Answer:
Sunjata’s hands saved him—his generosity, or the openness of his hands saved him.
Explanation:
According to the poem, nine sorceresses (witches of Mali) were asked by a queen to deceive and murder Sunjata so that he wouldn't become king; but when the sorceresses met Sunjata, they were impressed by his kindness and generosity which they called “hands, or” opened hands”.
It was the nine sorceresses who revealed what saved Sunjata; the revelation was made after Simbon killed three antelopes, went into the town and told Jelimusoni to inform the nine sorceresses that their meat (the dead antelopes) was at the border of the town. On getting this information, the sorceresses left for the border of the town, saw the antelopes, and prepared them to eat. Then they said: “Ma’an Sunjata, what saved him? His hands”.
In addition, they said that when a man is popular, he must have open hands; for a man’s generosity will save him—so it was Sunjata’s hands that saved him.
