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Book Info
- Oumou Sangar Saa Magni
- Oumou Sangare Dugu Kamelemba
- Oumou Sangare Sigi Kuruni
Cover Art By Larry Nadolsky
http://pinuppulp.com
Black and White Drawings by Rosstin Murphy http://rosstin.livejournal.com/
Took 1 & a half years to compose. 5 years start to finish.
Currently 253 pages
Over 12 storylines, some imbedded with tricks!
Over 17 different endings; become a magician, hunter, warrior, slave, scholar or musician.
Originally created to instill knowledge about pre-colonial Africa in adolescent African American males while encouraging literacy.
Pg 1 Warrior of Mande
Life' s moments are swifter, more dangerous than a river's current swirling with eddies and undertows. It is in this maelstrom you must navigate the powers of will and of fate to reach your ultimate destiny. Forget your name. Forget your face. In this life, you are Dai Diarra, a beloved son of the second most powerful clan in Mande, West Africa.
Nightmares of a python devouring you have plagued your nights for many weeks. While working on the family farm, your brother Yacouba notices you leaning on your hoe staring into space. Yacouba scowls. What is wrong with you?
You tell Yacouba the details of your dream. He tells you, "You should have told me about this dream earlier. It is a sign the spirits are trying to tell you something. One should walk with their eyes open, even if it is night. "Yacouba continues, "You should ask one of the elders to interpret your dream."
Talk to the Magician~ Go to page 6 Talk to your Parents~ Go to page 12
pg.1
Pg 2 To run away would disgrace the Diarra name. Instead of waiting for their attack, you leap at the warriors, aiming your hoe at their heads. You splinter the skulls of a few soldiers before your break your hoe on the back of a large one. Quickly you pull your knife out of its sheath. The blade of the knife glints and flashes in the sunlight as you thrust at the soldiers, piercing their leather vests.
Boom!
The thundering noise startles you, making you pause to wonder what it could be. Talking ancestors perhaps? That moment of confusion is all the soldiers need to overtake you. Their leader steps forward with some sort of metal stick in his hand that you have never seen before. He smiles at you.
"This one is brave. Lets take him back to the Coulibaly."
The camp sprawls all over what used to be your village. Two warriors lead you up to Coulibaly. Just by looking at Coulibaly's hefty body, you can tell he could break your neck without much effort. There is a knife scar on his left cheek that must have been won in a battle.
"We want this one to join the ton," The warriors say.
"He must be brave if you havent sold him yet," Coulibaly ponders aloud. "Are you going to join us, farmer boy?" He thrust out his hand in friendship.
Join them ~ Go to page 9
Spit in Coulibaly's eye~ Go to page 3
pg 2
Pg 3 With the name of Coulibaly, this man is nothing but a common slave. Best to address him as one. How dare him think you’ll join him after he destroyed your home.
You meet Coulibaly’s handshake, with your left hand. Coulibaly looks at you with incredulity. “How dare you greet me with your feces covered hand!” He roars.
You jerk him closer and cough up the biggest wad of phlegm you can muster. Saliva gobs ooze from Coulibaly’s eye in rivulets down his nose and cheek.
“Dimuni dien,” you sneer. “I am a Diarra, slave. Give me food.”
You get in one good laugh before Coulibaly punches out your front canine. The other warriors join in, beating you into a bloody heap in the dust.
“This one isn’t brave!” Coulibaly roars, “He’s reckless. Throw him in the suruka pit!”
The suruka pit? You cannot believe
this man has just made you, a horon,
born of free people, a slave!
To find out what happens read
Warrior of Mande at Lulu.com!
pg.3
Pg 4 
In this area, trees are sparse. You scan around and spot one that is leafy at the top. It would be perfect for surveying the scene. In a leaping dash, you grasp on the branches.
Ayi! Youve taken to long to hide. Three soldiers immerge from the brush, just as you swing your legs up into the tree. Your torso and head are left exposed as you try to pull yourself up into the leaves. Theyve caught you in a weak moment.
Before the world dissolves into nothingness, the last thing you see is a spear flying towards you.
Ab ana
pg. 4
Pg 5 
To find out what happens, read Warrior of Mande!
Pg 6 "I am going to Chaka's hut," you say. He is a donnikela. He has much knowledge. And magic."
Yacouba looks nervous. "I will go with you to make sure you are safe."
"What are you so afraid of, Yacouba?" You tease.
Yacouba hesitates before saying, "Sometimes people walk to Chaka's hut at sundown and disappear into the night."
The both of you walk halfway to the hut. You pause to take a look behind you. The rest of the homes seem two worlds away from where you are standing. The only sound you hear is the sort of silence that preludes a snake strike.
"I have waited for you for quite some time." Startled you turn to the hut. Chaka stands at the door. "I have never seen such fearful young men," Chaka says distainfully. "If you want to speak with me, hurry inside. Please make this quick."
The sting of his words rushes yours. "I had a dream," you blather.
"Owo, Owo," Chaka says, rolling his eyes, completely disinterested. He has heard this one thousand times before.
"I look at myself. Instantly, a python wraps around me!"
"Ah ha." Chaka says slowly. "This python seems like your enemy in your dream, but actually it is your friend. It is trying to warn you that an enemy is sneaking up on you." Chaka smoothes over the sand at his feet then uses the tips of his fingers make rippling patterns. "Your ancestors are spelling out their plans in the sand," Chaka continues. "The spirits say they can save you a sacrifice must be performed or the whole village will be destroyed. We will do the jinadon!" He says excitedly. "Bring a rooster."
"Jinadon! Letting a spirit take over mybody?" you scream, stunned.
In response, Chaka stands, shoos you out of the hut.
"What did you think of Chakas divination?" Yacouba asks. You answer,
"...it was tr ue" ~ Go to pg 14 "...h e was lying"~ Go to page 10
pg.6
Pg 7 
"Fa, you are right," you say. "I refuse to run away from what the spirits are telling me. I am staying on the farm." Fa thrusts his knife at you. It is as long as your forearm, with a wooden handle that has crocodiles carved on it. During the night, you dream of the snake again. This time, it squeezes tighter than ever before.
The next day is just like all the rest. Scalding sun. Hard dusty soil. Every few minutes, you look up from your work to observe your surroundings. Yacouba is just as nervous as you. Still he tells Koteba jokes. Laughter comes but with a nervous edge. As you laugh freely for the first time, Yacouba clasps his hand over your mouth, pointing to his ears. You listen intently. A lot of rustling can be heard in the millet fields to the east but there is no wind.
Yacouba whispers, "Climb on my shoulders. Tell me what you see." You climb up in a flash. In the field you see the two heads of warriors walking towards you. You jump down, panicked.
"Invaders!" You hiss. "Run home! Fa isn't at home. You have to protect everyone! There are only a couple of scouts. I can take them." Yacouba runs off.
Five soldiers immerge from the millet. You feel daggers are piercing your chest already. You underestimated how many soldiers there were!
Run Away~Go to page 9 Surrender~Page 11 Fight~ Go to Page 2
Pg 8 "I' ll join your fighters if you grant me one request," You say.
"Which is?" Coulibaly leans in dangerously close to your face.
" Let my family free so our lineage can continue. They are over there." You point to your mothers and sisters.
" Do you think you are worth more than six slaves?" Coulibaly barks.
" Of course I am. Slyly you add, Would you want a warrior that is worth less?"
Coulibaly turns to another warrior. "Set those women over there free."
" Ba runs to you. There is some hope," Ba whispers in your ear. "Yacouba was able to escape, with the younger children. We will find him."
"Thats enough talk!" Coulibaly roars at your family. "Warriors don't have families! Get out of here before I change my mind!"
The women run into the brush.
Coulibaly slaps you. "No weeping! I should have held them hostage to punish you for being arrogant! Get some toh in you and go to sleep! You have training tomorrow!"
To find out what happens,
read Warrior of Mande!
pg. 8
Pg 9 You sprint down the path that leads away from your home to distract the soldiers. Well get this one. You two, save some goats for us in the village. Their laughs echo across the fields. Ayi! They are going to your compound anyway! You have to double back to help your family. Your running is frantic, panicked. The path you know so well transforms into nightmare. The birds song sounds like the war cry of one thousand enemies.
Your imagination is not too far off from reality. The footfalls of the enemy sound closer than before. They are practiced in pursuit, so there is no way for you to gain ground and lose them.
If you
Surrender~Go to page 11 Hide in the Bush~ Go to Page 13
Climb a Tree~ Go to Page 4
Pg 10 "That Chaka is a trickster," You say. "I think he just wanted to get a free chicken dinner."
"You may be right little brother, Yacouba says. Yet I felt like some of his words were true."
"All of this is confusing me," You admit. "I just want to talk to Ba and Fa."
Turn to page 12
pg.10
Pg 11 "Please take mercy on me, you cry, flinging yourself into the red dust.
Kneeling down in front of the
warriors makes your throat
tighten. The disgrace of it all
makes your eyes sting. Even
though your hands are up,
the men treat you roughly,
throwing blows into your
face and kicking you relentlessly
in the stomach.
"This one is a coward!"
They laugh. "Lets make him
a slave." An albino is in their
midst. His red eyes frighten you,
but his tone is gentle.
"It is a shame," he says. "His body
is strong. He would have made a
good warrior."
"A weak mind paired with a
strong body is bad for a warrior but perfect for a slave," says another warrior. Tie him up."
You fight with the men as they try to bind your hands. The last thing you want to be is a slave! It will curse your decendants for seven generations!
Your struggle is useless. They taunt you saying, "It's too late to fight now! Time for the slave pit!" It doesnt take much effort for them to overcome you. When it is all over, your hands are tied and a rope is around your neck. They tug at the rope around your neck, half dragging, half leading you to the slave pit.
Want to escape slavery? Read Warrior of Mande and make it happen!
Pg 12 "I am going to talk to ba and fa," you tell Yacouba. They always say the right thing to do. Yacouba nods in agreement. As you walk down the darkening path, you can see the outline of your parents compound a short distance away. Every one gathers in the dirt circle between the huts. Each wife presents her food to your father, who eats what he likes most from the dish. Then each wife gives the food to the twelve children.
It is tough to get something to eat with so many hands dipping into the bowl! Glancing around, you notice your father has finished his meal. This is a perfect time to talk to him.
"Fa, you say", clearing your throat, "I keep having this feeling that something strange is going to happen. Most of the time I feel like I do not belong on the farm."
"What do you mean you dont belong on the farm? your father sputters.
"I always have bad dreams about a python attacking me here." You admit hanging your head.
"Maybe the ancestors are trying to send him a warning!" Ba exclaims, panicked. "He must leave here."
"When the ancestors try to talk to us, we dont cover our ears and run away," Fa argues.
"Why dont you take him hunting with you?" your mother suggests sweetly. "That way you can get double the meat."
"Then who will work on the farm? Fa demands.
"I can do it for him until Madou is big enough to take his place next year," Ba offers.
"This sounds fair to me," Fa says. He turns to you. "What do you want to do?"
Be a hunter~ Go to Page 5 Stay on the farm~ Go to Page 7
pg. 12
Pg 13 
Without a second thought, you throw yourself behind some tall bushes. Under the safe cover, you watch as the soldiers trample past. There is rustling in the bushes. Perhaps the warriors have figured you out, doubling back to ambush you. You duck back into your hiding place and peer between the branches of the bush.
A python peeks its head out of the tall grasses. It slithers to the middle of the path, but it is so long, the tail is still hidden in the brush. Its scales are a glistening shade of onyx. The python is beautiful yet frightening. These sorts of snakes eat cattle. You are much smaller than a cow, easy prey. There is vibrance in the pythons eyes that you have never seen before in a wild animal. You think it is the end for sure, but for some reason, the python doesnt strike.
Remembering the red bracelet around your wrist, you think you must be protected. Then you think about all the spirit stories your mother used to tell you. Jinns are the magical spirits of the forest.
"Jinns inhabit the bodies of wild beasts," Ba told you when you were tiny. The only way you can tell the difference between jinaw and beast is that a beast will attack or run away from a human. A jinaw just sits and observes people."
Should you approach it?
To find out of this python is magical, read Warrior of Mande!
Page 21 "I felt special when he touched the sand," you admit. His actions were not just an act. There is something more to him and I want to know what it is."
The next day you and Yacouba return to Chaka's hut with a rooster. Chaka sprinkles a brown powder over the embers while chanting the names of your ancestors going all the way back to King Diarra. A cold, clammy feeling washes over your body. One by one a multitude of spirits appear as beautiful women wearing head wraps in styles you had never seen before and men dressed in a different manner than the people of Niani but there is something vaguely familiar about their faces.
Chaka says, "The spirits before are your ancestors, here to witness your sacrifice." Chaka holds your left hand. With his free hand, he grasps Yacouba's rooster by the neck. Chaka presses your hand to the cocks comb while chanting in some indecipherable language. "Make your thoughts ready," Chaka says to you. "Thank your ancestors. Acknowledge their powers. Visualize what you want the village of Niani to be in the future."
In your heart you send out thanks for all of the things your ancestors did to make this present happen. You feel a force raveling inside your chest and through your mind. The ancestors are traveling through you! The rushing energy feels like it is seeping through your fingertips over the cocks comb. Chaka releases his tight grip. It is finished.
The next day is as peaceful but something is different. Your nyama, that vital force that drives your spirit, feels more powerful, like you are capable of doing anything you like. You know this has something to do with Chaka's magic. You realize you must have it for yourself.
To get Chaka's magic, read Warrior of Mande!
pg. 14
Events 
Warrior of Mande
Coming the Summer of 2012!
www.kenyamitchell.com
