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| How the Mole Learned to Burrow |
page 4
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Drawing up his legs, Tokoloshe squatted silently before the timorous mole, then using his extraordinary Tokoloshe powers, he made himself shrink to the size of imfukufuku. ‘I am a Tokoloshe,’ he squeaked and before the startled mole could withdraw again he added, ‘if you wait I will answer your questions, for I know all there is to know about all the imfukufukus past and present.’
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Now, imfukufuku was not quite as timid as Tokoloshe imagined him to be. It is true that he saught the safety of his burrow whenever any danger, imagined or real, appeared, but in the present instance his insatiable curiosity had been aroused and his boldness knew no bounds. ‘Well, mister know-it-all Tokoloshe,’ he squeaked, ‘tell me what you know then.’
Tokoloshe grinned and decided he rather liked this cheeky little fellow for his mettle, so he told his story – and this is the story he told: |
‘You must know,’ said he, ‘that Tokoloshes do not feel the weight of years like other creatures. I was, as I am now, when time first began; when all creatures lived happily together enjoying the abundant fruits of this earth.’ He paused to make sure that imfukufuku was listening, but the little creature was all ears – even his nose had stopped twitching, he was so engrossed.
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‘In those far off days,’ continued Tokoloshe, ‘your distant forbears lived in the sunlight and were renowned for their sharp eyesight and their agility –‘ he paused again as his mind traversed eons of change in an instant.
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page 4
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