OORB

My compliments to DavidS- another brilliant piece


The Oracle hath returned to the Rainbow Land for one last chronicle, for she sayeth her dreams be
troubled by visions of the past and a story untold. And this be the Ballad of the Orangemen, who did
surprise all before them when they made war upon the Bull and defeat them. So spaketh the Oracle on
the Ballad.

The Ballad of the Gallant Orangemen


And after the war of the worlds was the Land of the Green Warriors
Divided and Civil War befell the People of the Rainbow
And the great tribes arose to make War for supremacy and it was a
Dark time when War came to the Rainbow land

Brother was pitted against brother And Father against Son
Husband against wife- in this Great Strife
In the North at the City of the Jacaranda did arise those who
Fought under the Standard Of the Bull

And to their South arose the Tribe who would fight under the
Standard of the Lion who were many in The Village of Gold
At the coastal villages did arise the People of the Mountain who fought
In stripes but under no Standard For they were an ancient tribe

In the East arose the warriors of the coast who would
Make war in Black under the Standard of the fish

But in the centre of the land did arise a new power who
Fought in Orange under the standard of a Cheetah
And because they were a free Nation, they did call themselves
Those in the State of Freedom

And their people had given up many Great Warriors past as mercenaries
To those of the Fish and others too Many to name
And among their numbers were Ruben the Rock and
Andre the Great Carriage and Gerrie the Cheetah

Then did the great tribes make war upon each other and great were
The losses, for the warriors and their followers were passionate and
They did make war with Might and Fury so that many were
Left defeated and beaten in these battles

And they did make strife from the great high plains at the Village of Gold
To the Village of the Jacarandas, the Village of the Fish, The one under
The Mountain and the Village of Flowers from whence did the Orangemen
Issue forth to make war

And the Orangemen were lead by the young and able general Rassie the
Young Owl for such was hid wisdom that even his Youth did not keep
Him from High Office. And the Orangemen were ably lead in battle by the
Great General from Beyond the Sea Naka the Strong

And ‘ere a few months had passed hath defeat eaten those of the other
Nations and thusly did The Village of Fish’ warriors tasteth
The bitter fruits of defeat and they did exile their General Putt the
Sot to the land of the Blackguards

And then only a score of lands remained and they resolved to make war
To find a final victor. And then did the Orangemen trek through the great Karoo
Desert to join battle under the Mountain while the Village Of Gold to dispatch a
Mighty army to make war upon the people from the Village of Jacarandas

‘Ere a noon hath past did the Warriors of the Village of Gold tasteth defeat
And then did the Orangemen, ably lead by their General and his trusted
Sargent lay siege to the Village under the Mountain and the warriors under
The Mountain did wax wroth, but thusly did they too taste defeat and flee.

Then did the Mighty Jacaranda Warriors issue forth a challenge to the
Orangemen:

Ye Yellow Cowards! How dareth thy make war upon this land from whence
many of our victories have come. We be the supreme warriors in this land.
See Morné the Great Archer, Anton the Jacaranda Rock who doth be the
Personage of the Bull

And see ye not our other great warriors like Bryan the New Bull who
Be a trusted soldier in the Army of Jake the White? Come now. Come here
Unto our fortress and challenge ye our supremacy and let us be the ones
Who do partaketh of thy flesh when ye are vanquished

And Rassie did sayeth unto his Orangemen:

See ye the arrogance of these in Blue under the Standard of the Bull.
Let us sally forth and foray unto their lands and lay siege to the
Great Fortress Loftus where the Jacaranda Warriors do issue from
And make war upon the personage of the Bull in his home

And a great army of Orangemen did trek into the Great Northern
Highlands to lay siege to the Fortress of Loftus from whence did issue the
Blue army of those under the standard of the Bull where the home of many
Of the fiercest Warriors were.

And then did the great Blue Army array within the walls of its fortress and sayeth:

Ye yellow cur do cometh and make a challenge upon us? Do ye not
Knoweth out proud heritage. For this impertinence shalt thy bones be feasted
Upon by vultures ‘ere the sun hath set upon this dark day and the Blue Bull
Shalt standeth and low upon thy carcass like the Buffalo upon the Lion

Then did Rassie and Naka speaketh unto their own warriors who were in awe
Of the might of the Blue standards that did surroundeth them:

Stand ye ground Orangemen. Stand fast. Here in this place shall we meet
These Bulls and we shall make war upon them for they expecteth but little
From ye, and thusly shalt thy power amaze them in battle with
The tactics that we have planned for this battle.

And then, with a great bellow of fury, did the Bulls chargeth unto the Ranks
Of the Orangemen who did stand their ground. But the power of the Bulls was
Great and feared and all their people did standeth upon the pavilions to
Witnesseth this battle and support their warriors with Blue Standards

And the Orangemen were like little boats in a furious Blue sea. They did tasteth
Of the anger and fury of the Bull and ‘ere the period of rest came were the Bull
Warriors far advanced unto the Orangemen lines and They did make great strides
To achieve victory, but some stood like walls, like William of Orange the great Archer

Then did the horn of rest strike and Rassie did gather his soldiers who were tired
And injured and he did inspire them thusly:

See ye mine soldiers in these Blue trenches that the Bull hath thrown his greatest
Might upon ye and ‘ere this period of battle is past hath thou not faltered and his
Margin of Victory is but small. Hold thy faith now before this great steamroller for
The Bull doth fight with his heart and not his head and he shalt tireth soon

But it was not so, for as battle rejoined, again did the Warriors of the Bull issue a
Mighty bellow and fall upon the strained Orangemen lines and then did the Orangemen
Lines begin to crack and The Bull Warriors achieved breakthroughs, but then did
Naka the Sargent Naka step forth and standeth up against the Blue onslaught and sayeth

Stand fast now! Hear ye stand fast! Do not allow this wave of Blue to wash over thee. Stand
Fast and make war back for we did not trek into these foreign climes to suffer defeat!
Doth thou wanteth they children to wait another generation ‘ere they rule this land!
Nay sayeth I and let us now make war upon this tiring beast! Follow me now!

And he shouted the great war cry of the Orangemen and charged unto the array of Bull
Infantry with a mighty cry of Haak Haak Vrystaat!!!
Then did the other Orangemen see that their leader did not fear these Mighty Bulls
And they took heart at his courage and they did Follow him unto battle

And their astute General did send forth another archer unto the field of battle
And so did Meyer the Child come unto a cauldron of War. But Lead by Naka
Did the Orangemen infantry make their ground back and Ryno the Fleetfooted
Footman did sally about their bellowing number and strike many down.

And the Bulls were like cattle fro they were not ready for this speed and like
An angered Bull set upon by bees did he swing his horns from side to side
But he was unable to shake the swarming speed of the Orangemen who were
Now like a great Matador upon a powerful Bull

And then were the great Cavalry of the Orangemen released and Meyer the Child
Rode at their head, bearing down upon the tiring Bull, and he lead the older warriors
And the young horsemen in battle from whence they rode down upon the Bull to meet him
In a mortal battle for supremacy of the Rainbow Land

And at the Village of the Jacarandas did Meyer the Child ride at the head of the Cavalry
And Naka the Sargent did lead the Footmen in a mighty charge upon the Bull in the
Fortress of Loftus and there did the Orangemen become filled with the courage of those who
Did leadeth their host and fall Upon the Bull

And the Bull was tired and confused for he thought he had vanquished this foe here in his
Ring, but it was not so, and the Orangemen fell upon the Bull and with great speed did
They strike down many of his number and then did the Bull see his days were counted
And lo, though he made a last stand was he slayed by Meyer the Child in single combat.

But the Bull was not a warrior given to retreat and even with the slaying of his leader did
He make his stand and then did he fight in desperation for his life and the Bull was not
One given to surrender and the Orangemen had to fight the Bull to the last man until all
Were fallen in combat.

And the Village of Jacarandas wailed at the great loss their proud people had suffered
At the hands of Rassie the Young Owl and Naka the Strong and Ryno The Fleet Footed
Footman and Meyer the Child. And many did tear their clothes and wail in sadness at the great
Loss and thusly did the Victorious Orangemen return to their Village of Flowers

And with them did they bringeth the Chalice of Supremacy which was awarded to those who
Did rule the land of the Rainbow People and in the Village of Flowers was held many
A great feast to honour the mighty Orangemen who had slain the Bull within his Bull Ring



These are the true accounts of the Oracle who will return to her meditation at this time, for it is the
nature of an Oracle to look to the future but not the past.