The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
by Andrew LangGenre: Fairy Tale
Setting: Fantasy
Format of Original Source: Short Story
Recommended Adaptation Length: 30 Minutes
Candidate for Adaptation? Not Likely
EXCERPT:
Far way, in a very hot country, there once lived a man and woman who had two children, a son named Koane and a daughter called Thakane.
Early in the morning and late in the evenings the parents worked hard in the fields, resting, when the sun was high, under the shade of some tree. While they were absent the little girl kept house alone, for her brother always got up before the dawn, when the air was fresh and cool, and drove out the cattle to the sweetest patches of grass he could find.
One day, when Koane had slept later than usual, his father and mother went to their work before him, and there was only Thakane to be seen busy making the bread for supper.
‘Thakane,’ he said, ‘I am thirsty. Give me a drink from the tree Koumongoe, which has the best milk in the world.’
COMMENTS:
You HAVE to read this one! Not because it’s a great story, but because something went wrong either with the translation or the printing, or something…there are sentences which just make you blink, and re-read, and blink again, thinking: “That CAN’T be what they mean.” This manuscript isn’t adaptable because it doesn’t hang together…but there’s something beautiful in its imagery and in the earnestness of the sister’s desire to please. But, seriously — read this one; it’s only four pages long, and is guaranteed to baffle you!
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