SENTIENT MAN 



THE season of action, when so great a number of 



the fruits of the earth are ripe, was originally the 



great time of plenty, but when man became a planter 



his harvest time came earlier and continued through 



the greater part of this time. But the latter part of 



this season is also the time when the waters of the 



rivers reach their highest level and floods are frequent. 



Kunzi and Ngonzolo are both winds, the latter being 



also the malevolent rainbow. It is thus a time of 



great activity, when all man's nerves and senses are at 



their fullest tension. In many ways it was a time of 



great danger, which experience and custom taught 



man to guard against. He believed that certain 



heaven-sent warnings were sent to help him to avoid 



dangers and seek prosperity. His heart (Ntima] 



palpitates and stops to hear, as he says, what his 



mother's voice is telling or advising him. Or perhaps, 



as we should say, his conscience (Ntima} pricks him. 



He hears birds sing, frogs croak, and he knows all is 



well or not. Thus sound and hearing, heart and 



conscience, are associated under this N or M or Mu 



plural Mi class. Conscience here is the "doer." 



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