Ethiopian Tassel Worship

I can't find the quotation to support this now, but in the Kebra Nagast, Sheba asks Menyelek to bring back a tassel from the covering of the Tabernacle, so the Ethiopians can worship it. This reminded me of The Book of Idols we read in Hajj to Mecca last term, ... I even have the printout so I can cite it.

The reason which led them to the worship of images and stones was the following: No one left Mecca without carrying away with him a stone from the stones of the Sacred House as a token of reverence to it, and as a sign of deep affection to Mecca. Wherever he settled he would erect the stone and circumambulate the stone in the same manner he used to circumambulate the Ka'bah...In time this led them to the worship of whatever took their fancy."

Does it seem like the Ethiopians are disposed to polytheism already? Is the Queen of Sheba still too used to worshipping the sun to really get her head around the strict monotheism of the future? It seems strange to me that the fact that she wants to worship a tassel isn't called out as wrongheaded, when the "Orthodox Fathers" are commenting on other things.