Odyssey From Africa 12b

Odyssey from Africa, Chapter 12 The Fireflower (continued, b) Finally a tired Ipiki Flew back to his owner Matto Hanging from his fern-frond necklace Starting late his daytime sleeping Matto went into the mansion Back into their sleeping quarters Sought a place from where Ipiki Could hang peacefully till evening Several children followed with him One of them fetched from the kitchen An old wooden water bucket Carried by a sisal handle This was perfect for Ipiki As a place to hang and sleep in So he rested there till sundown; That night he would do no flying After breakfast Han and Kwona With their host and hostess, laughing At the antics of their children Spoke now of their visit's business Han would share with them his knowledge Of the craft of small boat-building Of his reading of the ocean And the chasing of the fish shoals So Han walked with Tor the shipwright By the road back to the jetties They would spend the day inspecting Several ships that lay at anchor When at nightfall all the children Came to see Ipiki's waking Matto heard a curious buzzing Quiet high-pitched and repeating Noises of a laboured breathing Something ailed the bat Ipiki As the evening turned to nighttime Still the creature made no stirring Matto ran to look for Kwona While the children of the household Talked of where to find a healer One who knew of cures and medicines Thus when Kwona came with Matto To attend the sick Ipiki With the children stood a neighbor Old and wise with skills of healing Kwona and the aged healer Looked together at Ipiki They perceived the little creature Suffered from a lung infection It was likely that the crossing Over sea had chilled Ipiki And the playing with the children Had cut short his daytime sleeping After several moments pause, the Healer spoke her words of counsel "On our island is a tree flower With a blaze of crimson petals "Growing from its slender leaf-shoots Far up in the highest branches. It is rare here in the east, but Can be found on certain hilltops "Skill is needed in the gathering Of this fragrant healing fire-flower We send up the smallest children Who can reach the fragile branch-tips "When the scarlet fire-flower petals After drying in the sunshine Are laid down on burning embers Then a pungent smoke arises "And the breathing of these fire-fumes From the smouldering of the fire-flower Can bring respite to the breathing And relieve a lung-borne sickness"