Hare in the Elephant's Trunk Page 2

  “I can count to ten many times,” Oscar said.

  Majok shoved him away. “Someday you’ll be as smart as me—now go hide. One, two, three ...”

  Jacob looked toward the darkening forest just outside the compound. Mama will be most unhappy if I go into the woods after sunset. On the edge of the trees, he spied a cluster of boulders. Just behind them, he discovered a hole in the ground. He stuck a stick in first, just in case someone was home. The burrow appeared to be empty and very deep, so he got down on the ground and crawled in backwards. It’s a good thing I am skinny, he thought. He wiggled his toes, checking to make sure they felt only dirt and not the tusks of a warthog or the quills of a porcupine.

  “Aha!” shouted Majok. “I see you, Mark. You would make a very bad soldier. I heard you breathing—the enemy would easily have found us all! Now, you have to help me look for the others. Probably we will see Jacob’s giant rabbit teeth glowing in the dark.”

  Jacob’s skin grew hot. He clenched his fists, scrunched himself up as small as possible, and buried his face in a small hollow in the dirt so he wouldn’t be heard.

  “I see you, Oscar, foolish monkey boy! You always hide in trees. I see you, Panthar—now you must all help me find Jacob!” Majok ordered.

  As night settled over the village, Jacob heard the boys’ voices getting farther and farther away from his hiding place.

  “Jacob probably gave up and ran home to his mama when it got dark,” Majok said.

  “Probably he is just too good at hiding for you to find him,” Oscar said. “He would make a very good soldier.”

  “That scrawny little rabbit? Ha! He would run away from a fight. You should choose brave, strong friends—like me, Oscar.”

  Jacob was unable to hear Oscar’s reply. His legs started to stiffen up, and the ground was very cold. He could see little in the dark, and strange rustlings in the grass above him spooked him; he wanted to surrender. But a good soldier never lets himself be found, he thought. I will stay here all night, if I have to.

  Finally, Jacob heard Mama’s voice, her high, worried voice, carrying across the compound. The other boys seemed to have given up; there was no sign of them. He shimmied out of the hole and limped back to Mama. One foot was buzzing inside, like a bee, from not moving for so long.

  “Didn’t you hear me calling you, Jacob? I hope you weren’t playing in the woods after dark?”

  “No, Mama. We were playing Seek and Find, but the other boys couldn’t find me. Not even Oscar. I would be a very good soldier.” Mama frowned and turned back toward the huts.

  After the evening meal and story time around the fire, Jacob lay down beside Sissy in his youngest uncle’s home. He could hear Mama and Abuk singing nearby. “I wonder if we will see Uncle Daniel tomorrow, Sissy. Maybe he will have time to teach me some wrestling. Mama says there will be a wrestling match during the next dry season. I know he will win again— he is a true champion. Don’t you think, Sissy? Sissy?” Jacob looked down at the little girl. Her mouth hung open and her forehead glistened with tiny drops of sweat. Jacob flicked a fly off the ring of dried milk around her mouth, then rolled over and lay his head on his soccer ball. He smiled as the new baby cried; Mama and the other women burst into song, welcoming the newborn to their world and the harmony of their life of cieng.

  Praised by the Lord!

  Come, your people are in cieng.

  The land is in cieng.

  Jacob was up with the sun the next morning. Sissy’s spot was already bare, so he rolled up his mat, picked up his ball, and went to find Mama.

  “It is a day of celebration for our family, Jacob! You have a new cousin. After breakfast, you and Sissy will come to welcome James to our family.” Mama took Sissy to the latrine. When she returned, she led the children to the birthing hut.

  “He’s so cute!” Sissy squealed. “Can I hold him?”

  “So small ... but so perfect.” Jacob put one long finger into the baby’s tiny fist. “Happy birthday, James. Hey, he’s strong already—a true Dinka warrior!”

  “Like his papa, my brother Kwol. There is also something about James that reminds me of your papa,” Mama said, stroking the baby’s cheek.

  “Maybe it is because both babies and elders are full of wrinkles, and empty of hair and teeth.” Jacob said, scrunching up his face and covering his teeth with his lips.

  Sissy giggled. “You look funny, Jacob. Sissy’s turn to hold the baby?” she asked again, turning to Abuk.

  “Sit here, Sissy. Make sure you put your hand under his head. Babies’ necks are still floppy, and they need help holding up their heavy heads,” her aunt said.

  Sissy counted the baby’s toes and fingers while she held him. She counted them a second time, then looked at her aunt in alarm. “He has more than ten toes, Abuk!” she whispered.

  Her aunt laughed. “I counted ten this morning, Sissy.”

  “You always forget seven,” Jacob reminded her. He stood up eventually and began pacing around the hut. Mama looked at him and pointed with her eyes to the spot beside her on the floor. Jacob sat back down and forced himself to look at the baby, who had started to cry. Jacob wrinkled up his nose. James didn’t smell very good either.

  Finally, Abuk took James from Sissy and began nursing him. “I am the richest woman in all of Dinkaland today,” she said, smiling. “My husband Kwol will feel like a chief when he returns from Juba.”

  “Do you have some new cattle?” Jacob asked.

  His aunt laughed. “No, Jacob. For a mother, a new baby is the greatest possible gift, better even than a new baby calf.”

  “Can I go now, Mama?” Jacob whispered, as the baby fell asleep again. “I am supposed to meet Oscar. We have many things to do.”

  “Come back when you are hungry, Jacob. And look after your little sister.”

  “Oh, Mama—do I have to take Sissy?” At this, Sissy began to sob and threw her arms around Mama’s neck.

  “Shoo, Jacob—go now, before I change my mind. Don’t let Oscar help you find any trouble, you hear me?”

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  She waved him away. “Hush, Sissy. Shhhh ... there, there. We will have some fun, too, later on.”

  Jacob looked across the village at Oscar’s hut, then dropped his ball on the ground, and kicked it in front of him as he ran. He liked the soft thudding sound it made against his toes.

  “That is your new ball?” Oscar raised his eyebrows as he picked it up and examined it carefully. “It’s not very round.”

  “I made it all by myself,” Jacob boasted. “I cut the pieces of cow skin, poked all the holes, stuffed it with sheep’s wool and goat hair and grass and stitched it together. It’s very strong.”

  “Let’s see,” Oscar bounced it off his knees as they walked to the outskirts of the compound, where there was plenty of open space for a game. “Where did you go last night? Did you give up and go home? Majok said you probably ran home like a scared rabbit when it got dark.”

  “I can’t tell you where I was hiding, Oscar. I might want to use that spot again.” Jacob pulled on his ears. “Just let me say, I am more like a hare today than yesterday ...”

  Soon, several other boys joined them; they divided into teams, set up the goal using dung plops, and started to play.

  “Hey, duck boy—do I hear you quacking?” Majok jeered as Jacob stole the ball from him.

  “I can’t hear you,” Jacob shouted, covering his ears. Then he passed the ball to Oscar.

  Oscar kicked the ball through the legs of the other goalkeeper. He pumped his arm in the air. “Yes! Who is the best soccer player in all of Dinkaland? Six goals in one game!”

  “Only because your friend, Mr. Big Teeth here, has made a trick ball. Your teeth are the only part of you that is like the hare, Jacob. You waddle like a duck with those feet!” Majok turned and stomped away.

  “Go back to school—you’re no fun,” Oscar called after him.

  The other boys continued playing, but the t
eams were uneven, and soon Jacob heard Mama calling him.

  “I guess your ball is all right,” Oscar said as they walked back. “At least it didn’t fall apart.”

  “Why does Majok always have to play with us? He is mean to everybody. He said my big feet are like the feet of a quacking duck.” Jacob brushed the dust from his ball. “And that I am called Jacob the Hare because of my giant rabbit teeth!”

  “He’s just jealous because you are so much faster than him,” Oscar said. “Ignore him. That’s what I do. He picks fights for fun.”

  “I hope he will be away at school when I visit again,” Jacob said.

  “Majok is even meaner since he started going to school. He thinks he knows everything—and that we know nothing,” Oscar said.

  “He looks like a snake, the way he is always holding his tongue between his teeth. Like a poisonous snake, waiting to strike!”

  Oscar stuck his own tongue out, “Ssssss ... Sssss,” and chased Jacob across the compound.

  After supper, everyone gathered by the fire. Uncle Daniel had arrived late in the afternoon. He held his new nephew on his lap. Jacob stared at his favorite uncle across the flames, trying to figure out how he could move to sit next to him, without anyone noticing.

  “Jacob, could you find some more dung for the fire?”

  Jacob jumped to his feet. Had Uncle Daniel heard his thoughts? “Yes, Uncle. Right away—I will do that for you.” When Jacob returned, he squeezed into the spot between his uncle and Mama.

  “You have grown, Jacob. Or maybe it is because my new nephew, James, is so very small. Maybe you would like to come with me when I return to cattle camp? Just for a day or two before I return to help with the harvest.”

  Jacob looked up at his uncle to see if he was joking. “Oh, yes, uncle. Yes. I have never been to cattle camp before. I would also like to see my brother, Kuanyin.” Remembering his manners, he looked at Mama. “Is it all right, Mama?”

  “If you promise not to teach my son any more about war and soldiers,” Mama said. Her voice was light, but her eyes on her young brother were serious. “That was all he could speak of the last time he saw you, Daniel. My husband would not have approved. He wanted his son educated to be a peacemaker, not a warrior.”

  “I will do my best to speak of other things, Adau.” Daniel turned his head and winked at Jacob. “When I left, Kuanyin was at a camp farther north, but perhaps we will see him.”

  “Can I tell Oscar, Mama? Is that all right?” Jacob asked.

  “Come back quickly, Jacob. You must get to sleep—you will have a long journey tomorrow.” Mama stood up and took Sissy by the hand. “Goodnight, everyone.”

  “I have been to cattle camp before—many times,” Oscar said, when Jacob told him his exciting news. “My oldest brother took me. It wasn’t much fun. We got attacked by two lions and three hyenas on the way, and the food was boring, but you might like it.”

  “Lions? Hyenas? How did you escape?”

  “They weren’t very big. I wrestled them to the ground with my bare hands, then squeezed the breath out of them,” Oscar said, demonstrating with his hands. “My brother helped—a little.”

  “But why didn’t you tell me before?” Jacob asked.

  Oscar gave him a push. “Don’t you know I am only joking, Jacob?”

  “Of course I do.” Jacob shoved his friend back. “If that really happened, you would have climbed to the top of the tallest tree!”

  Jacob tried not to think of what Oscar had said as he lay waiting for sleep. Instead, he thought of questions he would ask Uncle Daniel, about his cattle, about wrestling, and ... even about the soldiers. As the war continued to spread across Southern Sudan like a hungry grass fire, some of his uncle’s friends had joined the SPLA, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. Maybe someday I, too, will protect my country ... I won’t need to go to school if I am to become a brave soldier ...

  Chapter Three

  A rooster crowing startled Jacob awake the next morning. He kissed Mama and Sissy goodbye, then hurried outside to join his uncle.

  They headed toward the high ground, where the cattle were grazing during the rainy season, even though the rainy season, so far, had been more dry than wet. The sky was gray and heavy, and Jacob heard a promising rumble of thunder.

  “How many cattle do you have, Uncle Daniel?” Jacob asked.

  “I counted 152 just before I left. Can you count, Jacob?”

  “I can count to twenty—I am helping Sissy learn to count her fingers and toes.” Jacob looked at his uncle out of the corner of his eye. Would Daniel think that was stupid?

  “Good for you, Jacob. I can help you learn to count even higher. That is one of the first things a cattle herder must learn. It is important to know how many cows you have, so you will know when one has been stolen—or eaten!”

  “Are there many lions and hyenas at your camp, Uncle?”

  “I haven’t seen any this year. We keep all the cattle close together, so there will be no wandering strays. There are many of us with sharp eyes, and each herder has a strong spear.”

  As they walked, they counted their steps. Despite his long legs, Jacob struggled to keep up with Daniel. Every time Jacob got his numbers mixed up, Daniel made him start again. “You must be very exact with your counting, Jacob.”

  “I am getting too thirsty from all this counting,” Jacob said after a while.

  “Remember the last number you said, Jacob? Now, say it to yourself over and over. When we arrive, I will see if you can still remember the number. To care for cattle, you must remember how many you have at all times.”

  “Yes, Uncle. Are we almost there?” Jacob asked. “This is a very long walk uphill.”

  “Almost. I hope my friend looked after my herd well for me.” Daniel led the way up one last grassy hill. An open yellow field, spotted with brown, white, and black dots, spread before them as far as they could see.

  “There are many, many cattle here, Uncle. Too many for me to count!” Jacob grinned at his uncle. “But I remember my number—it was 78!”

  Most of the herders had finished their morning’s work, and some were resting against an elephant’s foot tree. The bottom of its massive gray trunk had the rough, gnarled look of elephant skin. One of the boys stood as they approached. “Your cattle are fine, Daniel. But perhaps you should count them, just the same.”

  “Thank you, my friend. Kir, this is my nephew, Jacob, younger brother of Kuanyin. He will stay with me for a few days.”

  “You will be able to help your uncle, Jacob. Welcome,” Kir said. “Kuanyin has moved his cattle to a higher field, but he may return while you are here.”

  Jacob stared around at the hundreds of cows. “But how do you know which ones are yours?” To Jacob, other than color, they all looked the same.

  “I work with them all the time, Jacob. My cows are my friends; once you get to know them, you realize they all look very different,” Daniel said. He stood between two oxen that appeared very similar to Jacob. “I know that this one is mine.” Daniel stroked the long horns of the one closest to him.

  “But they are almost the same,” Jacob said. “Like twins.”

  “To you, yes. But I know that mine has the longer horns— see?”

  “I guess so, “Jacob said, feeling doubtful.

  “They are also like people, each with its own personality,” Kir added. “Some are stubborn, some are friendly, and some are easily angered. And like families, they stick together.”

  “To me, they all look the same—brown, black, white, big brown eyes, swishy tails, and long, sharp horns,” Jacob said. “I can tell which ones are the girls, at least!”

  “Ahhhh .. it will soon be time for the days of toc.” Daniel patted his muscular stomach and licked his lips. “I am sure my beautiful cow girlfriends will provide me with plenty of fine, rich, creamy milk to make me strong enough to win the wrestling championship again this year.”

  Jacob stared at his uncle’s bulging arm m
uscles; his stomach was like hard wind ripples in the sand. He looked down at his own scrawny arms and his smooth, round belly. “Could you teach me to be a champion wrestler, too? Someday I would also like to be named ‘The Cat.’ When I wrestle with my friends, I often end up on my back, not like a cat at all!”

  “First, I will teach you how to milk a cow. Work first, play later, Jacob. Now, for this, you must lie on your back. Like this.” Daniel lay on his back, and scuttled beneath a cow with a particularly full pink udder. “Now, you hold this skinny part, not too roughly—the cow is a lady, after all! But hard enough to make the milk come.”

  Jacob laughed as the milk began spraying all over Daniel’s face. His uncle opened his mouth wider, but the milk was coming too fast. He sputtered as it poured down his cheeks onto the dirt. Jacob grinned. “My goat, Jenny, does not have so much milk. Can I have a turn?”

  Daniel stood up, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “Do you see this scar on my cheek, Jacob?”

  “Yes, Uncle. It looks like a half-moon,” Jacob said.

  “You must keep your face far away from the cow’s sharp hooves. A snake, or even a bee, might startle your cow. My brother forgot to tell me this when I was learning to work with cattle. A kite hawk screeching left me with this scar.”

  Jacob laughed as the warm milk squirted into his mouth. Sissy would like this, he thought. I wonder what she and Mama are doing today.

  When the cattle were looked after and resting in the shade, it was time for wrestling practice. Daniel showed Jacob how to keep his knees and waist bent, and how to swing his long arms out in front of him, like a monkey, all the time keeping his eyes fixed on his opponent’s eyes. “A wrestler must learn not to show his next move in his eyes—that is the number one lesson, but it is a hard one to learn.” Daniel looked down at his nephew. “Your feet are very long, Jacob. It is harder to put down a wrestler with big feet.”

  Jacob looked at his hare feet and smiled. Oscar will be sorry to hear that, with his small monkey feet; more like hands than feet!

  The herders sat around the fire after a meal of millet porridge. Jacob had eaten little as he was still full of warm milk.