It was the first wedding in the Tenanefamily, and Refiloehad never been so excited in her life.

‘I’m going to be Palesa’sbridesmaid, with a new dress and shoes! Isn’t that wonderful?’ she said to her chickens as she shooed them to the back of the house out of everybody’s way.

Refiloetold her chickens everything.

Her father had given them to her as a birthday present, and they were her most prized possessions. Nobody else was allowed to touch them, not even her mother who did not like chickens running around her yard.

‘If those scruffy chickens of yours misbehave,’ she often said to Refiloe, ‘you’ll find them in my supper pot.’ Mmesays that this is going to be the best wedding ever seen in Malealea,’ Refiloewent on, scattering corn for her chickens, ‘and she says that I can help all the older girls with the cooking.’

The chickens paid no attention to her.

‘Refiloe!’ called her mother from inside, ‘leave those good-for-nothing chickens of yours and come and help me with these pots please!’

‘And there will be such a lot of people,’
Refiloecalled over her shoulder to her chickens as she ran off into the kitchen, ‘even MmeNgweand MmePedi are coming all the way from Mafeteng !’