among themselves, creating conflict.
When night blanketed the earth, the people in caves had to keep fires burning all night to chase away the wild animals that threatened them. Every night they could see the luminous eyes of lions, hyenas and leopards lying in wait just beyond the firelight. Normally these animals would not attack men, but their prey was becoming scarce and they were growing thin and desperate without food.
After a time, the stars became very worried about the situation and pleaded with Atai to reconsider her position and reconcile10 with her husband.
‘It’s important to have harmony between the moon and the stars,’ they said. Then they suggested that when the moon was full and at its most brilliant, they could be less prominent11 and stay in the background. Then when the moon was less prominent the stars could shine brilliantly, having the sky to themselves and the moon could be in the background.
‘Please do something, Atai,’ they pleaded. ‘If the elements persist, there’ll be no light on the earth and perhaps no earth.’
But Atai did not take much interest in their proposals and she was not prepared to do anything about it herself. She did, however, allow them to go to the man in the moon and try to make peace on her behalf.
The man in the moon welcomed the stars as he too had become unhappy with the situation. He was no longer in charge of the night sky and he no longer had a wife. Although he pretended to show little interest in their suggestions, he said: ‘I’m pleased you have come to visit me. I am definitely the ruler of the night sky, but I do not want this argument to continue.’
The stars listened carefully to him as he continued: ‘I am willing to remain in the background, but I have responsibilities to the earth, as it needs my light. If this argument continues, the earth will suffer even more.’
‘That’s unselfish of you,’ replied the stars.
At last an agreement was reached with the moon. But a problem arose with the elements. They were not eager to give up control of the sky, but eventually an arrangement was made between the three of them.
At times the moon would shine and the stars would fade into the background. When the moon shone less intensely, the stars would shine brightly, advancing to the foreground. But there would also be a time when there would be darkness so that the rain and storms could reign.
Eventually, having settled their differences, the man in the moon and his wife became friends once again and they have remained close ever since.
Some people on the earth love to see a full moon riding the night sky. Others love the brilliance of the stars, especially sailors who navigate12 by the position of the stars.
As for the elements, people prefer gentle rain. They are dismayed when storms and flooding sweep across the land. People and their animals are frightened by the sound of thunder and lightning, but man has come to accept all weather conditions, as they all are necessary for the benefit of the earth.
Post-reading
1.Identify who ‘the three of them’ are, mentioned in the fifth last paragraph.(3)
2.Summarise the hardships people on earth suffered because of the conflict in the night sky.(5)
3.How does the stars’ comment that Atai is ‘as brilliant as the moon’ influence events?(4)
4.What does the man in the moon’s reaction to the stars’ opinion of him show about him in the context of universal values?(5)
5.Discuss your response to the story.(2)
Enrichment activity
Do some research about one of the following and then report back to the rest of the class:
•how the moon influences the tides
•the different phases of the moon
•natural disasters that occurred in Africa during the past ten years.
Black star
by Rodney Gedye
A note about the story
This romantic story deals with more than the love relationship between two young people, Sarie and Jan. Against the backdrop of a fishing community, they are challenged by an accident that changes Jan’s life and he feels he has lost his identity and everything he had, including Sarie’s love. He is seriously wrong, not understanding how much she loves him. When he drunkenly attacks someone in the community, he runs away, thinking that he has killed the man. Sarie goes after him, knowing where he would hide from the police, and tries to persuade him to give himself up. She challenges him to do what is right – and when something happens to her, he has to overcome his own fears for her sake.
The writer creates a vivid picture not only of the fishing village and some of its inhabitants, but also of the sea, from which they gain their livelihood. When this relationship between man and nature is disrupted, a fisherman might well lose hope of future happiness. Two dramatic events have a direct impact on the young fisherman’s life; how he deals with each circumstance affects his relationship with the girl he loves directly. How she deals with his problems reveals her strength of character and love. The theme of guilt and redemption runs through the story; the plot structure addresses common moral issues; and the characters demonstrate that love and understanding should underpin our personal relationships.
Pre-reading
•Discuss the title: what could a black star be a symbol of?
•Skim the story for the names of all the characters and write them down. How do you know who the main characters are?
•Go through the footnotes to make sure that you understand unfamiliar expressions and can refer to them quickly when reading the story.
During reading
Remember to refer to a footnote when you come across an unfamiliar word.
•Try to understand Jan’s feelings about his accident.
•Try to pick out what is:
–background information about Sarie and Jan’s relationship
–the situation at the point where Sarie learns about Jan’s present situation.
Black star
Sarie reached the top of the spur and straightened up, bracing her bare feet against the slope of the rock. Before her lay the fishing beach, with a line of boats – bright and big-bellied as giant puff-fish thrown up to die – basking above the highwater mark.
A warm breeze, sweeping up the smell of diesel oil, new paint, and rotting fish-heads, threaded light fingers through the hair behind her ears, and smoothed the faded cotton dress against her body. A body that was young and firm, and curved as a woman’s should be.
For a while she just stood on the rock, listening to the sounds of work and laughter blown from the boats. Then cupping her hands about her mouth, she whistled. Hard, like a man, drawing the sound out and up and down short.
The men looked towards her, and she waved. And when they showed no sign of having seen her, she waved again.
