"Have you never seen the great aircraft of the white men of Europe and
America go flying over? Or have none of you witnessed these craft
sitting on the ground at Mopti or Niamey. Surely some of you have
journeyed to Mopti."
"Yes, but they are great craft. And you flew alone and without the great
wings and propellers of the white-man's aircraft."
Dolo Anah chuckled. "My son, I flew in a helio-hopper as they are
called. They are the smallest of all aircraft, but they are not magic.
They are made in the factories of the lands of Europe and America and
after you have finished school and have found a position for yourself in
the new industries that spread through Africa, then you will be able to
purchase one quite cheaply, if you so desire. Others among you might
even learn to build them, themselves."
Hinnan and the others gasped.
Dolo Anah went on. "And observe this." He dug into the ground before him
and revealed the crystal ball that had magically appeared before. He
showed to them the little elevator device beneath it which he
manipulated with a small rubber bulb which pumped air underneath.
One or two of them ventured a scornful laugh, at the obviousness of the
trick.
Dolo Anah took up the ball and unscrewed the base. Inside were a
delicate arrangement of film on a continuous spool so that the scene
played over and over again, and a combination of batteries and bulbs to
project the scene on the ball's surface. He explained, in patient
detail, the workings of the supposed magic ball. Two of the boys had
seen movies on trips to Mopti, the others had heard of them.
Finally one, highly encouraged now, as were the others, said, "But why
do you show us this and shame us for our foolishness?"
Dolo Anah nodded encouragement at the teen-ager. "I do not shame you, my
son, but your fathers and the Hogons and the so-called witchmen. For
long ages the Dogon have been led by the oldest members of the tribe,
the Hogons. This can be nonsense because in spite of your traditions age
does not necessarily bring wisdom. In fact, senility as it is called can
bring childish nonsense. A people should be governed by the wisest and
best among them, not by tradition, by often silly beliefs handed down
from one generation to another."
Hinnan, who was eldest son of the head chief, said, "But why do you tell
us this, after shaming our fathers and the old men of the Dogon?"
For the first time since the elders had left, Dolo Anah's eyes gleamed
as before. "Because you will be the leaders of the Dogon tomorrow, most
like. And it is necessary to learn these great truths. That you attend
the schools and bring to the Dogon tomorrow what they did not have
yesterday, and do not have today."
"But suppose we tell them of how you have deceived them?" the other
articulate Dogon lad said.
Dolo Anah chuckled and shook his head. "They will not believe you, boy.
They will be afraid to believe you. And besides, men are almost
everywhere the same. It is difficult for an older man to learn from a
younger one, especially his own son. It is vanity, but it is true." His
mouth twisted in memory. "When I was a lad myself, on the beaches of an
island far from here in the Bahamas, my father beat me on more than one
occasion, indignant that I should wish to attend the white man's
schools, while he and his father before him had been fishermen. Beneath
his indignation was the fear that one day I would excel him."
"You are right," Hinnan said uncomfortably, "they would not believe us."
Instinctively, the son of the head chief assumed leadership of the
others. "We will keep this secret between us," he said to them.
Dolo Anah came to his feet, yawned, stretched his legs and began to pack
his gadgets into the small valise he carried. "Good luck, boys," he said
unthinkingly in English.
As he left the hut, he emerged into a respectfully cleared area around
the hut. Without looking left or right he approached his folded
helio-hopper, made the few adjustments that were needed to make it
air-borne, strapped himself into the tiny saddle, flicked the start
control and to the accompaniment of a gasp from the entire village of
Ireli, took off in a swoop.
In a matter of moments, he had disappeared to the north in the direction
of the Mosse villages.