The Poison Mushrooms , livre ebook

130

pages

English

Ebooks

2024

Écrit par
Edwin Semzaba

Publié par
Readit Books Ltd

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130

pages

English

Ebooks

2024

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Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus

Publié par

Readit Books Ltd

Date de parution

17 juillet 2024

EAN13

9789912982840

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

30 Mo

The village of Kiwanda is experiencing a famine. All villagers have to go to Kiometasaba to collect their rations. The journey to Kiometasaba using the long route is not normally dangerous, but in this time of famine the villagers encounter a lion attacking its prey. Tunda and Zamaradi, the children of Mziwanda and Makufini, are firsthand witnesses. As if that is not enough adventure, Tunda and Zamaradi must return to Kiwanda using the shorter route through the dense forest and wild animals. They have to hurry because they have learnt their parents may be in danger back at home. Will they reach Kiwanda on time to save their parents? How will they survive in a forest where villagers fear to tread?

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Publié par

Readit Books Ltd

Date de parution

17 juillet 2024

EAN13

9789912982840

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

30 Mo

THEPOISONMUSHROOMSE S DWIN EMZABA E P XODIA UBLISHERS D S AR ES ALAAM

Exodia Publishers P. O. Box 32834 Dar es Salaam. Readit Books Ltd. P. O. Box 20986 Dar es Salaam Email: readitbook@gmail.com

ISBN 978-9912-9828-4-0

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Exodia Publishers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Burt Award for African Literature recognizes excellence in young adult fiction from African countries. It supports the writing and publication of high quality, culturally relevant books and ensures their distribution to schools and libraries to help develop young people’s literacy skills and foster their love of reading. The Burt Award is generously sponsored by Canadian philanthropist Bill Burt, and is part of the ongoing literacy programs of the Children’s Book Project for Tanzania and CODE, a Canadian NGO supporting development through education for over 50 years.

iii

FOREWORD

Since 2008, the Children’s Book Project for Tanzania (CBP) has been supporting novel writing and publishing in English with the aim of promoting the learning of English for the youth in upper primary and secondary schools. In a country like Tanzania where English is not widely used outside the classroom, concerted efforts need to be in place to support its acquisition through intensive and extensive reading.

The Burt Award for African Literature aims at producing books which show the local situation, depicting familiar environments in order to arouse the interest and enthusiasm of the reader. Consequently, students can develop the habit of reading and enjoying interesting stories while improving their English skills and, ultimately, their ability to learn other subjects taught in English. It is indeed the expectation of the project that the Burt Award for African Literature will be a catalyst for success in other subjects.

CBP wishes to thank the panel of judges for their dedication and integrity, and both CODE and Mr. Burt for broaching and supporting the project and all our stakeholders, including writers, publishers, librarians, teachers and students. It is their collective participation in various ways that has made the project a success. Pili Dumea Executive Secretary Children’s Book Project for Tanzania

Acknowledgment

Foreword

Chapter 1

The Famine

Chapter 2

CONTENTS

The Dangerous Journey

Chapter 3

Back With The Group

Chapter 4

Poison Mushrooms

Chapter 5

A Race Against Time

Chapter 6

The Chase

Glossary

III

103

121

CHAPTER ONE The Famine

In the early hours of the day the village of Kiwanda, one among hundreds under the chieftain-ship of Kimweri, was still very quiet. Kiwanda was experiencing famine and the elderly and the sick saw death staring at them in the face. Food was very scarce. People had resorted to eating roots and dry leaves to escape death. People were very weak. Walking was almost a luxury. Everyone needed to reserve the little energy remaining in one’s body for yet another day. The silence that enveloped Kiwanda was frightening. The few cattle that remained in the village, all died or had been consumed. Chicken were among the few livings things seen moving around. They gave almost no sounds. They also probably instinctively knew they had to preserve their energy to enable them to scratch the sand for yet another day. But even this tragic state was not the main reason for the silence that had befallen Kiwanda this morning. The Zumbe Mkuu Kimweri had been told at his headquarters of Vuga about the famine in Kiwanda but the messengers sent to him never came back. A dozen messengers sent to Vuga palace did not report back. Vuga was known to have a stock of food the year round. The realization that help was

not forthcoming was also not the reason for the deathly silence that surrounded Kiwanda on this particular morning. The silence was caused by a mysterious disappearance of a five-year-old boy. Soothsayers who were contacted said the sorcery habits of some people in Kiwanda was behind the boy’s disappearance. Many believed the soothsayers. They knew that the famine could make one do evil things. This incident made the villagers of this isolated community fearful and unhappy. They feared for everyone’s safety if sorcery was the cause. This also showed how threatening the famine had become. When the sun had sufficiently risen some activities had gotten under way. Children walked from one house to another under the watchful eyes of their parents. One particular house was very much taken aback by the disappearance of the child. This was the house of Mziwanda and his wife Makufini. The one who died was their neighbour’s child. They also had a ten-year-old boy, Tunda and his sister, Zamaradi, aged fourteen. As the famine persisted no one was safe from the unknown sorcerers, especially children. “Watch out Tunda!” said her mother, Makufini, as she saw Tunda moving far from their house. “Do not go far from the house. It is dangerous.” “Yesmama, I am not going far from the house,” replied Tunda.

“Come back! Come back!” Makufini said to her son in a patronizing way. Tunda obeyed and cut short his loitering. He returned to the compound of the house. “What’s going on?” Makufini’s husband, Mziwanda, who was coming out of the house asked. “I was telling Tunda not to stray far from the house. The village is no longer safe.” “Exactly, Kiwanda is no longer safe.” In a stern voice he said, “Tunda don’t stray far from the house on your own. It is dangerous. Do you hear?” “Yes father,” Tunda said as he sat down near the entrance of their house. Turning to Makufini Mziwanda said, “The village Mdoe has called all the males of Kiwanda for an important meeting to discuss what has happened. I am going to the meeting. Please don’t allow the children to go out of sight.” Mziwanda then walked slowly away as if to make sure the little energy in him continued to be stored. Makufini stood at the thatched door of their house and looked at her husband as he walked away. Probably she was wishing him a safe walk to the chairman’s place and to come back in one piece. *****************

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