Early in the morning, a Samburu youth sings the lebarta, the Samburu circumcision song, just after he has been circumcised outside his mother's house. One of his sponsors attends him by holding his back. Boys are not allowed to show any sign of fear or pain. Even the blink of an eyelid is frowned upon. It takes a good circumciser a minute to finish the operation and move quickly on to his next customer.