Suddently, the bull exploded. He died without a "mooo". In the grassland around rained pieces of ox. The flesh were red butterflies; the bones small coins. The horns landed in a nearby tree. All of this all seen by Azarias, the little shepherd. Minutes ago he admired Mbata-bata, the largest bull in the herd; now he became an echo of silence, shadow of nothing. He was supposed to be a gift for uncle Raul's marriage; Azarias worked for him since he became an orphan.

"It could only be a thunderbolt" thought Azarias. However,the skies were clean. How could a bolt came from nowhere?

Azarias looked to the sky. Maybe Ndlati, the thunder bird, was responsible for the tragedy. The child looked to the mountains, the home Ndlati, were all the tributaries join to form a river. The thunder bird lives in her four hidden colours, and only shows up when the clouds roar. It is then that she dresses flames and rises enraged, throwing her burning light over the living things of the Earth. She eventually lands, making a hole on the Earth and pees.

One time, the shaman was need to remove the corrossive acids. Maybe Mbata-bata steped on such evil remains. But Raul wouldn't believe. He already knew bulls that died in such way; they always have their burned bodies covered by ashes. The fire chews, it doesn't eat everything with a single bite, as it happened.

Azarias looked around: the rest of the herd went away scared. Fear went through the child's eyes.

"Don't return without a bull. I warn you, you better don't return."

Those were the words of uncle Raul. Azarias only had an option in order to avoid the man's fury: to run away. Running away is like dieing from a place and he, with his old clothes and a small bag, what would he miss? Just bad treatment. The other kids had the right to go to school. He hadn't. He just worked, having almost no remains of childhood on him. Playing was just the animals. At home, Raul guessed his future.

"The way he get's along with the cattle, he will marry a cow!"

And everyone laughed, having no respect for the little soul, for his harmed dreams. So he tooked some djambalau fruits and left into the scrub. He walked for several hours, until he felt tired and sit down. Then, he noticed something fluffy was next to him. He turned around...and he saw a lion! Azarias decided to run away, but a tree felt at his front, so he couldn't escape.

"You don't need to be afraid, I won't eat you" said the lion, "My name is Kopa, and you must be Azarias".

"How do you know my name?"

"Well, when you're the king of the beasts, you know everything. I know what happened Azarias, and I want to help you, so I gathered the herd. You now have to return to your uncle".

Meanwhile, on the village, Azarias grandma, Carolina, was starting to get worried, so she went to uncle Raul's house.

"Raul, I'm worried. What if something happened to Azarias?"

"Don't worry, he is probably just kidding around".

He's opinion changed went so soldiers came to his house.

"Good afternoon. We came to say that a bull exploded this morning. That bull belonged to here. Can you tell us where the shepherd is? We need to ask him what and how it happened".

"We are awaiting for him".

"Well, no one can't go to the scrub. The gangsters were spreading land-mines around there".

After the soldiers went away, Raul went to find the cattle (and Azarias, of course).He went in the scrub and, after a while, he heard someone's steps.

"Azarias, is that you?"

"It's me Raul" said grandma Carolina.

"Stupid old lady. What is she doing here? If she steps a land-mine, not only she explodes, but I will also die as well!"

"Azarias won't listen to you Raul. He only listens to me".

The reason for this, of course, is that Carolina, unlike Raul, was a good person, and she always protected her grandchild. Meanwhile, the heard some steps.

"Azarias, is that you?"

"Come on boy, I won't beat you" said Raul, "I swear".

He sweared lies. He wouldn't beat Azarias, he would spank him to death!

"I don't want to come back; I will run away!"

"But why?"

"This kid will return even if I have to whip him to death!!"

"Shut up Raul!" said Carolina, angry by the first time in her life. She then turned to Azarias and became calm again.

"Come on my son, you will only return with me. It's not your fault that Mbata-bata died. Will you help your uncle to gather the herd?"

"You don't need to do that; I and my new friend already gathered the herd".

"Really Azarias?" said Raul. Azarias then showed the herd, but Kopa remained hidden.

"Your uncle is very satisfied, Azarias" said Carolina, "he will give you a reward."

Azarias though for a while, and said:

"Uncle, next year can I go to school?"

He already guessed the answer: no. He Raul allowed Azarias to have education, who would take care of the cattle?

"Yes you will go Azarias" said Raul. I don't know what made him change his mind, but I think it was because Kopa appeared and showed his teeth (this situation made grandma Carolina to chuckle).

"You know, I can still take care of the herd. I could only go to school in the afternoon".

"We'll discuss about that later. Now let's return".

Azarias then started to run in Raul's and Carolina's direction, until everything around him exploded. Then, Ndlati, the bird of the thunder, descended from the skies.

"Who are you going to land on Ndlati?" shouted Azarias, paralised in the ground. "On grandma Carolina, poor woman, that cares so much about me? On uncle Raul, who is now sorry? Or in Kopa, which is a very good friend?"

And, before the bird of the fire decided, Azarias embrassed her.

animals. At home, Raul guessed his future.

"The way he get's along with the cattle, he will marry a cow!"

And everyone laughed, having no respect for the little soul, for his harmed dreams. So he tooked some djambalau fruits and left into the scrub. He walked for several hours, until he felt tired and sit down. Then, he noticed something fluffy was next to him. He turned around...and he saw a lion! Azarias decided to run away, but a tree felt at his front, so he couldn't escape.

"You don't need to be afraid, I won't eat you" said the lion, "My name is Kopa, and you must be Azarias".

"How do you know my name?"

"Well, when you're the king of the beasts, you know everything. I know what happened Azarias, and I want to help you, so I gathered the herd. You now have to return to your uncle".

Meanwhile, on the village, Azarias grandma, Carolina, was starting to get worried, so she went to uncle Raul's house.

"Raul, I'm worried. What if something happened to Azarias?"

"Don't worry, he is probably just kidding around".

He's opinion changed went so soldiers came to his house.

"Good afternoon. We came to say that a bull exploded this morning. That bull belonged to here. Can you tell us where the shepherd is? We need to ask him what and how it happened".

"We are awaiting for him".

"Well, no one can't go to the scrub. The gangsters were spreading land-mines around there".

After the soldiers went away, Raul went to find the cattle (and Azarias, of course).He went in the scrub and, after a while, he heard someone's steps.

"Azarias, is that you?"

"It's me Raul" said grandma Carolina.

"Stupid old lady. What is she doing here? If she steps a land-mine, not only she explodes, but I will also die as well!"

"Azarias won't listen to you Raul. He only listens to me".

The reason for this, of course, is that Carolina, unlike Raul, was a good person, and she always protected her grandchild. Meanwhile, the heard some steps.

"Azarias, is that you?"

"Come on boy, I won't beat you" said Raul, "I swear".

He sweared lies. He wouldn't beat Azarias, he would spank him to death!

"I don't want to come back; I will run away!"

"But why?"

"This kid will return even if I have to whip him to death!!"

"Shut up Raul!" said Carolina, angry by the first time in her life. She then turned to Azarias and became calm again.

"Come on my son, you will only return with me. It's not your fault that Mbata-bata died. Will you help your uncle to gather the herd?"

"You don't need to do that; I and my new friend already gathered the herd".

"Really Azarias?" said Raul. Azarias then showed the herd, but Kopa remained hidden.

"Your uncle is very satisfied, Azarias" said Carolina, "he will give you a reward."

Azarias though for a while, and said:

"Uncle, next year can I go to school?"

He already guessed the answer: no. He Raul allowed Azarias to have education, who would take care of the cattle?

"Yes you will go Azarias" said Raul. I don't know what made him change his mind, but I think it was because Kopa appeared and showed his teeth (this situation made grandma Carolina to chuckle).

"You know, I can still take care of the herd. I could only go to school in the afternoon".

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