Finally, by morning, the chief and his advisor knew what to do. No one had ever survived the climb up Mt. Zulu. At the top stood a thorn tree. When Zamo arrived at the great chief's home at sunrise, the Chief said, "Sitting high on top of Mt. Zulu is a great tree of thorns. If you survive the treacherous climb, then you must take the furthest thorn from the branch reaching out beyond the cliff and bring it back to me." At that the chief went to take his rest.
Zamo courageously looked up at Mt. Zulu and up at the thorn tree reaching out far beyond the cliff. He knew the danger ahead, but proceeded anyway with hope in his heart. Steadily he began to climb, pulling himself over large boulders and sharp rocks. When finally, after many hours of climbing, Zamo pulled himself to the top. He looked down over the cliff at the sharp and rugged earth far below. One false step and he would surely fall to his death. As he began to reach for the thorn tree, there came again a song of grace and beauty.
"Thorn tree, thorn tree
wind and weather worn tree
your topmost thorn please
pluck for Zamo and me."
At that a great wind blew down from the heavens and the thorn pulled itself from it's branch and feel into the outstretched arms of Zamo. Zamo held tightly to the thorn and when he turned to go back down the Mt., he saw Kwelanga smiling and waiting for him. He then knew it had been Kwelanga all along who had encouraged him to succeed in his tasks.
Hand in hand, they returned to her father, the great chief Abebe. When he saw the thorn in one hand and Kwelanga in the other, it was the great chief who bowed low.
" You have no land
you have no riches, but you have courage and love in your heart for my daughter. There is no better man in the land to marry my dearest daughter, Kwelanga. "
Kwelanga and Zamo were married and built a beautiful and modest home using felled trees, mud from the river and rocks from the mountain. And there they lived a happy and fruitful life together always.
THE END
Blog has moved
10 years ago
