The Magic Mirror

A long, long while ago, before white men were ever seen in Sennabefore ever the White Men were seen in Senna, there lived a man called Gopáni-Kúfa.

One day, as he was out hunting, he came upon a strange sight. An enormous python had caught an antelope and coiled itself around it. The antelope had struck out in despair with its horns and pinned the python’s neck to a tree. Its horns had sunk so deep into the soft wood that neither creature could get away.An enormous python had caught an antelope and coiled itself around it; the antelope, striking out in despair with its horns, had pinned the python’s neck to a tree, and so deeply had its horns sunk in the soft wood that neither creature could get away.

‘Help!’ cried the antelope, ‘I was doing no harm, yet I was caught and would have been eaten if I had not defended myself.for I was doing no harm, yet I have been caught, and would have been eaten, had I not defended myself.’

‘Help me,’ said the python, ‘for I am Insáto, King of all the Reptiles, and will reward you well!’

Gopáni-Kúfa considered for a moment, then stabbed the antelope with his spear and set the python free.then stabbing the antelope with his assegai, he set the python free.Explanation: An assegai is a type of spear used in southern Africa.

‘I thank you,’ said the python; ‘come back here with the new moon, when I will haveshall have eaten the antelope, and I will reward you as I promised.’

‘Yes,’ said the dying antelope, ‘he will reward you, and see! your reward will be your own downfall!and lo! your reward shall be your own undoing!’

Gopáni-Kúfa went back to his kraal, the settlement where he lived. With the new moon he returnedwent back to his kraal, and with the new moon he returned againExplanation: Kraal can refer to a settlement of dwellings around a livestock enclosure. Here it is the place Gopáni-Kúfa lives with his family. to the spot where he had saved the python.

Insáto lay on the ground, still sleepy after his huge meal. When he saw the man, he thanked him again and said:Insáto was lying upon the ground, still sleepy from the effects of his huge meal, and when he saw the man he thanked him again, and said: ‘Come with me now to Píta, which is my own country, and I will give you whatever you choose from all my possessions.I will give you what you will of all my possessions.’

Gopáni-Kúfa at first was afraid, thinking of what the antelope had said, but finally he consented and followed Insáto into the forest.

For several days they travelled, and at last they came to a hole leading deep into the earth. It was not very wide, but large enough for a man to enterlarge enough to admit a man. ‘Hold on to my tail,’ said Insáto, ‘and I will go down first, pulling you down after medrawing you after me.’ The man did so, and Insáto entered.

Down, down, down they went for days, deeper and deeper into the earth. At last the darkness ended, and they dropped into a beautiful country. Around them grew short green grass, where herds of cattle and sheep and goats grazed.Down, down, down they went for days, all the while getting deeper and deeper into the earth, until at last the darkness ended and they dropped into a beautiful country; around them grew short green grass, on which browsed herds of cattle and sheep and goats. In the distance Gopáni-Kúfa saw a great many houses, all square, built of stone and very tall. Their roofs shone with gold and polished iron.a great collection of houses all square, built of stone and very tall, and their roofs were shining with gold and burnished iron.

Gopáni-Kúfa turned to Insáto, but in the python’s place he found a strong, handsome man. He wore the great snake’s skin wrapped around him, with rings of pure gold on his arms and neck.but found, in the place of the python, a man, strong and handsome, with the great snake’s skin wrapped round him for covering; and on his arms and neck were rings of pure gold.

The man smiled. ‘I am Insáto,’ he saidsaid he; ‘but in my own country I take a man’s shape, just as you see me now. This is Píta, the land where I am king.I take man’s shape—even as you see me—for this is Píta, the land over which I am king.’ He then took Gopáni-Kúfa by the hand and led him towards the town.

On the way they passed rivers where men and women were bathing and fishing and boating. Farther on, they came to gardens covered with rich crops of rice and maize and many other grains whose names Gopáni-Kúfa did not even know.On the way they passed rivers in which men and women were bathing and fishing and boating; and farther on they came to gardens covered with heavy crops of rice and maize, and many other grains which Gopáni-Kúfa did not even know the name of. As they passed, the people singing at their work in the fields stopped working and greeted Insáto with delight. They brought palm wine and green coconuts to refresh him, as if he had returned from a long journey.And as they passed, the people who were singing at their work in the fields, abandoned their labours and saluted Insáto with delight, bringing also palm wine and green cocoa-nuts for refreshment, as to one returned from a long journey.

‘These are my children!’ said Insáto, waving his hand towards the people. Gopáni-Kúfa was much astonished at all that he saw, but he said nothing. Soon they came to the town. Everything here, too, was beautiful, and a man could have anything he might desire.Presently they came to the town; everything here, too, was beautiful, and everything that a man might desire he could obtain. Even the grains of dust in the streets were of gold and silver.

Insáto led Gopáni-Kúfa to the palace. He showed him his rooms and the young women who would serve him. He said they would have a great feast that night. The next day, Gopáni-Kúfa could choose from the riches of Píta, and his choice would be given to him.Insáto conducted Gopáni-Kúfa to the palace, and showing him his rooms, and the maidens who would wait upon him, told him that they would have a great feast that night, and on the morrow he might name his choice of the riches of Píta and it should be given him. Then he went away.

Now Gopáni-Kúfa had a wasp called Zéngi-mízi. Zéngi-mízi was not an ordinary wasp, for the spirit of Gopáni-Kúfa’s father had entered it, making it exceedingly wise.for the spirit of the father of Gopáni-Kúfa had entered it, so that it was exceedingly wise. In times of doubt Gopáni-Kúfa always asked the wasp what he should do. This time, he took it out of the little rush basket in which he carried it and said:Gopáni-Kúfa always consulted the wasp as to what had better be done, so on this occasion he took it out of the little rush basket in which he carried it, saying: ‘Zéngi-mízi, what gift should I ask Insáto for tomorrow, when he asks what reward I want for saving his life?what gift shall I ask of Insáto to-morrow when he would know the reward he shall bestow on me for saving his life?’

‘Biz-z-z,’ hummed Zéngi-mízi, ‘ask him for Sipáo the Mirror.’ And it flew back into its basket.

Gopáni-Kúfa was astonished at this answer; but he knew that Zéngi-mízi’s words were true and decided to make the request.but knowing that the words of Zéngi-mízi were true words, he determined to make the request. So that night they feasted, and the next day Insáto came to Gopáni-Kúfa, greeted him joyfully and said:and on the morrow Insáto came to Gopáni-Kúfa and, giving him greeting joyfully, he said:

‘Now, O my friend, name your choice amongst my possessions and you will haveshall have it!’

‘O king!’ answered Gopáni-Kúfa, ‘out of all your possessions I will have the Mirror, Sipáo.’

The king gave a startThe king started. ‘O friend, Gopáni-Kúfa,’ he said, ‘ask anything but that! I did not think that you would ask for the thing most precious to me.you would request that which is most precious to me.’

‘Let me think over it again then, O king,’ said Gopáni-Kúfa, ‘and tomorrowto-morrow I will let you know if I change my mind.’

But the king was still deeply troubled, afraid of losing Sipáo. The Mirror had magic powers: its owner had only to ask, and his wish would come true. Insáto owed everything he possessed to it.But the king was still much troubled, fearing the loss of Sipáo, for the Mirror had magic powers, so that he who owned it had but to ask and his wish would be fulfilled; to it Insáto owed all that he possessed.

As soon as the king left him, Gopáni-Kúfa again took Zéngi-mízi out of his basket. ‘Zéngi-mízi,’ he said, ‘the king seems reluctantloth to grant my request for the Mirror—is there not something else of equal value I could ask for?is there not some other thing of equal value for which I might ask?’

And the wasp answered: ‘There is nothing in the world, O Gopáni-Kúfa, as valuable as this Mirror. It is a Wishing Mirror and grants its owner’s wishes.which is of such value as this Mirror, for it is a Wishing Mirror, and accomplishes the desires of him who owns it. If the king hesitates, go to him the next day, and the day after, and in the end he will give you the Mirrorhe will bestow the Mirror upon you, for you saved his life.’

And it was even so. For three days Gopáni-Kúfa gave the king the same answerGopáni-Kúfa returned the same answer to the king, and, at last, with tears in his eyes, Insáto gave him the Mirror, which was of polished iron, saying: ‘Take Sipáo, then, O Gopáni-Kúfa, and may your wishes come truemay thy wishes come true. Go back now to your own countrythine own country; Sipáo will show you the way.’

Overjoyed, Gopáni-Kúfa said farewell to the king and spoke to the Mirror:Gopáni-Kúfa was greatly rejoiced, and, taking farewell of the king, said to the Mirror:

‘Sipáo, Sipáo, I wish to be back upon the Earth again!’

Instantly he found himself standing on the earth’s surface. He did not know the place, so he spoke to the Mirror again:standing upon the upper earth; but, not knowing the spot, he said again to the Mirror:

‘Sipáo, Sipáo, I want the path to my own kraal!’

And there, right in front of him, lay the path!And behold! right before him lay the path!

When he arrived home, he found his wife and daughter mourning for him. They thought he had been eaten by lions. He comforted them by saying that he had lost his way while following a wounded antelope and wandered for a long time before finding the path again.When he arrived home he found his wife and daughter mourning for him, for they thought that he had been eaten by lions; but he comforted them, saying that while following a wounded antelope he had missed his way and had wandered for a long time before he had found the path again.

That night he asked Zéngi-mízi, in whom lived his father’s spirit, what he should ask Sipáo for next.in whom sat the spirit of his father, what he had better ask Sipáo for next?

‘Biz-z-z,’ said the wasp, ‘would you not like to be as great a chief as Insáto?’

And Gopáni-Kúfa smiled, and took the Mirror and said to it:

‘Sipáo, Sipáo, I want a town as great as that of Insáto, the King of Píta; and I wish to be chief over it!’

Then, all along the banks of the nearby Zambesi river, streets of stone buildings sprang up. Their roofs shone with gold and polished iron like those in Píta. Men and women walked in the streets, and young boys drove sheep and cattle out to pasture. From the river came shouts and laughter from the young men and women who had launched their canoes and were fishing.Then all along the banks of the Zambesi river, which flowed near by, sprang up streets of stone buildings, and their roofs shone with gold and burnished iron like those in Píta; and in the streets men and women were walking, and young boys were driving out the sheep and cattle to pasture; and from the river came shouts and laughter from the young men and maidens who had launched their canoes and were fishing. And when the people of the new town sawbeheld Gopáni-Kúfa they rejoiced greatly and hailed him as chief.

Gopáni-Kúfa was now as powerful as Insáto the King of the Reptiles had been. He and his family moved into the palace that stood high above the other buildings, right in the middle of the town.had been, and he and his family moved into the palace that stood high above the other buildings right in the middle of the town. His wife was too astonished at all these wonders to ask any questions. But his daughter Shasása kept begging him to tell her how he had suddenly become so powerful. At last he revealed the whole secret and even trusted her to look after Sipáo the Mirror, saying:any questions, but his daughter Shasása kept begging him to tell her how he had suddenly become so great; so at last he revealed the whole secret, and even entrusted Sipáo the Mirror to her care, saying:

‘It will be safer with you, my daughter, because you live apart from me. Men come to consult me on affairs of state,for you dwell apart; whereas men come to consult me on affairs of state, and the Mirror might be stolen.’

Shasása took the Magic Mirror and hid it beneath her pillow. After that, Gopáni-Kúfa ruled his people well and wisely for many years. Everyone loved him, and not once did he need to ask Sipáo to grant him a wish.Then Shasása took the Magic Mirror and hid it beneath her pillow, and after that for many years Gopáni-Kúfa ruled his people both well and wisely, so that all men loved him, and never once did he need to ask Sipáo to grant him a wish.

After many years, when Gopáni-Kúfa’s hair was turning grey with age, white men came to that country.Now it happened that, after many years, when the hair of Gopáni-Kúfa was turning grey with age, there came white men to that country. They came up the Zambesi and fought long and fiercely against Gopáni-Kúfa. But the Magic Mirror’s power helped him defeat them, and they fled to the coast.Up the Zambesi they came, and they fought long and fiercely with Gopáni-Kúfa; but, because of the power of the Magic Mirror, he beat them, and they fled to the sea-coast. Their leader was a man called Rei, who was very cunning andChief among them was one Rei, a man of much cunning, who sought to discover where Gopáni-Kúfa’s power came fromwhence sprang Gopáni-Kúfa’s power. So one day he called a trusted servant named Butou to himcalled to him a trusty servant named Butou, and said: ‘Go to the town and find out for me the secret of its greatness.Go you to the town and find out for me what is the secret of its greatness.’

Butou dressed himself in rags and set out. When he came to Gopáni-Kúfa’s town, he asked for the chief, and the people brought him before Gopáni-Kúfa.And Butou, dressing himself in rags, set out, and when he came to Gopáni-Kúfa’s town he asked for the chief; and the people took him into the presence of Gopáni-Kúfa. When the white man saw him, he spoke humbly:When the white man saw him he humbled himself, and said: ‘O Chief! take pity on me, for I have no home! When Rei marched against you, I alone refused to join him, for I knew that all the strength of the Zambesi lay in your hands. Because I would not fight against you, he sent me into the forest to starve!When Rei marched against you I alone stood apart, for I knew that all the strength of the Zambesi lay in your hands, and because I would not fight against you he turned me forth into the forest to starve!’

And Gopáni-Kúfa believed the white man’s story, and he welcomed him, gave him a feast and a house.he took him in and feasted him, and gave him a house.

In this way the end came. For Shasása, Gopáni-Kúfa’s daughter, gave her heart to Butou the traitor. From her he learnt the secret of the Magic Mirror.For the heart of Shasása, the daughter of Gopáni-Kúfa, went forth to Butou the traitor, and from her he learnt the secret of the Magic Mirror. One night, when all the town slept, he felt beneath her pillow, found the Mirror and stole it. He fled back with it to Rei, the chief of the white men.he felt beneath her pillow and, finding the Mirror, he stole it and fled back with it to Rei, the chief of the white men.

So it happenedSo it befell that one day, as Gopáni-Kúfa was gazing at the river from a window of the palace, he saw the white men’s war-canoes again. At the sight, his heart filled with dread.he again saw the war-canoes of the white men; and at the sight his spirit misgave him.

‘Shasása! my daughter!’ he cried wildly, ‘go fetch me the Mirror, for the white men are close bythe white men are at hand.’

‘Alas, my father!Woe is me, my father!’ she sobbed. ‘The Mirror is gone! For I loved Butou the traitor, and he has stolen Sipáo from me!’

Then Gopáni-Kúfa calmed himself, and drew out Zéngi-mízi from its rush basket.

‘O spirit of my father!’ he said, ‘what shall I do now?what now shall I do?’

‘O Gopáni-Kúfa!’ hummed the wasp, ‘there is nothing now that can be done, for the words of the antelope you killed are coming true.the words of the antelope which you slew are being fulfilled.’

‘Alas! I am an old man—I had forgotten!’ cried the chief. ‘The words of the antelope were true words—my reward will be my own downfall—they are coming true!my reward shall be my own undoing—they are being fulfilled!’

Then the white men attacked Gopáni-Kúfa’s people and killed them, together with the chief and his daughter Shasása. Since then, all the power of the Earth has rested in the hands of the white men, for they possess Sipáo, the Magic Mirror.Then the white men fell upon the people of Gopáni-Kúfa and slew them together with the chief and his daughter Shasása; and since then all the power of the Earth has rested in the hands of the white men, for they have in their possession Sipáo, the Magic Mirror.Explanation: The tale uses the stolen wishing mirror to explain the newcomers’ power. Its final sentence belongs to this story of colonial conquest.