Newton High School - Newtonian Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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12 THE NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL Scene 2. QThe village wall. A fortification heaped out of mud, crowned with a line of thorn bushes. A rude gate to the left. Over the wall can be seen the tops of houses-tall, peaked, grass-thatched roofs. There is one especially high-that of a temple to F ougamou, the great iron-smith. To the right are a couple of palm treesj Uoba and the woman enter softly. They crouch on the outside of the wall.j Joba.-This is the village. We must be cautious, for the people hate me, as I told you before. But be brave. If we can once get to my house unper- ceived, I can keep them at bay until they get used to our being there and won't interfere with us. That is my house there, the one with the skins hanging from the peak. She.-Do we live inside those filthy buildings? I would stifle .... Joba.-No, no, you must not feel thus. It will be hot for a while, I know, but we must live .... In a few days you will be able to go with the other women tothe spring for water. She.-Water? I do not know what-. CA child in play has climbed to the top of the wall, laughing as it tries to balance itself there. Suddenly it looks down and sees the couple. It shrieks and jumps down behind the wallj The Child.-Joba! Joba. has come back! He will murder us all! He has a witch with him! A Witch! Witch! fThere is an answering tumult in the villagej Joba.-We are discovered! Keep close to me. We will get in yet .... QA crowd of people in an uproar open the gates, and block the entrance, but do not come out. They shake their fists, and threaten with spears. Witch! Murdered Red-skin sorceress! Aniemba! Do you want our souls? Would you kill our cattle with your spells? I have a fetish that is stronger than yours ! 'AGO away from here l You are not wanted here ! We may kill you if we have to drive you away again ! You had better go ! are cried in chorus.j An old Woman Cstepping outj.-You killed my song I curse you! Chorus.- Yes, you killed him ! We will kill you l Can you bring him back to life ? Go back to the forests with your bride ! You can live in her tree-palace ! Go, or we will curse you ! A Joba.-She is no witch! We shall die in the forests. I will pay the blood price, if you will only let us come back .... Chorus.-- No, no ! Who ever saw a woman with a red skin that was not supernatural? She is a witch and lives in the trees! She is a. gorilla at night ! Dog tooth! Dog tooth! We are getting ready to hunt you if you don't go! Here comes the priest! 'The priest! The Priest Cpreceded by a rude gongb .-Joba, murderer, get you gone! Joba.-Father, spare us!

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THE NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL 11 not even at the king's balls. She is different from anything I ever saw. Where could she have gotten such a wonderful red tinge to her skin? Her hair is long and wavyg one cannot tell it from the smoke at times. Her lips are redder than the lion's gums, they are not so full as the village women's lips, they are much more delicateg and how they smile! They smile brighter than the lake after one has been huntingg they are more refreshing than the water on one's own lips. She is more beautiful than the gods themselves. She must have had Joba himself for father. No, Joba must have sent her to me for a bride! tHe dashes into the fire. For a moment he remains there, struggling in the swirling smoke and cinders, trampling on the burning coals with his naked feet, trying to drag the woman out of the flames, till at length he succeeds, and the fre is extinguishedj CShe stands upright on the opposite side of the opening from him, her arms drawn close to her sides. Her long dark hair drapes her as in a mantle. She is shivering, but one cannot tell whether it is from cold or fright. They look at each other.j Joba.-Who are you? . . . She.-I-I do not know .... Joba.-Whence do you come? She.-Out of the flame .... It is gone .... I must go, too. Joba .-Where? She.-I do not know .... I do not belong here .... Joba.-But where can you go? The fire is out .... Do you come from the great Joba, the sun? She.--It was hot, and I was wild with joy. I was dancing and you stopped me. You seized me by the waist and pulled me out into the cold .... Look, you can still see the ashes with a little smoke floating up .... I will die. Joba.-You will not die .... I will keep you warm .... Joba sent you to me for a bride. He is my father. She.-Who is Joba? Q Joba.-He is my father. He is the sun. One can see him now, up through the leaves .... He sent you to me, did he not? She.-Perhaps he did .... fShe looks at him with greater confidence.J I am cold .... Joba.-We cannot stay hereg you might die. The beasts prowl here at night. Come, follow me, swiftly. She.-Where are we going? Joba.-Back to the village. They hate me there, but I am strong and I can make them let me in .... Besides, there is no other place, as it will soon be winter, when it rains and the nights are very coldg and you might die .... QExit quickly. She pauses to look back on the handful of ashes in the center of the opening, then follows swiftly after him.j

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THE NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL 13 The Priest.--And take with you the Witch! joba.-She is no Witch. The Priest.-Then will she undergo the test of the burning oil? joba.-No, for it is not fair! It is only the witches themselves that survive it. Let us in I I will make full amends .... QA man has climbed a palm tree and is vigorously shaking the branches. Several people have found gongs and are ringing them continuously. Others are blowing discordant conch shells.j The Priest.-Go, or I will turn the warriors loose on you. Joba.-But we will die if we go back to the forests .... The Priest.-Fougmou will sharpen our spears against you. He himself will pursue you. Joba.-joba will protect us against you, for this is his daughter and I am his son. Beware of his wrath! The Priest.-He withdraws his protectiong see, the clouds are covering his face for the first time in months .... Joba.-It is but the winter rains! They are belated .... The Priest fto the crowdsj.-Joba withdraws his protection! They are doomed. Let them reach the jungle. After that they may be killed .... fjoba and the woman flee. The gong rings still more loudly. The warriors go for their weaponsj Scene 3. CThe desert. A vast wilderness of sand, blown here and there into hillocks. The sky is filled with dark clouds moving hither and thither, disclosing now and then a little corner of blue sky.j Cjoba and the woman enter, exhausted. He is supporting her. They sink down behind a tiny hill. joba looks at the sky and shakes his head, then turns to the woman again.j Joba.-We can rest here. We have thrown them off the track. They thought we would Hee to the forest, but the beasts there would have killed us at night, for we would have no tree palace, as they think. The brutes! If they had but one neck, how I would love to throttle them! She.-It is getting dark and cold .... Joba.-Be quietg you are tired, and cannot afford to exert yourself. I will see if they are near us .... CHe crawls on his stomach to the top of the sand-hill. Cautiously he peers around for a long time. There is no one in sight. He comes down again.j Joba.--We are saved! There is no one anywhere near us for miles. They have all gone to the forest, where a tiger may carry one off. We must cross the desert, which will be difficult, for the days are so hot and the nights are very cold. Then it is so hard to get water, but luckily I have my water-skin. We must save. When the desert is crossed, there are fine green trees and people with white skins who build their houses out of stone. They are very kind and will help us