Once on the banks of the river Zambesi in Senna there was a little boy.
Though he was little the boy was exceptionally strong and powerful. He had an iron hammer in his hand and a sack over his shoulder. The little boy called his iron hammer Nu-endo.
Though the boy was little he spoke very little and very often spoke like a grown up man.
On seeing him his mother was confused because she did not know what to name him.
"What do I name you?" The mother asked the little boy himself.
The little boy smiled. "Call all the headmen to Senna and I shall give you a way to name me."
Though the mother did not understand she did as her boy asked her to do.
When all the headmen had come to the place, the little boy led them to a deep and dark pool which had many fierce crocodiles.
The boy then turned to the headmen. "Is there anyone among you who will jump into the pool and subdue the crocodiles?"
None of the headmen came forward.
The little boy however easily jumped into the pool.
The headmen were all shocked. They were sure that the boy would meet his end. However, they could not see what happened under the waters from the edge of the pool.
Sometime later the water in the pool started swirling and turned red.
A man emerged from the waters. The man was extraordinarily handsome and very powerful. "I am the little boy who jumped into the waters."
Everyone looked stunned as the man continued. "None of you were willing to get into the pool. I was able to get inside the pool and even defeat the crocodiles. So I am better than all of you." The man nodded at the headmen. "So that is my name. I am Makoma, which means I am greater than you."
Adapted from Rhodesian folk tales
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