E. Y. Aduamah, one of the winners in our 1970 literature competition, is Ghanaian. His period on the research staff at the University of Ghana in Legon allowed him to dedicate his time to research in the local customs of his home area, and he has published several studies concerning African culture in such magazines as “West Africa”. His contribution included an almost nouvelle length fictional story based upon a true incident when a devastating flood overwhelmed a village in the Volta basin. The origin lends an element of reportage to the whole tale. The section printed here occurs at the beginning before the outbreak of the storm and the ensuing flood. Here there is an extraordinarily sensitive and affectionate portrait of the schoolmaster Mr. Doh. He is drawn as an appealing and capable man struggling against the odds of his profession, yet always behaving with a shy honesty that makes him an engaging and admirable figure. The quality of this section suggests the strength and sensitivity that Aduamah c...