Lazy Lion learns a lifelong lesson
Pupils of the Holy Cross School performed Akukho nkwal’ ipandel’ enye – The lazy lion learns a lesson – in St George’s Hall last Friday.
It was devised by Basil Mills of NELM and adapted to isiXhosa by the staff of Holy Cross School. Set in the Eastern Cape near a village in a game reserve, wild animals, some cattle, villagers, game rangers and tourists feature in the play about a boastful, lazy lion who lives in a game reserve.
His wives, fed up with him and his demands, send him off to fend for himself.
He befriends a group of vultures, but then gets into trouble with the villagers for catching one of their calves.
The vultures help the lion to escape from the hunters, but then a trap is set and the lion is caught. He in turn persuades a little boy to free him.
Instead of showing his gratitude, he proceeds to catch the boy. A jackal saves the boy out of revenge against the lion.
The jackal tells the lion to catch a porcupine instead and the lion gets hurt in the process.
The lion shows remorse and his wives take him back under certain conditions.
The stage set was enhanced by an amazing “Jeep” built by Basil Mills from a Ferrero Rocher display box.
Principal Kary McConnachie said: “It is always such a pleasure to bring our local stories to the stage with the help of NELM’s Basil Mills. Our children truly act out the stories he has brought to life for them over the past year and they sing beautifully.”