The Three Princes and their Beasts - Part Two

The Prince was, however, very calm when he saw the robber brandishing the knife.

"Before I die I want to blow my hunting horn three times, once from this room, once from the staircase, and once from the courtyard."

The robber did not think there was anything wrong with the request of the prince, and he agreed to it. 

When the first hunting horn was blown, the fox of the eldest prince realized that his master was in trouble. The fox was in the cage and he woke up the wolf which was next to him. Together, the two animals woke up the lion.

The lion broke the cage with all its might and all the animals were free and they rushed inside the castle to protect their master.

The animals stormed the castle and together killed the robber.

However, the eldest prince did not let the animals hurt his step sister.

"I will not kill you but I will leave you here to repent." The eldest Prince chained his stepsister in the castle and after that the prince kept a bowl in front of her. "I will not see you again until you fill this bowl with your tears."

With that the eldest prince and his beasts set off from the castle.

The prince came to another kingdom and settled there in an inn with all his beasts.

However, the Prince noticed that all the people in the inn and even in the kingdom were very glum. 

"What is the matter here?"

"Our princess is to be sacrificed to the nine headed dragon of the sea," the innkeeper told the prince in a sad voice.

The Prince decided to save the princess. He conferred with his beasts and soon they came upon a clap. He saw that the other people in the kingdom brought the princess to the seashore in a procession. 

They left her there and walked away sadly. Only the carriage of the princess remained near the seashore.

The princess fearfully waited near the sea shore. 

At that time the eldest prince saw ripples in the water far away. He realized that this was the nine headed dragon. 

The fox went forward at this time and with its paws through water into the eyes of the dragon. It was salt water and the Dragon was momentarily confused. The bear and the lion used their paws and their strength and threw more salt water at the dragon. 

The dragon was bewildered because it could suddenly not see because of the water around it. 

At this time, the prince came forward, removed his sword and plunged it into the heart of the dragon full storm. 

After that, the other beasts fell on the dragon and killed it.

The princess was thrilled when she realized that she was not going to be killed by the dragon.

The princess gave her ring and half her handkerchief to the eldest prince. "Please come into this carriage with me and we will drive back to my father's palace. There I shall tell my father what you have done for me and the kingdom."

However, the coachman and the footman of the carriage had other ideas. 

They did not want to drive a stranger back to the palace and they decided to kill the eldest Prince and take the credit for killing the dragon and saving the princess so that one of them could marry her 

So the coachman and the footman together killed the prince and left him dead on the roadside.

Adapted from Lithuanian fairy tales

The Three princes and their Beasts - Part One

Three Princes went deep into the forest during hunting. Once as they were hunting, they saw a Wolf with her three cubs. 

The three princes were about to pull out their bows and arrows to kill the wolf when the wolf spoke to them. "I shall each give you one of my cubs who will be loyal to you. Please do not kill me."

All the three princes agreed to it and they each got a wolf cub as their pet.

After that the princes met a fox, a hare, a bear, a boar and many more animals. All the Animals had three cubs with them and all of them offered one of their little ones to the three princes in exchange for not killing them. Soon the three princes had a sizable amount of beasts following them.

The three brothers had a step sister who was back in the castle. 

Before going back they saw some birch trees at the edge of the forest. 

Each of the brothers marked the birch tree with their arrow. They agreed that if anything happened to their mark on the tree it would be assumed that the brother was dead or needed help.

They went back to their own castle and there the three brothers asked their step sister which of the brothers she wanted to spend her time with. The step sister wanted to stay with the eldest brother. 

After that the two younger brothers went their way to find their own fortune and the eldest prince and the stepsister stayed together.

The eldest brother and the stepsister soon set out in the plains and they came across a huge castle. 

The castle was a base of many robbers.  

As the castle opened the beasts with the first prince attacked, all the robbers in the castle and killed them. Then the animals dumped the bodies of the robbers in the cellar and went their way. 

However, one of the robbers was only injured and he was not dead. He was also left in the cellar along with the other dead robbers, but nobody knew that he was still alive. 

The eldest Prince and the step sister decided to make this castle their own and live here.

The next day, the eldest prince and his beasts decided to go hunting. He told his step sister to go anywhere in the castle other than the cellar where the bodies of the robbers were dumped.

As soon as the eldest Prince went hunting, however, the step sister forgot the eldest prince's instruction. She went to the cellar. There she found the robber. 

"Do not be afraid!" The robber told the stepsister in a gentle voice. "I will not hurt you. Think about it. If you marry me, you will be happier with me than if you stay with your step brother."

At first the stepsister was not convinced. However slowly the robber convinced her to side with him. 

“First you must get me three bottles from the castle. The first shall cure my injuries. The second bottle shall make me well and the third bottle shall make me stronger than anyone else.” 

The step sister agreed to the robber’s words and got the thief the three bottles.

After that in the evening the robber and the stepsister made a plan to get rid of the eldest prince. "In the evening, get your strongest chord and bind your brother's hands behind his back. When he is not able to break the bind, you can call me from the cellar. Then I will take care of your stepbrother and then we can take over this castle."

That evening after the eldest prince came back from hunting the step sister did as she was asked to do. She convinced her stepbrother to bind himself in the back with a silk chord under the guise of wanting to test his strength.

However, the prince was easily able to break the chord. So the stepsister did not call the robber that evening.

The next day, the robber convinced the step sister to get a stronger chord. However, the prince was able to easily break the second chord as well. The third day the stepsister got the strongest chord she could and this time the prince could not break the chord.

"Free me from this step sister," the eldest Prince told the woman before him. "I am not able to break this bond."

Instead the stepsister called the robber from the cellar who burst into the room with a knife in his hands looking to kill the eldest prince.

Adapted from Lithuanian fairy tales

The Legends of Makoma - Part Five

But when the other four giants woke up the next morning they found that Makoma looked very gloomy.

"What happened to you?"

"At night, the white spirits of my fathers came to me, and they asked me to go and fight with Sakatirina, who has five heads. According to my ancestors, Sakatirina is very great and strong and I will not know any peace until I fight him."

The other giants were very sad on hearing this. Makoma, comforted them and gave them back each of the gifts that he had taken from them. And after that, he went on his way. 

Makoma traveled towards the west over mountains, crossing deep rivers and dry deserts. At last he came to a hut standing near some huge peaks. 

Inside the hut were two beautiful women.

"Greetings!" Makoma nodded at the two women. "I am looking for Sakatirina of five heads."

One of the women nodded back at Makoma. "We are the wives of Sakatirina. You have come to the right place." 

The women pointed at the peak of mountains. 

"Those are his legs," the woman told Makoma, "You cannot see his body because it is hidden in the clouds."

Makoma picked up his hammer and hit the giant's feet repeatedly. After some time he heard a tired voice from far away. "Who is scratching my feet?"

"It is I, Makoma!" Macoma shouted as loudly as he could. However there was no answer.

After that Makoma collected all the dead wood and trees that he could find and made an enormous pile around the giant's legs and set fire to it. 

Finally the giant spoke again and his voice was like the rumble of thunder of the clouds. "Who is it that makes the fire smoulder around?" 

It is I, Makoma," the hero shouted." I have come to see you. Sakatirina the spirits of my fathers asked me to go and fight with you.” 

Finally, the giant replied. “It is good because I have also become very weary.  There is no one as great as I am, I am all alone.” 

After this, the giant challenged Makoma to a fight. 

And he picked up Makoma and dashed him on the ground.

Instead of dying, Makoma found life and he sprang to his feet stronger than before. 

The two fought each for a long time but neither could slay each other. Both of them fell senseless.

Then Mulimo, the Great Spirit stood before them. “Both of you are great heroes and neither can destroy each other. Therefore, you can leave this world and come to the clouds with me.”

After that both of them became invisible to the people of Earth and never to be seen here again. 

Adapted from Rhodesian folk tales

The Legends of Makoma - Part Four

After all this Makoma walked on and he came to a meadow. The meadow was pleasantly well watered and gave Makoma everything that he wanted. He decided to start a village which was surrounded by a fence in this meadow. 

He let the other giants out of the sack and called them. "I am going to collect timber to set up a fire. I want all the other giants to come and help me."

Chi-eswa-mapiri stayed back and he decided to look after the fire and the cooking. 

The other four giants and Makoma went deep into the forest. 

When they came back, they were stunned. Chi-eswa-mapiri was bound by what seemed like very thick hair and he was lying helplessly bound near the fire.

When Makoma freed Chi-eswa-mapiri with his own hair, the giant told Makoma all that had happened. "A very strong man with a thick mustache which did not seem to end, came at midday. When he wanted to know who my master was, I gave him your name." Chi-eswa-mapiri sadly shook his head after that. "Using the hair of his mustache, he bound me and left me the way you found me."

The same thing happened the next few days too. 

Finally, Makoma himself stayed back near his hut to see who this man was and that day Makoma asked the others to go to the forest to get timber. 

Around midday a very powerful looking huge man with a long never ending mustache came near the hut. 

Makoma pulled up his hammer and came forward. "Before I kill you I want to know your name."

"My name is Chin-debou Mau-giri. My home is in the river and my mustache is the gray mist which hangs on top of the river and using this I bind all those who stand against me." The man with the huge stature roared angrily.

Makoma tried to throw his hammer at the man. But the river man was slippery and the blow slid off the river-man's chest. In return he threw his mustache at Makoma which tripped him and Makoma fell back.

Makoma was helpless for a second. Then he remembered the flame spirit's power, which he had imbibed. He used the fire and cut the hair around him.

This time, both the people fought again and after a huge fight Makoma killed Chin-debou Mau-giri.

That evening when the other giants came back from the forest they rejoiced at what Makoma had done. 

They all had a feast that night and then went to sleep.

Adapted from Rhodesian folk tales

The legends of Makoma - Part Three

Makoma walked on and he came to a forest of bao-babs and thorn trees. He was astonished with the size of the trees because they were taller than anything that he had ever seen.

There Makoma saw Chi-gwisa- miti, the giant who had been planting the forests.

Macoma challenged the giant to a fight who had been planting the forest as food for his children who were the elephants. 

The huge giant plucked up a bao-bab tree by the root and tried to strike Makoma with it. But Makoma sprang aside and the tree sank deep into the soft earth. At that time Makoma whirled the Nu-endo the hammer and felled the giant with one blow.

Chi-gwisa-miti also shrank and he asked Makoma to take him as his servant.

From there, Makoma moved on. And he at last came to a land which was barren and rocky and not a single thing grew there. 

In the middle of this region he found a man eating fire. 

"What are you doing?" Makoma looked around and he was confused. 

"I am eating fire." The man laughed, "my name is Chi-idea-moto.  And I am the flame spirit and I can waste and destroy what I like." The flame spirit blew a flame at Makoma but Makoma sprang behind a rock, just in time. 

The ground on which Makoma stood turned into molten glass by the heat of the flame spirit's breath. 

Then Makoma flung his hammer at Chi-idea-moto and struck him. 

The hammer knocked the flame spirit, helpless. 

Makoma placed the being in his sack. 

Now. Makuma was a great man for he had the strength to make hills, the power to lead rivers over dry waste lands, the power to plant trees and the power to produce fire whenever he wanted.

Adapted from Rhodesian folktales

The legends of Makoma - Part Two

Makoma took Nu-endo and he crossed the river Zambesi. 

He traveled towards the north and west for many days. 

That was when he came across a huge giant who was making mountains. 

"Who are you?" Makoma shouted from the ground. 

The giant turned and studied Makoma. "I am Chi-eswa-mapiri. I am the one who makes mountains." The giant studied the man. "Who are you?"

“I am Makuma.” The man answered. “I am greater.”

“Greater than who?” The giant asked angrily.

“Greater than you!” Makoma answered immediately. 

The giant roared and thereafter, a great fight started between Makoma and the giant. 

Makoma swung his great hammer Nu-endo and he stuck the giant on the head. 

Once the hammer hit the giant, the giant rapidly shrank in size. 

The giant fell on the knees in front of Makoma. “You are greater than me. I accept it.”

After that, Makoma picked up the tiny man and dropped him in the sack that he carried in his back. 

Makoma was now stronger than before because all of the giant's strength when the giant had shrunk came to Makoma. 

He continued with his journey with the sack in his back and the iron hammer in his hands. 

Thereafter he came to a country which was broken up with huge stones and clods of earth. 

This time Makoma saw another giant wrapped in dust and the giant was pulling the very earth with his hands and the giant threw the earth on either side.

“Who are you?” Macoma studied the giant. “Why are you pulling the Earth this way?” 

“I am Chi-dubula-taka.” The giant reply. “And I am making river beds.” 

After this Makoma brought another fight with this giant.

Makoma held the sack over his left arm. And when Chi-dubula-taka threw the stones and earth on him, because of the sack none of it fell on Makoma and the sack was also not hurt. 

Then Makoma hit Chi-dubula-Taka with his iron hammer.  

The same thing happened as before and Chi-dubula-taka shank and became very tiny. After this Makoma picked up the giant and put it inside the sack along with Chi-eswa-mapiri

After this, all the river makers' power also became one with Makoma and he became even more stronger.

Adapted from Rhodesian folk tales

The legends of Makoma - Part One

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