Shadrick Stone-Hall October 28, 2013 American literature

Shadrick Stone-Hall

 

October 28, 2013

 

American literature

 

Short story

 

The Three Sisters

 

In a small village on the outskirts of a thriving city, a poor woman lived, in a hut, with her 3 beautiful

 

daughters Serwa, Etinosa, Obioma. The eldest Serwa was very clever. She was said to be as brilliant as she was

 

beautiful. Etinosa the second daughter was as strong as any man and three times as brave. Obioma the youngest

 

had the kindest heart in all of Africa.

 

The old woman could no longer take care of her daughters as she had become too sick and frail. She sent

 

her daughters on separate paths to find work. Serwa headed west along the road to a nearby village where there

 

was said to be work. Etinosa headed east along a dirt path through to the great savanna. Etinosa had heard of a

 

farmer that needed a strong hand to help with the labor. Obioma traveled north on the road to the great city. She

 

hoped to give herself as a servant to the king in exchange to medicine for her mother.

 

Along her way to the near village to the west, Serwa came across an old

 

vagabond just outside of the village. He asked her where she was going. Serwa

 

said, “To find work to pay my mother. She has provided for my sisters and I all

 

our life and it is my duty to help her now.” “Ahh,” said the beggar “ I see your

 

mother is not well is she.” “No Sir.” Responded Serwa sorrowfully. The old man

 

apologized and said that there was no

 

work in this village. “However” the beggar

 

when on to say, “I will give you a gift for

 

your mother if you can solve my riddle.”

 

Distraught at the news that there was no

 

work in the village, Serwa agreed to the

 

offer not wanting to leave empty handed. “Very well here is your riddle” the man said, “Poor people have it. Rich

 

people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?” Serwa thought for a moment. “Hmmm,” said Serwa “ The answer

 

is nothing” With a joyful laugh the man proclaimed, “ Wonderful my Child, here is your prize.” He handed

 

the girl a beautifully woven leather bag with an elephant debossed on its face. He told Serwa that this bag was

 

a mystical item and very rare. “It would fill with as many gold pieces as you want, one only had to ask for how

 

much they wanted,” the old man exclaimed. Serwa was of course skeptical of the beggar what he claimed the bag

 

could do. “One Hundred,” said Serwa dispassionately. Upon opening the bag Serwa was speechless a hundred

 

gold piece filled the bag. “Now run home to your dear mother,” said the Man. So she did thanking the man and

 

running as fast as she could to her mothers house.

 

Meanwhile Etinosa kept east along a dirt path through the savanna toward the farm. On her journey

 

a young boy ran behind her and was gaining on her. Soon the boy past Etinosa and as he passed she noticed a

 

large decorative bowl strapped to his back. The bowl was so large in fact, that as the boy past, Etinosa could only

 

see his scrawny ankles and callused feet peeking out below the great bowl. Out of the tall grass a lion appeared

 

right in front of the boy. Freighted and stunned the boy came to a stop so suddenly that he fell back into the very

 

bowl he was carrying. The lion with a low growl, glared at the boy, while salivating at the thought of such a well

 

presented meal. Like a bolt Etinosa darted in front of the boy, as if she were made of lightning. Etinosa fearlessly

 

growled back at the beast clutching her knife. The great cat lunged forward, with talon like claws extended ready

 

for the slaughter. Skillfully Etinosa cut the claws from the paws of the cat, with her razor sharp blade. The knife

 

finally ended between its eyes of the great

 

animal. Amazed by the performance, the

 

boy with tears of joy in his eyes hugged

 

Etinosa. “I must repay your bravery,”

 

said the boy “Take my this bowl is very

 

powerful.” Laughing at the boy Etinosa took

 

the bowl. The boy explained bowl’s power;

 

it would fill with any food or drink you

 

could think of, all you had to do was say what you wanted and it would appear. Doubting but intrigued by the

 

young ones claim Etinosa said, “Fresh fruit and water for my weary little friend here.” In the bowl appear what

 

she had asked for, the freshest fruits she had ever smelled and the clearest water she had ever seen. The two ate

 

and drank the entire bowl and when they had finished Etinosa headed home with heist.

 

At this time Obioma had found her way into the market place of the great city to the north. She was

 

startled when two merchants drug a younger man to the ground and began to beat him. “Stop stop!,” Obioma

 

screamed. The merchants stopped and turned to her asking her why she would interfere. Obioma asked, “ What

 

could this man have done that he deserve worse treatment then the lowest animals. “A thief deserves worse,”

 

proclaimed one of the Merchants, pulling a dagger from his waist band. “ Hold out your right hand” yelled the

 

other merchant. “Please sir,” cried the man “I only stole the food to give to my starving children.” Three girls, no

 

more than five years of age, emerged from the crowd. “Please do not take our fathers hand,” pleaded the girls.

 

“Our father is a great luthier.,” The girls proclaimed “ If you take his hand we will starve for sure.” The fatter

 

merchant demanded, “ You know the law, a theif ’s punishment is the taking of his stealing hand.” Upon hearing

 

the exchange, Obioma was dumbfounded that amongst the hundreds of people in the market place not a single

 

person was willing to help this poor man. “This is what you get thief ” whispered merchant to the man. He raised

 

the dagger above his head and as his hand began to swing downward to meet the wrist of the poor father. When

 

suddenly Obioma pulled the young man’s arm away from the daggers path and presented her own. The merchant

 

steadied his cleave just in time. “Are you mad girl?” The flabbergasted dealer asked. “Take mine instead.”

 

Obioma said tranquilly. “You must be mad,” said the merchant “ You would give up your hand for stranger, for

 

a scoundrel, for a thief ?” Obioma said with great poise, “No I give it to a provider, to a father, to a friend.” All of

 

the sudden great gust of wind swirled like a cyclone around her. The dust cloud that was formed was so thick

 

that she could see nothing but the faint face of the young man in front of her. The wind stopped just as swiftly as

 

it came and as the dust settled the man’s face became more clear until she could see all of him. Now the young

 

father stood before her alone in the market, as if the gust had taken everyone else away. Bewildered by the sight

 

Obioma began to speak but was cut short by the man. “You truly are selfless down to your very bones,” the man

 

exclaimed. “ I offer to you this golden rhino horn, it has the power to heal any sickness and any mortal wound,

 

all you have to do is play it in a time of need.” Said the young man. He knelt down on one knee and presented

 

Obioma the gift and as her hands grasped the horn the man vanished. Amazed and frighted all at once, and with

 

out questioning the power of the horn, she ran home as fast as she could clutching the horn tightly in the very

 

hand she was willing to sacrifice.

 

Still running frantically Obioma saw her sisters in front of their mother’s house. As she drew closer to

 

them she notice that they were both weeping uncontrollably over a very thin pale figure. The eldest cried out to

 

her, “Mother is dying, she has gotten so much worse in our absence.” “Nonsense,” Obioma said with loving eyes,

 

“ She is better then ever.” Immediately Obioma blew the horn and the sweetest sound emerged from that golden

 

horn and filled the air. Their mother was completely healed before their eyes. Amazed they asked where she got

 

the horn and she told them about the market place and man

 

she met. The others told her of there travels and the old man

 

and the young boy and the treasure they received. The three

 

sisters and their mother lived for many more years no longer

 

in poverty, and no longer hungry. But they stayed as smart,

 

and brave, and selfless as ever. In those years the beautiful girls

 

became beautiful women. And were given the title of the Three

 

Queens of Africa by the people. They ruled over the lands with

 

love for many more years. And on the day that there mother

 

passed from age she told them of their father, the musician.

 

“How he would have loved to see his girls,” she thought.

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