Extrait du livre Sine and Saloum
Sine & Saloum Pascale Vignali Illustrated by Justine Cunha Le Regard Sonore Editions
There is, in Africa, a little piece of paradise called the Sine Saloum Delta. Midway between land and sea, freshwater mingles with salt water and creates an astonishing landscape of floating forests with exposed roots and beaches of pink sand where all kinds of animals live together peacefully. According to legend, this delta came into being thanks to two children, Sine and Saloum ...
Two villages stood face to face on either side of a river. One was home to cattle herders, the other fishermen. From one bank to the other, the villagers lived without ever taking the time to get to know one another. Why was this? Because it had always been this way... Everyone would keep to their side of the river, as nature intended...
Sine was a cattle herder’s daughter. Every day, she would lead the herd down to the river, where they would drink and bathe. One day, she fashioned herself a flute from a Ditak branch. Happy with her new toy she began to play while walking along the river, and the cows obediently followed. Carried along by her music, she missed her usual watering hole and walked further along the river. When she finally stopped ...
On the other bank of the river, a boy was fixing his fishing nets. They stared at each other warily. Sine let her cattle enter the water, which was much less deep there. Some cows took a few steps, while others lay down to cool off.
One of them, the youngest, looked curiously at the nets stretched on bamboo canes across the river. The sun was shimmering on the canes, upright like a flamingo’s legs. The cow forded the river... Sine, absorbed by the music, did not see what was happening. Suddenly she heard shouting SALOUM : Don’t come any closer, you nasty animal! yah yah ! pschh :pschhh !
The boy was furiously throwing water at the cow to scare it away. But the runaway cow thinking that the boy wanted to play, began to frolic, stamping down the fishing nets. The canes collapsed, releasing the fish back into the river. SALOUM : Silly cow, look at what you have done ! I am going to kill you for tearing down my nets ! Saloum took up his bow in anger and reached for his quiver.. but Sine jumped into the water, imploring:
SINE : No, I beg you, don't kill my cow... I should have watched over her better, this is all my fault ! Do not kill her, please ! The boy scowled. The cow seemed so defenceless in the river... looking up at him with its gentle eyes... He lowered his bow : SALOUM : Call your stupid animal and go away, you’re not wanted here!
