TheRootoft

heMat
ter:
Afr
icanSt
ori
es

TheRootoft
heMat
ter

Letusenj
oyr
eadi
ngt
hisoneofAf
ri
canSt
ori
esofTheRootoft
heMat
ter
.

Aporcupi
necameandaskedadogforf
ood.Thedogsai
dhehadnof
oodbutshowedhi
ma
f
iel
dofsugarcanebel
ongi
ngt
oajudge.

"Eatasmuchasy ouwant,
"sai dthedog,"butl
eavet herootsi
ntactsothattheplantswill
grow
again.
"Thepor cupi
nefoundt hesugarcanesweetandj uicy
.Hebegant ov i
sitthefi
eldeveryday.
Inthebeginni
ngheat eonlythest ems,asdir
ectedbyt hedog,butaft
erafewday shebegant o
eattherootstoo.Onedayt hejudgesawt hedestructi
oninhisfi
eldandwasv eryangry
.

Hecal l
edthedogandaccusedhim ofdest
roy
inghiscrop.Thedogsaiditwastheporcupi
ne
thatwastoblame.Theporcupi
nesaidhewasi nnocentandsuggest
edthatthematt
erbe
settl
edincourt
.Thej
udgeagreed.

Thepor
cupinewait
edti
llwi
nterseti
n.Thenonechi
l
lymor
ninghewentt
othedog'
shouseand
tol
dhi
mt hejudgehadsummonedt hem.

Whent
heyent
eredt
hej
udge'
schambert
hedogbegant
oshi
verwi
tht
hecol
d.

"
Seehowhet
rembl
es,
YourHonor
,"sai
dthepor
cupi
ne."
Isn'
tthatasur
esi
gnofgui
l
t?"

"
Whatdoy
ouhav
etosayf
ory
our
sel
f?"askedt
hej
udge,
looki
ngst
ernl
yatt
hedog.

Butthedog'
steet
hwerechat
ter
ingwit
hthecoldandhecouldnotspeak.Thinki
ngthathis
si
lencewasanadmissi
onofgui
lt,
thej
udgepronouncedhi
m gui
lt
yandki ckedhim outofthe
house.

Wheneveradogbar
ksi
ncessant
ly,
Afr
icanssayhei
swar
ningt
hej
udget
hatt
hepor
cupi
nehas
goti
ntohisf
iel
d.