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twg_000000045800 | soldiers. We know now that you trust us. I have set aside a house for you as long as you stay with us." "Thank you, Chief Edem. I am happy to be here." "This is my sister, Ma Eme," said the chief. Mary liked Ma Eme at once and Ma Eme liked Mary. They were friends as long as they | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045801 | lived. "I want to go to visit the next village now," said Mary. "I want to go to Ifako." "Oh, no, Ma," said Chief Edem. "The chief is a very bad man. He is not fit for you to meet. Besides he is drunk now and he doesn't know what is going on. You must stay at Ekenge." "Very well," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045802 | said Mary, "I will stay, but call the people together so that I can have a Jesus-talk." When the people had all come together, Mary told about God's great love for them. She told them about Jesus who died that they might be saved. She told them about the happiness Jesus would bring to their village by changing their lives | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045803 | when they came to Him. That night Mary did not sleep very much. The chief had given her one of the best houses in the village, but we would not think it was much of a house. Her bed was made of a few sticks with some corn shucks thrown over them. In the room all night were plenty of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045804 | rats and insects. But Mary's heart was happy. Later Mary went to Ifako. The chief there liked Mary very much. He and Chief Edem agreed to let her start a mission in their villages. Each one promised to give her ground for a schoolhouse and a mission house. Mary chose the places for the buildings. They were a half-hour's walk | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045805 | apart. "Now I must go back to Creek Town," said Mary. "When I come back again, it will be to stay." "Come soon, Ma," said Chief Edem. "It will make us very happy to have you stay with us." As they rode down the river, Mary could not sleep at first because the rowers kept whispering, "Don't shake the canoe | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045806 | or you will wake Ma," or "Don't talk so loud so Ma can sleep." At last, however, tired from her days of work in Ekenge and Ifako, she fell asleep and did not wake up until she came back to Creek Town. Now she was very busy getting ready to move to Ekenge. One of the traders heard about her | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045807 | going to Ekenge. "Do you trust those wild people?" he asked. "Do you think you can change them? What they need more than a missionary is a gun-boat to tame them down." "No, my friend," answered Mary, "they need the same thing that every person in the world needs and that is the Saviour Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can change | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045808 | the hearts of sinful people." At last Mary was packed up. She was taking with her the five children she had saved from death. Another missionary, Mr. Bishop, was going along with her. Now at last Mary was going to work in the jungles as she had wanted to do. She had been in Africa for twelve years. She was | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045809 | now forty years old. When Mary was ready to leave, all the people of Creek Town gathered around her. They told her good-by and wished her God's blessing. "We will pray for you," they said. One of the young men she had taught in school said, "I will pray for you, but remember you are asking for death when you | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045810 | go to that wild country." It was getting dark when Mary's boat landed near Ekenge. The rain was pouring down. It was a four-mile walk to Ekenge. Mary and the five children started out. Mr. Bishop and the men who carried the baggage were to follow. An eleven-year-old boy was in the lead. He was the oldest of the five | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045811 | children. He carried on his head a box filled with tea, sugar, and bread. An eight-year-old child followed him carrying a teakettle and cooking pots. Next came a three-year-old who held tight to little Janie's hand. Then came Mary carrying a baby girl and a bundle of food. The children slipped in the mud. They became soaked by the rain. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045812 | The jungle was dark around them and strange noises came from all sides. The children began to cry. They were hungry and scared. "Don't cry children," said Mary. "Remember Jesus is watching over us. He will take care of us. Soon we will be in the village and then we can have something to eat and we can put on | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045813 | dry clothes." They marched on. At last they came to the village. The village was dark and still. "Hello, hello," called Mary. "Is anyone here?" No one answered. Mary called again. At last two slaves came. "Ma," said the oldest slave, "the chief did not know you were coming today. The mother of the chief at Ifako died and all | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045814 | the people have gone to Ifako for the burying." "All right," said Mary. "We will wait here then for Mr. Bishop and the baggage carriers." "I will send a messenger to Chief Edem," said the slave, "to tell him that you have come." Mary took some of her food and cooked it over an open fire in the pouring rain. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045815 | She fed the children and put them to bed. At last Mr. Bishop came to the village. "I am sorry, Miss Slessor," he said. "The carriers will not bring anything until tomorrow. They are tired. They are afraid of the jungle trail." "But tomorrow is Sunday," said Mary. "It would be a bad example for them to do work for | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045816 | us on Sunday. I will not have them work tomorrow." "John," said Mary, turning to a young man who had come with Mr. Bishop, "you go back and tell the carriers they must come tonight for we need food and dry clothing." After the young man had gone, Mary decided she should go and help. She took off her muddy | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045817 | shoes and started back through the dark and fearful jungle. Mary was afraid when she heard the snarls of animals in the jungle, but she put her trust in God and went on. As Mary came near to the beach she met John. "Ma Mary," he said, "the men will not come. They will not bring the things until the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045818 | daylight chases away the hidden dangers of the jungle." "I will talk to them," said Mary. She plodded on through the mud. She came to the canoe. The men were all sound asleep. Mary woke them and put them to work. In the meantime Mr. Bishop had coaxed some of the slaves from Ekenge to help. Soon all the things | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045819 | Mary had brought were being carried to Ekenge. Sunday morning was cloudy. Mary got things ready for church. Church time came. But where were the people? Mary and Mr. Bishop and the children began to sing hymns as loud as they could. Still no one came. How discouraging! All the people had been at the burying. When they buried somebody, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045820 | especially somebody important like the chief's mother, they would have a wild party. The people would get drunk and do many other wicked things. The next day they would be too tired and sick to do anything. Mary and the children and Mr. Bishop kept on singing. At last a few women came. Mary gathered them around her and told | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045821 | them the story of Jesus and His love. The women listened but they did not say anything. After the service was over and the women had gone to their huts, Mary knelt down and prayed. "O God, my heavenly Father, with Your help I have made a beginning in the jungles of Okoyong. Things look black and discouraging now, but | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045822 | I know that if it is Your will You can change all that. If it is not Your will that my work is successful here, then send me wherever I can work best for You. Forgive my sins. Make me a better and more faithful worker for You. And bless the work here in Okoyong. I ask this for Jesus' | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045823 | sake. Amen." Would the work in Okoyong be a failure or a success? Time would tell. Mary knew that it depended on God. At last Chief Edem and his people came back from the wild, drunken party at Ifako. "Welcome Ma Mary," said Chief Edem. "I am glad you have come. I have a place for you. You take this | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045824 | room here in my women's yard. It is for you." "Thank you, Chief," said Mary. It was a dirty, filthy room, but it was the kind of room all the people of Okoyong used. Mary cleaned out the dirt. She had a window put in. She hung a curtain over the door. While she was working a boy came up | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045825 | to her. "Ma Mary," he said, "I am Ipke. I want to help you." Ipke worked hard. He helped Mary as much as possible. Whatever there was to do, Ipke was ready to do it. A few days later Mary looked out of her room. She saw Ipke. He was standing near a pot of boiling oil. A crowd of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045826 | people stood around yelling and shouting. Chief Edem came up to the crowd. Then a man took a dipper and filled it full of boiling oil. Ipke stretched out his hands in front of him. Suddenly Mary knew what was happening. She rushed out of her house, but she was too late. Already the man had poured the boiling oil | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045827 | over Ipke's arms and hands. "Why have you done this?" asked Mary. Chief Edem said nothing. He turned and walked away. The other people also kept still. Mary took Ipke to her room. She put medicine on the burns. "Why did they do this to you, Ipke?" she asked. "It is because I helped the white Ma. The people say | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045828 | I do not follow the old ways. It is bad to follow new ways. I must be punished. The bad spirit must be burned out." "O God," prayed Mary, "heal this boy and help me to change the wicked heathen ways." ## _A Brave Nurse_ It was strangely quiet in the village of Chief Okurike. The chief was sick. All | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045829 | the magic of the witch doctors could not make him better. If he died, many of his wives, slaves and soldiers would be killed to go with him into the spirit-world. A woman from a neighboring village came to the house of Chief Okurike's wives. "You are sad because Chief Okurike is dying," said the woman. "I know someone who | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045830 | can help him. Far away through the jungle at Ekenge lives the white Ma. With her magic she can make devils go out of your chief. My son's child was dying. The white Ma saved her. She is well today. The white Ma has done many wonderful things by the power of her juju. Let your chief send for her. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045831 | Then he will not die." The wives talked it over. "We must tell the chief," said the head wife. "He must send for the white Ma. If he dies, many of us must die too. We do not want to die." They told the chief about the strange white Ma at Ekenge. "Let her be sent for," said the chief. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045832 | "Send swift runners to ask her to come." All day long the men hurried through the jungle along the narrow paths. They went through many villages but they did not stop. At last after eight hours, they came to the village of Ekenge. "We are the men of Chief Okurike," said the men to Chief Edem. "Chief Okurike is very | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045833 | sick. We want the white Ala who lives in your village to come and heal him." "She will say for herself what she will do," said Chief Edem. He sent a man to tell Mary some men from Chief Okurike wanted to see her. Mary came at once to see what was wanted. "Ma," said the men, "Chief Okurike sent | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045834 | us. He is very sick. Come and bring your magic medicines and make him well." "What kind of sickness does your chief have?" asked Mary. "Maybe I can send the medicine with you." They shook their heads. They did not know what the sickness was. "I must help," said Mary to herself. "If the chief dies, then according to their | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045835 | heathen way the tribe will kill all his wives and slaves so he will have company on the long trip to the spirit-world. I must go and teach them about the Good Shepherd who is with us even in the valley of the shadow of death. If the chief should die and the tribe think that it is because of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045836 | witchcraft it will be even worse. Many people will be killed because the tribe will think they used witchcraft to kill the chief." "I will go with you," said Mary. "There are warriors out in the jungle and you will be killed. You must not go," said Chief Edem. "It is a long journey," said Ma Eme. "There are deep | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045837 | rivers to cross. It is raining very hard. You will never get there." "If Chief Okurike dies, there will be fighting and killing. You will be in great danger," said Chief Edem. "Don't go." Mary knew that if anything happened to her, Chief Edem would go to war against the tribe of Chief Okurike, because she was his guest, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045838 | a chief must protect his guest. Mary prayed to God about it. Then she said to Chief Edem, "I am sure that God wants me to go. It will be a chance to tell these people about Jesus who heals the soul-sickness. God will take care of me." "Well, Ma, I do not like it, but you may go if | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045839 | you wish. I will send women with you to look after you. I will send men to protect you." Early the next morning they started on the journey. It was raining hard. After they had left Ekenge, it began to pour. The jungle was flooded and steaming hot. It was hard to go, but Mary and the guard pushed on. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045840 | Soon Mary's clothes were soaked through. They became so heavy she could hardly walk. Her boots became water soaked. She took them off and threw them in the bush. Soon her stockings wore out and she walked through the jungle mud barefooted. She knew she was doing God's work, and even fearful rainstorms were not going to stop her. After | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045841 | three hours the weather began to clear, but now Mary's head began to ache from fever. As Mary and the guard passed through the jungle villages, the people looked at Mary with surprise. But nothing would stop Mary. She pushed on, and after walking through the jungle for eight hours, she stumbled into the village of the sick chief. Some | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045842 | of the people were crying. They expected to be killed when the chief died. Others were laughing and shouting. They were going to have "fun" when the chief died. They were going to kill people and have a wild party. Mary was tired and sick, but she went at once to the chief's house. He was stretched out on a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045843 | dirty bed. His face was gray with sickness. He was moaning and groaning. He was very near death. Mary examined the chief to see what his sickness was. She opened her little medicine chest and took out some medicine. She gave the chief a dose. It made the chief a little better. "I don't have enough of this medicine with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045844 | me," said Mary. She knew that away on the other side of the river another missionary was working. She knew he had some of the medicine. She went to the men of the village. "You must go across the river to Ikorofiong for more medicine," said Mary. "No, no, we cannot go," said the men of the village. "Our enemies | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045845 | are on the other side of the river. They will kill us if we go there." "But I must have the medicine," said Mary. "There is a man from that village down the river a little ways. He is living in his canoe on the river. Maybe he will go," said one of the men. Some of the men ran | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045846 | down to the river. They found the man. They promised him many things. At last he said he would go. The next day he brought the medicine to Mary. For days Mary nursed Chief Okurike. She taught one of his wives how to help her. She also told the chief and his family about Jesus. Whenever she could leave the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045847 | chief for a short time she would talk to the tribe about the Saviour and how He would change their lives if they believed in Him. Day after day Mary prayed for Chief Okurike. At last prayer won out. Chief Okurike got well. The people were very happy. "Ma Mary," they said, "we want to learn book." They meant that | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045848 | they wanted to learn about the Bible. "I am glad you do," said Mary, "but then you must do what the Book says." "We will," said the people. "We will make peace with Calabar. We will not kill the traders who come to our land or the other white people." "Then I will always be your worker and I will | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045849 | send you a teacher as soon as I can, who will teach you of the Saviour who died for you to pay for your sins." Mary went back to Ekenge. Here she found that Chief Edem was very sick. He had some very bad boils on his back. Mary put medicine on the boils. Every day she came to his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045850 | house and took care of him. One day when she came in she saw feathers and eggs lying around the room. This was witch doctor "medicine." On the Chief's neck and around his arms and legs were witch charms. "Oh, Chief Edem," said Mary, "how could you do this? Surely you know that doing witchcraft is a sin against God. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045851 | I do not see how you could go back to it after you had learned to know about Jesus." "Ma, you don't know all about these things. Someone is the cause of this sickness. You don't know all the badness of the black man's heart. Look, here are the proofs that someone is working witchcraft against me. The only one | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045852 | who can fight that is the witch doctor. He is the only one who can make me well. See, here are the things that were taken from my back." Chief Edem pointed to a collection of shot, egg shells, seed and other things which the witch doctor said had come from his back. He believed the witch doctor. He believed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045853 | that someone using witchcraft had sent them into his back. Mary knew what would happen. Everybody whom the chief thought might have done the witchcraft would have to take poison. The people thought that if the person who took the poison died, he was guilty, but if he was not guilty he would live. The tribe would also use other | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045854 | tortures like pouring boiling oil on people to get them to confess. "That is all wrong," said Mary. "The sickness is because you have not eaten good things or taken care of yourself and kept as clean as you should have. Don't believe the bad witch doctor." (God said something about that in Exodus :.) Chief Edem would not listen. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045855 | He had everyone he thought might have the witchcraft made a prisoner. The witch doctor took the chief and his wives and chief men and prisoners to a nearby farm. Mary was not allowed to come to this farm. Mary knew of Someone who could help her. She prayed to God again and again to keep these people from doing | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045856 | the bad things they planned. Days went by. Mary prayed that Chief Edem might get well. God heard Mary's prayers. He did what she asked. He made Chief Edem well again. When Chief Edem was well again he decided not to kill the prisoners, the people he thought might have done witchcraft against him. He let them go free. Then | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045857 | the chief and his wives and the chief men came back to the village. The tribe had a big party to celebrate. They were happy the chief was well. It was the wildest party Mary had ever seen. The people stuffed themselves with food until they became sick. They got drunk. They had wild dances. They did many wicked things. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045858 | Mary had often prayed that God would turn the heathen people from their wicked ways, but here they were carrying on worse than ever. The only answer to her prayers that she could see was that the prisoners who were going to be killed had been set free. "Am I doing anything for my Saviour?" Mary asked herself. "Am I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045859 | having any success in winning people for Jesus?" ## _Witchcraft_ One day Chief Njiri and his warriors came to visit Chief Edem. They stayed several days. They had wild parties every day. They drank native beer until they became drunk. Then they would quarrel and fight. They asked Mary to settle their quarrels and decide who was right. Mary was | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045860 | praying every day that there would not be bad fights and that no one would be killed. Finally it was the last night of the visit. The men were so drunk that Mary knew there would be trouble. When the chief and his men were ready to leave, everyone was excited. The people were shouting and pushing. Some shots were | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045861 | fired and the men began stabbing with their swords. They were too drunk to know what they were doing. Mary ran into the crowd. She went up to Chief Njiri. "Chief," said Mary, "your visit is over. Go now before trouble starts." She took hold of the chief's arm and led him out of the village and his men followed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045862 | him. They started for their own village. "I'm glad that's over," said Mary, but she had spoken too soon. On their way home, as they were staggering along, Bakulu, one of Njiri's men, cried out, "Look!" and pointed with his finger. The chief and his men stopped. "It is witchcraft," said Bakulu. "See the little banana plant with palm leaves, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045863 | nuts and a coconut shell close by!" "Don't go past it," said one of the other men. "It is bad medicine. You will get sick and die." "It is the people in the last village we passed through. They did it. Let us punish them," said Chief Njiri. "Yes, let's punish them," shouted the men. Mary had been following the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045864 | men to make sure they would go home. She heard the shouting. Now the men started running past her. She tried to stop them, but they slipped away. Mary took a short cut through the jungle. She reached the road to the village before the men did. "God, our Father in Heaven," prayed Mary, "help me for Jesus' sake to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045865 | stop these men, so there will not be a bloody battle." "Stop," she cried as the first men came in sight. "Stop, I want to talk to you." The men stopped. The others soon came running up. They had to stop, too. "You men are planning to do something bad. You do not know that the people of this village | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045866 | did bad things to you. You only think they did. You have drunk too much beer. You do not know what you are doing. Go home." "But Ma," said Njiri, "they have made bad medicine against us. They made witchcraft. They must be punished before we are hurt." Njiri and his men argued with Mary, but finally they listened to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045867 | her. They turned around and once more started for home. Mary went with them to make sure they would get there. At last they came again to the banana plant and the witch medicine. They were afraid to pass it. "If we pass it, we will get sick and die," said Njiri. "That is sinful foolishness," said Mary. "That banana | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045868 | plant and those other things will not hurt you. I am not afraid of them." Mary picked up the banana plant, the palm leaves, nuts and coconut shell and threw them into the jungle. "Now, brave men, come on. I have cleared the path. Let us go to your village." Timidly the men tiptoed past the place where the "medicine" | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045869 | had been. Then they went on to their own village. Once more Mary thought that all would be peaceful now for a while. She started for the village of Ekenge. No sooner was Mary gone than the people of Njiri began drinking again. Then they started quarreling and fighting. One of the men in the village ran and told Mary. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045870 | "I will fix that," said Mary. She took some of the men of Ekenge with her. She went to the village of Njiri. With the help of the men of Ekenge and some of the people of the village, they tied some of the most drunken men and the wildest fighters to the trees. They left them there to cool | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045871 | themselves in the breezes of the jungle. After several hours Mary untied them because she was afraid that some lions might come and kill and eat them. Now that things were quiet, Mary again started for home. On the way she picked up the little banana plant that had caused so much trouble and took it with her. "I will | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045872 | plant it in my own yard and see what witchcraft can do!" said Mary. Early the next morning, a man from Njiri's village came running into Ekenge. He went to Mary's house. "Ma," said the runner, "Chief Njiri was very sick last night. He suffered very much. The witch doctor took sticks and shells and shot from his leg. It | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045873 | is because he walked past the banana plant and other magic medicine. Give me the little banana plant for the chief." "No, I cannot do that," said Mary. She knew that if the banana plant was taken to the chief, someone would die because of the witchcraft belief. "But you must send it," said Chief Edem. "If you do not | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045874 | send it, he will make war on us." "Very well," said Mary, "I will send it. But I know there will be much trouble." So he took the banana plant to Chief Njiri. When he received it, he and his warriors went to the village which he thought was working witchcraft against him. He made all the people of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045875 | village come to him. In great fear they came. "Every one of you must swear that you did not make that bad medicine against me. I am going to find out who is working that witchcraft to hurt me." All the people of the village swore they had not done it. "I am going to take one of your finest | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045876 | young men with me. If I find that you have told me a lie, I will kill him." Njiri's warriors captured a young man and took him along. If the villagers had tried to rescue him, he would have been killed, and many of them would have been killed also. They sent a man to Mary. "Ma," said the man, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045877 | "please help us. Please get Njiri to free Kolu." "I don't like to have anything to do with Njiri. He is very wicked. But I will go and try to get Kolu free." Mary went to the village of Chief Njiri. She walked right up to the chief. The warriors of Chief Njiri looked at her with angry faces. They | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045878 | shook their spears at her. "Chief Njiri," said Mary, "why have you taken this young man? He has done you no harm. You are doing a bad thing." "Ha, ha," laughed Chief Njiri. "Do you think I am so foolish, Ma? I know these people put bad medicine in my path. I saw the sticks and shells which the witch | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045879 | doctor took from my leg. If sickness comes, I will kill this man." "The village people have sworn to you that they did not put those things in your path," said Mary. "Perhaps they are lying." "They are not lying, but you have lied. You promised to go home and not harm these people. You lied to me. You have | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045880 | made trouble. You went to their village and made them swear. You stole this young man. It is wrong to lie. God will surely punish those who speak with a lying tongue. Please set this young man free so that he may return to his village and his people." "Ma," answered Chief Njiri, "you do not understand these things. You | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045881 | do not know the badness in the hearts of these people. You do not know the bad things they want to do against me. You do not know about witchcraft." "Oh, yes, I do," said Mary. "I know that God will punish those who do witchcraft. He will punish those who are foolish enough to believe in it. The people | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045882 | who trust in Jesus do not fear witchcraft. Why do you not trust in Jesus?" "I don't need Jesus. I am a strong chief. I have many warriors. No one can harm me." "If no one can hurt you, why don't you set this young man free?" "I will not set him free. If I keep him, his people will | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045883 | be afraid even to try hurting me." "But think, Chief, how you would feel if you were captured and taken away from your people? Think how sad this young man feels. Great chiefs show mercy and kindness to the weak. Will you show mercy and kindness to the people of the village and free this young man?" "A great chief | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045884 | is not weak. He does not act like a woman. A woman shows kindness and love. I am not weak. I will punish. I will revenge myself on those who would do evil to me." "Revenge belongs to the true and powerful God. He will punish those who do evil. I beg you, Chief Njiri, to set this man free." | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045885 | "Ma, if I were not a good chief I would have killed you a long time ago. But go now. I do not want to hear your talk. I will not set this young man free. Maybe I will kill him. Maybe I will not kill him. But I will not set him free. Go, before I become angry with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045886 | you." "I will go, but remember Chief Njiri, the great and powerful God who sees and knows the badness in your heart. He knows the evil you do. Please turn to Him and believe in Him before it is too late and you end in Hell, the place where bad people suffer forever." "Go," said Chief Njiri angrily, "get out | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045887 | of my village. Go back to Ekenge." Sadly Mary started back to Ekenge. "I have failed these people who asked for my help. O God, soften the heart of Chief Njiri and keep Your protecting hand over the young man Kolu." When Chief Edem heard that Njiri would not set the man free, he said, "Njiri has insulted our Ma. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045888 | Let the warriors get their spears and shields. Let us get ready for war." The women slipped quietly into Mary's room to tell her the latest news. It made Mary sad that these men were getting ready for a war, but neither one of the chiefs would listen to her. Mary knew where to go for help. She prayed to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045889 | God. "O God," prayed Mary, "You can stop this war. You can soften the hearts of these cruel chiefs. Please stop this war so that the warriors may not be killed and their wives made widows and their children orphans. Hear me for the sake of Jesus, my Saviour." A man knocked on the door of Mary's hut. "Ma, Ma," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045890 | he cried, "Kolu has been set free. Chief Njiri let him go, and he is back at the village. There will be no war!" "Thank You, Father in Heaven," prayed Mary. "Thank You that You heard my prayers and that peace and quiet will again be in the villages." Mary had a true friend in Ma Eme, the sister of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045891 | Chief Edem. She helped Mary often. She did everything she could to help Mary and the mission, but one thing she never did, that was to confess Christ openly. She and Mary talked of many things as they worked together. One day Ma Eme said, "When my husband died, I had to go through the chicken test." "What is that?" | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045892 | asked Mary. "All of my husband's wives, I too, were put on trial. The witch doctors were trying to find who caused my husband, a great chief, to die. Each of us had to bring a chicken. The witch doctor chopped off the heads of the chickens one at a time. If the headless chicken fluttered one way, the witch | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045893 | doctor said the wife was innocent. If it fluttered the other way, he said she was guilty." "What happened when they cut off the head of your chicken?" asked Mary. "It fluttered wildly in the right direction. The witch doctor said I was innocent. But the strain had been so great I fainted and had to be carried to my | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045894 | hut. But many of the other wives were killed." "You do not believe in the witch doctors, do you?" asked Mary. Ma Eme looked all around. Then she stepped close to Mary and whispered, "No, but I would not tell anyone else. They are too strong and tricky. They could cause me much trouble if they knew I was against | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045895 | them." "I shall fight the witch doctors as long as God gives me strength. God is against the witch doctors who do such evil things." Chief Edem had promised Mary a house, and the people of the village had said they would build it. But whenever Mary wanted to start, they would say, "Tomorrow, we will start, Ma." But tomorrow | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045896 | just did not come. At last Mary and the children she had adopted and the native children cleared the ground. They stuck sticks in the ground for the wall. They began to make the roof. Then some of the lazy people of the village began to help, and at last the house was built. Mary also wanted to build a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045897 | church and school at Ifako. The chief there had promised to help. But the people of that village were lazy, too. They were always putting off doing the building. One morning a man came from Ifako. "My master wants you," he said. Mary went to Ifako. The chiefs were together at a cleared piece of ground. "See, Ma, here is | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045898 | your ground. Here are the sticks, and mud, and palm leaves and other things we need to build. Shall we build the church today?" It did not take long for Mary to say yes. The people of the village forgot to be lazy. They were having fun building the church. When it was finally finished it was twenty-five feet wide | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000045899 | by thirty feet long. We would not think that was a very big building, but it was the biggest in the village. "See," said the Chief of Ifako, "it is much better than the house at Ekenge." "It is a fine church," said Mary. "Now we must keep it clean and nice. There should be no dirty things in or | 60 | gutenberg |
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