Comprehension: The Governor and the Princess

     After many weary weeks of marching, Nzinga and her attendants arrived at the white walls of Luanda. The guards at the city gates led them through the winding streets and up to the governor’s palace. A pompous courtier, sweating and dirty in his thick clothes, ordered them to wait amongst a crowd of people who had come to beg favours of the governor. Nzinga waited patiently, ignoring this insult to her royal dignity. She knew that her chance would come. The hot sun beat down on the white walls of the palace, yet Nzinga stood straight and proud as the crowd of Portuguese merchants mopped their sweating faces with damp lace handkerchiefs. Much later the courtier came back. He knocked on the floor with his staff, then announced in a loud voice, “His Excellency Joao Correia de Souza, the Governor in Angola of His Most Royal and Catholic Majesty, the King of Portugal!” The tired soldiers stood to attention and the courtiers and the merchants bowed.

     Nzinga became very impatient. Was she to stand here like a servant all day, waiting for this man to make up his mind to hear her? She stepped forward, walked into the middle of the room and faced the governor. The guards and courtiers were so surprised that they could do nothing but gasp in amazement at this boldness.

     “Well”, murmured one of the merchants to his neighbour, “Now she will learn what trouble is! Don Joao will be very angry. It is an insult to his dignity.”

     “What do you mean by this?” asked the governor when he had recovered from his surprise. “Who are you? Come, woman, state your business!”

     But Nzinga was not afraid. In a clear, cold voice, she answered him. “My first business is a chair”, she said. The governor laughed, “what do you mean?” he asked. “You are seated”, she replied, “and you are only a governor, a slave of your King. I am a princess and men do not sit where I stand. I will state my business seated!”

     The governor was too surprised to speak. The courtiers looked at each other in amazement, for not one of them would have dared speak to the governor in that way. At last, the governor recovered himself, “Ridiculous!” he shouted, “state your business, woman, and state it standing”.

     But Nzinga had learned the strength of her enemy. She knew that she was already winning this contest of wills. Whatever happened now, this man would not think that she had been sent by a beaten people to beg favours. Without another word, she turned and made a sign to her maid. When the girl came to her, Nzinga ordered her to kneel down. Then, with a flash of triumph in her eyes, Nzinga sat down on the girl’s back, Nzinga got her treaty. Pride in herself and in her people had saved the day for the Mbundu.

(Source: JME 1982 Use of English)