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The Hungry Soul: Food for the Imagination

Healing Stories From South Africa The following are two healing stories from author and peace activist, Michael Morain that offer us a taste of the bittersweet medicine of story and the notions that we all have "a right to peace" and that wisdom is not always what we think it is.

Darkness lay like a blanket all around, soft and warm. The fire crackled and rose higher into the night, its sparks illuminating the faces of those sitting around it.

Ntokozweni, a young girl, beads in her hair, wearing traditional maiden dress, sat close to the fire, looking into the flames, holding her hands as near as she could. Mary, with golden hair flecked by the fire, in her rough farm clothes, sat nearby, watching the flames as they tried to lick Ntokozweni's hands. Jonathan, coffee coloured from the sun, his dark eyes reflecting the fire, sat cross legged in his short pants and jersey of blue.

On the other side sat Zuma, hair greying, a hunters look and wrapped in a blanket - many coloured in the light, the patterns almost moving, as the flames rose and fell.

"Ntokozweni", said Zuma, "You have had some tough times, ne".

"Yes" said Ntokozweni shyly, hardly daring to look at the venerable figure of Zuma.

Ntokozweni and her family had had to flee their homes as a result of violence. Her mother had sought work on the farm of Mary's parents. Mary and Ntokozweni had become fast friends and could not be separated. Ntokozweni was still afraid that the people who committed violence would find her and she often had bad dreams about this.

"I am going to tell you all a story," said Zuma, "An old, old story that comes to us from so long ago that not even the trees, who live so long, can remember it.

Many moons have been in the sky, since the Spirit of our Ancestors was on earth. He was a great spirit, a mighty warrior, skilled in many things. He discovered the wind, he named the trees - as one names one's children, the animals he called brothers and they as they listened to his voice grew stronger.

One day the Spirit of our Ancestors was walking and he came to a calm, clear pool. He was tired after the many things he had been doing, so he lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamt."

"What did he dream?"

"He dreamt that he saw the future. He saw people walking from his heart, walking from him to the future. So many people! You can imagine! All sorts of people, big and small, ugly and fat."

"Even some like Mary?"

"Yes and Peter and anyone you can think of. As they walked, animals, plants walked with them - they talked and played together."

"The plants walked!"

Lots of laughter.

"Well, lets say they were there along the way to be played with. As they got further and further into the future, he saw that many of the animals and plants were no longer there - until eventually, the people walked alone, lonely and tired. In his dream the Spirit of our Ancestors was very, very, very sad."

"Why was he sad?"

"Well, his companions were no longer with his people and he knew that something was wrong. When he woke, he said to himself, 'I must leave a message for my people, to remind them of what I have seen, so that they will remember' ."

"So what do you think he did ?"

"Some magic?"

"Well, yes and no. He asked the Great Spirit - that is in everything -to create the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter - to remind men that everything changes and can change. Not to take for granted what is there. The seasons say, ' Look at us', they remind us that the animals and plants are not always there and we must remember that we are a family. We can depend on each other surely?"

There was silence as Zuma finished, only the crackle of the fire.

He turned and looked at Ntokozweni for awhile, in a calm and joyful way.

Ntojkozweni looked back, not knowing what to make of the story.

"Ntokozweni, you must feel this story here" said Zuma pointing to his heart, "Because it will not make sense here." He pointed to his head.

"You have gone through bad times. People can be bad sometimes, because they do not understand themselves, or you. They do not know we are all part of the same life, that we are linked. If they understood that, they would know you are just as valuable as them and to hurt you, they hurt themselves. You have a right to peace, to be left in peace. Seek it in kinship here with your brothers and sisters. Listen to the birds and animals, the peace in lying beneath a tree. Listen to your heart, it says peace - you are safe with us."

Ntokozwini, began to understand this a little and she could feel her worries starting to fade. Peace was coming to her, though it would take time. She was safe here.

In the distance, the laughter of the hyena, seemed to say "Men are so stupid" and it warmed her heart to the Spirit of Life.

THE END

Copyright, 1997, Michael Morain. Reprinted with permission of the author.

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The Wise Adventure
By Michael Morain

The fire crackled and subsided, sending its glow into the night. "You know," he said," Your frustrating circumstances of today remind me of a story."

We had been rambling in our conversation, with my complaints foremost. I asked him to tell me the story.

"Well" said Zuma, "You will have to listen to the story and decide if it can help. What I am going to tell you happened a long time ago, when our ancestors could still understand the speech of animals"

I nodded. Sounded like an interesting story.

"In a small village their lived a man and his wife with their ten children. The man especially worried a lot -he always thought the worst was going to happen.

"This one particular day had been very frustrating. His beer had been drunk by some animal, his wife had just told him she was expecting another child. Those he had were screaming on top of their voices. On top of all of this he had a narrow escape from a lion when he was hunting.

"So he was muttering and complaining to his wife. She was muttering under her breath, because she had heard all of this sort of thing before. Eventually she could stand it no more. Enough was enough.

'"Why don't you go on a quest?' she said.

"'A quest?" said the man astonished.

"'Husband, you are always complaining so why don't you find the answers?'

"Her husband was not happy with his wife speaking this way, but he controlled his temper and asked her, 'What would I be looking for?'

"'Why the answers to your frustrations - it would be a wise quest.'

"He pondered. A wisdom adventure. The more he thought of it the better it sounded. However he could not admit that his wife had come up with a good idea, so he said, 'I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow.'

"So he did and the next morning he asked his wife, 'If I were to do such a thing, I am just curious mind you, where would I start?'

"'Where you are ' said his wife. However knowing this to be too vague for him she said further, 'You might ask a few of the animals like the rabbit, the owl who are said to be wise.'

"'Hmm,' he pondered, 'I am glad I thought of that. Yes I think I will do it.' And off he went.

"The first creature he encountered was the Rabbit. Rabbit was staring closely at the ground intent on something.

"'What are you doing?' asked the man.

"The rabbit pretended not to notice him.

"'What are you doing?' repeated the man.

"'Shhh,' said the rabbit, 'I am listening to the carrots grow.'

"'Why would you do that?' said the man.

"'Then I know when they are ripe, said the rabbit, 'surely you know everything has a sound that shows when it is ready.'

"So they stood there for a while.

"'I can't hear anything' said the man, 'But I wonder if you could help me'

"The rabbit looked at him crossly, 'What is it?'

"'I am looking for wisdom' said the man.

"The rabbit pondered.

"'Put your ear to the ground and you will hear the carrots grow, that is the start of wisdom. Learning new lessons.'

"So the man did so and the rabbit made some excuse to leave, asking if the man could listen for any sound and he would come back later for a report.

"So it happened that the hedgehog who was passing saw a very strange sight. A man who was lying with his ear to the ground. 'What is happening?' asked the hedgehog.

"'Shhh, I am listening to the carrots grow.' said the man.

"'How ridiculous, you cannot hear carrots grow! ' said the hedgehog.' And he laughed and laughed and went on his way.

"So the man walked away ashamed at having been tricked. He decided to go home because he was not in the mood to go on. At home he told his wife the story. As she listened her smile grew broader and broader and eventually she was rolling around with laughter and the children joined in.

"'I have learnt nothing' said the man.

"'Yes' said his wife, 'You have learnt how you can be taken in by others. In a like way you have been taken in by your negative thoughts. Life is supposed to have fun and laughter, at least the rabbit taught you that.'

"And the man thinking about it began to laugh. He had found wisdom."

THE END

Copyright, 1997, Michael Morain. Reprinted with permission of the author.

CLICK HERE to find out more about Michael Morain and his peace work in South Africa.

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