When the Queen didn’t return that evening, the King grew thoughtful. Of course, he knew that a powerful spirit was rumored to be living out on the Point, but he felt certain his wife still lived. So he called his most respected griot, Jaliba, to his chambers and told him his suspicions.
After the meeting, the trusted adviser left the palace and walked to the River. He found the secret path with little trouble and came to the hidden beach, where he found the Queen lying limp on the ground. He rushed to her side and saw she was unconscious but alive. So then he sang out: Who beat my mother, Mama?
Who played her like a drum? Who beat my mother, Mama? Who beat her dumb? And the water rose and fell with a crash. And there stood the Jinne Mayo, who sang out in reply:
I am the one,
The one that beat your dear mum like a drum. She stole my gold and scattered my silver, So I beat her, I beat her dumb. With this, the griot bowed low and said, “O, mighty Spirit, I have come on behalf of the King. He knows that his wife is very foolish and has sent me to ask for your forgiveness, as well as negotiate your compensation.”
“Your King is very wise,” replied Jinne Mayo, “but very imprudent in the ways of love. This woman is bitter and ugly, all the way to the core. She has scattered my silver and soiled my gold, and I want to be repaid. So tell your King he can have his Queen, but I require two calabashes of silver, and two of gold.” “Thank you, mighty Spirit,” said Jaliba. “I will return in the morning with the King’s answer.” When the King learned of the meeting, his brow grew heavy with thought. He instructed his sons to collect the gold and silver and retired to his chamber to wait till morning. When the dawn broke, the King, dressed like a beggar, met his trusted friend outside the palace, and together they led the cart of gold and silver out to the River. |
When they came to the secret path, the King took a bow and arrow from the cart and slipped into the mangrove forest. Once he was well hidden, Jaliba took the calabashes and crawled to the hidden bank, where he found the Queen still lost in her dark dreams. Again, he sang out:
Who beat my mother, Mama?
Who played her like a drum? Who beat my mother, Mama? Who beat her dumb? And the water rose and fell with a crash. And the Jinne Mayo stood on the bank and replied in song:
I am the one,
The one that beat your dear mum like a drum. She stole my gold and scattered my silver, So I beat her, I beat her dumb. With this, the griot bowed and said, “O, mighty Spirit, I have come with the King's answer—” and the wise old sovereign, hidden among the branches, let loose his bow and struck Jinne Mayo in the stomach with his arrow. The Spirit fell with a crash and lay prostrate on the bank.
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Jaliba then rushed to his fallen Queen and shook her awake. But her eyes were blank; her tongue, tied. She was awake but still dreaming.
“O, my King!” cried the griot, “your Queen is alive, but she is deaf and dumb to the world.” “It’s all right, my friend. It is as I expected,” said the wise old King. “Nor could it have been helped. I’d have had to lock her up to stop her, which of course I couldn’t do. ’Tis a pity, to be sure.” Then the King came over and kneeled down beside his witless wife. “I will carry the Queen,” he said. “Leave a calabash of silver, and one of gold, too—this Spirit isn’t dead, yet—and let us return to the village, where we may hope to find some peace.” |