Demo - The Gift The Festival

The Festival The Gift
jaX eSTeVeZ


Copyright © 2016 jaX eSTeVeZ
e African Heritage Flag was designed and created by jaX eSTeVeZ and Gloria D Roberts
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.
ISBN: 978-1-4834-5726-0 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-4834-5727-7 (hc) ISBN: 978-1-4834-5725-3 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016914208
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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 09/07/2016






Once upon a time, three little children awoke early in the morning to get ready for school.




The little children hurried to bathe themselves, brush their teeth, comb their hair, and dress themselves.




As the three little children departed for school, their parents waved good-bye to them and asked them to learn as much as they possibly could.




At school their teacher took attendance, collected their homework, and asked them to stand along with their fellow classmates to proudly pledge allegiance to the nation’s flag. She announced that a special time for everyone to celebrate the nation’s flag would take place very soon. She said the school would encourage everyone to show and tell about a flag that represented their own particular ethnic heritage during the school’s Flag Day Festival.




It was decided that students would have an entire week to learn everything they possibly could about their families’ ancestors and the flag that represented their original homelands. The teacher said students would have an opportunity to show and tell their family’s contributions and cultural heritage with their ethnic costumes, songs, and dances. The three little children were excited and could hardly wait to rush home tell their parents about the school’s big Flag Day Festival.




After the evening meal, the three little children huddled around their parents and listened intently to all the wonderful stories about Africa and their ancestors.




The three little children were amazed to learn about how all humankind had originated from Africa, where the first civilizations of the world began.




They learned about ancient Ethiopia, Carthage, Egypt, Zululand, Cush, and many other places in Africa where their ancestors had originated.




But tragically, the three little children were very, very sad to learn about some terrible things that had happened to their ancestors.




Their parents told the three little children how many of their ancestors had been captured and forcibly taken away from Africa in horrible slave ships.




The three little children were told how their ancestors were stripped of their own language, religious beliefs, and customs. They were told how their ancestors were forced to work without pay as carpenters, brick masons, and laborers, constructing roads, canals, dikes, bridges, and vast farms.




They were told how their ancestors tried to free themselves from despair, pain, and sadness with music and songs that reminded them of their lost homeland.




They were told how their ancestors would often risk their lives to escape their bondage and run away with the hope of reaching fresh horizons and freedom.




But then, suddenly, the three little children were very, very happy when their parents began to tell them about how their ancestors had helped to finally win their freedom. They were happy to hear about all the wonderful accomplishments and fantastic deeds their ancestors had accomplished to make the earth a better place for everyone.




The three little children were extremely proud to hear about the many great inventors, scholars, poets, artists, doctors, educators, manufacturers, craftsmen, businessmen, lawyers, politicians, and scientists in their culture and how they had all used their intelligence and physical powers to become great men and women of renown throughout the world.




Their parents took the three little children to purchase authentic African costumes, African jewelry, and African musical instruments so they could practice for their Flag Day performance at school.




When the three little children returned home, their parents helped them to learn many African songs and dances to perform for their school’s upcoming Flag Day Festival. The three little children were excited because the school’s Flag Day Festival would also let them see and learn about the ancestral costumes and cultures of their classmates.




But later that evening, just before they were ready to go to bed, the three little children asked their parents for their own special African heritage flag to take to school for the Flag Day Festival. But sadly their parents told the three little children that there was no special African heritage flag for them to take to school because a flag for them to call their very own special flag had never ever been created. So it was that the three little children went to bed that night and cried themselves to sleep, because they didn’t have a special African heritage flag.




But then in the middle of the night, when everyone was sleeping, the three little children suddenly awoke to the sound of a loud, booming, deep voice. Shivering with fear, they all floated out of their beds into the swirling colors of a magical dream, where they were astonished to see the most wondrous sight they had ever seen.




Soaring above them was a colossal king dressed in exquisite African robes made with the finest silks bound together with stitches of gold and silver. They were amazed to see that the magnificent African king was covered from head to foot with precious diamonds and pearls. On his feet he wore silver platinum boots, and his flowing royal robes spread out around him like a thousand pearls flashing with the fiery eyes of a million distant galaxies. Upon his head was a royal crown ringed with rubies and jade set in gold and silver. On every finger of his hands, diamond rings sparkled like miniature fiery suns. As the magnificent African king towered over the three little children, he said in a strong, booming voice, “I am the king of Africa, and I have come to give a gift that will bring you happiness and joy forever and forever.”




And then, suddenly materializing beside the king of Africa appeared the most beautiful queen they had ever, ever seen. She wore a flowing gown that was embroidered with diamonds and sparkling gems. The queen’s beautiful face was framed with intricately braided hair bound together with ribbons of gold.




Around her smooth neck she wore golden links intertwined with crystals and white shells. Her beautiful fingers, wrists, and ankles chimed with tinkle bells of gold and silver. And on her beautiful feet she wore ruby-feathered slippers. The three little children looked up into her sparkling pearl eyes as she smiled and said with the voice of an angel, “I am the queen of Africa, and I have also come to give you a gift that will bring you happiness and joy forever and forever.”




And so it was that throughout the long, dark night the king and queen of Africa told the three little children many wonderful, wonderful things about their African heritage.