“i know,” she said, “there ain’t no safety
except you walk humble before the lord. You
going to find it out, too, one day. You go on,
hardhead. You going to come to grief.”
“You don’t know,” she said, trying not to
smile, “how long the lord’s going to let me stay
with you.”
c. 1800 bc: Mari
why can’t you be
more like your brother?
To Yasmahaddu, from shamshiadad,
your father,
When the army gathered in Qabra, i sent
your brother ishmedagan with the army to
the land of ahazum and i myself returned
to the city of assur. but while the army was
gathering in Qabra, the land of ahazum heard
about the gathering of forces in Qabra and
took a decision. all the troops of that land and
the Turukkeans who are with them gathered
together and took position against ishme
dagan in the town of ikkallum in the land of
ahazum. ishmedagan set out for that town,
and approaching it at a distance of less than
three hundred cubits, all the troops of that
land and the Turukkeans who have gathered
with them came out in front of ishmedagan
to give battle. They did battle, and he defeated
them. He rounded up the people of that land
and the Turukkeans who had gathered with
them. not a single man escaped. and that
very day he seized the whole land of ahazum.
This victory is great for the land! be happy!
Here your brother has achieved victory while
you are lying there among women. now then,
be a man when you will go with the army to
Qatna! Just like your brother has set a great
name, you as well must set yourself a great
name during the campaign of Qatna!
Shamshi-Adad, from a letter. Shamshi-Adad
presided over his kingdom in Mesopotamia for
thirty-three years, splitting the empire into three
parts, operating one area himself and having his
two sons administer the others. The elder son, Ishme-Dagan, was a diligent co-regent; the younger,
Yasmah-Addu, was inept and fond of drink.
Shamshi-Adad counsels his younger son in another
letter to avoid rash actions: “Take heed of the old
proverb: ‘The bitch is in such a hurry that she bears
blind puppies,’ and don’t you act in the same way!”
Roy turned and did a dance step. “That’s
all right,” he said. “i know the lord ain’t as hard
as daddy. is he, boy?” he demanded of John,
and struck him lightly on the forehead.
“boy, let me eat my breakfast,” John mut
tered; though his plate had long been empty, and
he was pleased that Roy had turned to him.
“That sure is a crazy boy,” ventured sarah,
soberly.
“Just listen,” cried Roy, “to the little saint!
daddy ain’t never going to have no trouble
with her—that one, she was born holy. i bet the
first words she ever said was, ‘ Thank you, Jesus.’
ain’t that so, Ma?”
“You stop this foolishness,” she said, laugh
ing, “and go on about your work. Can’t nobody
play the fool with you all morning.”
“oh, is you got work for me to do this
morning? Well, i declare,” said Roy, “what you
got for me to do?”
“i got the woodwork in the dining room
for you to do. and you going to do it, too, be
fore you set foot out of this house.”
“now, why you want to talk like that, Ma?
is i said i wouldn’t do it? You know i’m a right
good worker when i got a mind. after i do it,
can i go?”
“You go ahead and do it, and we’ll see. You
better do it right.”
“i always do it right,” said Roy. “You won’t
know your old woodwork when I get through.”
“John,” said his mother, “you sweep the
front room for me like a good boy, and dust the
furniture. i’m going to clean up in here.”
“Yes’m,” he said, and rose. she had forgotten
about his birthday. He swore he would not men
tion it. He would not think about it anymore.
From go Tell it on the Mountain. Baldwin
published this semi-autobiographical debut novel
in 1953. Two years later, recalling his early years
in his first collection of essays, notes of a native
son, Baldwin wrote, “The story of my childhood is
the usual bleak fantasy, and we can dismiss it with
the restrained observation that I certainly would
not consider living it again.” Baldwin published his
second essay collection, nobody Knows My name,
in 1961 and his third novel, another Country, in
1962, both of which became bestsellers.
