The Cruel Step-Mother
Read the narrative below and then answer the questions that follow. (20mks)
Once upon a time, there was a man and wife who had a baby girl. Unfortunately, the wife died and so, the man married again. He got another girl with the second wife.
The two girls became extremely close, so close that whenever the mother sent one on an errand, the other was sure to accompany her. The mother, however, did not like the child of the deceased. She would always show her dislike by denying her certain favours. Her feelings became so bad that she decided to get rid of the girl. To do this, she dug a hole in her bedroom on a day when the husband was absent and covered the hole with a cow’s hide. She then called her daughter and sent her to the house of a friend some kilometers away. As usual, the two girls wanted to go together but the woman refused, giving the excuse that she wanted to send the other one elsewhere.
After the departure of her daughter, she called the other girl and sent her for her snuffbox in the bedroom. Unaware of what lay ahead, the girl eagerly rushed into the room only to fall into a hole! The mother very quickly filled the hole with soil, completely disregarding the girl’s screams for help.
When the daughter came back, she merely assumed that the absence of her dear companion was justified. After hours of waiting, she, however, became impatient and questioned the mother.
‘Where is my sister?’ she asked.
‘But she followed you. As soon as she did what I wanted, she ran after you. Now stop bothering me,’ the mother retorted.
Time passed and the now anxious girl went round calling out the name of the other one, but all in vain. Alas…. She cried the whole night and the next day and refused to touch any food. The father helped in the search but to no avail.
After three days, the girl still cried and called the other one. She then heard a very weak voice responding in song:
Maalya Maalya
Maalya Maalya
Na mwenyu niwe mwai iiee malya,
Ekwinza muthiko iiee malya,
Wakwisa kunthika iiee malya
Wakwisa kunthika iiee malya
(Maalya Maalya
And your mother is the wise one iiee malya,
She dug a grave iiee malya,
For interring me in iiee malya.)
The girl dashed towards the direction of the voice, repeated her cries and again go the same response. She came to the conclusion that whoever was responding was definitely underground somewhere in the house. Immediately the father came that day (before the arrival of the mother), she told him what had happened After hearing the song, the father dug up the place and pulled out an extremely weak and disfigured daughter. All three wailed and wailed. Eventually, the father gave her a mixture of blood from a goat and milk to drink after which she vomited all the soil she had eaten. He gave her some more of the mixture on after which he hid her.
When the wife eventually came back, the man did not let her get into the house but sent her for a cow in a far off place. He explained away his action by telling her that he had decided to host a feast for relatives (including his in-laws). In the meantime , he sent for all of them. When the woman came back with the cow, she found everyone waiting for her. Uneasy now, she sat down in the place she was shown by her husband.He then stood up and after welcoming all, reminded them of the lost daughter. He then called upon the wife to explain the circumstances leading to the sad episode. She hauntingly repeated the now commonly known story. When she sat down, the husband told this woman’s daughter to repeat her earlier wails after which all heard:
Maalya Maalya
Maalya Maalya
Na mwenyu niwe mwai iiee malya,
Ekwinza muthiko iiee malya,
Wakwinsa kunthika iiee malya.
All were surprised to hear the words of the other girl’s song and at that moment, the ‘dead’ girl joined them. The woman was as though paralysed by shock.
The husband then explained the truth of the matter and told his in-laws to take their daughter with them. They said that if that was what she had done to the girl, they couldn’t have such a monster in their house. The woman was disowned by all and chased away.
Questions on the Cruel Step-Mother
(a) To which audience and when can such a story be told? (2mks)
The audience — Young women preparing to get married
when - when being prepared for marriage/being educated as the role of good wife. (2mks)
(b) Explain three features of style employed in the narrative. (6mks)
i) opening formula
Once upon a time ... this announces the coming of the narrative or attracts the attention of the audience.
(ii) Use of song
- Maalya ………………..Maalya
- Ironically emphasizing the wrongness of the mother’s deed.
(iii) Dialogue
- Between/ mother and daughter
Character of sister brought out as loving/concerned/ character of the mother as being cruel comes out.
c) Contrast the character of the mother and her blood daughter. (4mks)
The mother is cruel/callous as seen from the mistreatment she gives to the step-daughter whereas the daughter is kind/loving/ concerned as seen from the concern she has for the step sister when she goes missing. (4mks)
(d) Explain two problems you are likely to encounter when collecting materials for such a genre. (4mks)
Suspicion by some members of the community from which you are doing your research.
- informants may demand cash payment
- Language if research is carried out of ones community
- Good informants and performers may not be available
- Religious convictions
(e) What does the author mean by the following sentences as used in the passage?
(i) “When the daughter came back, she merely assumed that the absence of her dear companion was justified.” (1mk)
It never occured to her that her dear companion was being gotten rid of for
no apparent reason
(ii) And your mother is the wise one iiee Malya. (1mk)
It is ironical reference to the mother's cruel character.
(f) What is the moral lesson of this narrative? (2mks)
That we should show love to all irregardless of their relationship to us.