Kunta Kinte’s brother, Lamin, is so horrified by the stories about the toubob stealing slaves that Kunta decides to change the subject after his next afternoon herding goats. Luckily, Kunta decides to share instead a story about the exciting adventures of his two uncles (Omoro’s brothers): Janneh and Saloum.

Janneh and Saloum are travelers. They travel so much that neither one has ever taken a wife. Fighting off bandits is a common event for Janneh and Saloum, and they have been to places that Kunta and Lamin can only dream about. One place is a huge ocean of sand that never ends and where the sun burns hotter than even in the Gambia. One place is so enveloped in trees that it looks just like night in the middle of the daytime. This place is inhabited by tiny, big-bellied men who shoot elephants with darts. One place contains warriors who throw their spears twice as far as any Mandinka warrior. One place contains dancers that are so limber that they jump higher than their own heads.

One day, news of Janneh and Saloum travels to Juffare through a drumbeat from the neighboring village. The beating of the drum says it all: Omoro’s two brothers have decided to create a new village and desire Omoro to give the new village his blessing. Lamin tries to ask Kunta questions about this, but Kunta dashes off to eavesdrop on the “jaliba” before he sends a return message. Omoro soon appears, gives the jaliba a gift, whispers his answer, and leaves. The jaliba then beats out the return message: expect Omoro in two months time. The entire village congratulates Omoro at the blessing of this new village that will honor the Kinte name once again.

Kunta is beside himself. Will his father allow him to go? If so, Kunta would be the youngest Mandinka ever to travel with his father outside the confines of the village. Out of respect or perhaps out of fear that Binta will put a stop to it, Kunta never mentions his dream to anyone. Kunta knows that his best hope is to catch his father alone. Upon doing so one day, Omoro simply says, “I have just told your mother.” Then he walks on.

Kunta gives a whoop in celebration. He is going on a journey with his father and is the youngest boy ever in the Mandinka tribe to do so! Regardless, Binta beats him severely when he gets home from herding goats that afternoon. More and more young men are stolen away from Africa every day. Binta does not want her firstborn to be one of them; therefore, she begins to smother Lamin with love daily. Kunta’s friends are jealous and then jubilant, unable to contain their excitement.

The villagers congratulate Kunta separately. Kunta always replies modestly, but shows his true feelings as soon as he is out of earshot. Before he leaves, Kunta “feels a strange pull” to visit Nyo Boto. Kunta is not disappointed, for Nyo Boto blesses Kunta and gives him a “dark saphie charm” that Mandinka men often wear near their shoulder. Nyo Boto proclaims that it has been blessed by Kairaba Kunta Kinte himself when Omoro went off to his manhood training to honor the future firstborn son of Omoro.

Nyo Boto promises that Kunta’s manhood training really begins now, on this trip with his father.

With a smothering, long hug from Binta that proves how much she really loves her firstborn, Kunta begins his journey with his “Fa,” Omoro. However, a very important ritual is performed in the first few steps. The two turn and collect the dust from their footprints, assuring their return. As they pass the travelers' tree, the two add a strip of cloth to the tree that symbolizes a prayer to Allah for safety. Before Kunta realizes it, his father has sped ahead of him so fast that Kunta struggles to keep up.