The poison of
truth... the poison to show us the
truth... No!... You let her escape! The devil
woman that gave birth to three
babies! No, you must believe
me! We must find her and put her to
death! DEATH! Abassi, the god who sees all,
he will show me who let the devil woman
escape! He will show me who is to
take the poison bean! What??? But it will kill
us! - Only if you are to
blame. - No! Edem... chief Edem, help us,
please. You have the power to save
us, ... save?...
no... But you are my
brother! And he is the WITCH DOCTOR....
has MORE power... More...
Ahhh. Edem!
EDEM! Please! I beg
you! - Aha! It is
you! - No! - ... the one who let her
escape! YOU! - No! No, NO! It was not
me! You will take the bean test.
Take other women to the slave
hut! And you! Find the devil
woman and her twins! Maybe... maybe the great
Abassi will not punish us for these wicked
women and the great
evil they have brought upon
us! Go bring me the
poison! Yes! Why... why must
this be? Why do they treat us like
this? We are just
women... they have always treated us
this way! Then it must
change! IT MUST
CHANGE! IT
MUST! Lovely
evening! Care to join us at the
church? Missionary speaking
tonight, And you lad? It'll be a talk
full of adventures. - Oh, yes! I --
Won't be going. So you'd be the one taking me
boys to your church. Aye! And ye'd all be more than
welcome if you'd like t- 'Xcept we
ain't! There be no use for
religion to us street
boys, am I right lads? Aye, Finlay! That ye
are! Now stop your preaching and
leave. Or- I put a stop to ya here and
now carrot top! God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power and love. First off, my name's not carrot
top, but Mary Slessor and don't you
be forgettin' that you overgrown
bully! Second, Jesus never quit
fer my sake, so I see no
reason to quit on Him! So, let's say I stand me
ground and don't flinch! You and yer lads come
with me to church! What do you say,
Finlay? 'you up for the
challenge? It's yer head- carrot
top! C'mon, Finlay, show'er whose
boss! Run lassie! Ha ha
ha! Lord Jesus... for the sake of
these children, help me! - Oh - She ain't
budgin'! Oooh!
Ouch! Ye be the bravest lass I ever
laid eyes on, Mary Slessor. You hear me- the
bravest. Lads! We're going to
church! Wha'? Really? Your heard me! I
gave my word! ...IN! Well, come on, let's
go! Thank you,
Lord! And God used that
meeting to get me
here... ...Where I've served the
Lord for all these twelve
years... and where He's blessed me
with- - Me! - Aye! With you
Kemi... and Imyang and Ekim,
and Dan and Kuma and all of my adopted
children! And, let's see, you've helped
me set up schools in... - Creek Town! -
And Old Town and- And now here in
Ekyo... - And
maybe... -
Maybe? Maybe? Maybe one day He'll call
us deeper into the
country. Places where no
missionary has ever gone
before. Maybe, Ma... but right
now, I feel another
calling for dinner. Well, then we best rush
home. The others will be hungry
too... and we have the
supplies. Let's go,
Ma! Ma! Mmm! That was delicious,
Ma! And we have the Lord
t'thank for it! Now... how about you
helping get your brothers
into sis- What was
that? Please! ... Help
us! Oh, my!... Oh, come in! Oh,
you poor dear! Thank you! Oh, thank
you! Shoo-shoo... Get
away! Wha-... What's
happen- Auuughhhh... - Are you in pain again? -
Every day it is worse! Augh... Someone has put a curse on
you, Chief Edem. Or maybe it's too much of
this. Not everything is a result of a
curse! This white man's drink - I think this is to
blame! If it is, then that is
something Abassi will show
me... woman! Know your
place! - Unless you want Abassi to
- - Aghhhhh.... Perhaps... a little
food... Fine, I will get you
some. And you... what do you
want? Ayo- he has found the devil
woman... And her twins... And white woman that lives in
Ekyo territory is helping them. White
woman? Then they are the white
woman's curse now! And double curse for the Ekyo
tribe for having bought a white
woman and devil
twins! Oh, the punishment
Abassi will send
them... - Yet-
- Yet? The tribe is doing well. The
white woman is teaching them to
read. Teaches her holy book.
She helps them
trade... She has even brought
medicine- Medicine? And she makes the sick well,
again. She- -will bring a curse upon
them! You will see... Abassi is not
happy with the white woman's
ways... Punishment will
come! - But- -
It will! It
will. It feels like
punishment has come to
my gut. Drink, maybe it'll
make you feel better. HMMMMM... Hmmm...? What is this
Hmmmm? I was just thinking. Why should
Chief Honesty be the only chief with such a peaceful
and prosperous
village? Why? Chief Honesty of Ekyo...
huh! What? You want to go
further into the jungle,
Ma? To Okoyong territory? Do you
realize what can happen to you? I know what happens to
twins and their
mothers, Chief Honesty. The woman told
me- But did she tell you all the
other things they do? How they make people take the
test of poison beans, and
boiling oil! - Ohhh, and when a chief
dies- - His entire family is
killed. Officer
Jones! ...the witch doctor will
usually blame another tribe for cursing the Chief and
declare war! They will capture
members of the accused
tribe and put them to the
test! It's a terribly nasty
business! I didn't mean to
eavesdrop, but Okoyong
territory? That is absolutely no
place for a woman, Miss
Slessor! There's a reason no one has
ventured out there before. You mean to say no missionary
has ever stepped into Okoyong
territory... EVER? Well, why would
they? Then... I have no other
choice... - I'm sorry,
Ma. - But to
go. I beg your
pardon? Thank you for your advice-
truly. But I have never walked away
from doing my duty for Christ
- and I'm not about to
now. Be careful, Ma,
please. A woman alone in Okoyong
territory! You can be certain of
failure, chief, honesty. Failure or a
funeral. Oh...
Ma! Thankfully your brothers and
sisters are being looked after by the other
missionaries! This has been a long
trip, But... do you think
we'll be all right? Of course we
will. Now, we must trust
God. We'll be fine! There, ye see? It's not
so- There, you see? There's nothing
to be frightened of. It was only a
monkey- Ahhh!!!! Hey
look! What is it? What is everyone
looking at? Huh? Ma! Kemi, do not be
afraid... God brought us
here... He will take- EFIK: The white woman! She
is here? You! Why have you come
here? This white devil woman, she has
come to bring a curse upon us. She has come
to- EFIK: To help! I've come
to help. To help! I have
come to help! She speaks our
language. Chief
Edem. I have worked in the
village down the river-
Ekyo! They are learning God's
ways and it has brought
them- A curse! By taking in that
devil woman and her twins- Only because you did not want
them- Twins are not devil children!
They are good children- lovely
children, blessings from
God! And I do not fear
them. I LOVE THEM. - What? - She loves
the twins. Unbelievable! In any case, I haven't brought
them with me. Right now, I come to help
you, teach your children to
read, to give
medicine- Medicine? - You have...
medicine? - I do. And we have our
own. Which has done little to-
Aughhh! - Edem!
- STOP! - I can
help! - No! Argggg! Let her! Let her
help! Lord Jesus... Help
me! Edem, do you feel
better? I... I do. ... I really do
feel better! Ah!... Yes.
You! So... I
stay? Hmm. Fine. You... you may have a
patch of land- just outside the
village. Oh, praise the
Lord. Praise the
Lord! Chief
Edem. For now, we will listen to your
counsel and consider your ways. WHAT ARE YOU
SAYING? Chief
Edem. One more
thing. - One more thing?...
- One more thing.
YES, The house I will build, it must
be a safe place for all my
children- ALL YOUR
CHILDREN? ALL MY CHILDREN! And anyone
that enters my house! IF THEY COME IN- THEY ARE
SAFE! IT MUST BE SO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH..... Ha...
Ha.... You dare to come to me with
demands? Fine, you have safe
house, But no more demands... NO
MORE! Now go! GO! Before I change my
mind. You do feel
better? Better than I've felt in a long
time! A very long
time! Thank you,
Lord... Oh, thank
you! Ma!
Ma! Oh Ma, I, I, I just want to
say... I am so glad you are
here. I must be careful but, I will
help you all I can! I will! Thank
you. Thank you so very
much. - Oh, and
Ma! - Yes? Maybe your God... maybe
He has heard me... maybe He has heard my
prayers! And Abassi... he has heard you,
too. These are letters. These
letters spell the word "tree." Better? Better!
BETTER! ... and Lord, please
continue to guide me. Show me how I can be of greater
service to the Okoyong... From now on, we will not be
buying this poison from the
white traders. Never
again. Take
it! No. Why are you making
him take the poison bean
test? But, Ma... the beans will show
us if he's guilty! Let's speak with the
others... let's see if he is telling the
truth. That has never happened
before! Change takes
time. And so, God sent His
son, Jesus, to help us. We can talk to Him
and He will hear
us. Her influence is
everywhere... I must find a way to get rid of
her! I must find a
way! Is that Chief Edem's
food? It
is. Let me. I will take it to
him, But I always take it to
him. I'm sure you have other
things to do. I need to speak with him
anyway. Very
well... MA! MA! Ma,
wait! Eme? What is
it? It's Chief Edem! Please get
medicine- quick, Ma. He's sick
again? No, Ma! I THINK HE'S
DYING!!! I THINK CHIEF EDEM
IS DYING! Kemi--- go for my medicine
bag! Quick,
Ma! My brother! Edem!
EDEM! What happened to
him? It looks like your medicine did
him no good! Abassi is angry at
you! He has punished the Chief
and he will punish you,
too! Nonsense! How is
he? Not
well!... Here,
Ma! Not well at
all! There's only one thing to
do! AYO! Abassi shows this curse
comes from the Ekyo tribe. Take our best warriors and
go capture some of them! Bring them back! They
will be sacrificed! - NO! - You do that and there
will be war. You will ruin everything- all
the good that is getting done! All the good? Is that what you
think? Of
course! Auughhhh! Chief Edem!
CHIEF- He's
dying! And do you know what that
means? Gather Chief Edem's
family... round them all up
- because when he dies - they
die! What are you
doing? What is this? WHAT
HAVE YOU DONE? I am saving this village
from the wrath of
Abassi! From the POISON YOU
BROUGHT TO OUR PEOPLE! No... No! - Run!
-
What? To my house!...
RUN! Ma! THE CHIEF IS NOT YET
DEAD... MY HOUSE IS A
SAFEHOUSE! The chief is not
dead. Huh, not
yet. Keep guard. Do not let her
out! Quick! In the
house! Kemi! WHAT ARE YOU
DOING? I need to get to the mission
house! I need to get
help! Kemi!
KEMI! Lord... Maybe I went too far,
too soon... I really need your
help. If the chief dies... Eme and
their entire family will be
killed and the Ekyo tribe will attack
this place! Please, Lord, don't let that
happen! Don't let things go
back to the way they
were!... What is
that? The Ekyo prisoners are
here. They will take the boiling oil
test as Abassi commands. The chief will die, and
you will have failed... Stop your teaching and
leave our village and you
can live... otherwise- Lord... Lord, please
help me! What should I do?
What? Now stop yer preachin'
and leave or- - I put a stop to ya right here
and now, carrot top! Ha ha
ha... God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power and love. Get out of my way, move, let me
through. You know our
custom! The chief
is dying, Abassi has shown me
that he has been
cursed by the Ekyo
people. No! We have not cursed
anyone! Then, if you have not, you have
nothing to worry about. But if you are guilty, you will
die! Tie him up! STOP! You couldn't just give
up, could you? Fine! Let's do this once and
for all--- YOU TAKE THE TEST THE BOILING
OIL. AuuughhHH! Lord Jesus help
me! Ma! But, but, but...
impossible! There will be no killing
today. Chief
Edem. No
killing! No... killing...
today. Or any other day! No more of
this! No poison test! No killing of twins! No
killing of women or
family or prisoners! NO
MORE! No
more. No
more! NO MORE!
NO MORE! But Abassi...
Abassi... Don't you
understand? Abassi will punish us... all of
us! But God will
not. God sent His Son into the
world to save us, not to
condemn us. You have had
enough. I am
sorry... I
am. No! What is
that? It is the Ekyo. THEY HAVE COME
FOR THEIR PEOPLE! THEY HAVE COME FOR
REVENGE!!! STOP!
STOP! I knew
it!... Foolish woman going into the
jungle all on her own and now
look at us, having to come here to rescue
her... if she had only listened...
to... Very well, Chief Edem you have
shared your side of the matter. Now, how about you, Chief
Honesty... tell yer side of
things. Let's see where we can
find some common ground. Oh, Officer
Jones... Well, isn't this a
surprise, if you'll bear
with me - we're settlin' a little dispute
here. Well, of course.
Hmm. Mary Slessor continued her work
among the tribes of Nigeria, teaching them God's Word
and His ways and the value
of every human life, She taught by example,
continuing to take in unwanted
children. She was instrumental in ending
the practice of the poison
bean and boiling oil tests, and
in helping women obtain a greater sense of dignity and
safety. Mary taught the people
the value of hard
work, helped them establish
trade with larger towns, and assisted in
establishing the Hope
Waddell Training Institute. She worked tirelessly, often
running to settle disputes when rumors reached
her of tribal
conflict. She would sit between the angry
chiefs reasoning with them, as she
knitted and prayed to keep
herself calm. Because of her successful
work, Britain made her
Vice-Consul and an official judge
over the native
court. Mary Slessor, continued her
activity among Africans until her death on January the
13th, 1915, at the age of 66. Her body was transported to
Creek Town, where the former uneducated
mill girl was awarded the equivalent of a state
funeral. Today, she is remembered
both in Africa and Scotland for the selfless
work that brought such
hope to hundreds of
lives. Lord, the task is
impossible for me, but not for
Thee. Lead the way, and I will
follow.
