They tasted the bitterness of exile. Their feet plowed up the dust of the path as they walked. They suffered insults from their countrymen. Doors were shut against them and they were chased away from each village. No one dared to help them for fear of the queen. As they trudged down the path they were escorted only by a chorus of crickets.
Two days' journey downstream on the River Niger, they came to the home of the sorcerer king of Djeliba. They were greeted pleasantly enough in words, but the welcome was full of mistrust. Yet, it is the custom to offer hospitality to travelers, so the king invited them to stay.
The palace had seventy spacious rooms arranged in a maze and thick walls. Oil lamps lit the labyrinth of this mysterious, dark palace. There were many servants, and Sogolon's family was made comfortable.
It was here they settled. Sundjata and his brother Manding Bory became friends with the other children of the palace. They enjoyed games and hunting with the other boys. But even with the kindness and hospitality they received in Djeliba, they felt torn between their present and past homes.
Three months later secretly two messengers came to the palace. They were from Queen Sassouma with a promise of gold if the king killed Sundjata. All this was overheard by a daughter of the king, and a friend of Sundjata and Manding Bory.
Early the next day she went to find Manding Bory. "Late last night," she said, "messengers spoke to my father about Sundjata. They came from Mali and offered my father much gold. I didn't hear all they said."
"I can imagine," Manding Bory replied. He knew he had to warn his brother of a plot on his life.
"Tonight my father will surely call Sundjata to a game of wori," she continued. "He is a great sorcerer and his power is in the game of wori. His skills were revealed to him by guardian spirits. Don't tell my father anything I have said, or he will kill me!" Then she ran back to the palace.
From a distance Sundjata was watching his younger brother with the princess and teased him. "I see you are fond of the daughter of the king!"
Manding Bory responded with a laugh, "If you want to tame the lion, you must be on good terms with the lion cub!"
The two boys continued exchanging proverbs, for men's knowledge is contained there. When children use proverbs well, it is a sign they have learned wisely from their elders.
Sure enough, that night Sundjata was called to the king's inner chamber. On the walls were outstanding weapons and magical fetishes. In the middle of the room was the king seated on a cow hide. In front of him was a game board with small pebbles. Unafraid Sundjata entered the dimly lit room. He was moving toward his destiny and did not know what fear was.
"What beautiful weapons you have, sire," he said. He seized a sword and began to fence with it against an imaginary foe. The king was astonished and watched the skills of the extraordinary child. Then the young prince put the sword back and said, "You sent for me, and I am here."
"Sit down," said the king. "It is my habit to invite my guest to play at wori. But I have an unusual condition. If I win -- and I will surely win -- I kill you."
Without being upset, Sundjata responded confidently, "And if I win?"
"In that case," the king laughed, "I will give you what you wish. But you should know that I always win."
"All I ask for is that sword hanging on your wall," Sundjata replied.
"Very well," said the king and began to put four pebbles into each of the holes. As he did this, he chanted:
"Wori is the invention of a hunter,
I am unbeatable in this game.
I am called the exterminator king."
And Sundjata, taking the pebbles from another hole, continued the chant as he took his turn:
"In the past guests were honored.
Gold came only yesterday.
But I came before."
"Someone has betrayed me!" the king roared knowing that Sundjata had learned of his deadly plot.
"No, king. Do not accuse anyone," said the child. "It is nearly three moons that I have been living with you and you never suggested a game of wori before. Allah protects the guest."
Confused and shaken by being discovered in a sinister plot, the king said, "You have won, but you will not have what you asked for! And I turn you out of my town. Leave at once."
Sundjata rose and bowed politely while staring calmly at the nervous king. "Thank you for your hospitality for almost three months. But I will return," he said glancing again at the sword. Then he turned and left.
So once again Sogolon and her children trod the path of exile. Suffering under the heat of day and the chill of night, they finally arrived at Tabon. This region is in the mountains and is inhabited by blacksmith magicians and warriors. The king of Tabon was old and wise. He had heard of the family's difficulties. He advised them to seek the protection of a caravan of Arab merchants who were leaving in a few days for Ghana. In the meantime, they were welcomed into the palace as honored guests.
Sundjata struck up a special friendship with Fran Kamara, the son of the king and heir to the throne. Fran Kamara invited the boys on a hunting party. Outin the bush, the youngsters talked like men.
"When I go back to Mali," Sundjata said," I will pass through Tabon and we will go victoriously to Mali together. Between that time and now, we will have grown up."
"The army of Tabon will be under my command by then," Fran Kamara said. "And blacksmiths are excellent warriors."
"I will make you a great general," Sundjata said. "We will travel through many kingdoms and emerge the strongest of all."
The exiled family took to the road again. The king of Tabon had given them horses and the caravan headed north across the savanna to where the sands cover the land.
Tabon was very far from Ghana, but the merchants were very good to Sogolon and her family. It was during this long trip that Sundjata heard about the powerful king of Sosso, Sumangaru, whom he would fight one day. Sundjata knew that his griot, Fasso Berete, had been sent to Sosso. He learned that Sumangaru was the richest and most powerful king, and even the king of Ghana had to pay him tribute. He was also a man of great cruelty.
Once in the kingdom of Ghana, they came to the city of Wagadou. The king greeted them by saying, "Welcome royal family of Mali. My palace is your palace. The friendship which unites Ghana and Mali goes back to a very distant age. We are cousins."
In the comforts of the palace Sogolon recovered quickly from her exhaustion. But after a year she became ill. The king decided to send Sogolon to his cousin, the king of Mema. Mema was the capital of a great kingdom on the River Niger not far from Do, Sogolon's first homeland. Surely, he thought, the air from the river would restore her health.
Traveling with merchants by camel caravan, the family got accustomed to riding the animals which were unknown in Mali. Always eager to learn, Sundjata asked the caravan travelers many questions. They were well-informed people. Sundjata learned about the lands beyond Ghana, the lands of the Arabs, and of his own ancestor, Bilal, the faithful servant of the Prophet Muhammad. He learned also about Alexander the Great, conqueror of a vast empire. But it was with terror that the merchants spoke of Sumangaru of Sosso who robbed merchants of everything when he was in a bad mood.
Before arriving at Mema, a great escort was sent out to meet the travelers. Archers and spearmen formed in a double line to welcome Sogolon and her family. They were given rooms in a wing of the great palace.
As usual, Sundjata made his presence felt among the young princes of Mema, and he gained their respect and friendship. The king himself could hardly take his eyes off the young prince. He had no son of his own, and was impressed by the greatness and confidence of someone so young. Could this be his adopted heir?
Years passed and Sundjata grew. His body became stronger and he shot up like a young tree. His misfortunes had made his mind wise.
The King of Mema recognized in Sundjata great strength and leadership. He asked Sundjata to join him as a warrior. Sundjata was as agile as a panther, as noble as a lion, and as ready to attack as a buffalo. By eighteen years of age, Sundjata had already proven himself a great warrior. The King of Mema, who had no son of his own, thought of Sundjata as his own successor.
But as Sundjata grew stronger, his mother Sogolon became weaker. One day Sogolon called Sundjata to her bed. "My destiny is finished. Yours is about to begin. Your life lies before you like a beautiful river. It is nearly time for you to return and claim your rightful position as king in Mali. Your destiny is not here. Remember we had to run away like thieves in the night because of Sassouma and her son Dankaran. That is where you must take up the challenge. Better death than shame! Never forget that, my son."
"I shall never forget that, my mother!"
While Sundjata was away from his homeland, all the lands of the savanna had fallen under the domination of Sumangaru - the invincible King of Sosso. After defeating the kings of Ghana, no one dared oppose him anymore.
Sumangaru was descended from the line of blacksmiths who first harnessed fireand taught men to work with iron. And like all masters of fire, Sumangaru was a great sorcerer.
Sumangaru had fortified the town of Sosso with three walls. In the middle of the town was his palace with a seven-story tower that loomed over thethatched huts. His fetishes had a terrible power and all kings trembled before him. He could deal a swift death to whomever he pleased. Sumangaru felt that he was untouchable, and indeed, no man had the power of this sorcerer king! He was invulnerable to arrows. They bounced right off of him! In war he had never known defeat.
Years before, Sassouma and Dankaran had tried to keep their kingdom safe from Sumangaru. They had sent Balla Faseke, Sundjata's griot, to stay in Sumangaru's palace. And Sassouma had sent her own daughter, the beautiful Nana, to him as a bride. They had hoped these gifts of Nana and Balla Faseke would buy them peace.
But Sumangaru recognized that young king's weakness and easily conquered his land. Rather than fight, the cowardly Dankaran scampered off into the neighboring forests taking his mother with him. The people of Mali were without a leader.
And what had become of Nana and Balla Faseke? They knew of their people's suffering, but bided their time. They lived in Sosso in the palace of Sumangaru.
Even though the king had three hundred wives, Nana had become his favorite. She knew that she must become close to the king in order to learn of his powers. Balla Faseke had also earned the king's respect because of his good advice and wisdom. And so, they waited...
One day when the king was away, Balla Faseke snuck into the most secret chamber of the palace tower. He was amazed at what he saw.
On the walls were human skins stretched like trophies, and one covered Sumangaru's throne in the middle of the room. Nine human heads formed a circle around a hugesacrificial clay jar filled with water. There was evidence of orgies of blood and knives, and the room was full of idols. Perched above the bed were two guardian owls with their eyes partially open, sleepily observing the intruder at the door.
As Balla Faseke entered, a huge yellow and white snake lifted its head from the water in the jar. Balla, who was also a master of sorcery, recited magic incantations and the snake safely slid back under the water.
So frightened was Balla Faseke from the horrors of the chamber that he tried to scream, but no sound came from his throat. To keep from shaking, he called out a magic spell and his terror suddenly vanished. It was at that moment that he saw a large balafon - his favorite musical instrument, one in which he had been trained and over which he had special powers. The balafon before him was the balafon which the blacksmith and powerful sorcerer king Sumangaru played after each of his victories to accompany his own songs of praise for himself.
Balla could not help feel a surge of joy. He sat down to play a few notes with the little mallets. The wooden bars produced an extraordinary melody and harmony at the slightest touch. As he played, the guardian owls opened their eyes and moved their heads at the sweet sounds. The nine death heads began to come to life again. Yes! All those heads began to open their eyelids and lifted their lips in smiles.
Even though Sumangaru was absent from his palace in Sosso, he was mystically in touch with the balafon's spirit. He knew that someone had come into his most private chamber.
Furious, he dashed back to his palace and ran up the steps of the high tower. He rushed in the room with his sword drawn, shouting.
"It is I, Balla Faseke," the griot calmly replied. Then he began to play in honor of the king and his voice rang out in praise. The room filled with the magically sweet sounds.
The king was flattered by the praises and captivated by the music. (Did he not share the weaknesses of all men?) Sumangaru said, "I shall never touch the balafon again. From now on, you shall be my griot and it shall be your duty to play on this instrument after each of my victories."
In this way Sumangaru stole Sundjata's griot. War became inevitable.
Back in Mali, soothsayers whispered that the rightful heir would save them from their suffering under Sumangaru's rule. But where was the one who fled with his mother, brother, and sister many years before. Some of the elders secretly sent out search parties to find Sundjata, son of the Buffalo Woman. But where could he be found after these six years?
Sundjata was now strong enough to fight his enemies. At the age of eighteen he had distinguished himself in the army of the King of Mema and had a loyal following of young warriors.
One day Sundjata's younger sister went to the marketplace in Mema to buy some vegetables. There she saw a woman selling baobab leaves and vegetables from Mali. "How strange," the sister thought. "We have never seen these vegetables this far from home."
She spoke with the vegetable peddler. "It has been so long since we have seen vegetables like these from Mali. I will buy some for our mother, Sogolon, who is ill."
The peddler said, "Thanks to Allah that we have found Sogolon and her children. Our journey is not in vain. Please let us speak to your mother."
That night the search party came to Sogolon and Sundjata. "Alas! We bring you sad news. Sumangaru, the powerful king of Sosso, has heaped death and destruction upon Mali. The king, Dankaran, has fled and Mali is without a master. But the war is not finished yet. Warriors are waiting in the bush for a leader to return. Mali is saved because we have found you, Sundjata. The throne of your father awaits you. You are the cyclone that shall sweep the tyrant Sumangaru from the savanna forever."
Sogolon was overjoyed that her son was being called upon to greatness. She knew that the end of her mission in life coincided with the beginning of Sundjata's. That night the great woman who had nurtured Sundjata died.
The king was furious that Sundjata planned to leave Mema. After all, he hoped that Sundjata would be his heir, the next king. How ungrateful he thought Sundjata was. In anger he said, "You cannot leave here until you pay for the land to bury your mother in. If you cannot pay, you will have to take your mother's corpse with you!"
Sundjata eyes flamed. "Then I shall get the payment," he said and stalked out of the palace. Moments later he returned with an armload of broken calabashes, sand, pieces of pottery and other debris. "This is your payment," he said. And Sundjata went to get ready for his mother's burial.
"What does this mean?" the king asked his advisor. "How can this be payment for my land? Has Sundjata lost his mind?"
"It means that if you don't let him bury his mother and go with peace between you, the value of your land will be only this. He will destroy your kingdom. It will be where desert birds come to bathe in the dust."
The king was afraid, and he finally realized that Sundjata must go and fulfill his destiny. He gave in to Sundjata's wishes and held a great burial to honor his mother Sogolon. Then the king gave half of his own army to Sundjata. "We shall always be at peace, your kingdom and mine. I wished that you might be my successor. But this adopted home is not your own. May Allah be with you on your return."
With a small but well-trained cavalry dressed in Muslim outfits, Sundjata set out to confront Sumangaru's forces. He wore a white turban and a long cape. He rode a magnificent horse at the head of his cavalry. The war drums sounded as they left Mema. The soldiers carried their lances and swords. Atroupe of archers followed them. But altogether they still were small in number. The people of Mema cheered them as they left and wished them well.
Sundjata's younger brother Manding Bory rode with him. "Can we hope to win with such a small army, my brother?"
"Numbers mean nothing, it is worth that counts. No matter how small a forest may be, you can always find there enough vines to tie up a man. I shall clear myself a path to Mali." And off they rode.
Not long after they crossed the border they came across an army led by one of Sumangaru's sons. Sundjata prepared to attack that very day. The orders were given and the war drums began to beat. On his horse Sundjata paraded in front of his troops and encouraged them. Then he led the charge, shouting his war cry.
The soldiers of Sosso were surprised by this sudden attack. They expected the battle to begin the next day. The lightning that flashes across the sky is slower than Sundjata's swooping down on the warriors of Sosso. Sundjata was in their midst like a lion among its prey. All around him Sosso warriors fell from his sword as ripe fruit falls from a shaken tree. And the son of Sumangaru turned in flight to report to his father about the defeat at the hands of Sundjata.
The army of Mali celebrated their first victory.
News of the victory and of Sundjata's triumphal return to the savanna spread as if carried by the wind. Sons of Mali rallied to him and pledgedtheir loyalty.
Next they were joined by the army of Tabon. Sundjata was greeted by his friend Fran who said, "I renew my oath to you made many years ago. I pledge myself to conquer or to die by your side. We will free ourselves from the tyrant of Sosso!" The warriors of Mema, Tabon, and Mali shouted their approval becoming one great army united in purpose.
Other brave princes came to pledge their loyalty to Sundjata. They performed greatfeats of strength and bravery, and were welcomed under Sundjata's command!
All the rebel princes who came to Sundjata were still in their youth - a time when a human bursts into life like the most brilliant meteor, with bravery, enthusiasm and dedication - a meteor that loses its radiance with age.
Within days, Sumangaru marched out to meet Sundjata. As usual, the son of Sogolon wanted to battle right away. The king of Sosso drew his men across a narrow valley with his troops on the slopes of the hills. Sundjata formed his cavalry in a tight square leading the attack, with his archers at the back. Sumangaru was perched high on a hill. He could be recognized by his helmet with many horns.
The trumpets, drums, and balafons sounded and encouraged the warriors. Soon the valley disappeared in a cloud of red dust kicked up by thousands of feet and hooves. Without giving an inch, the forces of Sumangaru stopped the wave of attack.
Sumangaru gave a signal from the hill to blacksmith warriors to swoop down into the valley to encircle Sundjata. Without a word, Sundjata's square of soldiers extended themselves into a rectangle. Everything had been foreseen. The change was so quick that Sumangaru's men halted and could not use their weapons. From the rear, the archers began their task. Arrows fell on Sumangaru's forces like a rain of iron. The forces of Mali continued the attack with new strength.
Sumangaru was still perched high on the hill. Sundjata left his soldiers behind and alone he charged toward his enemy. He shot an arrow at the sorcerer king, but Sumangaru grabbed it in mid-air. He raised the arrow, waved it, and laughed. Then Sundjata threw his metal spear, but that only bounced off Sumangaru's chest. "Ha, Sundjata! I am invincible."
Then Sumangaru disappeared! A moment later he was across the valley on another hill. Sundjata could hear his taunting laughter echoing down the valley.
He reappeared closer to Sundjata. "Know that I have already killed nine kings whose heads adorn my room. Yours shall be put next to theirs. Prepare yourself for your death!" Then he disappeared again before Sundjata's eyes.
Sundjata was amazed at the power of the sorcerer king. "How can I defeat a man who can disappear and reappear where and when he likes? How can I conquer a man invulnerable to my iron spear and to my arrows? Clearly other weapons are necessary."
As the sun was setting, Sundjata was master of the valley. And as others began to celebrate their victory, he could only wonder, "How was Sumangaru able to escape me? Why is he invulnerable to my weapons? What is the secret of his power?"
Nana was Sundjata's half-sister and she had grown up to have all the beauty that both her father and her mother were known for. Sundjata had always been a loving brother to her. Nana shared none of the hatred or jealousy that her own mother and brother had for Sundjata. When her own brother Dankaran sent her to be the wife of Sumangaru, at first she was angry. But when she saw the suffering of her people, she decided that she may be in a position to find the secret of the king's invulnerability.
Sumangaru had three hundred wives, but because of her beauty, Nana became his favorite. Through beauty and guile, she gained a closeness and a power over the king. She moved around easily in her web of lies - as at home in flattery and deceit as a fish in water. She would try to catch Sumangaru at his own game.
One evening she dressed herself in a most seductive way and she went up to his tower room. She offered him wine and her legendary beauty inspired the liveliest of passions. "Drink, my love. There is plenty of honey in it, my sweet king," she said.
Sumangaru was in a confident mood and he was eager to hear more compliments.
"Oooh, don't look into my eyes, for no woman can bear the brilliance of your gaze," she sighed. "You are the light of my sky."
Sumangaru drank another cupful as he smiled at his coy wife. She asked, "Do you find me as good and as sweet as the wine?"
"As sweet as a ripe papaya, with juice that quenches thirst and flesh that satisfies hunger," he said as he pulled her to him.
"Oh, your arms, my lord. Tell me, are you a man, or a supernatural being? Your arms have the strength of ten! What guardian spirit protects you and makes you so powerfully strong?"
Sumangaru's male pride was so flattered that he responded at once. "I don't have one guardian spirit. I have sixty-three ancestral totems! I can take the form of sixty-three different animals!"
"So that is why kings tremble before you. How right I was to marry a king as powerful as you."
Next Nana turned away, but not so much as to let her tears go unnoticed.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
"I am crying because I am afraid you will abandon me one day. I love you so and I can't live without you! Will you ever send me away?"
"No, my pet." And he raised his cup once again to his lips.
"You are such a great man that I cannot resist you. Tell me if there is anything I should not do in case it might diminish your magnificent powers?" Nana had cast her web and waited for what it would bring.
"Don't worry," he smiled. "I can only be hurt by the spur from the foot of a white rooster."
"I am so lucky to have you near me. And I will take good care of all that you have told me," she said as she smiled and put her head on his shoulder.
Sumangaru's main camp was several days' march to the north on the broad plains of Kirina.
As Sundjata and his army advanced to Kirina, more sons of Mali joined him. He gave the people hope that at last the powerful sorcerer king could be defeated and that Sumangaru's kingdom would collapse under him like a horse worn out beneath its rider. Then they would be free.
Two days before the battle, two mysterious visitors came riding up to Sundjata. In disguise were Nana, his half-sister, and his griot, Balla Faseke. "My brother," Nana greeted him. "We have escaped from Sosso and now join you. I am your sister and this is Balla, your griot, returned to you."
"Is this Nana?" he asked. "You have grown so. And Balla, I have missed your advice and friendship as I grew. You both belong by my side!"
Sundjata saw Nana's eyes were bathed in tears, so great was her joy at their reunion. "Oh, my brother. You know that I never wanted you to leave Mali. It was my mother who did all that. I too was sent out. Now our homeland is destroyed, its inhabitants scattered. Many of our people have been carried off into captivity."
"Do not cry, Nana," said Sundjata. "What happened was not your fault. Everything that has happened was destined. It was good for me to spend some years in exile. Exile inspires wisdom."
"But Nana, tell him what you have learned," urged Balla Faseke impatiently.
"My brother," Nana said. "I must warn you that the evil king cannot be defeated by your arrows or your spears. But know what I have learned... His magic can only be destroyed by the spur of a white rooster. Here," she said as she handed him an arrow she had prepared. "This will bring you victory."
"So that is his secret. Mali will always be grateful to you, my sister." And he accepted the arrow with increased confidence.
On the eve of the battle, Sundjata ordered the slaughter of oxen to supply a great feast to his soldiers. But while the feast filled their bellies, the soldiers were apprehensive before this great conflict in which many would die.
Balla Faseke said, "Let me talk to the men. Let my words fill their hearts." And so he began as they gathered around the great campfires:
"Kingdoms and empires have lifetimes like man. They too are born, grow, and disappear. Today a new kingdom rises as one dies. Sosso was the growth of yesterday, whereas Mali is for tomorrow." He reminded them of their great heritage and told of their glorious future. He praised each of the kings who joined forces with Mali. And he told them of the prophecy of their leader, their general - the son of the buffalo, lion, and panther - who would rule the savanna. Then he concluded:
"But these are just words: power lies in deeds. Be men of action. Do not respond with your voice, but tomorrow carry out the deeds that will bring fame and glory to you and your ancestors."
After Balla had inflamed their fighting spirit, each went to rest or to prepare for the morning's task without fear.
Sundjata was alone outside his tent as the moon rose. He heard the flapping of wings and saw an owl perch on a nearby branch. It was one of the owls that Balla Faseke had seen in the chamber of the Sumangaru's tower and it was sent as a messenger. Here is the dialog between Sundjata and Sumangaru relayed by the sorcerer-bird:
Owl: "Behave yourself, little boy. I am the king of Mali. If you want peace, return to Mema."
Sundjata: "I will achieve my destiny here in Mali. It is you who will leave."
Owl: "I am the wild yam of the rocks; nothing will make me leave Mali."
Sundjata: "I have master smiths who will shatter the rocks. Then, yam, I will devour you."
Owl: "I am the red-hot cinder on which you will burn the soles of your feet!"
Sundjata: "I am the rain that will extinguish the cinder and wash it away."
Then Sundjata grew tired of the battle with words. "Diabolical little bird, go and tell your master that I wish no further speech with him. I am not a griot, I am a man of action. Tomorrow I shall wage war."
The owl flew away into the darkness.
When left alone, Sundjata walked further out onto the plains. There he heard the sounds of animals. He heard the roar of a lion, the snarl of a panther, and the bellowing of a buffalo. Before the battle, other rebel princes heard or saw their guardian spirits, too. Balla Faseke saw the hawk. Another the eagle. Another a snake. The totem animals were gathering to give power to the young warriors.
At first light the two great armies gathered facing each other across the plain. The drums sounded and the battle began. Sundjata's cavalry charged as his archers shot a barrage of arrows.
Sundjata's full army advanced. Swords clashed, hoof beats pounded, and war drums thundered. The battle was in full swing.
Sundjata saw Sumangaru at the crest of a hill. Raising his bow, he shot the arrow fixed with the spur of a white rooster. The arrow flew straight but only grazed his shoulder. Immediately Sumangaru felt his powers leave him. Trembling, he let out a great cry. He looked up toward the sun. A great black bird flew over the battle field and he understood. It was the bird of misfortune. "The bird of Kirina," he muttered. He turned his horse's head and took flight.
The forces of Sumangaru saw their king leave, and they fled in turn. It was a complete victory for Sundjata. Death hovered over the great plain and blood poured out of a thousand wounds.
Sundjata pursued Sumangaru on horseback up a mountain. He wanted to catch him alive. Throwing his spear, he made Sumangaru's horse fall. The old king picked himself up. Then a wild chase began on foot. Before him appeared a gaping cave which seemed to draw him against his will. Sundjata's footsteps sounded close behind. Sumangaru entered the black cave where he disappeared into the mountain. Sundjata could not find him, and he shouted, "Come out, coward!"
A loud "Never!" echoed through the darkness. In spite of his search, Sundjata found no trace of his enemy. He mounted his horse and turned back down the mountain.
Sundjata returned to the battle field. His forces had been completely victorious. His troops were rejoicing in their spectacular success.
Days later Sundjata laid siege to Sosso, the spectacular city of the sorcerer king. The drums sounded and the tide of soldiers moved forward. Warriors with swords, spears and shields were in the first line. Warriors with ladders were in the second. The main body attacked the single city gate with flaming arrows and battering rams. The city was completely taken in a short time.
Sundjata was now in front of the awesome palace tower. Balla Faseke, who knew every inch of the palace, led him into the king's magic chamber. It had changed its appearance since the sorcerer had lost his power. The snake was writhingin pains of death. Two owls were flapping pitifully on the floor.
Sumangaru's seven-story tower with all its fetishes and idols was then burned and Sosso was destroyed completely. It is now a place where only birds come to take their dust baths.
As Sundjata and his army made their triumphal march back to his homeland, the festivals began. There was great rejoicing. The Lion King Sundjata was proclaimed emperor by the twelve kings of the savanna. Twelve royal spears were stuck in the ground as a pledge to unity.
____________________
This is the story of the Lion King, Sundjata, my children. Don't doubt my words. I teach you of our time of greatness. The past is only the seed of the future.
Source: http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Sundjata/Sundjata.html