Saba: Under the Hyena’s Foot

Needles and Cloves, Dates and Silks

Although Saba’s teacher, just like everyone else, doesn’t speak to Saba directly of her family, the next day, he tells her enough of Gondar history for her to begin to understand a few things she is hungry to know. She learns that her grandmother’s father, Emperor Tekle Giorgis II, spent his whole life in a struggle for the throne. He was knocked from the throne six times.

When he was deposed for the final time, the throne did not go to his son but was given to one of those thirteen emperors Mesfin had told her about. In fact, Tekle Giorgis’ son, Saba’s great-uncle, hadn’t been crowned until six years ago. The priest made Saba see just how shaky power is.

One thing is clear though. Through birth, one could sometimes become the King of Kings, but it is not a simple thing to stay the King of Kings. Saba feels sure that her teacher is trying to tell her that the struggles for the throne are the reason why Mesfin and Saba have been brought to Gondar.

The next day, Saba discovers that her teacher has many numbers and years in the palm of his hand. One interesting thing is that her grandmother was born during her father’s fifth reign. He also knows the day she gave birth to a son, though her father, the emperor, was an exile by then. Rejoice secretly filled the land because the boy was the son of a princess and a popular warrior. Saba’s teacher says that when the boy grew to be a man, he was married to the daughter of one of the Amhara palace guards. Soon his wife had a son, and quickly after that a daughter. That’s Saba and Mesfin. Saba can see that she and her brother are part of their land’s history. And based on the dates, Saba is twelve years old. That’s a very interesting thing to know.

Around this time, people began to murmur that their emperor was no stronger than a cut flower held by a child. There was talk of a prophecy where a great emperor would be raised up, strong enough to overcome his enemies and truly become King of Kings over all of Ethiopia. Some wise men said a child would become that emperor. This talk made danger for all royal children, and many of them suddenly disappeared.

Saba gasps. People must have thought that Mesfin and Saba had been killed. But actually they’d been hidden with Emama and Ababba all this time. Saba feels great sadness for her mother and father. Although she didn’t remember them at all, they must have been wise and brave to come up with such a plan to save their lives.

Then, Saba realizes. Her great-uncle is not young. His empress is not a young woman. They must want either Saba’s father or her brother to take over the throne next. Now Saba can guess where Mesfin is. He must be studying even harder than she is. Someday he might rule Ethiopia.

The old servant woman is pleased to have Saba’s teacher coming to the castle. She says he has so much goodness. When not studying, Saba should lie on the bed and give orders to the servants, or spin. Gondar’s known for its beautiful cloth, and the servants who live in the empress castle spend much of their time spinning thread.

But Saba doesn’t want to give orders, lie on the bed, or sit and spin. She wants to see things. She’s finally allowed to go out of the Royal Compound. Now that she knows what Mesfin is doing, she wants to see the city of Gondar. Each time she goes out, the girl holds the umbrella over her head, and a soldier or two stays close behind her. Other servants carry whatever is needed, or walk behind them. Even if Saba tries to pick something up, they hurry to take it away from her.

Every day for two weeks, when she’s not studying, Saba climbs over one of the seven rainbow-shaped bridges that connect the Royal Compound with the city. It makes her laugh to remember that she longed to go to the village market with Emama. What would that market have? Perhaps peppers, pottery, and some iron. Here, caravans with donkeys, mules, and camels stream into the city each week loaded with goods. Saba sees honey, wax, butter, and horses, and also things she never knew existed, such as bottles and beads, needles and cloves, and dates and silks. For the first time, Saba holds a mirror in her hand and looks at her own face. Such a strange and magical thing to be able to see herself.

Saba also sees Oromoo soldiers and nobles. It’s obvious to her that Emama is wrong, with her fear of the Oromoo and others she called barbarians. Why did she say such things when she knew her other grandfather was Oromoo?

By now, Saba has learned of other Ethiopians who are neither Amhara nor Oromoo. The Tigray have a kingdom to the north of Gondar. Muslims live in their own section called Eslam Bet. The servants tell Saba that many of the Muslim men are weavers, and others are traders. Ethiopian Jews live a little way outside the city. The women make glossy black pots. The men work as builders of castles and churches. The servants and Saba quickly turn away if they hear the whooshing sound of bellows or the clinging hammering of metal pieces from the blacksmiths. Everyone agrees with Emama that such people are likely budas.

Meanwhile, Saba’s lessons continue. Her teacher shows her manuscripts so her eyes drink the shapes of ancient letters. By now, she can recognize the shape of a “b” on a parchment. But which of the seven forms of “b” was it? “Be, bu, bee, bah, bay, bi, bo.” Sometimes, he’s impatient and scolds Saba, calling out, “What did I just tell you yesterday?” But other days, he’s gentle.

One day, during a history lesson, Saba tells him that it’s hard to learn about things that happened so long ago. All the names and dates. What makes them stick to a person? Perhaps it comes easier for someone like her brother… someone who will be King of Kings someday.

Saba’s teacher doesn’t speak sharply at this. Instead, he taps his flywhisk thoughtfully on the floor, and responds to let him tell her this story, and to not speak after he is done.

Once, there were three boys traveling in a forest, when a menacing hyena leapt onto their path. He asked them whose protection they were under. The first boy said he was under the protection of God. The second said he was under the protection of the earth. The third boy, trembling with fear, said he was under the protection of the hyena.

The hyena looked at the first boy and said if he ate him, then God would be angry. If he ate the second boy, then he couldn’t find any place to sleep and hide. But, the third boy is under his protection. So he should come inside his stomach so the hyena can protect him fully. And the hyena ate the third boy.

Saba frowns, waiting for her teacher to tell her more or explain. But instead, he just gets up to leave. Saba hopes for her stomach to make wise bread quickly.