The girls picked up little grass mats and baskets and filled them with food for themselves and their “husbands.”
Damasi said to Nomusa, “I hear you can do all the things that a boy can do. Are you a good cook, too? That is more important.”
“You shall see,” answered Nomusa. “But you must promise to go outside with me afterwards to shoot at targets.” She set to work to prepare a dish that would not take very long. Soon she gave Damasi a mixture of chicken, corn, pumpkin, goat meat, and fried locust.
“Very good,” said Damasi. “Now pass me the amasi.” These were the delicious curds of clotted milk that Nomusa liked so much. They were excellent for cooling and for quenching one’s thirst. When Damasi had finished, he belched and said, “Soon we’ll see if you are as good a hunter as you are a cook.”
“Let us go outside now,” Nomusa suggested, “if you have finished eating.”
Together they left the hut. Damasi went into one of the other huts and brought out two bows and some arrows. One bow he handed to Nomusa.
“See if you can hit that branch,” he said, pointing.
Nomusa stood straight and drew her right arm back with a quick pull. Off sped the arrow, straight into the middle of the thick branch.
“Good!” shouted Damasi. “We’ll each take five turns and see how many hits we make.”
As Damasi took a shot, Nomusa saw a bird flying about a hundred yards away. Quickly she let the arrow go, and down went the bird.