The King of Katunga
Jenny Mohan
- The
- King
- of
- Katunga
- is
- a
- moral
- fable
- for
- modern
- times;
- a
- bedtime
- story
- told
- by
- a
- grandmother,
- Jocelyn,
- to
- her
- grandson,
- Rufus.It
- all
- starts
- one
- fine
- day,
- when
- little
- Rufus
- gifts
- his
- grandmother
- a
- birthday
- present
- –
- a
- rose
- he
- innocently
- 'picks'
- from
- a
- local
- flower
- shop.
- Touched
- by
- his
- kind
- gesture,
- but
- doubtful
- about
- where
- the
- rose
- actually
- came
- from,
- Jocelyn
- asks
- Rufus,
- who
- tells
- her
- that
- he
- plucked
- it
- from
- the
- garden
- at
- school.
- Aware
- of
- the
- sensitivity
- of
- a
- youthful,
- petty
- fib,
- Jocelyn
- is
- reluctant
- to
- confront
- little
- Rufus
- directly.
- Instead,
- she
- explains
- the
- principle
- of
- honesty
- through
- a
- bedtime
- story,
- drawing
- him
- into
- the
- magical
- world
- of
- The
- King
- of
- Katunga.This
- fairy
- tale
- begins
- in
- the
- tranquil
- West
- African
- village
- of
- Katunga;
- a
- community
- where
- only
- harmony
- and
- bliss
- exist,
- and
- where
- lives
- the
- respected
- King
- Adebiyi
- (“The
- Enlightened
- Royal”).
- The
- king
- is
- loved
- by
- all
- the
- people
- of
- the
- village
- due
- to
- his
- righteousness
- and
- humility.
- He
- has
- only
- one
- child,
- the
- beautiful
- Princess
- Yeni.Upon
- returning
- to
- the
- village
- from
- the
- doctor,
- the
- king
- informs
- his
- daughter
- that
- his
- health
- is
- deteriorating,
- and
- he
- needs
- to
- find
- an
- heir
- to
- the
- throne
- –
- someone
- who
- will
- take
- good
- care
- of
- the
- village,
- its
- people
- and
- its
- princess.
- When
- King
- Adebiyi
- tells
- the
- princess
- this,
- she
- confides
- in
- her
- father
- that
- she
- is
- already
- in
- love
- with
- Adom,
- a
- village
- tailor.
- Although
- initially,
- the
- king
- is
- apprehensive
- and
- distressed,
- his
- undying
- love
- and
- trust
- in
- his
- daughter
- leads
- to
- Adom
- becoming
- one
- of
- the
- candidates
- for
- the
- heir,
- much
- to
- the
- disapproval
- of
- the
- Council
- of
- Elders.There
- are
- two
- other
- candidates
- –
- Amadir
- Okafor,
- landlord
- and
- owner
- of
- Katunga
- Goldmine
- and
- Akin
- Chukwu,
- son
- of
- the
- respected
- Mr.Chukwu
- who
- is
- on
- the
- Council
- of
- Elders,
- both
- from
- elite
- and
- reputable
- backgrounds.
- The
- three
- suitors
- are
- put
- to
- the
- test
- in
- 'The
- King's
- Game'
- where
- true
- love,
- honesty
- and
- patience
- will
- determine
- the
- successor.The
- king
- explains
- to
- the
- villagers
- that
- these
- three
- men
- must
- each
- take
- home
- a
- flowerpot
- with
- different
- flower
- seeds,
- picked
- at
- random.
- These
- must
- grow
- to
- become
- fragrant
- and
- beautiful
- just
- like
- the
- king's
- daughter,
- Princess
- Yeni.
- In
- three
- weeks,
- whoever
- cares
- for
- their
- plants
- with
- the
- right
- ingredients
- of
- water,
- sunlight
- and
- attention
- will
- prove
- himself
- to
- be
- responsible
- enough
- to
- bring
- sunshine
- into
- the
- life
- of
- the
- princess
- and
- into
- the
- lives
- of
- all
- the
- people
- of
- Katunga.Not
- only
- are
- members
- of
- the
- royal
- household
- concerned
- about
- the
- princess,
- but
- even
- the
- princess's
- lady
- in
- waiting,
- Fahima
- (“the
- intelligent
- one”),
- is
- wary
- and
- sceptical
- about
- Adom's
- true
- intentions.
- She
- is
- aware
- of
- the
- tension
- that
- can
- arise
- when
- a
- common
- village
- boy
- comes
- up
- against
- powerful
- figures
- in
- society.
She
- decides
- to
- pay
- him
- a
- clandestine
- visit,
- and
- issues
- him
- a
- stern
- warning
- to
- keep
- away
- from
- Princess
- Yeni….….and
- so
- our
- story
- unfolds.Rufus
- listens
- intently
- as
- his
- mind
- is
- transported
- into
- the
- fascinating
- world
- of
- Katunga.
In
- the
- end
- he
- is
- both
- fascinated
- with
- his
- grandmother’s
- magical
- tale
- and
- transformed
- by
- the
- moral
- of
- the story.
pro-mbooks3 : libris
