Long, long ago there was a lake of cold water in
Kenya. Many animals came at night to the lake to drink some water. But people
never came to the lake at night; the animals could kill and eat them.
Now a rich man who had a beautiful daughter once said, "The young man who
will go to the lake in the evening and stay in the cold water till morning will
have my daughter for his wife."
There lived a poor young man who loved the rich man's daughter very much. He
said to his mother, "I shall try to stall all night in the lake and then
marry the dear girl."
"No, no," the mother said, "you are my only son! The water in the
lake is very cold, and the animals will eat you up. Do not go there!"
She cried and cried, but her son said, "Mother, do not cry. I must try. I
love her so much!"
So the young man went to the girl's father. He told him that he wanted to go the
lake and stay in the cold water all night. The rich man sent his servants to a
place where they could watch the young man.
When night came, the young man went to the lake and his mother followed him, but
he did not see her. There was a hill forty paces away from the place where the
young man went into the water. The woman climbed up the hill and made a fire
there. The wild animals saw the fire and were afraid to go near that place.
The young man saw the fire, too. He understood that his mother was there. He
thought of his mother's love, and it was easier for him to stay all night in the
very cold water.
Morning came. The young man went to the rich man's house. The rich man saw him
and said, "My servants say that there was a fire on a hill forty paces from
the lake. It warmed you, and that is why you could stay all night in the water.
So you cannot marry my daughter. Good-bye."
The young man was very angry. He went to the judge.
"Well," the judge said, "this is a very simple case."
The next morning the young man with his mother and the rich man with his
servants came before the judge. There were many people there who wanted to hear
the case.
The judge asked for a pot of cold water. Then he walked forty paces from the pat
and made a fire.
"Now," he said, "we shall wait a little until the water is
warm."
The people cried, "But the fire is so far away, it cannot warm the water in
the pot."
Then the judge said, "And how could that young man warm himself at a fire
forty paces away?"
So the case was over, and the young man married the rich man's daughter. They
lived happily for many years.