I have been fascinated lately with Angolan folk tales. It is almost as if in our headlong rush into never-ending campaign commercial-land, we have lost our collective souls along with our minds.
It is refreshing to find wisdom growing well in still-flourishing orchards.
Earlier, I posted The Leopard in the Tree, about the value of hospitality - and not extending it to the point of self-endangerment. Later, I posted The Parable of Quick Man and Careful Man, a comment on how meticulous habits can be deadly when haste is called for.
These stories are ultimately about judgment.
This next is about something we all need more of - audacity. Real audacity, not the rhetorical kind - but the romantic earth- and life-changing kind.
This story begins with a chance meeting by the riverbank.
One day the Ngola, chief of the Ndongo people, tells his son, "It is time for you to marry!"
"I will marry the eldest and fairest of the seven daughters of Sun and Moon, the one with the cinnamon hair and the golden skin, who never smiles but smiled that morning she saw me at the river."
The Father replies, "But the people of Sun and Moon live in heaven and you live on Earth! How will you ask Lord Sun for his daughter? How will you deliver the wedding-gifts? Son, you will never be able to ask to marry such a girl!"
The young man cries out loudly, "I do not care! It is the eldest daughter of Sun and Moon or none at all!"
The father becomes sad, because these words are stated publicly and a man cannot back off such a claim without suffering much shame. And those who heard said among themselves "The son of the Ngola is foolish and vain."
Later the young man goes down from the place of the black rocks to the banks of the Kwanza and cries out. "Oh, River! I cannot help who I love!" And he sits in sorrow, and falls asleep.
Just before dawn he wakes up. In the east he looks up at the seven sisters, for in this time of the year they appear just ahead of the sun, which is really not Sun but the fires of heaven set into the sky to give light to the Earth by day.
The young man does not look at them all, for he has but one in mind, the brightest and the eldest.
"Fairest of the Seven Sisters! Would I would give to see you again!" he laments, for long ago as a child he saw them by the water and saw her, the one named Alcyone, the one who smiles never but smiled when she saw him.
And a voice answers - it is Frog, who is swimming in the Kwanza. "Son of the Ngola! I know how you can ask Sun for his daughter's hand!"
"Frog, go away. You are mocking me."
"No, no! This is the time of year when the daughters of Sun gather water from the Kwanza the rainy season!"
"I saw them once before but never knew why! I looked everywhere, once the rains stopped."
"And now you know why you did not see them again. They come only with the rains, and go with the rains."
The young man took this in.
Frog croaks loudly. "Lo! The daughters of Sun come down this moment! Here, to this very place on the Kwanza here where you feel sorry for yourself and I swim!
Frog continues: "The sisters come down a web spent by Spider with their water jugs. They dance down and spin circles and sing as they fly and as they land. They set their jugs to the surface of the Kwanza and under, and scoop up water for the rains, which they carry in their full jugs when they return to the house of Sun and Moon in heaven.
"This is the way to heaven, Man of Earth!" Frog says.
"This does not help me Frog. I cannot fly and I do not know how to climb the Spider's threads.
Frog replies "But when they come and set their jugs to the Kwanza I will swim into one. You must write a letter to Sun, asking for his daughter in marriage. Um, which one is this?"
"The fairest and brightest, Alcyone."
"Write your letter and I will carry it in my mouth, in a water jug of one of the daughters of Sun and Moon. Quickly!"
So the young man writes and frog takes the letter into his mouth and swims out into the river. As the dawn comes the seven sisters wink out from the sky, first the youngest and faintest, then the others, last of all the eldest and brightest.
And the young man hides for he has seen the Sisters dance down to earth before just never knowing why and now he sees them they spiral down, dancing in the skies, hands holding the weblines of Spider, other hands holding up their empty water-jugs, first sets down Asterope the youngest, the others, and lastly the cinnamon-haired beloved of the young man, Alcyone.
The stay but a few minutes, so long as the eve of dawn lasts they do this chore, each one more beautiful than the last, the young man thinks, and the last is the one who owns his heart. He sees Frog hop into the jug of the one named Electra, then watches the Seven Sisters gather up their burdens, sealing them, and ascending to heaven on their lines in the same order they arrived. The last one looks about; it is Alcyone. Her eyes pass across where he is but he is hidden completely. She who never smiles, smiles as her eyes pass across where the young man is hidden. She then rises up to heaven. The young man watches her rise into the mist over the Kwanza.
Coming to the House of Sun and Moon in heaven, the sisters bring their water jugs to the kitchen hall in the house of Sun and Moon, where they will remain until the time of the rains that evening, and go about their day.
Frog climbs out of the jug. Seeing no one, he hops up onto the table and sets the letter from the young man on the table in plain sight, and returns to the jug to wait.
In time, Lord Sun comes in from having sent the fires into the day sky that bear his name
he notices the letter. He is arrived for breakfast. He unseals the letter from the young man and reads aloud in amazement:
"’Father Sun, I am Prince Ferdinand, heir to the Ngola of the Ndongo. Long ago I beheld your eldest daughter, Alcyone by the river Kwanza near the place of the black rocks where I live. I was a child then and promised myself that she and only she will I ask for in marriage, when my time of age comes. It is now that time and I write to you, Lord Sun, to ask for your daughter Alcyone’s hand in marriage, for from the first sight of her I have fallen in love."
Sun looks around. He summons his wife the Lady Moon, and his servants, and last of all his daughters, "What is it, father? Alcyone asks.
Lord Sun reads the letter to all. Alcyone is moved. "It seems a young man of the Ndongo has left a letter here for me to read."
They all marvel, for what man of Earth can deliver such things to Heaven?
Alcyone is flattered and suspects she knows who the young man is. And her heart bursts with joy and pride that she is sought.
Lord Sun is puzzled by the arrival of this letter. It is a mystery.
He decides and tells for all to hear "I cannot say yes until I know more of this man, and the manner of how his letter arrives is a mystery."
Sun sets down to writing a note. He seals it and sets it on the table.
"What is that for, Father? Alcyone asks.
"It is my reply - if the young man collects it, then we can discuss the proper wedding gifts for such a prize as my eldest daughter."
And Sun leaves the room and all the others, dismissed, return to their tasks.
Alcyone lingers to look at the sealed envelope, and leaves last.
Frog, thinking quickly, goes to the table and swallows the reply letter, then returns to the jug.
Later in the day Sun walks through the room and notices the letter is gone.
"WHO has been here!" he demands. "My reply to the young man seeking my daughter in marriage is gone!"
A search is made of all heaven but no one who should not be in heaven is found. No one thinks to look in the water jugs. After all, they are full of water for the evening rains.
It is another mystery, Sun decides, and now the day draws late. Sun goes to return the fires of heaven to his hearth. The day ends.
With the next dawn, the daughters return to Earth down the web of Spider to collect more water. Frog is in the same water-jug, the one of the daughter Electra. This time as Electra scoops up water, Frog swims out with the reply of Sun in his mouth.
He swims to the young man, who waits. Frog gives him the letter and says "Read it quickly, and write an answer even more quickly!"
The young man reads the words from Lord Sun: "Long have I waited for someone to notice the glory of my firstborn, one worthy of her love and my trust. But I can hardly say yes to a man that I have not met. Come to my house for dinner this evening so we may decide the wedding gifts and what manner of life you will provide for my Alcyone."
The young man’s heart falls. "How can I ascend to heaven like you, Frog?"
"Never you mind, young man! Quickly write Y’es I shall come this evening.’" The man does so. Frog takes the letter into his mouth and returns to the river.
He swims into the jug carried by the one named Asterope, the youngest of the seven sisters.
The same process follows. The daughters dance and fly and disappear into the dawn mist. On arriving in Heaven at the House of Sun and Moon they bring their jugs into the kitchen hall, and they leave them for the rains to come. When they leave, Frog jumps out and sets the short reply letter on the table.
Sun comes in from setting the fires of heaven to light the day. He sees the letter. He again asks loud questions, but this time he smiles. "Tonight, then, our mystery man comes for dinner!" And Alcyone smiles at this news.
Frog waits. Hours pass. Dinner is set. As ever, such things are first matters between the men of the families to become one in the marriage, then matters between the women and then matters between the man and woman.
Sun sits with his meal, and waits. He eats early than most, because of his work. He stares at the empty seat across from him. It is getting late in the day, so he must go to return the fires of heaven to his hearth.
Frog, seeing the moment, hops out, up onto the table, and eats the meal set for Sun's guest.
He then returns to the jug to wait to see how things unfold.
Sun returns from ending the day to see the eaten meal. His first thought that someone from the household has eaten it. He calls all in.
"Who has eaten the guest meal?"
A search of all heaven is made. No one who does not belong in heaven is found. Again, no one thinks to look in the water jugs for they are full of water as ever, ready for tonight's rains.
Sun decides, well it is yet another mystery. Three mysteries are enough.
Sun announces to all "We shall all go to Earth tomorrow with the dawn. We will walk to the place of the Ndongo among the black rocks north of the Kwanza, and speak with this young man's father!"
So the household of Sun and Moon took to the Earth in Earthly forms, the daughters descended in reverse order as ever, first of all, for the waters of the sky must be replenished in this way always or the desert will take over everything.
And Frog hopped out from Asterope's jug for she was the first down and the first to touch her jug to the Kwanza. And Frog swam to the young man.
"Man! You must fly to Pungo Andongo to your father's house! Dress to receive royalty! Have your father prepare to receive the family of the bride for this very morning Sun and Moon come to present their daughter to your family!"
And the young man does so.
And Alcyone, who had an idea who was sending these notes - just not how - notices the young man's back running off. She smiles.
The procession of Sun is slow, for Earth is his world during the day and he fears none and hurries not.
It is midday when Lord Sun arrives at Pungo Andongo in his finest glory, wearing radiant robes, his daughters in silver and brown and green trim, his wife in silver and black and they come to the place of the black rocks, the citadel north of the Kwanza that is capital of the Ndongo people.
All have seen the splendid host approach. Scouts have reported back to the Ngola and everyone is gathered in the common place at the feet of the citadel.
Sun calls "Fathers of the Ndongo! Do you know me?"
"Yes!" the men of the NDongo reply. "You are the Sun, master of Heaven!" And they bowed their heads and bid Sun welcome.
"Who among you is father of the son who asks for my daughter's hand in marriage?"
The Ngola himself came forward. "He is my son, lord the day. He was rash to say such things when he could not possibly reach Heaven to ask you properly."
Sun laughs. "Yet ask he has!" He holds up two letters. "We have corresponded these past two days! Why we set a meal for him yesterday and I was called away on business
and when I returned the meal was eaten! It is a mystery!"
In this all agreed and were astonished.
"Show me letters that your son has written, of any kind, that I may know him by his hand. If I recognize him, he may have my daughter’s hand in marriage."
The father nods to his head wife, who leaves and returns promptly with one letter: a poem. The father hands it to Sun who reads it.
The poem is about the stars, the seven sisters, of seeing them by chance near the river Kwanza as they gather water, of wishing to look for them after the rains are over.
Lord Sun understands love when he sees it. And the handwriting matches the letters Sun found on his table.
"This is written by the same hand!" Sun declares. "Young man, come forth!" Sun cries out in a voice that filled all the Earth. "You ran from table last night! We have yet to discuss the wedding gifts and the life that you will give my daughter!"
The young man appears before Lord Sun and Lady Moon and all their daughters, dressed in his finest clothes as to receive royalty.
Sun nods and smiles, for the young man is a fine son of the Earth.
Then Sun looks at his eldest daughter Alcyone to his right, and sees that his daughter’s eyes wet with happiness and that she who never smiles now cannot stop smiling.
Again, Lord Sun understands love when he sees it.
"It is him, father. I have seen him several times near the river and hoped with all my heart this would be he."
"So do you accept him, Alcyone, my firstborn?"
"Yes, Father! With all my heart! For I love him already as from the first time I saw him."
Sun looks to his wife, Lady Moon, who speaks softly "When two wish to become one, not even heaven can stand in their way."
Sun says loudly, so it is public and none dare fall back on such a claim. "Since my daughter accepts you, I accept your wedding gifts, though I think we should quickly discuss what these will be!" And the men went to talk. Later, the women went to talk. And these conversations last through the afternoon, and well into the night, yet all the time there is happiness and celebration and dance and the union of Ferdinand, prince of the Ngola, and Alcyone, daughter of Sun and Moon, is made fast this very day.
And for the rest of their lives on Earth, Ferdinand and Alcyone, are one and married and rule the place of the rocks. And each dawn of the rainy season Empress Alcyone goes to meet her sisters as they come to gather water. She brings her water-jug, scoops it full, and hands it to her next-oldest sister Cecelia, and waves them back to heaven.
And each night Lady Moon leaves the empty jug at Pungo Andongo, the place of the black rocks, and visits briefly with her eldest daughter, and looks in on the little ones. And all the land was blessed for this time.
Yet all things of the Earth end, and now the seven sisters are together again in the sky. You can see them to this day, seven bright blue stars in the north and east as the rains begin.
The young man now lives among the stars too; he is the hunter with the bright belt now, his assegai held high in praise, his fist pounding his shield.
In time the other sisters learn of Frog. Wanting husbands of their own, they put Frog to work. They all marry and live on Earth for a while. Now their husbands are in the stars, too. Lord Sun learns the day that his youngest daughter is married, laughs, and invites Frog to a proper dinner.
Frog is now passed from the earth and lives in the heavens. He swims in the heavenly Kwanza (Europeans call it Eridanus, which flows between the Hunter and the Seven Sisters, his mouth forever full of messages between the seven sisters and their now-immortal husbands.
If you come to Pungo today, to the place that the Portuguese call Pedras Negras, many animals are honored by the shaping of the stones by the rains of Lady Moon. Largest of all these memorials is the one to Frog.
Good or bad, this is how my story ends.
Note: The original tale is quite long - and quite dark by the end of it. The mechanism for compelling Sun and Moon, the parents, to bringing their daughter to Earth is not nearly so lighthearted - it involves the frog taking the girl's eyes out temporarily.
That seemed a big harsh. Anyway, if you want the original here you go
Bonus music clips
Pungo Andongo/Black Rocks figures very prominently in this clip
The Seven Sisters, of course require no further introduction