Down the Baobab Tree

 Fadzai and Tembo had always felt a gravitational force attracting them toward the great baobab tree, two kilometres outside the village. Its wide outstretched bare arms beckoned them. The village elders warned them though of the leopard that lived up the top in the hollow. It liked to eat small children or so they had been told.

It had been a long, hot October day and the heat sat heavily on everyone's shoulders. Fadzai and Tembo had been sent to fetch water and the buckets weighed them down. Stopping to take a rest, they suddenly were aware of the roots and solid trunk of the tree next to them. Looking up at the bright October sky they realized they were at the giant baobab.

Fadzai hastily picked up her bucket but Tembo continued to stare in awe, and then as if in a trance, walked closer to the enormous tree. On the ground was a cracked open furry seed pod and excited, Tembo pulled out the powdery white cream of tartar seeds. He sucked and chewed contentedly and offered some to his sister. Fadzai at first refused but then was persuaded as she did really like the cream of tartar too. It tasted like sherbet.

The two children were so busy enjoying the fruit that they did not notice two sets of eyes honing in on them. One had four legs, while the other slithered. The four-legged tree resident descended from above, whilst the slithering onlooker came from the roots.

Suddenly the children were aware that they were being watched. Nervously they bent down to pick up their buckets when a gruff voice said, "Don't go." And a hiss said, "Sssssstay." The children froze. Stories of witchcraft and children disappearing were not unheard of. Tembo sounding braver than he felt, straightened up and said, "Who are you?" There was a pause and then out of the tree trunk emerged a large leopard. Both children froze. The gruff voice said, "Don't be alarmed, I am one of the guardians of this magical tree." The children stood rooted to the spot and internally wondered who were the others? As if in answer to their thoughts they suddenly looked down to a python winding between their feet. "I am the other," murmured the snake, and then he said, "We mean you no harm."

Tembo, summoning up all his courage spluttered, "We need to go home." The snake had slid up to the hollow in the tree trunk. "Don't you want to see the secret world inside the tree? We've been waiting for you a very long time." Fadzai and Tembo looked at each other. They had always been very curious children. Some times in danger of their own good.

"What magical world?" they asked. "A land that can only be visited once, on one day, before it is replaced by another one," whispered the leopard. "You may enter at your own peril but must return from it before the sun sets or else you will remain in that land forever."

"What lives in these lands?" asked Fadzai. "Oh, anything from your imagination," hissed the python, "Are you ready to explore?"