March 10, 2007
Climb the Cliff
Atiko was a Dogon boy who lived with his grumpy gran at the foot of the Dogon Cliffs.
Like other Dogon boys, Atiko enjoyed eating onion soup, playing the tamtam drums and chatting to Galemba the Talking Snake.
Unlike other Dogon boys, Atiko was SCARED OF HEIGHTS.
One day, Gran said, ‘Today I’m going to the cliff-top, Atiko, to visit my onion-patch. I want you to come with me.’
‘I can’t,’ said Atiko. ‘I’m SCARED OF HEIGHTS, innit.’
Gran glowered.
‘Your father loved to climb,’ she said.
‘Your aunts and uncles, too.
We’re Dogons on the Dogon cliffs
And climbing’s what we do.’
‘It’s not what I do,’ said Atiko. ‘I’ll just stay down here and play with Galemba, if you don’t mind.’
Gran sighed and took her mittens off,
Took off her woolly socks,
She spat on her hands,
She spat on her feet,
She clambered up the rocks.
‘How’s she doing, Galemba?’ whispered Atiko. ‘Is she nearly there yet?’
‘Not yet,’ said Galemba.
On tiptoes like a mountain goat
Gran trod a narrow ledge.
She had no time for vertigo
When visiting her veg.
‘How’s she doing, Galemba?’ whispered Atiko. ‘Is she nearly there yet?’
‘Not yet,’ said Galemba.
On tiptoes like a desert djinn,
Gran crept along the ledge.
She suddenly slipped on an onion skin
And fell over the edge.
‘Atiko, help me!
Help me, help me!
Atiko! Help me, Atiko!’
‘Gran over cliff!’ Galemba said,
‘Just listen to those wails!
She’s clinging to the cliff face,
She’s hanging by her nails.’
‘She’s going to fall off!’ cried Atiko. ‘Somebody do something!’
‘Climb the cliff’, Galemba said,
‘It’s time to be a man.
Forget your fear and climb the cliff
and save your grumpy gran.’
Atiko paled. ‘I’m SCARED OF HEIGHTS, innit,’ he said.
‘Climb the cliff,’ Galemba said,
‘Don’t hesitate at all!
Forget your fear and climb the cliff!
Don’t let your grandma fall!’
Atiko stood up. He wrapped Galemba round his neck.
‘Help me, Atiko!’ cried Gran.
Atiko kicked his flip-flops off. He spat on his hands and feet.
‘Atiko! Help!’ cried Gran.
Atiko scrambled up the cliff-face and along the narrow ledge and arrived at the exact same spot where Gran had fallen off.
‘Don’t tread on the onion skin,’ warned Galemba.
Atiko didn’t tread on the onion skin.
Instead he knelt and stretched his hand towards his dangling Gran.
‘Grab my hand,’ said Atiko.
‘I can’t reach it,’ cried Gran.
Atiko lowered Galemba down towards his dangling Gran.
‘Grab Galemba’s neck,’ he said.
‘I can’t,’ cried Gran. ‘I’m AFRAID OF SNAKES, innit.’
‘You’re joking!’ said Atiko.
‘I’m terrified of snakes,’ wailed Gran.
I fear their toothless grins,
I fear their wicked gleaming eyes
And scabby scaly skins.’
‘Grab my neck’, Galemba said,
‘Ignore my toothless grin,
Forget your fear and grab my neck,
And let us haul you in.’
Granny grabbed the grinning snake,
Her grandson hauled her up.
Then he carried her down to the foot of the cliffs
And home they went to sup.
From that day on, Atiko was never again SCARED OF HEIGHTS and his Gran was never again SCARED OF SNAKES.
But Galemba the Talking Snake was so traumatized by that day’s events that he NEVER SPOKE AGAIN.
Posted by sahelsteve at March 10, 2007 05:07 PM