Read, Count, Play – Every Child, Every Day!

Searching for the Spirit of Spring

by

Illustrated by

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The winter cold had passed. Spring was coming to Nkanyezi’s village. Soon the villagers would gather to celebrate the new season. Nkanyezi looked forward to the Spring Festival more than any other day of the year.

  1. The Spring Festival is a big event for Nkanyezi and her village. What are some celebrations that you look forward to? What makes them special for you?
  2. A butterfly has landed on her hand. Have you ever had a butterfly land on you?
  3. Identify different shapes in this picture. There are circles, ovals (stretched circles), arcs (parts of circles), cones on the tops of the huts, and rectangles for the doors and windows.
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One warm morning, Nkanyezi overheard two village elders talking about the festival. “The people of Ndlovu have lost their spirit of celebration,” one sighed. “How can we have a Spring Festival in a village that has forgotten how to celebrate?” asked another.

  1. On special occasions, groups of people come together and do things that celebrate that special day. What are some of the things that create a special day for you? (music, food, particular people, clothes, location, decorations, activities)
  2. Have you ever listened in on someone else’s conversation? When is it okay to do that and when is it invading someone’s privacy?
  3. What about their faces tells you that the elders and Nkanyezi are worried?
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Nkanyezi was worried. “How will the sun shine again unless we sing to wake it from its winter slumber?” she asked herself. Nkanyezi thought for a long time. “I must find what we have lost,” she decided. “I must go in search of things that will bring back the spirit of celebration to my village.”

  1. Nkanyezi is posing in a special way. What is she doing when she looks like this?
  2. Does she look old enough to go on a long journey by herself? What are some of the longest trips you have been on? Was it scary to be so far away or was it exciting to be in new places, or maybe some of both?
  3. Nkanyezi is practicing problem solving. Rather than giving up, she is going to think long and hard about the problem and she is going to get help from others who may have good ideas for her!
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The elders gave Nkanyezi their blessing for the journey. They gave her a bag to carry the things she would find. Nkanyezi was afraid, but she believed she would succeed.

  1. Have you ever been afraid to do something you knew you should do? Fear can be a good thing when it stops us from doing something dangerous, but it can also get in the way when we know we need to do something we’re afraid of.
  2. How did you overcome your fear when you really had to do something you were afraid to do?
  3. Look at the red mountains in the distance. She will be traveling to them very soon. What do you think she will find there?
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Nkanyezi walked all day. She hiked up a hill, and down into a valley. She sailed across the great river, and climbed between sharp rocks. She marched across the plains until she reached the shadow of the red mountains.

  1. She went by hills, valleys, rivers, rocks, plains, and mountains. Can you think of other land features not mentioned in this list?
  2. Have you ever been on a sailboat? The sails on her boat are in the shape of triangles. Sometimes sails on bigger sailboats are shaped like rectangles.
  3. Do you like being on a boat? Some people get seasick when they go on a boat (their stomachs get queasy). Do you know someone with that problem?
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As night was closing in, Nkanyezi arrived at a village of patterns and colors as she had never seen before. She told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people.

The mother of this tribe gave Nkanyezi a gift. She told the girl, “With love we give to you this paint to restore color to your village.” Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the paint in her bag. Early the next morning she went on her way.

  1. How would you compare the colors this elder is wearing to the colors worn by the elders of Nkanyezi’s village?
  2. Which colors would you choose if you were creating a celebration? Bright, lively, high-energy colors would probably be a better idea for a celebration than dull, muted, low-energy colors.
  3. What are some of your favorite colors?
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Nkanyezi walked all day, through a vast forest of giant trees. As the sky became too dark for her to see, she heard the sound of beating drums. She hurried towards the drumming, feeling the spirit of dance coming to her tired feet.

  1. How many trees can you count in this picture? Did you count them one at a time, or two at a time, or in some other way?
  2. What do you notice about these trees? One thing is that they do not have low branches. Have you seen trees like this around where you live?
  3. If you were in the middle of a vast, dark forest at night, do you think you could move quickly? She must be very brave!
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Nkanyezi found herself in the village of Bhubezi. People were sitting around a fire, drumming and singing. She had never before heard such wonderful music. She told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people. The Bhubezi invited her to rest and stay the night.

  1. How would you feel coming across people you did not know in the middle of the forest at night? Would you be scared of them or would you want to dance with them?
  2. Look at the faces of the people dancing. Are they enjoying their dancing? How can you tell?
  3. Do you like to dance?
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In the morning the chief called on Nkanyezi. “My child,” he said, “here is a special drum. It plays a new song every time you beat it.” Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the drum in her bag. She went on her way again, delighted with this gift of music and dance.

  1. This elder is very colorfully dressed. Are the clothes you wear colorful, or do you prefer less vibrant colors?
  2. Look at the shapes that make up the fringe of the elder’s robe and the jewelry around her head. Which shapes do you see?
  3. Nkanyezi has received gifts of colors, music, and dance. Can you think of other aspects of a celebration she still needs for her village?
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On the third day of her journey, as she passed a field of fat cows, her nose started to tingle. An aroma tickled her taste buds and her mouth started to water. She followed the scent, and arrived in a village to find people standing over steaming pots of stew. This tribe was famous for its feasts and Nkanyezi had never before tasted such flavors. After she had eaten her fill, she told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people.

  1. An important missing ingredient is food! Some celebrations have specific food eaten during them. Think of some foods that you like to eat that are specially brought out during some celebrations.
  2. What in the picture tells you that Nkanyezi is smelling an aroma that she likes? What are some of your favorite smells?
  3. Smells can be very good at bringing memories to mind. Are there some smells that remind you of specific events, places, or people?
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The next day, the council of cooks gave her a secret spice blend. “Our daughter,” they said, “with these spices, happy tummies are guaranteed! We give you the gift of good food.” Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the spices in her bag. She knew she had everything she needed. With new energy she started the long journey back to the village of Ndlovu.

  1. Hmmm ... She is missing something in this picture. Where is her drum?
  2. Once again, the elders of the village are very colorfully dressed. It looks like people who are good at celebrating use lots of festive colors in their clothes.
  3. Looking at this picture with all those intense expressions, you can almost smell the delicious spices. What are some of your favorite spices to put on food?
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When she arrived home the villagers gathered around her to hear of her adventures. She told them the tales of what she had seen, heard, and eaten. Then she opened her bag to share the gifts given. The villagers rejoiced to receive these treasures.

The generosity of others and the courage of Nkanyezi brought back color, song, and dance to the people. And so the spirit of celebration was restored to the village of Ndlovu.

  1. Look at how the village’s drab colors for clothes have been replaced with these happy and festive ones!
  2. What do you think, has the village remembered how to celebrate?
  3. It is amazing how acts of generosity, kindness, and caring can lift up the spirits of those around us. Can you think of a time when something you did for someone made a big difference in how they felt? How did it make you feel?

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:

Searching for the spirit of Spring
Author — Mosa Mahlaba
Illustration — Selina Masego Morulane
Language — English
Level — Read aloud
© Mosa Mahlaba, Selina Morulane, Sibusiso Mkhwanazi, Book Dash 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Original source www.bookdash.org

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