the Old Man of the Mountain. After some twinklings, we passed through the town to the outskirts of it. On these outskirts, there was a large building which had a large entrance . Without stopping, the strange shadow moved into the premises of the mighty building with the Old Man, and we followed it. But there was a very large hall in the building and many small houses in those premises. So immediately we danced and sang in the premises. The children kept quiet at the same time and I did so as well.
Then this strange thick round shadow moved gently to where there were heavy blocks of stone which were in rows in the middle of the large hall of the mighty building. But as it moved again onto the top of one of the blocks of stone, then it disappeared. I saw now clearly that this Old Man of the Mountain was on his old huge armed chair on top of one of the blocks of stone. And as soon as he was put on top of the block by the shadow, it disappeared. The whole of these children bowed low and paid respect to him, and then they went to the other part of the premises. But to my surprise, this Old Man did not make any motion or sign of satisfaction of what the children had done for him.
But I did not follow the children to the premises. Instead, I stood at a little distance from this old man. Having fastened my eyes on him with surprise and fear for a few twinklings, I turned my eyes to this hall and its surroundings. So I saw that the walls of the mighty building in which the large hall was, were not mud but flat stones, and so also were those of the small houses which surrounded it. The roofs were very thick spider-webs, and the feathers of various kinds of big birds were stuck to them instead of thatching them with broad leaves or other kinds of materials. All of these feathers were of different colours. In this large hall, the blocks of stone inrows were the seats for these wild people of the wild mountain .
At last, as I stood before this Old Man of the Mountain, I saw everything which were there to my satisfaction. I turned my eyes back to this old man. But when I had fastened my eyes on him for about twenty twinklings without seeing any other living creature come to him, I feared to remain there for a long time. So I went to the other
As I was still enjoying this meat, the children saw it in my hand and then they rushed to me. So we shared the rest of it. Although they did not allow me to satisfy my hunger with it, they were lenient to me from this time. As they had eaten from the meat, their joy was increased. They began to shout louder, sing louder and dance with more strength than ever; and then they were flattering the old father with their sweetest voices. But of course, I was doing as they were doing, along the path.
Long-Breasted Mother
of the Mountain
When it was about the sixth hour of the evening, we left the area of the crevices of the rock. We came to a certain part of the top of this mountain which belonged to the wild people of the wild jungle. Although this place was flat and was more than three kilometres in circumference, it was surrounded by the crevices of the rock which were entirely covered by creeping plants. In the middle of the crevices of rock, there was a very big town. But the way of construction of thehouses in this town was very ugly and was quite different from that of the people of the towns.
Then, without hesitation, these children and I followed the thick shadow which was moving swiftly along in the town with the Old Man of the Mountain. After some twinklings, we passed through the town to the outskirts of it. On these outskirts, there was a large building which had a large entrance . Without stopping, the strange shadow moved into the premises of the mighty building with the Old Man, and we followed it. But there was a very large hall in the building and many small houses in those premises. So immediately we danced and sang in the premises. The children kept quiet at the same time and I did so as well.
Then this strange thick round shadow moved gently to where there were heavy blocks of stone which were in rows in the middle of the large hall of the mighty building. But as it moved again onto the top of one of the blocks of stone, then it disappeared. I saw now clearly that this Old Man of the Mountain was on his old huge armed chair on top of one of the blocks of stone. And as soon as he was put on top of the block by the shadow, it disappeared. The whole of these children bowed low and paid respect to him, and then they went to the other part of the premises. But to my surprise, this Old Man did not make any motion or sign of satisfaction of what the children had done for him.
But I did not follow the children to the premises. Instead, I stood at a little distance from this old man. Having fastened my eyes on him with surprise and fear for a few twinklings, I turned my eyes to this hall and its surroundings. So I saw that the walls of the mighty building in which the large hall was, were not mud but flat stones, and so also were those of the small houses which surrounded it. The roofs were very thick spider-webs, and the feathers of various kinds of big birds were stuck to them instead of thatching them with broad leaves or other kinds of materials. All of these feathers were of different colours. In this large hall, the blocks of stone inrows were the seats for these wild people of the wild mountain .
At last, as I stood before this Old Man of the Mountain, I saw everything which were there to my satisfaction. I turned my eyes back to this old man. But when I had fastened my eyes on him for about twenty twinklings without seeing any other living creature come to him, I feared to remain there for a long time. So I went to the other
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