The Leonid Saga

“La

Ela

“Oh La

“No, hon. Don’t say that.” She rubbed her eyes and said, “I feel much better now, really I do. Let’s finish the story, shall we?”

Ela

“I hope Nala comes home,” Habu said.

“So do I,” Lisani said.

“And us,” Kombi said. “Do you think she will?”

“I hope so,” Ela

“Utterly desolated, he shrank in a corner of his cave, the taste of fear strong on his drying tongue. Weaker and weaker he became, his cries for help becoming hoarse, feeling his body's grip on his soul become weak as the water was drawn from him with each breath he exhaled. At last in utter misery, he cried out, "Oh gods, kill me! Aiheu, release me form this torment, I ca

Ela

Lisani left Habusu and snuggled against Ela

“His ear twitched as he heard the gentle pad of footsteps. A voice spoke to him in the hyena tongue, and he shrank back. ‘At last, it pleases Aiheu to release me from my suffering.’

“’I do not know what pleases Aiheu,’ the voice said plainly. “But it would please me to ease your suffering.’

“He opened his eyes and saw very dimly a lioness bearing a zebra haunch. ’Bless you, child!’ Hungrily he devoured the meat, muttering thanks to Aiheu and the stranger. ‘I would have perished without your help.’

"’Milord values my presence, then?’

"’I value you well!’ He said, ‘Your voice is familiar, but tinged with some great sadness. Who has harmed you?’

“’I was scorned by my betrothed. He saw no value in me but my hunting skills.’

“’Stay here, then. I will appreciate you.’

“’But does my voice not still croak like a raven? Is my face not too round? Only don’t worry, my betrothed, I do not laugh harshly anymore, for all the joy has gone out of my life.’

“Negeb fell before her and sobbed. ‘Tashi, Tashi! How I wronged you! Heaven and Earth have condemned me, and justly so!’

“’You feel sorry for me?’

“’I feel sorry for myself, that I have lost the love of a noble and gentle creature. But for your prayers each night, Aiheu would have slain me.’

“’He spared you for my sake that we might be married someday. You have not lost my love.’

“He nuzzled her and said, ‘I long to see your lovely round face and your beautiful small eyes. And your sweet raven’s voice I would hear always....’”

She looked up at Taka again. Her eyes followed the curves of his body and the sad set of his chin. “’....and you shall laugh again, so swear I before Aiheu that I will put joy back in your life.’” Ela

Lisani started to cry and paw Ela

Ela

“’Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on you for my sake. I shall remain.’

“And so at last they became husband and wife. And Aiheu saw true repentance in the lion's heart and relented. He allowed One-who-brings-rain to return and make the land fertile again, and called back the animals and birds. Oh, and what a beautiful sight it was, my cubs!”

She looked out over the dust-choked landscape with its leafless trees writhing in mute agony in the dry wind. “When the rain came, it smelled so sweet and dry earth soaked up the water and the grass turned green again!” She ran her paw through the dust. “Oh to see the green grass and the flowers one last time! To feel the rain pelt on my fur again and watch the waterhole grow broad and deep again the way it was when I was a cub! Can you remember when the water was deep enough to reach the base of the shrubs? Can you?”

“I can,” Lisani said, tears coursing down her cheeks. “Oh, La

“Look at me going on like an old fool! I’ll never finish this story if I keep wandering like that!”

“You’re not an old fool!” Togo said. “Don’t say bad things like that--it’s not true!”

Ela

“The land healed itself of its scars, and Negeb thereafter acquitted himself nobly, with Tashi as his queen. And though Aiheu blessed the land and its inhabitants, each year he called the animals away for a time and One-who-brings-rain withheld his gift to remind Negeb of his obligation to the gods. And so it is till this day.”

"Did Taka do something bad?" Habusu glanced nervously at the dark lion brooding up on the promontory above. "Is that why Aiheu is punishing us?"

Ela

Lisani peered up at Ela

Ela

"And Taka too?"

"Of course, even Taka too. Aiheu loves us all, hon."

"Good." Lisani craned her head back up to where the king sat still, watching the horizon for some unknown sign. "I hope God makes it rain soon to remind him. I think Taka's forgotten it."

Ela

“Me! Me!”

“OK, Lisani! Why don’t you lead us?”

Wiggling with pride, Miss Priss faced her small audience. Her eyes narrowed in deep concentration for a moment as she mentally went over the parts she was unsure of, but then she brightened. Facing away from the sunset with a paw against her cheek, she began:

She turned to face the sunset and touched her nose to the ground, putting a paw on top of her head.