F O R E W O R D s u s o T H I is : Africa speaking tAfric a and to the world . This anthology is not just about a grumpy, grousing South Africa, but fla m b o a n t about the whole of Africa y West Africa , where men ’ thrust elbows into each other s ribs and laugh broadly over their in flu e n ce jokes ; East Africa, with its strong Arab traditional of Africa , with the funny wisdom that lurks in the antics animals of u - u and the ways J J men and witchdoctors . Here are the dreams about the great things that we yet will do ; the long dictionary words and the colourful regalia with which we swathe u s our dark bodies that is . You can fin d u s in the mealie field s and in the mines ; y ou can ‘ ’ fin d u s in the shebeens qu a ffin g Macbeth brews to the jazz and or of jive of the cities , outside the grass huts our fathers , telling s old You u s a ffin or tale with the women . can see g g each other - fi h t breaking suddenly into song and dance ; into swear words, g of ing and tears . We are here in the robes our grandfathers and - is u s the tight trousered dress of the big towns . All this . ou t Here , Africans are creating of English a language of their ow n : a language that thinks in actions , using words that dart - on r . back and forth quick moving feet, virile, earthy, gar ulous Peggy Ru th erfoord has delved deep into the literary store of our u s black Africa to compile this anthology , which shows in the or on many moods that are ours . Somewhere another the con tin en tthere is a new civilization beginning to appear a new — , African culture their are traces of it here . CAN THE MBA Drum Publications , 1 5 Troye Street, Johannesburg, South Africa . PR E F A C E I T is becoming increasingly obvious to all thoughtful people that the African continent and the African nations within it are going to play a most decisive part in the immediate future of world history . Indeed , already the importance of Africa is becoming evident . Yet only those wh o have had the privilege of living and work v ing in some part of that vast and lo ely, yet tumultuous, land of know its magic . To the great majority Europeans, it is still a o dark and brooding and mysteri us continent . One of the reasons for this is that although there have been in recent years a great of a bou t number books Africa , there has been practically nothing from African writers available in English . This anthology , so e th e carefully and comprehensiv ly prepared , will serve to Open : of door to give a glimpse some of the treasure which is there, so within . It will also triumphantly give the lie to that idea , prevalent in some quarters , that Africa is incapable of producing any creative art . From the Christian standpoint nothing is more valuable to day than the realization that all Christian missionary endeavours must begin in a humble approach to ways of thought and action ' rin w n t d ifl e g from our o . Our greatest error in the pas has been ‘ ’ too a far easy assumption that Western manners , methods and i s o fa c to moods were always , p , superior because based upon the u r e Christian ethic . Much of o missionary work has b en rendered ff - i ine ective by this kind of vicious conceit . Anyhow, to day, w th the vital forces of nationalism stirring from one end of the f to . continent the other, we cannot af ord such complacency is Christianity in Africa about to meet its sternest challenge . Everything will depend upon the way in which its exponents learn to shed their ideas of racial superiority and gird themselves 0 o - with the towel of fellowship . I h pe that this bo k speaking with the authentic voice of Africa- will help u s all to a swifter and more complete realization of the richness of culture and the beauty of character which is there . TRE V OR HUD D LE STON C . R. , C O N T E N T S For eword by CAN THEMBA P b V UD DL re a ce O S O c . R f y TRE R H E T N , . I n trod u ction S O U T H E R N A F R I C A ‘ ’ B e ris h es Th e ody P . A Zulu lyric Th e Prin ce of th e Com bin ed Hea d qu a rters by MASU PHA BERENG Th e D ea th of Nol iw e by THOMAS MOF OLO B LE OD I S t o h ood A s . G o h o y by . ’ M e rewe l D RAD I TLAD I ots w as el s F a l by L . U n d e r the Bl u e Gu m Trees by D YKE S E NTSO ‘ ’ A Vis itor is n otto b e rega rd ed Song of Pra is e to th e Crea tor Keep itD a rk ! A Rhodesian drinking song Mob Pass ion D c THE M BA by . Um a m in a B w V I LI KAZI by . Ra m m on e etu rn s to th e Ka l a h a ri M 0 SE BONI R . by . ‘ ’ Th e Com m ittee is a tth e Sc h ool Th e D ign ity of Begging by W I LLI AM M OD I SANE ‘ ’ Ta ke o u a t fi y o r h . A Zulu lyric Th e Ben c h by RICHARD RI V E E T H I O P I A Trous ers of Win d Th e Qu een of Sh e ba Th e g u es tis firs tg old a s tice An ? . Ethiopian tale Hy m n of Pra is e How th e E thiopia n Wom a n Ta m ed Hu s ba n d E A S T A F R I C A The Stor o Lion o K I W A KAY y f g . Told by AMIS I Th e Mon ke w h o l efth is Hea r in a T ee y t r . Told by HAMI SI W A KAYI Th e Story of a Be m ba Sl a v e Boy Tw o Bird Son gs of th e Pokom o Wom en Th e Cu n n ing of Su u d by MBARAK ALI HI NAW Y Th e Gen tl e m e n o th e u n e OMO f j gl . Told by J KENYATTA ‘ ’ M u e h s il en ce C E N T R A L A F R I C A Sta n l e Meets Ma tes o D RUBAD IRI y by JAMES . ‘ ’ Th e An g ol a by OSCAR RIBAS E s ca pa d e in Ru a n d a by SAV ERIO NAI GI ZI KI M A D A G A S C A R Th e Fl u te Pl ay ers by JEAN -JOSEPH RABEARI V E LO Th e Wa ter-Seeker by T LAV I E N RANAI V O ’ Th e Ly re with Sev en Strin gs by JACQUES RABPIMANANJARA W E S T A F R I C A ’ La m b i v e e m S ltAn 0 g m y a . Ibo poem Th e Stol en ja c ketby CAMARA LAYE A i hton th e I s la n d s F . N g by . ABODERIN Tru th a n d F a ls eh ood by BI RAGO DI OP Th e Ta l kin Sk u ll g . A Nupe folk tale Ritu a l M u rd er 0 KW E N SI C . D E by . Ma rria e Cord ia lit c E NI TAN W g y by . BRO N Sh a d ow of D a rk n ess by GLADYS CAS E LY - HAYF ORD Ta l k An . Ashanti tale My Firs tWe d d in g D a y in th e Bu s h of Gh os ts by AMOS TUTUOLA Th e Lon el Sou l R E ARMATTOE G . y by . ’ Th e re s Al wa y s a Wa y Ou tby GBE MI Wh a ta D a y ! A Yoruba poem Th e Ser ea n tw h o Re oiced in his You th M W . g j by . SINAH O Bl u e - Sk D u c h ess ! COD OE y by THOMAS A . J ’ An a n s i s Fis hin E x ed ition g p . A Ghana tale He w h o h a s l os ta l l by DAV ID D I OP Th e Retu rn of th e Sol d ie r by F RANCIS OBIKA Th e Pa ra bl e of th e E a gl e by JAMES AGGRE Y Con g o by LEOPOLD SEDAR SENGHOR Br d e BI O S E D Th e D e v il a tYol a h u n i g by A H .