The history of the baobab

by Ibrahim Elkhalifa, Khartoum, Sudan

For as long as the semi-arid soil had existed, baobabs had stood tall. Wide and imposing.

Its deformed branches shaded animals and people, its trunk craved out to hold rainwater for the inevitable droughts.

Its sour chalky fruit was soaked for drinks, brewed for more potent drinks by moonshine brewers and enjoyed by children who sucked it and spitted out its black seeds.

Its bark was an essential ingredient for numerous remedies and its leaves soaked in water, alleviated period pains.

The baobab is associated with spirits, griots and assigned great spiritual Importance.
Most young people today have never heard of a baobab, let alone seen one.

The decimation began in 2026, when an Italian furniture designer on Safari was struck with the quality of the Baobab timber.

An international race for Baobab wood began and this rare tree slowly disappeared from the landscape.

At the present time no baobab trees are recorded as existing.

This decimation is noted as being the fastest of its kind, due to the rarity of the tree.

From the African Encyclopedia 2057 7th edition.