UKUMKANI uNebhukadenetsare uthabatha zonke izifundiswa ezingamaSirayeli azise eBhabhiloni. Emva koko ukumkani unyula kuzo abona bafana bahle nabakrelekrele. Aba bafana bane ubabona apha ngabanye belo qela. Omnye nguDaniyeli, yaye abanye abathathu babizwa ngamaBhabhiloni ngokuthi nguShadraki, noMeshaki noAbhednego.

UNebhukadenetsare uceba ukubaqeqesha aba bafana ukuze bakhonze ebhotwe lakhe. Emva kweminyaka emithathu yoqeqesho uya kukhetha kuphela abona bakrelekrele ukuze bamncede ukucombulula iingxaki. Ukumkani ufuna aba bafana bomelele yaye babe sempilweni ngoxa ebaqeqesha. Ngoko uyalela abakhonzi bakhe ukuba banike bonke aba bafana ukutya okufana noko kutyiwa nguye nentsapho yakhe, ukutya okunezondlo newayini.

Khangela uDaniyeli oselula. Ngaba uyayazi into ayithethayo kwisicaka esiyintloko sikaNebhukadenetsare, uAshpenazi? UDaniyeli uthi akakufuni ukutya okunamafutha kwetafile kakumkani. Kodwa uAshpenazi unexhala. ‘Ukumkani wenze isigqibo ngoko niya kukutya neniya kukusela,’ utsho. ‘Yaye ukuba akukhangeleki usempilweni njengabanye abafana, usenokundibulala.’

Ngoko uDaniyeli uya kumlindi omiselwe nguAshpenazi ukuphatha yena nabahlobo bakhe abathathu. ‘Khawusivavanye iintsuku ezili-10,’ utsho. ‘Sinike imifuno namanzi. Uze ke usithelekise nabanye abafana abatya ukutya kokumkani, ubone ukuba ngoobani abakhangeleka besempilweni ngakumbi.’

Lo mlindi uyavuma ukwenza oku. Yaye ekupheleni kweentsuku ezili-10, uDaniyeli nabahlobo bakhe abathathu bakhangeleka besempilweni ngakumbi kunabo bonke abanye abafana. Ngoko umlindi uyabayeka ukuba baqhubeke besitya imifuno kunokutya okuvela kukumkani.

Ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu bonke abafana basiwa kuNebhukadenetsare. Emva kokuthetha nabo bonke, ukumkani ufumanisa ukuba uDaniyeli nabahlobo bakhe abathathu ngabona bakrelekrele. Ngoko uyabagcina ukuba bamncede ebhotwe. Yaye nanini na ukumkani ebuza uDaniyeli, uShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego imibuzo okanye efuna bacombulule iingxaki ezinzima, babodlula ngolwazi izihlandlo ezili-10 bonke ababingeleli okanye izilumko zikakumkani.