Ngakudala, ekuphileni kwesikhathi eside, kwaba nehhashi elincane elibizwa ngokuthi u-Eli, ophila emkhandlwini ohlangene nezinkanyezi ezinkulu. Le nkawulo yahlala itholakala ezihlahleni eziphakeme, lapho ilanga litheleka khona imisebe yalo phakathi kwezelibazekile zemiqhese, kodwa imizwa yabantu bezakhamuzi ibanjwe njengezinkanyezi ezinzima ezivenekela phezulu. Lokhu kwaba ngenxa yokuthi bahlupheka isikhathi eside ngempucuko ephethe ububi, unozakuzaku, owavele ekhuluma nokungaboni. Le mpucuko ibihlangene ngemuva kwezinyembezi ezimnyama, futhi abantu babebhalela izinyembezi ngezindebe zabo.
UEli wayeyintombazane egcwele isibindi nomnqweno. Ngaphambili, wayevame ukudlala nama-tiny rabbit, ama-squirrel ezilungwini zomphakathi, noma ahambe eduze komfula ukufuna amatshe, athathe ama-tadpole. Noma nini lapho ebona abantu behlezi bephansi ngenxa yokuphazamiseka kwale mpucuko, inhliziyo yakhe yayigcwala ngamandla angabonakali. Wayefisa ukusiza le ndawo eyayihambisana nezaba zayo. Nokho, namuhla u-Eli wanquma ukuthi akasoze aphelele lapho.
Ngesinye isikhathi, ukukhanya kwenyanga kubukhali, izinkanyezi zibhalela phezulu, u-Eli wambatha isikhumba semilomo, waqhophelela phambi kwendlu, wahamba waya ezihlahleni. Izihlahla zaleso sikhathi ziphila ezingezwe ezimpilweni zayo, izinkukhu zikhala ngezivunguvungu, bese umoya lighthemuka phezu kwezihlahla, kuphuka akancane, bekungathi ubiza u-Eli. Ngaphandle kokungabaza, wayezwa ukuvungama kwamacholo, okuyinto enza umoya ubukeke ungakatholi.
Lapho efaka umoya omusha, wayesewela phakathi kwezihlahla, umphakathi wehluleka umoya omusha eyodwa eyashuka. Kodwa, ngemuva kokuphuma ezihlahleni, engazenzisi emkhatsini wama-ngwevu nemivunguvungu, wambamba ukugcina komoya, akwenzi izinyathelo zokuqhubeka. Ekugcineni, wathola ubhubhane lwemphucuko. UBhubhane bekuyiluhlanga lwabantu abathanda izihlahla nezinyoni, ihlathi elilodwa lenyoka lathola oqondise umoya, lapho u-Eli kancane kancinane kumbonisa umoya wasejabulile.
"Ungakabhalela emoyeni wakho." u-Eli athi, "Ngiyakwazi ukufinyelela olwalokhu, ngiyafisa ukusiza."
Wayezwa umoya uphuthuma sembezi, ubabaza izinzwa zayo. U-Eli wayezwa amahloni aze afumele imiyalezo, umoya uthambekela kulabo abahamba kumanje. Umoya wawukhona uhamba kancane, akafuni ukuhlangabeza, kodwa wanikela u-Eli izinyoni.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi uhlala eduze, mhlawumbe udinga ukwamukela ubuhlungu,” waqhubeka. “Ngiyafisa ukuthi ungikhumbuze.”
UBhubhane wathokoza ngokoqonda kuka-Eli, bese othola nemfundiso zazingazi hleleyo. U-Eli wathandazela umoya ungashadile, ngaphandle kokufakela isimo esizwakalayo. Nema-ancestors ephelele njalo eviyayo, kodwa umoya wasendaweni yonke wathi: "Ngiyazisa lokhu."
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izinyoni zamakoma zithokozisa lezo zinyoni ezithokozayo, u-Eli uthola uvuma abavakashi ebaleni, wahamba nawo kuphela ukubuya. Ekugcineni, u-Eli wasiSisondela ezindaweni ezinzima, zazi qhaza. Iqembu elihlanganyela elithanda ukusiza ubuhlungu, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, baqhakambisa umoya, okukhombisa ngempela ukuthi umoya ungadlalela kahle.
Ngesikhathi u-Eli agonqwana, uyabuzi, uzama ukucacisa ngani. Lokhu kuhamba phambili kabora kumhlaba omusha, ogcwele umoya, kanti ohlanga lwengoma lwaluhluka ngokuphelele. U-Eli, nohlanga lwasendaweni, bahlala uvuma izimo zabaqhamuka, kodwa u-Eli uyazi ukuthi lo mhlaba ukhanyiswa ukwazi nokukhonkotha.