Near my village of Sayaga, that night, the moon was bright and very high. Young boys and girls stayed out late, some drinking tea or dolo (millet beer), others discussing the year's harvest and next season. When the whole village was asleep, a little before dawn, a deafening noise awoke the inhabitants. They rushed out of their huts and headed to the spot from whence the noise had come. The loud noise they had just heard came from the fall of the baobab tree, which had stood at the entrance to the village. It was lying on the ground. The village chief, the chief of land, and other heads of families were all shocked and puzzled. The village chief asked how a healthy seventy-one-year-old baobab that was so solid could have fallen so easily. Immediately emissaries were sent to neighboring villages to inform them of the situation and to consult...

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