This story takes place on the colorful continent of Africa, in a big, beautiful country called Ethiopia. Far in the east, high up in the Ethiopian Highlands, the mountains rise tall and green, their peaks wrapped in soft clouds. In these mountains lies a bright, green valley where a young girl dreams of one day touching the sky. The valley is full of life—sparkling streams twist and twirl through the fields, and tiny villages rest among the trees like little treasures. In one of those villages, called Luuco (say it like Luch'o), lived a girl named Saba. Her home was a cozy hut with a soft grass roof and strong walls made from wooden poles, woven bamboo, and smooth, cool mud.