Odyssey From Africa 11b

CHAPTER 11b The Island Kingdom, continued... In an ocean-going vessel Now this group of island warriors Journeyed on an expedition From the island to the mainland Han could sense a strength of purpose And a loyalty between them As they spoke about their homeland Spoke with pride and deep affection For the king that ruled their kingdom King Ptolemy the Second They reserved especial reverence Then at last they spoke their purpose How the family of travelers Had long since betrayed their presence By the smoke of evening campfires And aroma of their cooking For the dogs that travelled with them Were indeed domesticated They had smelled the roasting seafood From considerable distance King Ptolemy their ruler Had dispatched them with instructions That they search the land for people Who had special skill or wisdom And invite such able folk to Come and join the island kingdom Thus they asked of Han's profession Bid him tell his life's adventure So Han told the men his story Of his fisherman's upbringing How he studied from his childhood All the craft-lore of the boat-smith How he followed with his father In their light but nimble vessels The elusive shoals of fishes And the winds and clouds and currents How the passage of the seasons How the changes in the moon-face Gave them warning of the dangers From the storm clouds and the spring tides How a generation later He would pass on all this knowledge To his son and pupil Matto Then he further spoke of Kwona How he first had been enchanted By her beauty, strength and wisdom How as mother of his children She excelled in every craftwork Making clothes and working fabric Even helping with boat-building Han then spoke about the famine Which had struck their fishing village How with Matto he had paddled Far from land to deepest ocean To extend their search for fishes Guided by the winds and sea birds How their rich success was greeted Not by thanks but accusation And how, vilified as witches They were made to flee their homeland After listening to his story All the warriors consented To give Han an invitation That they join the island kingdom Kwona now approached the chieftain Bid his soldiers stop for breakfast And the octopus remaining Which, still fresh and undegraded Was divided into pieces And distributed among them By the children and by Kwona So they breakfasted together