“Shhhu!” says Grandmother. “It’s so hot! And this pot is so heavy. Let’s sit in the shade of the tree and rest a bit.”
She wipes the sweat from her face and makes herself comfortable among the arms of the roots. Selma stands with her hand on the smooth skin of the baobab while her brother, Toivo, walks round the trunk to see how wide it is. “This tree is very old, isn’t it, Grandmother?”
“Yes, Selma, it is. But it is not as old, or as big as the tree at the village of Ombalantu!” “Ombalantu? The village near here?” asks Selma.
“Please tell us about the tree there,” begs Toivo.
“Then sit and listen,” says Grandmother and she begins her story.

***

There was once a girl called Thaimi who lived in the village of Ombalantu. One day she went with her brother, Angula, to fetch water. While Thaimi was filling her pot Angula saw a hare. He ran after it. He ran and ran and ran – but do you think he could catch that hare? He could not. The hare was too quick for him.
Thaimi’s pot was full and she was ready to go home. She looked around but she could not see Angula. She did not know where he had gone. But, she did know that she couldn’t go home without her little brother. So she set out to look for him. She walked and she walked and she walked. At last she found him lying in the grass behind a large anthill. As she came close he held his finger to his lips. Why did he want her to be quiet? Close by a group of strange men were resting. The men had bows and arrows … and spears! Thaimi could hear their voices.
“Angula,” she whispered, after she had listened for a bit. “Those men are raiders. They have come to steal our cattle and burn our village. Come quickly. We must run home and warn the village.” So very quietly Thaimi and Angula crept away from that place. And ran towards their village.