instruction
stringclasses 1
value | input
stringlengths 3
48
| output
stringlengths 0
6.78k
|
|---|---|---|
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Grandma’s bananas | Grandma’s garden was wonderful - full of sorghum, millet, and cassava. But best of all were the bananas. Although Grandma had many grandchildren, I secretly knew that I was her favourite. She invited me often to her house. She also told me little secrets. But there was one secret she did not share with me: where she ripened bananas.
One day I saw a big straw basket placed in the sun outside Grandma’s house. When I asked what it was for, the only answer I got was, “It’s my magic basket.” Next to the basket, there were several banana leaves that Grandma turned from time to time. I was curious. “What are the leaves for, Grandma?” I asked. The only answer I got was, “They are my magic leaves.”
It was so interesting watching Grandma, the bananas, the banana leaves and the big straw basket. But Grandma sent me off to my mother on an errand. “Grandma, please, let me watch as you prepare…” “Don’t be stubborn, child, do as you are told,” she insisted. I took off running.
When I returned, Grandma was sitting outside but with neither the basket nor the bananas. “Grandma, where is the basket, where are all the bananas, and where…” But the only answer I got was, “They are in my magic place.” It was so disappointing!
Two days later, Grandma sent me to fetch her walking stick from her bedroom. As soon as I opened the door, I was welcomed by the strong smell of ripening bananas. In the inner room was grandma’s big magic straw basket. It was well hidden by an old blanket. I lifted it and sniffed that glorious smell.
Grandma’s voice startled me when she called, “What are you doing? Hurry up and bring me the stick.” I hurried out with her walking stick. “What are you smiling about?” Grandma asked. Her question made me realise that I was still smiling at the discovery of her magic place.
The following day when grandma came to visit my mother, I rushed to her house to check the bananas once more. There was a bunch of very ripe ones. I picked one and hid it in my dress. After covering the basket again, I went behind the house and quickly ate it. It was the sweetest banana I had ever tasted.
The following day, when grandma was in the garden picking vegetables, I sneaked in and peered at the bananas. Nearly all were ripe. I couldn’t help taking a bunch of four. As I tiptoed towards the door, I heard grandma coughing outside. I just managed to hide the bananas under my dress and walked past her.
The following day was market day. Grandma woke up early. She always took ripe bananas and cassava to sell at the market. I did not hurry to visit her that day. But I could not avoid her for long.
Later that evening I was called by my mother and father, and Grandma. I knew why. That night as I lay down to sleep, I knew I could never steal again, not from grandma, not from my parents, and certainly not from anyone else. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Grandmother and the Smelly Girl | Tasneem was a very beautiful girl and her grandmother was very kind.
Her grandmother spent many hours making a handsome makgabe for Tasneem. Tasneem loved to wear that apron.
The other girls in that place were jealous of Tasneem’s makgabe. They thought that it would be better to get rid of it. But it is a difficult thing to take a person’s clothes when that person is wearing them.
One morning the girls invited Tasneem to go swimming with them in a river nearby. At the river bank, they all took off their makgabes so that the cloth would not be damaged. Then they jumped into the water and splashed around for some time.
They finished swimming. The leader of the jealous girls threw Tasneem’s makgabe into the river, near the place of a very large snake. Then all the other girls left Tasneem crying by the river.
The large snake heard someone weeping. He slithered out and saw the beautiful Tasneem. He swallowed the makgabe and Tasneem whole.
Fortunately for her, the snake did not like the taste of the makgabe. He spat it and Tasneem out. They lay on the river bank, covered with slime from the snake’s stomach. This slime smelled very bad.
The smelly Tasneem in her smelly makgabe ran home to her parents. She sang …
Mother, open the door for me, I am smelling; Mother, open the door for me, I am smelling, I am smelling very bad. The mother heard Tasneem’s song and ran out of the house. She sang back to the girl: Go away, you are smelling, Go away, you are smelling, Go away, you are smelling very bad.
Tasneem was very upset. She ran off to the house of her aunt and uncle. They heard her singing …
Open the door for me, I am smelling; Open the door for me, I am smelling, I am smelling very bad. They ran out of their house. They sang back: Go away, you are smelling, Go away, you are smelling, Go away, you are smelling very bad.
Tasneem had only her grandmother’s house to go to. Her heart was heavy. She thought nobody wanted to look after a bad smelling girl.
But she was wrong. Her grandmother did not send her away. She washed Tasneem, and her makgabe, making everything smell sweetly.
Tasneem stayed with her grandmother for many years. One day the son of a very rich chief asked Tasneem to marry him.
Tasneem’s parents heard about the marriage and asked her to come back to live in their house.
Tasneem remembered how she had smelled so bad. She told them that she would never go back to their house. "Parents must love their children," she said, "even if their children smell very bad."
Instead Tasneem invited her grandmother to come and live with her in the house of this rich chief and his son.
The grandmother was very happy, and very comfortable, and very important. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Hare and Hyena | Long time ago Hare and Hyena were great friends. They did many things together. They danced and sang together.
One day, Hare said, “My friend Hyena, let us start farming together and we will be rich.” “Oh yes, we can plant a lot food, harvest it, and sell it to others,” Hyena said. “But what shall we plant?” asked Hare.
Hyena suggested that it was good to plant maize. Hare agreed. Hare also told Hyena that it was good for them to share duties on the farm. “My work will be guarding the maize from birds,” said Hare. Then Hare told Hyena to till the land, plant, and weed.
Hyena complained that he had been given more work. But Hare told Hyena that the work of chasing birds was the most difficult and most important. “My work is not easy. I will be climbing trees and chasing birds away day and night. And you are not able to climb a tree,” Hare explained.
Hyena was convinced by Hare's words. He agreed to till the land alone. It was a lot of work. Hare did not help at all. After tilling the land, Hyena planted maize in the whole field, alone.
When weeds grew in the field, Hyena used a hoe to weed. It was a lot of work. Hare sat on a rock singing: “My friend is a worker, I am his adviser. He works like a tractor, I am his manager. The soil he toils, The hills he tills, The seeds he plants, The weeds he cuts, The maize we harvest.”
When the maize was almost ready, Hare enjoyed himself singing in the field to keep birds away. Chasing the birds was not a hard job. He did not sweat at all.
Finally, the maize was ready to harvest. Hare told Hyena that they would share the harvest between themselves. Hare said, “I will harvest everything that grows above the soil and you will harvest everything that grows below the soil.” Hyena thought that it was a good idea.
Hare said, “I will first get my harvest then you will harvest yours.” So Hare harvested all the maize in the field and put it in his store.
Hyena went to harvest things that grew below the soil. He dug, hoping to get a good harvest. But he only found roots under the soil. He dug everywhere. He did not find anything to harvest.
Hyena realised that he had been cheated. He was angry. He returned home carrying empty baskets. In the evening he went to Hare’s home very annoyed. He told Hare, “Let us now farm together again my friend.”
Hyena told Hare, “This time I will harvest everything that grows above the ground and you will harvest everything that grows below the soil.” Hare accepted. He told Hyena that instead of planting maize it was good to change the crop. They agreed to plant potatoes.
Hyena also insisted that this time they would both do the digging, planting and weeding. Hare accepted. So they worked on the farm together, singing.
When the potatoes were ready, Hare told Hyena to harvest what grows above the ground. Hyena went looking for something to harvest. But he did not find anything. He only found potato leaves. He went back home with empty baskets.
Hare harvested a lot of big potatoes. He put them in his store. When Hyena saw Hare’s harvest, he was annoyed. “Why did you cheat me?” Hyena asked Hare. Hare explained that it was Hyena himself who chose to harvest the things that grew above the soil.
Hyena was very angry. He chased after Hare in order to get revenge. But Hare ran away fast. Since that day, Hare and Hyena have not been friends. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Hare and Tortoise (Again!) | Do you remember the Great Race between the hare and the tortoise? For a long time, no one in the entire animal kingdom could talk about anything but the Great Race and its two contestants.
We all know that the rabbit was defeated because he was lazy and overconfident. We know that the tortoise won the race because he was slow and steady. The forest animals knew this too, and continued to respect both creatures equally. Even the two competitors remained friends. The tortoise did not assume airs because he had won, and the hare, realising he had been defeated fair and square, bore the tortoise no grudge.
Many months passed. The king of the jungle where the hare and the tortoise lived had some important matters to discuss with the king of the neighbouring jungle. But the first king could not leave his jungle just then. He decided, instead, to send the hare and tortoise to the neighbouring king, as his representatives.
"At least one of you must go to the neighbouring kingdom," ordered the king, when the hare and the tortoise had presented themselves. "I want you to discuss certain important matters with the king there, and come back to me with his thoughts on those matters." "Now go!" he said, as he dismissed them. "And mind, you only have a day to complete the task."
The road to the neighbouring kingdom was not smooth or easy. It was rocky and full of thorns. There were also two rivers to cross on the way.
After some thought, both the hare and the tortoise realised that neither of them could complete the task alone. They had to travel together. The plan was for the hare to carry the tortoise over the thorny parts of the route, and for the tortoise to carry the hare across the two rivers.
The next day, they collected the various messages from their king and were ready to go. The hare made short work of the thorny parts of the route with his giant loping strides, while the tortoise held on for dear life.
When they came to a river, they switched places, and the hare clambered onto the tortoise's back. The tortoise swam across the river gracefully. Once both rivers had been crossed, it did not take them long to arrive at the neighbouring kingdom.
After long discussions with the neighbouring king on all the matters raised by their own king, the hare and the tortoise were ready to leave.
The journey home was even smoother than the outward journey, since both the hare and the tortoise now knew exactly what to do. The two old rivals had worked so well that they reached the king well ahead of the deadline he had set! |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | How night came to Opio’s village | Long ago, there was no night in Opio’s village. People slept when they were tired and worked when they were awake.
One day Opio went out hunting with his dogs. After a short time, his dogs started to chase an antelope. Opio followed them. He ran for many hours. Every time he became tired, he rested. Then he would run again. But he could not find his dogs.
After many days, he came to a village. He went to one of the houses and said to the owner, “I have chased an antelope for a long time and I am very tired. I want to rest.” The man said, “Sit down and rest. Would you like some beer?” Opio was very thirsty so he drank some. Then he went to sleep.
When he woke up, he couldn’t see. He opened and closed his eyes many times. “You have given me something very bad to drink,” he said to the man. “I can’t see properly anymore!” “There is nothing wrong with you,” the man replied. “It’s night now. Haven’t you ever seen night? When the day leaves, the night comes.”
Opio asked many questions about the night. He began to like it very much. He and his new friend talked until morning. He stayed for another day so that he could see the night come again.
The next morning he asked his friend, “How can I take the night to my own village? I want my people to see the night.” “When it starts to get dark this evening, walk to your village. If you look straight in front, the night will follow you. But you must not look back. If you look back, the night will go away.”
Opio did as he was told. That evening, he began to walk towards his village. He felt the dark night behind him as he walked. He wanted to look back. But he did not.
When he came to his village, the villagers were afraid. “What disease have you brought to us, Opio?” they asked. “What is this dark thing following you?” Opio said, “My friends, this dark thing is called night. Now you are afraid and I was afraid, too.”
“But you will learn to like the night. When the light comes we can work and when night comes, we can rest.”
And that is how night came to Opio’s village. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Jackal and the sun | Long ago, there was a foolish lazy jackal. He lived with his old father in the Kalahari bush.
One morning Old Jackal woke up to find his son sleeping in the sun. The food was not ready and the goats were still in the kraal! “Young man, you are so lazy! Go and find a wife. I am too old to look after you,” said Jackal’s father. So Jackal jumped up and took the goats out to graze.
In the bush, he saw something shining on a rock. He went closer and closer to the rock. The closer he got, the more beautiful the shine was. Perhaps this was the wife for him?!
“You are beautiful,” said Jackal to the shine. “But who are you? Why are you alone?” “I am the sun,” the shine answered. “My family left me here when they moved on. They did not want to carry me. I am too hot.”
The jackal said, “But you are so beautiful! I will carry you. I will take you home to meet my father.” “All right, you can carry me. But do not complain when I get too hot for you,” said the sun.
So Jackal put the sun on his back and started the journey home. Before long, the sun was burning Jackal’s fur. “Will you please come down from my back? I need to rest,” said Jackal. His back was so sore that he could hardly walk. “Just carry on!” said the sun. “I told you not to complain!”
Then Jackal saw a log across the path. He crawled under the log so that the sun would fall off.
But the log also scraped the skin and fur from his back and they were left behind with the sun.
The new fur was a different colour to the fur on the rest of his body. The different colours always reminded Jackal not to be so foolish again.
Story notes told this story to Marlene Winberg, who retells it here. The story appears in different versions in many southern African San communities. It warns foolish young men not to be confused by the outside appearance of a girl, and tells parents not to force their children to marry for the sake of domestic help. It also provokes the powerful presence of the hot sun in the desert and does what stories do – give everything in nature a personality. The illustrations in this story are from story boards by Marlene Winberg, interpreted digitally by Satsiri Winberg through manipulations of the Manyeka Art Collection of paintings made by San artists /Thaalu Rumao, /Tuoi Samcuia and Joao Wenne Dikuango, who have all passed away since. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Khayanga and her Gourd | Khayanga lived with her parents happily until they died when she was ten years old.
Khayanga was taken in by Rosa, a distant relative. Rosa was kind to Khayanga, but she was old, frail and poor.
Khayanga often visited her parents’ graves to tell them of her misery.
One day when she visited, she received a gift. It was a very special Gourd which appeared from her parents’ graves.
The Gourd sang a beautiful and soothing song. Khayanga recognised the voice as that of her late mother. It went like this…
Khayanga, ee, Khayanga! Our child the loved one! You’re not alone, loved one! Have this gourd, loved one! Carry it everywhere you go, loved one! Let it console you loved one!
Khayanga carried her special Gourd everywhere. With her Gourd, Khayanga felt her parents’ presence and protection.
One day, something bad happened to her special Gourd. It broke when she was fetching water in the river. Khayanga’s heart broke as well.
Khayanga held the pieces of the broken Gourd in her small hands and sang:
Father and Mother, See the gourd is broken. The gourd you gave me. What do I do, Mother and Father? Be kind and show me a sign… That you are still with me.
Khayanga heard her mother’s voice saying to her: "Our child, pick up the pieces that are left. Fetch water with them and wash your feet. When you finish washing, close your eyes." Khayanga obeyed and suddenly, the broken Gourd became whole once again.
Khayanga continued to carry her Gourd everywhere she went. Wherever she passed, people whispered to each other, “What type of gourd is this?” With her special Gourd, Khayanga received everything she needed.
With the special Gourd, Khayanga knew that her parents were watching over her. Nothing bad could happen to her. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Kidnapped! | My friend Kiki and I love to go exploring, and we know our neighbourhood well. As we left school, we chatted about places to explore that day.
We decided to cut across the big empty field near the old railway. Even though Kiki’s father had warned us not to walk there. After a while, we noticed that a tall man in a long black coat was walking slowly behind us.
We slowed down to look at the man. His skin was full of pimples. His lips were too small to cover his dark brown teeth. He had a deep scar across half his face. The man was following us!
We decided to stop and face the stranger. My heart beat so loudly that I thought he could hear it. I stared at him, noticing his features and clothes. He did not like the fact that I was looking at him so keenly. He shouted, “What are you looking at, boy?”
At that point, we turned to run. I was not fast enough. He caught me by my shirt and pulled me back roughly. The man held me so tight that I thought my ribs would crack. But my friend Kiki escaped.
The tall man picked me up like a piece of crumpled paper. He threw me into a van parked in the field. Then he got in the front of the van. Another man inside the van blindfolded me and tied my hands behind my back. Then the driver drove away at the speed of an ambulance.
The man next to me held a wet rag over my face. The liquid on the rag smelled sweet, and made me feel sleepy and dizzy. I fell asleep. When I woke up I found myself sitting on the floor in a dark room with cobwebs and mice. At least I was no longer blindfolded.
The door of the dark room opened noisily, and a man entered carrying a plate. He was the man who tied me up and put me to sleep. “Here is food for you. You better eat because you are going on a long journey,” mumbled the man. He cut the rope around my hands with a sharp knife hanging from his belt.
When I heard the word ‘journey’ I decided to eat. I would need to get the strength to rescue myself. As I ate, the man sat down and smoked a cigarette. The smoke filled the entire room.
The other two men came in dragging a boy. It was Kiki! They had caught him as well. Now we were both trapped in the dark room.
I understood that the tall ugly man was the leader of the group. He gave orders to the other two. But the man who brought me the food did not seem to like what they were doing. A while later, we heard them arguing outside the room. The leader shouted, “I don’t care if you know his family. You can’t change your mind now.”
This argument made us realise that one of them knew us. I wondered who it was. Kiki said, “We must find a way of escaping. Our parents don’t have the money to pay.” I untied my friend and luck was on our side. The men continued to disagree and started fighting. We quietly bolted the door inside the room and started looking for a way to escape.
We saw some thin cracks of light between old planks of wood nailed across one wall. We pulled at a plank until the nails came out of the crumbling wall. We pulled at another plank, and another, until the thin dim light became brighter. There was a small broken window boarded up with those planks!
Quickly we made a decision. Kiki was faster and smaller than me, so he would run to get help. I helped him up. Kiki wriggled out of the window. It wasn’t far to the ground outside, and I heard him land on his feet, and take a deep breath. Then he was gone.
By this time the men had heard the noise we made, and were kicking the door against the bolt. They burst into the room and stood for a minute looking at the window. Then they rushed outside, pushing each other, not sure which direction to go. The men were furious, especially the ugly leader. He hit me, shouting, “Your parents will pay for this!”
The men nailed back the planks of wood over the window and locked me in the room. But they still could not agree about what to do. I could hear them arguing again. The man who smoked a lot wanted to let me go. The driver was worried that my friend would find his way back and bring the police. And the ugly leader, well, he wanted the ransom money.
It seemed like forever before I heard a soft tap from outside, on the broken window. A grown up voice said, “Don’t be scared. Police are here. Lie on the floor, cover your head. Don’t move.”
I’m not sure what happened next. Everything happened! The men were taken by surprise as police stormed the room they were in. There was lots of shouting and noise, and some gunshots.
A policewoman opened the door to my room. She picked me up off the floor, and wrapped a blanket around me. She told me, “Your friend was lucky. He found the main road near here. We were driving on patrol when he ran into the road. After we heard his story, we called for backup and came to teach these criminals a lesson!”
The three men were arrested, handcuffed, and bundled into a police van. I got into a car with the policewoman. She took me home to my worried parents. After that day, Kiki and I were more careful when we went exploring. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | King Kayanja and his daughter | Long, long ago there was a king called Kayanja. He lived in a palace with the queen and their daughter, princess Apenyo. Princess Apenyo was such a beautiful young woman that every man wanted to marry her. But king Kayanja demanded a very high bride price for the princess.
Near king Kayanja’s palace lived a chief called Aludah the Great. He was called “the Great” because everybody in the neighbourhood obeyed him. (He was very violent to anyone who disobeyed him!) Chief Aludah’s wife had recently died of malaria and he wanted another wife.
So the fat old chief went to king Kayanja to offer bride wealth for the young princess. While the two men were discussing the price, the maid Kakembo overheard their conversation. Maid Kakembo was very close to princess Apenyo.
Chief Aludah agreed to give half of his wealth to king Kayanja, including a needle, which was also part of the bride price. Preparations were made in secret for the wedding between chief Aludah and princess Apenyo. The king knew that his daughter would not be happy with this decision.
One week before the royal wedding day, maid Kakembo approached Apenyo. “My dear princess, your father has organised your wedding with Chief Aludah, and it will take place in one week,” said Kakembo.
Princess Apenyo was shocked and at first didn’t know what to do. Then she thought, “I will never marry chief Aludah, that fat old man. Never! I must hurry to Trevor and see what he can do before it’s too late.” Trevor was princess Apenyo’s boyfriend.
That night Apenyo crept out of the palace. If her father discovered where she was going he would be very angry. She ran through the thick, dark forest over rocks and shrubs, until she finally reached her Trevor. When she arrived at his house she was tired, hungry, and thirsty.
“My love, why have you run all this long distance alone and at such a time of night?” asked Trevor. He fetched drinking water for her and allowed her to rest. Trevor could not settle down while he waited for Apenyo to talk.
“My dear princess, what is the problem?” asked Trevor. Apenyo breathed heavily and said sadly, “My father wants to marry me off to chief Aludah the Great. But I can’t marry that horrible man. Trevor, I want to marry you even if you are poor. I am ready to suffer. I love you.”
“But princess, I have nothing to pay as your bride price, you know I’m a poor boy.” cried Trevor. Apenyo replied, “I know, but it’s only you I can get married to.” She thought for a while and said, “Let’s go to Kategga the boat man to sail us to the other side of the river. That way we can escape and my father will never find us.”
Back at the palace, king Kayanja had discovered Princess Apenyo’s disappearance and ordered his subjects to search for her everywhere in the village. The king’s guards, soldiers, and everyone else searched, but they couldn’t find Princess Apenyo. They went back to the King and told him Apenyo was nowhere to be seen. “Then go to the bush and search,” King Kayanja ordered. He was very annoyed.
As Princess Apenyo and Trevor hurried to the riverbank, dark clouds began gathering in the sky. A heavy storm was coming.
Kategga the boatman was mooring his boat when the young couple approached him. Trevor asked Kategga to row them across the river. Kategga refused to accept, explaining that a heavy storm was fast approaching, and it would be too dangerous.
Trevor insisted and explained to Kategga why they must cross. He then put his hand deep in his pocket and took out a cowrie shell to give to Kategga. When Kategga heard their story and saw the beautiful shell, he felt sorry for them. He agreed to row them across the river in spite of the weather.
Kategga pulled the boat near the bank and told them to get in. He then picked his oars and began rowing. When king Kayanja and chief Aludah reached the bank, they saw the three people in the boat. They realised that the young lovers had escaped.
Heavy winds rocked the boat and Kategga could no longer control it. King Kayanja shouted: “Apenyo, please come back! I have forgiven you and will never punish you or Trevor.” But it was too late. The boat tipped over and the three people were thrown into the wild water. They all drowned. After that day, everyone in king Kayanja’s kingdom could marry anyone they wanted, rich or poor. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Lazy Anansi | Once upon a time, there was a spider called Anansi. He was too lazy to cook his own food. Instead, he used to visit his friends and eat the delicious food they had cooked.
One day, he was walking past Rabbit’s house when he smelled something cooking. “Greens!” he said excitedly. “They’re not quite ready yet,” said Rabbit. “You can help me with the washing up in the mean time.” “Sorry, I have things to do. I’ll come back later,” said Anansi.
“How will I call you when they’re ready?” asked Rabbit. Anansi thought for a minute. “I'll spin a web,” he said, “and tie one end around my leg and one end to your pot. When the greens are ready, pull on the web string and I’ll come right away.” So Anansi tied the web to the pot, and walked on.
A short while later he saw Monkey and his wife, cooking some beans in a large pot. “Come and join us!” they said. “The beans are nearly ready.” “Sorry, I have things to do,” said Anansi before they could ask him to help. “But let me tie one end of this web around my leg and one end to your pot. When the beans are ready, pull on the web string, and I’ll come.”
He walked on until he smelled sweet potatoes. “Anansi,” called his friend Warthog. “My pot is full of sweet potatoes and honey! Come and share my food with me. Here’s a fork for you to help me stir.” “I’ll come back later,” said Anansi quickly. “But let me tie one end of this web around my leg and one end to your pot. When the sweet potatoes are ready, pull on the web string, and I’ll come.”
By the time Anansi arrived at the river, each of his eight legs was tied to a different pot of delicious food. Just then, Anansi felt a tug on one of his legs. “Rabbit’s food is ready!” he said, licking his lips.
He felt a second tug. And a third. And a fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth... Everyone was pulling on the web strings at the same time! “Stop! Stop!” he cried in pain, as his legs were stretched thinner and thinner. But no one could hear him.
Finally, the web strings could hold no longer. They snapped one by one. Anansi rolled into the river to soothe his painful legs. But his legs would not return to their normal shape. And he was too embarrassed to go to any of his friends and share their food that day. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Lion and Warthog | Once upon a time, Lion was the strongest and most feared of all the animals. He would catch other animals and eat them. But one morning while he was looking for his breakfast, he got caught in a hunter’s trap.
Lion gave his loudest roar from the pain. He pulled and pulled to free himself from the trap. The trap got tighter and tighter around his leg every time he pulled. Lion grew tired and he felt more pain in his leg. Finally, he gave up.
Days went past as Lion sat baking in the sun. He was hungry and thirsty and there was nobody to save him. He became weaker and weaker. “I am going to die of hunger and thirst in this trap,” he thought to himself.
One morning, Lion heard a sound coming from the nearby bushes. He listened and looked closer. He saw Warthog walking with his wife and children, talking and laughing. The Warthog family were going to the river to drink water and play in the mud before the sun got too hot.
“Warthog! Please help me! Warthog!” cried Lion. “Please set me free from this trap,” pleaded Lion. “Never,” said Warthog. “You are a cruel animal. You will eat me and my family for breakfast if I set you free.” “I promise I will never do such a bad thing. We will be friends if you can set me free,” said Lion.
Warthog felt sorry for Lion. “I do not like seeing you in such pain, thirsty and dying from hunger.” So he pulled at the trap with his long strong tusks and released Lion. Warthog saved his new friend.
“Thank you very much my friend for saving my life,” said Lion. “I must go to my family now, good bye.” “Go well my friend,” said Warthog. He was happy that Lion was his friend. “My family will never have to run from Lion again,” he thought.
Lion walked away limping and weak. He was also very hungry. Then he saw Warthog’s children playing in the mud. “Today is my lucky day,” said Lion with his mouth watering.
“Hey Warthog, my new friend,” called Lion. “I have been caught in the trap for days without food. But I am too weak to hunt. Please would you give one of your children to me for breakfast?” Warthog was shocked. “I saved you from the trap and now you want to eat my children?”
“I am very sorry my friend,” said Lion, “but I am starving. I might be weak for now but I am stronger than you.” Lion opened his mouth and showed his strong teeth. “If you do not give me one of your children, I will take one for myself,” he roared.
Warthog knew that he did not have the speed or the strength of Lion. He would never be able to protect his children in a fight. “Al right,” said Warthog. “I will give you one of my children. But first I want you to show me how you were caught in the trap. In case I have to save another lion from this trap.”
Lion imagined the wonderful taste of young warthog in his mouth. He could hardly wait. Lion went back to the trap and put his foot inside to show his friend how he was trapped.
“Ouch!” Lion roared. Warthog had closed the trap on Lion’s foot. “Aha! I got you,” said Warthog. “You will stay in that trap hungry and thirsty again. See if your strong teeth and sharp claws can help you now.”
“Run! Run! Run away!” Warthog’s wife shouted to the children at the top of her voice. “Raise your tails when you are running so that your father can see you,” she called. The babies ran as fast as they could through the bushes.
“Warthog please help me!” begged Lion again. He was in pain from the sharp jaws of the hunter’s trap. “I will do anything for you if you save me.” “No way, liar! I will never believe you again,” said Warthog. “I will also warn other animals not to save you because you are very sly.”
Warthog saw his children running in a row with their mother. Their tails were lifted up for him to see them. He rushed to his family and they all escaped to safety. To this day, warthogs and their children always run with their tails lifted up to see that everyone is safe. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Magozwe | In the busy city of Nairobi, far away from a caring life at home, lived a group of homeless boys. They welcomed each day just as it came. On one morning, the boys were packing their mats after sleeping on cold pavements. To chase away the cold they lit a fire with rubbish. Among the group of boys was Magozwe. He was the youngest.
When Magozwe’s parents died, he was only five years old. He went to live with his uncle. This man did not care about the child. He did not give Magozwe enough food. He made the boy do a lot of hard work.
If Magozwe complained or questioned, his uncle beat him. When Magozwe asked if he could go to school, his uncle beat him and said, “You’re too stupid to learn anything.” After three years of this treatment Magozwe ran away from his uncle. He started living on the street.
Street life was difficult and most of the boys struggled daily just to get food. Sometimes they were arrested, sometimes they were beaten. When they were sick, there was no one to help. The group depended on the little money they got from begging, and from selling plastics and other recycling. Life was even more difficult because of fights with rival groups who wanted control of parts of the city.
One day while Magozwe was looking through the dustbins, he found an old tattered storybook. He cleaned the dirt from it and put it in his sack. Every day after that he would take out the book and look at the pictures. He did not know how to read the words.
The pictures told the story of a boy who grew up to be a pilot. Magozwe would daydream of being a pilot. Sometimes, he imagined that he was the boy in the story.
It was cold and Magozwe was standing on the road begging. A man walked up to him. “Hello, I'm Thomas. I work near here, at a place where you can get something to eat,” said the man. He pointed to a yellow house with a blue roof. “I hope you will go there to get some food?” he asked. Magozwe looked at the man, and then at the house. “Maybe,” he said, and walked away.
Over the months that followed, the homeless boys got used to seeing Thomas around. He liked to talk to people, especially people living on the streets. Thomas listened to the stories of people’s lives. He was serious and patient, never rude or disrespectful. Some of the boys started going to the yellow and blue house to get food at midday.
Magozwe was sitting on the pavement looking at his picture book when Thomas sat down next to him. “What is the story about?” asked Thomas. “It’s about a boy who becomes a pilot,” replied Magozwe. “What’s the boy’s name?” asked Thomas. “I don’t know, I can’t read,” said Magozwe quietly.
When they met, Magozwe began to tell his own story to Thomas. It was the story of his uncle and why he ran away. Thomas didn’t talk a lot, and he didn’t tell Magozwe what to do, but he always listened carefully. Sometimes they would talk while they ate at the house with the blue roof.
Around Magozwe’s tenth birthday, Thomas gave him a new storybook. It was a story about a village boy who grew up to be a famous soccer player. Thomas read that story to Magozwe many times, until one day he said, “I think it’s time you went to school and learned to read. What do you think?” Thomas explained that he knew of a place where children could stay, and go to school.
Magozwe thought about this new place, and about going to school. What if his uncle was right and he was too stupid to learn anything? What if they beat him at this new place? He was afraid. “Maybe it is better to stay living on the street,” he thought.
He shared his fears with Thomas. Over time the man reassured the boy that life could be better at the new place.
And so Magozwe moved into a room in a house with a green roof. He shared the room with two other boys. Altogether there were ten children living at that house. Along with Auntie Cissy and her husband, three dogs, a cat, and an old goat.
Magozwe started school and it was difficult. He had a lot to catch up. Sometimes he wanted to give up. But he thought about the pilot and the soccer player in the storybooks. Like them, he did not give up.
Magozwe was sitting in the yard at the house with the green roof, reading a storybook from school. Thomas came up and sat next to him. “What is the story about?” asked Thomas. “It’s about a boy who becomes a teacher,” replied Magozwe. “What’s the boy’s name?” asked Thomas. “His name is Magozwe,” said Magozwe with a smile. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Malasile and Wetsakhulya | There once lived a man called Malasile. He had a very good friend called Wetsakhulya. These friends always shared whatever they had. Sometimes Malasile even forgot about his family.
Then one day Malasile wondered to himself, “If I ever fell sick, would my friend Wetsakhulya help me?”
Malasile thought of a plot to test the depth of their friendship. He bled blood from a cow and put it in a pot with a lid. He put the pot in his room.
Malasile stayed in his room for four days and four nights. There was a foul smell of rotting blood coming from the room. The bad smell spread through the whole house and compound. Malasile asked his wife, “Tell the family and my friend Wetsakhulya that I have a terrible disease and will die soon.”
When his family and friend were in his compound, Malasile removed the lid from the pot of rotting blood.
The smell from the room was sickening.
Soon enough Wetsakhulya began to walk away. With his hand on his nose, holding his breath, he cried, “I’m shocked! My friend is rotting away!” Wetsakhulya left the compound.
But the family forced the door of Malasile’s room open. They wanted to know what type of disease was killing Malasile.
The family found Malasile sitting on his bed, grinning as he sucked his millet beer. He pointed to a huge pot of malwa that he had brought for them to enjoy. “I appreciate your concern,” said Malasile to his family. “I know now who I can rely on.” |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Market cows | Everybody knew that Mama Schola liked to shout a lot.
That day, it was about cows at the market. “Push these silly cows away,” she said. “They are eating my vegetables.”
“Hey you there! Push these silly cows away from here,” she insisted. “They are eating my clothes.”
“Where is the owner of these silly cows?” she shouted. “They are eating my grains.”
Sorimpan, the herd boy, had just gone to drink water at a tap when his cows wandered off to the market. He hid away, squatting in fear, when he heard the shouting woman.
“Now look what these silly cows have done!” she continued to shout. “They have broken my beautiful pots.”
A short time later, “Aah! Not again!” she was heard saying. “I will report this matter to the police. These silly cows have knocked down my fruit stand.”
Sorimpan finally came out stick in hand, dodged between the gathering crowds and managed to get a clear view of his cows. Sorimpan’s cows knew him well so they turned and looked up at him as he appeared!
At this point, the big crowd of onlookers of men, women and even children all stared at the cows which paid attention only to Sorimpan.
Suddenly, the cows broke their silence! They began to talk all at the same time, criticising the people!
The crowds were shocked and stepped back one by one, afraid of the cows. Then the cows stopped talking and watched the crowd in amazement! But Mama Schola was heard saying, “Since when did cows meddle in our market businesses?”
It was Mama Schola’s turn to be criticised by the cows! All the other women selling moved to stand with Mama Schola out of fear.
The cows criticised the women, commenting on the state of their vegetables, saying, “What kind of vegetables are these? They are all old and drying up!”
It was clear that the cows were not yet done! They turned round and faced the cloth- stand and shouted, “You say we eat your clothes, what clothes? You mean these old rugs! Who will buy them?”
The cows then moved to the next stand and everybody followed them with their eyes. “Your grains are full of weevils. Who wants to eat that! We only tasted to see if this is a place to come more often!” the cows sneered.
“And you Mama Schola,” the cows continued, “stop making noise. You talk of these cracked pots?” The cows turned their heads towards Mama Schola’s pots. “They are no good, they break so easily, so don’t blame us.” With that, the cows turned and left, followed closely by Sorimpan. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Mod the Toad | It was a cold and wet morning in the forest. Mod the little toad was tired of swimming in cold water. “I need to leave this place during the rainy season,” she said to herself.
“I want an adventure,” said Mod to the terrapin. “I must find out about the world.” “Be careful, don’t leave the water for too long or your skin will dry out,” warned the wise terrapin. At that time, toads still had smooth wet skin like frogs. Without water, their skins would become too dry.
But Mod the toad was curious. “I must find out, I must go beyond the forest,” she said. Mod hopped out of the water. Hop, hop, she went, away from the river. She had fun jumping over the rocks, across grass, and past trenches.
She heard the sound of an airplane. Mod looked up into the sky. “What is up there?” she asked, “I wonder if the clouds are talking.” But no one answered her.
Mod carried on her way. She met a chameleon for the first time. He was next to a large puddle of water. “Hello, I am on my way to dry land for adventure. What can you tell me?” she asked. “Nothing much stranger. It rains here too. Lots of rain and lots of flies,” replied the chameleon.
As Chameleon was talking, his body changed colour. Mod got a fright. She quickly said goodbye to Chameleon and hopped into a nearby bush.
But she was unlucky. Hyena was busy burning bushes in preparation for planting season.
Mod did not want to turn around for fear of meeting the chameleon again. She stayed in the bush, only her round eyes could be seen. They were big with fear. Mod was surrounded by fire!
Mod did not know where to go. The flames began to burn her back. Then the little toad remembered the puddle of water where she met the chameleon. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and jumped high in the direction of the puddle.
She was lucky this time. She landed in the puddle, and the water put out the flames that were burning her skin. But the damage was done. When she came out of the puddle, the skin on her back was full of blisters.
Mod did not want an adventure anymore. She wanted to go home. But she did not know the way back to her river in the forest. So the little toad found a cool, dark place under a rock and sadly made a new home. Her burned skin slowly healed, but it was dry and bumpy.
This is why toads have dry rough skin, and can live away from water. Frogs still have smooth wet skin and need to stay where it’s wet. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Mulongo and the ogre | A long time ago, there lived a man called Mulongo and his wife Nambuya. They had two children, Mukhwana and Namono. There was a famine in the land where they lived. All the villagers, including Mulongo and his family, would leave their homes early to look for food in the forest.
One day, Mulongo, his wife and children decided to go deep in the forest in search of something to eat. From morning to evening they looked for food but they found nothing. Nambuya urged her husband to go further into the forest. Mulongo led the way as Nambuya and the two children followed.
Suddenly Mulongo saw a beautiful banana plantation. He called his wife and said, “Is that not a banana plantation? I can see bananas and other food crops. I wonder whose it is.” They moved on and soon saw a house in the middle of the plantation. They stopped, looked in all directions, but there was no one around. Because they were hungry and it was nearly night time, they decided to sit and wait for the owner.
Suddenly they heard heavy breathing close to the house. They were frightened to see a huge ogre arrive. “Who are you and what do you want?” asked the ogre in a fearful voice. Mulongo in a trembling voice said, “We came looking for food because there is famine in our place.” The ogre gave them food.
For several days the ogre allowed Mulongo and his family to eat his crops without asking for anything in return. One morning, however, the ogre said to Nambuya, “I want you to cook your son for me to eat when I come back this evening.” When the ogre had gone Mulongo went into the bush and killed some small animals, which he asked his wife to cook for the ogre. Meanwhile he asked Mukhwana to climb up a leafy mango tree and hide.
In the evening the ogre returned and asked, “Have you cooked Mukhwana for me?” Mulongo’s wife answered, “Yes.” She gave the ogre the meat and he greedily ate everything. Then he said, “Tomorrow you cook your daughter.”
The following morning Mulongo and his wife did as they had done on the first day. Namono was hidden up the mango tree. When the ogre returned he said, “Did you cook Namono?” Again, Nambuya told the ogre that she had done so.
After eating, the ogre instructed Nambuya to cook her husband Mulongo, the next day. Nambuya was perturbed but Mulongo said he would go out again and catch some animals to cook. He did that and after giving the meat to his wife, he also climbed up the mango tree to hide.
At dusk the ogre came back. Nambuya gave the meat to the ogre who enjoyed it very much. He told Nambuya, “Tomorrow cook yourself.” When the ogre had left Nambuya called her husband to advise her. Mulongo said, “Go and look for some small animals and cook them for the ogre. When everything is ready, come up the tree where we are.”
The ogre came back in the afternoon and started eating his tasty evening meal of sweet meat. He felt sleepy, went to lie under the mango tree and began snoring. But not so long after, the ogre woke up because he heard noises above him. The ogre looked up to the tree and saw Mulongo and his wife and children.
WThe ogre was very angry. “So you deceived me? Let me come and get you,” he shouted. As the ogre was struggling to climb up the tree, Mulongo quickly thought of a trick and said, “It will be easier for you to reach us if you tie a rope around your neck and we help to pull you up.”
The ogre ran into the house, brought a strong rope and after tying it around his neck he threw the other end of the rope to Mulongo. Mulongo and his wife and children started pulling the ogre up as they twisted the rope. The rope soon tightened around the ogre’s neck until he could not breathe and died. Mulongo and his family came down the tree and took over the ogre’s house and property. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Musau saves his father | Once upon a time, there was a small boy named Musau who lived with his father Syonzola.
Syonzola stayed out drinking until very late every night and Musau hardly ever saw him.
When Musau’s father came home, he would scream, "Villagers, villagers! Come and rescue me! I am being attacked by a hyena."
On hearing Syonzola’s screams, the villagers would come with their arrows and spears and pangas, to rescue him. But they would find that he was drunk and just teasing them.
Musau’s father continued drinking and shouting for help late at night. The villagers continued going with arrows and spears and pangas to rescue him. But each time it was the same story. He would only be teasing them.
Every time Musau’s father returned home late, Musau would be woken by the screams for help. Musau knew his father’s voice very well. He would listen as Syonzola moved in the dark until he reached the door of their house.
One night, Syonzola came home drunk as usual. But this time, a hyena hid near the house. When Syonzola screamed, the hyena fiercely attacked him.
Syonzola screamed so loudly. But the villagers said, "We are tired of Syonzola’s tricks." They turned over in their beds and went back to sleep.
As usual, Syonzola’s screams woke up his son Musau. Musau listened for his father’s steps as he always did. But his father did not seem to move closer to the house. Musau sat up and listened more keenly.
"My father is really in danger," Musau said. "This time he is not teasing."
Musau jumped up from his bed. He grabbed a smoldering log from the fire and rushed out of the hut.
"Father, father," he called. In the moonlight, Musau saw Syonzola struggling with an animal. He raised the burning log. When the hyena saw the fiery log, he ran away.
After that, Syonzola never went out again to drink. Instead, he spent his days telling interesting stories to the school children. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | My first day at the market | I live in Kakuma village, a very hot dry place, full of thorny trees, and more goats than people. Even the market place is quiet, with only a few small shops. Most people use bicycles for transport.
One morning my mother called me and said, “Etabo, today you turn six years old. We have a present for you.” “What is it? What is it?” I asked eagerly. “Tomorrow we’re going by bus to the market in Eldoret,” she replied, “And we’re taking you with us!” My first visit to the city! I was so excited that I could hardly sleep that night.
The next day at the Kakuma bus stop, I stood between my mother and my aunt in my new pair of blue jeans and red T- shirt. I felt very small between my tall slender mother and my big round aunt.
The bus was very full, so I had to sit on my mother’s lap. Tired from the heat and excitement, I slept the whole way and saw nothing.
The sun was just rising when we reached Eldoret market. At the entrance was a woman selling grains. Over in one corner there were two men getting ready to lay out their sweet potatoes. Over in another corner was a short woman holding a shiny blue helicopter. “Mother, mother, look at that helicopter!” But mother pulled me away.
In the middle of the market, there was a large stall that sold different types of fruit. Some of them I had never seen before. “What are the names of these fruits?” I asked my mother. She pointed at some: “These are oranges, and these are guavas.” I turned around and said, “And these?”
Of all the fruits at the stall, I liked the apples most. I liked their shape and colour. I wondered how they tasted. I turned to mother and said, “Could you buy one for me?”
As soon as she gave me the apple, I let go of my mother’s hand, took the fruit with both hands, and bit into the juicy flesh. I had never enjoyed a fruit the way I enjoyed that apple. All I cared about was my apple.
When I finished the apple, I looked up to talk to my mother. But she was not there! I looked where we had come from, but my mother and aunt were not there. I looked to the right, then to the left. But they were nowhere to be seen. “Have you seen my mother?” I asked the women selling potatoes nearby. They took no notice. I started to cry.
A while later, a woman took me by the hand and led me to a place where there were other children. A big man with a thick beard asked, “What’s your name, boy?” “E-ta-bo,” I replied through my tears.
I wondered if children were also sold at the market. I stopped crying and looked around to see if anyone would buy the children in the room. Soon a woman came in and picked up one of the children. “I will be the next one to be taken away,” I thought. “And then I’ll never go home again!” I started crying once more.
When I heard the big man with the thick beard saying, “Where is Etabo?” I cried even harder. “But I do not want to go with you!” I sobbed. I ran away from him.
When my mother and aunt heard my name, they rushed to the room. “Etabo, Etabo!” a familiar voice called. It was my mother.
As I got up to hug my mother, my aunt said, “Etabo, we were looking for you to give you your birthday present.” And from a big bag, she pulled out a shiny blue helicopter. “It’s yours!” she said. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Nangila’s courage | Long ago, there was a man who had a very serious wound on his leg. He could not stand or walk. This man lived in a village with his wife and their children.
The couple had three sons and one daughter. The daughter’s name was Nangila. Her duty was to take care of her father. The sons worked on the land and grazed animals.
Nangila was a beautiful girl. All the villagers liked and respected her. Her parents wanted a good husband for Nangila. They set a difficult task in order to find the right man.
Anyone who wanted to marry Nangila would have to get a herb from a lake near the village. This herb would heal her father’s wound. But the lake was filled with dangerous spirits.
Some men tried to get the herb and returned without it. Some men did not return from the lake at all.
Nangila felt worried. Not even her brothers would go to the lake. She decided to fetch the herb herself. Her mother said, “My daughter, if strong men have failed, will you succeed?” But Nangila had made up her mind.
On the way to the lake, Nangila met an old woman carrying wood. She helped the woman to carry her firewood. The old woman was grateful. She said to Nangila, “I will tell you how to reach the spirit lake and what to do when you get there.”
When she reached the shore of the lake, Nangila saw the spirit family drinking and dancing. She waited and watched. One by one, the spirits fell asleep.
Once the spirits were all sleeping Nangila dived into the lake. She found the herb and put it in her bag. As she swam back to land, the waves were high around her.
When Nangila reached the shore the spirits were awake. She was afraid, but she sang the song the old woman taught her: I, daughter of Wekesa, Am from the lake. I came because men are too scared to come. My father needs this herb to heal his wound. That is why am here, In the land where many are scared to reach, For you are the rulers.
Nangila’s voice was so sweet that the spirits asked her to sing for them again and again. Her singing sent the spirits back to sleep. Then Nangila ran very fast until she got to her village.
Everyone was waiting for Nangila to return. After treating his wound with the herb her father was able to stand again. The entire village danced and praised Nangila. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Nonkungu and the imbulu | Once upon a time there was a poor couple. They had only one child, called Nonkungu. They loved her very much. When she was old enough, her parents decided to send Nonkungu to stay with her rich Uncle Mtonyama. Nonkungu's mother made special clothes with ribbon, buttons and beads. She also made a beautiful necklace for her child. Then Nonkungu set off for her uncle's village.
On her journey, Nonkungu came to a stream. She crossed the stream and met a girl wearing rags. The girl asked, "Where are you going?" "I'm going to visit my Uncle Mtonyama," replied Nonkungu. "Well, Mtonyama is my uncle, too! I am also on my way to visit him," said the girl. So they walked together. After a while, the girl said to Nonkungu, "Your clothes and necklace are beautiful. Please let me try them on."
Nonkungu took off her clothes and gave them to the girl. When the girl took off her rags, Nonkungu saw that she had a tail! Nonkungu was afraid. She realised that the girl was really an imbulu. They walked a little further, and then Nonkungu asked, "Please give me back my clothes and beads."
The imbulu answered, "Let me wear them until we get to the next tree." And she pointed to a tree on a hill nearby. When they reached the tree, Nonkungu asked the imbulu, "Please give me back my clothes and beads." "Just let me wear them until we get to that field," said the imbulu. And she pointed to a field on the next hill. Nonkungu was afraid, so she agreed.
At last they reached the field. Again Nonkungu asked the imbulu, "Please give me back my clothes and my beads." "Just let me wear them until we get to that hut where women are sitting," said the imbulu. And she pointed to a hut in the distance. So they walked on. As they got near the hut, the imbulu pushed Nonkungu back and ran ahead.
The imbulu said to the women at the hut,"Look at this girl wearing rags. She has been following me all day. I wish she would go away." The women turned to look at Nonkungu. She was so frightened that she ran and hid in the kraal. Then the imbulu went to Uncle Mtonyama's hut. She said sweetly, "I am your niece, Nonkungu. My parents sent me to stay with you."
Mtonyama and his family welcomed the girl. They were very kind to her. Poor Nonkungu had to sleep in the kraal and share the dog's food. During the day she hid in the fields and sang this song: "Oh misery me, misery me. I was sent by my father and mother to stay with my Uncle Mtonyama. On the way I met an imbulu and she took my skirt and my beads. Oh misery me, misery me."
One day, Mtonyama’s eldest son was walking in the fields. He heard the strange and sad song. He didn't know who was singing, but when he got home, he told his father the words. Mtonyama went into the fields. He heard the song, and looked until he found Nonkungu.
Nonkungu told her uncle everything that had happened. Mtonyama took her back to the village and hid her in a hut. He knew what he was going to do to catch the imbulu. Mtonyama had heard that an imbulu's tail loves milk and that it can't go past milk without drinking some. So he told his men to dig a hole and fill it with sour milk.
Then Mtonyama called all the girls of the village to take part in a jumping competition. The imbulu was worried. She did not want to jump over the hole. The imbulu knew that her tail would be thirsty for the sour milk. So she went into a hut and tied her tail to her body as tightly as she could. Then she took her place with the other girls.
One girl after another jumped over the hole with the sour milk. At last it was the imbulu's turn. She tried to jump high over the hole, but her tail broke loose. The imbulu's tail pulled her down, down, down into the sour milk.
As the imbulu struggled in the milk, the men quickly filled the hole with sand and buried her. That was the end of the imbulu. Nonkungu stayed happily with her uncle for a long, long time. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Nozibele and the three hairs | A long time ago, three girls went out to collect wood.
It was a hot day so they went down to the river to swim. They played and splashed and swam in the water.
Suddenly, they realised that it was late. They hurried back to the village.
When they were nearly home, Nozibele put her hand to her neck. She had forgotten her necklace! "Please come back with me!" she begged her friends. But her friends said it was too late.
So Nozibele went back to the river alone. She found her necklace and hurried home. But she got lost in the dark.
In the distance she saw light coming from a hut. She hurried towards it and knocked at the door.
To her surprise, a dog opened the door and said, "What do you want?" "I'm lost and I need a place to sleep," said Nozibele. "Come in, or I'll bite you!" said the dog. So Nozibele went in.
Then the dog said, "Cook for me!" "But I’ve never cooked for a dog before," she answered. "Cook, or I'll bite you!" said the dog. So Nozibele cooked some food for the dog.
Then the dog said, "Make the bed for me!" Nozibele answered, "I've never made a bed for a dog." "Make the bed, or I'll bite you!" the dog said. So Nozibele made the bed.
Every day she had to cook and sweep and wash for the dog. Then one day the dog said, "Nozibele, today I have to visit some friends. Sweep the house, cook the food and wash my things before I come back."
As soon as the dog had gone, Nozibele took three hairs from her head. She put one hair under the bed, one behind the door, and one in the kraal. Then she ran home as fast as she could.
When the dog came back, he looked for Nozibele. "Nozibele, where are you?" he shouted. "I'm here, under the bed," said the first hair. "I'm here, behind the door," said the second hair. "I'm here, in the kraal," said the third hair.
Then the dog knew that Nozibele had tricked him. So he ran and ran all the way to the village. But Nozibele’s brothers were waiting there with big sticks. The dog turned and ran away and has never been seen since. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Our wonderful world | Once upon a time long ago, when there were no people, God looked down at the beautiful world he had made. He thought I must have someone to look after my creation.
The lion roared, "I am the king of the jungle, I can look after the world."
The elephant trumpeted loudly, "My Lord, you have made me so big and majestic. Surely I am right for the job."
The whale looked up at the sky and spouted a fountain of water, "Do they know how to swim and look after the fish, the reefs, the coral and millions of tiny sea animals?" "I can look after the oceans. I can also keep my head above water and see what is going on on the land. I am so LARGE, no one will dare to do anything against your will."
The shark thought his sharp teeth were all that were needed to do the job.
The eagle laughed, "These animals can only look after those on land, while the whale and the shark can only see the water animals. But I fly, I see the sky, land and water. I am the only one fit to be the keeper of the world."
God listened carefully to the animals, to the fish and the birds. "I will create man," he said. The animals all wondered, what was this thing called "man". What colour, with feathers or fur, or scales? Will he run like the lion? Swim like a fish? Fly high like the eagle?
The sun had set and it was night. He wrapped himself in the night sky, put the twinkle of stars into the eyes and used the black clouds for hair. He also put pieces of the moon in the nails and the shine of far away stars in the teeth. So the first man and woman were created with shiny black skins like the night.
Soon the night faded and it was morning. God covered himself in the white morning light, took the blue sky for the eyes, the gold of the sun he spun into hair, and before him stood a man and woman with white skins, blue eyes and golden hair.
Now the morning had turned into afternoon. The sun was very bright, so he pulled the yellow light, and the deep black shadow of the afternoon and made a man and woman with yellow skins, black hair and eyes that slanted to look into the sun.
It was now evening, the sky had become dusky and a few stars had also appeared in the sky. God looked down and saw the beautiful rich brown of the earth and the dusk of the sky for the skin. The black colour of the night was for the hair and he used the sparkle of stars for the eyes. Before him stood a man and woman with brown skins, black hair and eyes.
The animals all looked in wonder at the strange creature who stood on two legs, with naked skin, with no fur or feathers or even scales. The lion looked down his kingly nose and roared, "I can outrun them and with a swipe of my paw I can kill them, sorry for saying so."
The zebra suggested, "Some stripes would have improved their look." The leopard said, "A few spots." The elephant trumpeted, "Surely grey would have been a better colour?"
The shark looked at their teeth and smiled showing his sharp teeth. "Ah! No fins, how will they swim? And they are going to be the keeper. Ha! Ha! Ha!" The fish, big and small, laughed as they dived into the deep water leaving a trail of bubbles of laughter.
God smiled kindly, "You see, to survive, man will have to look after the animals, the oceans with all their life, the plants, from the tiniest to the largest trees." "The day he starts destroying the world with his greed, he will be destroyed." The animals, the fish and the birds bowed their heads and hoped they would be safe. So let us, YOU and I, look after this wonderful world. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Ox and Donkey | A poor farmer had an old ox that didn't like to work. The ox didn't want to plough the farmer's field. He wanted to stay at home and eat grass, drink water and rest.
The farmer had a donkey, too. The donkey and the ox were friends. At the end of the day, the ox and the donkey talked to each other. "I'm so tired," the ox said. "I worked hard all day. The plough is big and heavy. The farmer never lets me rest."
The donkey looked at the ox. "The ox is lazy," he thought. "He doesn't like to work." "Do you think your plough is heavy?" he cried. "Believe me, my friend, it is light! I was carrying a sack of tef on my back today. It was heavier than your plough, I am sure."
The next day, the two animals met again. "I had a bad day today," the ox said. "My master's field is far away, and it was full of stones. I worked hard all day. I didn't have any rest."
"You worked hard?" said the donkey. "I went to the market today. It was in the town, many kilometres away. I'm sure I worked harder than you."
The next day, the ox came home late again. "Oh, my friend," he said to the donkey. "Today was a very bad day for me." But the donkey didn't want to listen to the ox any more.
"You're always tired," he said. "Every day is a bad day for you. Listen, I have a good idea. Tomorrow, when the farmer comes, lie down on the ground. Close your eyes, and say, ‘Moo! Moo!’ The farmer will think that you are ill. He will let you rest." The ox liked the donkey's idea. "Thank you, dear donkey, that's a very good idea," he said.
So the next morning, the ox lay down on the ground. When the farmer came, the ox closed his eyes. "Moo! Moo!" he said. The farmer looked at him. "My poor old ox is sick," he said. "But I must plough my field. Who will help me? Why, there is my donkey! He can pull the plough today."
The farmer took the donkey out to his field. He tied the plough to the donkey, and began to hit him with his whip. "Go on! Faster! Pull!" he called out to the donkey.
The donkey worked hard all day, and in the evening he was very tired. Slowly, he walked home. The ox was waiting for him. "Dear donkey," the ox said. "I had a lovely day today. I ate some grass, drank some water and I rested under a big tree. I want to rest again tomorrow. What shall I do? Give me another idea."
The donkey looked at the ox. "His work is much worse than mine," he thought. "I don't want to do it again tomorrow." "My friend," he said at last. "You must be careful. The farmer was talking to his wife today. I heard him saying 'My ox is always tired and now he is sick. If he is not better tomorrow, I will kill him, and we can eat the meat.'"
The ox was very frightened. "What? Did he say that?" he cried. "Then I will work tomorrow. I feel quite better now. I'm not tired at all!" |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Pam-Pam bird | Pensa was the best hunter in the whole Kalahari Desert. He brought home fat animals and fed his family well. There was this bird, the Pam-Pam bird, which Pensa wanted to catch. The bird’s tail feathers were perfect for his arrows. The problem was, he could never manage to trap or shoot Pam-Pam. Pensa’s arrows would fly through the air just like a bird - if only he could catch Pam-Pam and pull out his tail feathers!
Pensa went to the wise man, their healer. He asked for help. “Please guide me to catch the Pam-Pam bird. I need his feathers for my bow and arrows. What must do to catch him?” The healer replied, “Go and make a fire. When all the insects run away from your fire, you must catch the smallest of them. Make a trap and place this little insect inside your trap. It will tempt the Pam-Pam bird.”
Pensa did not know that the healer and the Pam-Pam bird were friends. Pam- Pam often visited the healer. They exchanged stories. “I warn you,” said the healer when Pam- Pam bird visited him, “I have told the hunter how to catch you. When you see a fire in the veld, you must fly far away. I want to see which one of you will win.”
In the meantime, Pensa started his hunt for the Pam-Pam bird. He sat in the veld and rubbed and rubbed his fire sticks. When the smoke appeared, he blew into the fine grass around his fire sticks, until the little flame appeared and became a fire. The insects around the flaming grass flew away, but Pensa managed to catch a young grasshopper. He put it into his trap.
The Pam-Pam bird could not resist the juicy young grasshopper in Pensa’s trap. He decided to fly down and grab it quickly with his sharp beak. Pensa heard Pam-Pam bird’s cry, “Pam- pam, pam-pam, pam-pam.” Pensa ran to his trap. The bird was trapped!
Pam-Pam bird begged Pensa to set him free. “Oh no,” said Pensa, “I have wanted to catch you for a very long time. Today you are mine! Your feathers will make my arrow fly through the air, just like you.”
Pam-Pam bird screeched, “If you kill me you will have no more feathers for your arrow when these are worn out, because I will be dead. Set me free and I promise to give you new feathers with each full moon.”
That night, the healer led the people in a fire dance to celebrate the hunter’s success and Pam-Pam bird’s freedom. And since that day, all the good hunters remember the story of the Pam-Pam bird, to tell their children as a memory of days gone by.
Pensa went home and made new arrows. When the people saw his new arrows, they exclaimed: “O-o, look at this hunter! He carries the Pam-Pam bird’s feathers in his arrows. Now he will hunt well and bring us good food. We shall have a feast!”
That night, the healer led the people in a fire dance to celebrate the hunter’s success and Pam-Pam bird’s freedom. And since that day, all the good hunters remember the story of the Pam-Pam bird, to tell their children as a memory of days gone by.
Story notes accompanied by the traditional Khonga, to Marlene Winberg who translated it with the help of Kapilolo Mahongo. It talks about the relationship between nature and people, the hunter and the hunted. It teaches the audience how the hunter is dependent on nature’s resources and may not waste it. The illustrations in this story are from story boards by Marlene Winberg, interpreted digitally by Satsiri Winberg through manipulations of the Manyeka Art Collection of paintings made by San artists. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Rabbit under the tree | Rabbit was sleeping under an apple tree. An apple fell down from a branch.
A voice said, “Run rabbit run!” She woke up quickly and ran away with great speed.
She met a chicken. “Why are you running?” asked the chicken. Rabbit replied, “I don’t know. I just heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
The chicken was frightened. She started running when she heard what the rabbit said.
They met a dog. Dog asked, “Why are you running?” Chicken said, “I don’t know. I just heard what the rabbit said, and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
The dog was surprised about what she heard. She started running with Rabbit and Chicken.
They met a horse. The horse asked the dog, “Why are you running?” Dog said, “I don’t know. I just heard what the chicken said, and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
The horse starts to run with the others.
They met a donkey. The donkey asked, “Why are you running?” Horse replied, “I don’t know. I just heard what the dog said, and he doesn’t know. He heard what the chicken said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
So Donkey starts running too.
They met a cow. The cow asked, “Why are you running?” Donkey replied, “I don’t know. I just heard what the horse said, and she doesn’t know. She heard what the dog said and he doesn’t know. He heard what the chicken said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
The cow is worried and starts to run as well.
They met a cat. The cat asked, “Why are you running?” Cow replied, “I don’t know. I just heard what the donkey said, and he doesn’t know. He heard what the horse said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the dog said and he doesn’t know. He heard what the chicken said and she doesn’t know. She heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
The cat started running with the other animals.
Then they met the boy riding the bicycle and he asked, “Why are you running?’’ And the animals replied, “We don’t know. We heard what the rabbit said and she doesn’t know. She heard something falling and a voice said, ‘Run rabbit run!’”
The boy laughed and said, “An apple fell off the tree because of the wind. I’m the one who said, ‘Run rabbit run!’” |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Searching for the spirit of Spring | The Winter cold had passed. Spring was coming to Nkanyezi’s village. Soon the villagers would gather to celebratethe new season. Nkanyezi looked forward tothe Spring festival more than any other dayin the year.
One warm morning, Nkanyezi overheard twovillage elders talking about the festival. “The people of Ndlovu have lost their spirit of celebration,” one sighed. “How can we have a Spring festival in a village that has forgotten how to celebrate?” askedanother.
Nkanyezi was worried. “How will the sun shine again unless we singto wake it from its winter slumber?” she askedherself. Nkanyezi thought for a long time. “I must find what we have lost,” she decided. “I must go in search of things that will bring back the spirit of celebration to my village.”
The elders gave Nkanyezi their blessing for the journey. They gave her a bag to carry the things she would find. Nkanyezi was afraid, but she believed shewould succeed.
Nkanyezi walked all day. She hiked up a hill, and down into a valley. She sailed across the greatriver, and climbed between sharp rocks. She marched across the plains until she reached theshadow of the red mountains.
As night was closing in, Nkanyezi arrived ata village of patterns and colours as she had neverseen before. She told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration toher people. The mother of this tribe gave Nkanyezi a gift.She told the girl, “With love we give to you this paint to restore colour to a village that has gone dull.” Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the paint in her bag. Early the next morning she went on her way, excited with this gift of colour.
Nkanyezi walked all day, through a vast forest of giant trees. As the sky became too dark for her tosee, she heard the sound of beating drums. She hurried towards the drumming, feeling the spirit of dance coming to her tired feet.
Nkanyezi found herself in the village of theBhubezi. People were sitting around a fire,drumming and singing. She had never beforeheard such wonderful music. She told the village elders about her journey tobring back the spirit of celebration to her people. The Bhubezi invited her to rest and stay the night.
In the morning the chief called on Nkanyezi. “My child,” he said, “here is a special drum.It plays a new song every time you beat it.” Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the drumin her bag. She went on her way again, delighted with this gift of music and dance.
On the third day of her journey, as she a passed a field of fat cows, her nose started to tingle. An aroma tickled her taste buds and her mouth started to water. She followed the scent, and arrived in a village to find people standing oversteaming pots of stew. This tribe was famous for its feasts and Nkanyezihad never before tasted such flavours. After she had eaten her fill, she told the village elders about her journey to bring back the spirit of celebration to her people.
The next day, the council of cooks gave her a secret spice blend. “Our daughter,” they said, “with these spices, happy tummies are guaranteed! We give you the gift of good food.” Nkanyezi thanked the elders and put the spices in her bag. She knew she had everything she needed. With new energy she started the long journey back tothe village of Ndlovu.
When she arrived home the villagers gathered around her to hear of her adventures. She told them the tales of what she had seen, heard, and eaten. Then she opened her bag to share the gifts given. The villagers rejoiced to receive these treasures. The generosity of others and the courage of Nkanyezi brought back colour, song and dance to the people. And so the spirit of celebration was restoredto the village of Ndlovu. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Simbegwire | When Simbegwire’s mother died, she was very sad. Simbegwire's father did his best to take care of his daughter. Slowly, they learned to feel happy again, without Simbegwire's mother. Every morning they sat and talked about the day ahead. Every evening they made dinner together. After they washed the dishes, Simbegwire's father helped her with homework.
One day, Simbegwire's father came home later than usual. “Where are you my child?” he called. Simbegwire ran to her father. She stopped still when she saw that he was holding a woman's hand. "I want you to meet someone special, my child. This is Anita," he said smiling.
“Hello Simbegwire, your father told me a lot about you,” said Anita. But she did not smile or take the girl's hand. Simbegwire's father was happy and excited. He talked about the three of them living together, and how good their life would be. "My child, I hope you will accept Anita as your mother," he said.
Simbegwire’s life changed. She no longer had time to sit with her father in the mornings. Anita gave her so many household chores that she was too tired to do her school work in the evenings. She went straight to bed after dinner. Her only comfort was the colourful blanket her mother gave her. Simbegwire's father did not seem to notice that his daughter was unhappy.
After a few months, Simbegwire’s father told them that he would be away from home for a while. "I have to travel for my job," he said. "But I know you will look after each other." Simbegwire’s face fell, but her father did not notice. Anita did not say anything. She was not happy either.
Things got worse for Simbegwire. If she didn't finish her chores, or she complained, Anita hit her. And at dinner, the woman ate most of the food, leaving Simbegwire with only a few scraps. Each night Simbegwire cried herself to sleep, hugging her mother’s blanket.
One morning, Simbegwire was late getting out of bed. “You lazy girl!” Anita shouted. She pulled Simbegwire out of bed. The precious blanket caught on a nail, and tore in two.
Simbegwire was very upset. She decided to run away from home. She took the pieces of her mother’s blanket, packed some food, and left the house. She followed the road her father had taken.
When it came to evening, she climbed a tall tree near a stream and made a bed for herself in the branches. As she went to sleep, she sang: “Maama, maama, maama, you left me. You left me and never came back. Father doesn’t love me anymore. Mother, when are you coming back? You left me.”
The next morning, Simbegwire sang the song again. When the women came to wash their clothes at the stream, they heard the sad song coming from the tall tree. They thought it was only the wind rustling the leaves, and carried on with their work. But one of the women listened very carefully to the song.
This woman looked up into the tree. When she saw the girl and the pieces of colourful blanket, she cried, “Simbegwire, my brother’s child!” The other women stopped washing and helped Simbegwire to climb down from the tree. Her aunt hugged the little girl and tried to comfort her.
Simbegwire's aunt took the child to her own house. She gave Simbegwire warm food, and tucked her in bed with her mother’s blanket. That night, Simbegwire cried as she went to sleep. But they were tears of relief. She knew her aunt would look after her.
When Simbegwire's father returned home, he found her room empty. "What happened, Anita?" he asked with a heavy heart. The woman explained that Simbegwire had run away. "I wanted her to respect me," she said. "But perhaps I was too strict." Simbegwire's father left the house and went in the direction of the stream. He continued to his sister’s village to find out if she has seen Simbegwire.
Simbegwire was playing with her cousins when she saw her father from far away. She was scared he might be angry, so she ran inside the house to hide. But her father went to her and said, “Simbegwire, you have found a perfect mother for yourself. One who loves you and understands you. I am proud of you and I love you.” They agreed that Simbegwire would stay with her aunt as long as she wanted to.
Her father visited her every day. Eventually, he came with Anita. She reached out for Simbegwire's hand. "I'm so sorry little one, I was wrong," she cried. "Will you let me try again?" Simbegwire looked at her father and his worried face. Then she stepped forward slowly and put her arms around Anita.
The next week, Anita invited Simbegwire, with her cousins and aunt, to the house for a meal. What a feast! Anita prepared all of Simbegwire's favourite foods, and everyone ate until they were full. Then the children played while the adults talked. Simbegwire felt happy and brave. She decided that soon, very soon, she would return home to live with her father and her stepmother. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Sly jackal tricks the silly donkey | Once upon a time, sly jackal woke up early in the morning. He was very hungry. His tummy gave a big growl. GRRrrrrr! He jumped up and went searching for food.
He wandered around the forest for hours without getting any food. The sun was very hot. Sly jackal could barely see in front of him. All he could think of was his hunger pangs.
“Aaauuuu!” Sly jackal let out a loud scream. He fell into a well right in front of him. He was so hungry that he did not spot it.
“Oh my hat!” he thought. “I have to get out of this well. I will die of hunger.”
Sly jackal screamed and shouted: “Help! Anyone help!” Donkey was grazing a few metres away from the well. Donkey heard sly jackal’s desperate cry. He came rushing.
“What is the matter?” Donkey was very worried. “The water in this well is cool and sweet. I am bored swimming alone. I need someone to help me swim. Please will you join me?”
“The sun is very hot,” said donkey. “I can’t swim very well though.” “Jump in! I will help you come out of the well,” promised the sly jackal.
Donkey jumped into the well. The water was so cool. He was free from the heat. Before he knew it, the sly jackal had jumped on his back and out of the well. Sly jackal laughed and ran away. Donkey was trapped in the well. He started screaming and shouting: “Help! Anyone help!” |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Thandi misses her school bus | Thandi woke up happy and she wanted to play before going to school.
Grandma says to Thandi "you will be late for your bus Thandi" Thandi replies "I will go now grandma"
Thandi goes to the bus stop too late. The bus has left...
The old man asked "why are you crying child" Thandi replies "I missed my school bus" The old man says "I will walk you to school".
The old man askes Thandi "Is that your school". Thandi replies "Yes it is. Thank you" The old man leaves her at school.
Thandi tells her teacher and friend's about she missed her bus and the nice, old man who helped her.
THE END |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The blacksmith's dilemma | Once upon a time in a mountainous African village there lived a famous blacksmith. The villagers called him Ratshipi - the man of iron and steel.
Ratshipi was known by everyone in the village. They went to his shop every morning to watch him work. He seemed to be able to make anything with his iron and steel.
Kgosi Mogale, the village chief, heard about Ratshipi’s work. He sent his servants to bring Ratshipi to the palace.
Ratshipi was happy to hear that Kgosi Mogale wanted to see him. “I will be very happy to work for the chief,” he said.
So Ratshipi went to the palace. “Ratshipi, I have heard about your good work,” said Kgosi Mogale. “I want you to do a very special task.”
“With your iron and steel, I want you to build a man who can walk, cry real tears and bleed real human blood.” “Impossible!” thought Ratshipi. But no one could say no to the king in this village.
Ratshipi could not sleep that night. How was he going to do this impossible task? He was very scared and very worried.
Suddenly Ratshipi remembered a wise old man Rapule. Perhaps he could help. But where was Rapule? He had disappeared from the village. People said that it was because he had displeased the chief.
The next morning Ratshipi did not go to his shop. He went up the mountains to think. While walking there, he saw an old man sitting under a tree.
It was old Rapule! “I am so pleased to see you,” said Ratshipi. “I have a big problem.” He told Old Rapule the whole story. Old Rapule thought carefully, and then he said…
“Tell the chief that you will need a thousand buckets full of tears and a thousand African pots full of hair. With the water, you will make blood. With the hair, you will make a fire to strengthen the steel man.” “Thank you, thank you!” Ratshipi said, running back to the palace.
Ratshipi said, “Kgosi Mogale, to do what you ask, I will need two things. A thousand buckets full of tears; and a thousand African pots filled with hair from the heads of the villagers.” Kgosi Mogale agreed. He asked his headmen to tell the villagers.
Cries were heard from every corner of the village. Young and old people cried day and night to fill a thousand buckets with tears. Every villager’s head was shaved off and thrown into the pots. But the tears and hair of all the villagers were not enough to fill the buckets and pots.
Eventually Kgosi Mogale gave up and called Ratshipi back to the palace. “Ratshipi, you are a wise man, the wisest in the village,” said Kgosi Mogale. “Will you do me the honour of being my chief headman?” Ratshipi smiled.
“Only if you let old Rapule come back to the village,” he replied. So Ratshipi became chief headman. And he and old Rapule were the advisors of Kgosi Mogale. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The boy who nobody loved | Once upon a time, there was a boy who was so ugly that nobody loved him, even his parents. At home, he would sit alone while his family watched television.
At school, you would find him sitting alone while other children were playing.
When they went to fetch the cattle, you would find him walking behind all the other boys because they didn’t want to walk with him.
One day he decided to leave, but he didn’t know where he would go. He walked until he got to an indigenous forest. He started to get scared but was comforted by the thought that nobody would speak to him because nobody loved him.
When he was about to enter the forest, an old, dirty, ugly woman came up to him. She greeted him and asked what he was doing in the scary forest. The boy was shocked to hear someone speaking to him. He told the old woman that he wasn't going anywhere because no one loved him.
The old woman asked if he needed help. He responded quickly and said “Yes”. The old woman said that before she helped him, she wanted him to lick her face until she was clean and beautiful.
The boy didn’t have any other option but to lick the old woman’s face in order to get the help he needed. He started licking the sleep from her eyes, the snot from her nose and the wax from her ears. He licked her face until she was clean and beautiful.
The old woman thanked him. She said, “You will find many wonderful things in the forest, but don’t take any of these things. Only bring back the root that you find.”
The boy ran, wanting to see all of those things in the forest. But before he could enter the forest, the old woman called him. She said, “Boy! Come back here!” He ran back to her and said, “I’m here”. She asked him if he had heard what she said to him. “I said you will find many wonderful things in the forest, but don’t take any of these things. Only bring back the root that you find,” she repeated. The boy nodded and so the old woman allowed him to go into the forest.
The boy ran off, but before he could enter the forest, he heard a voice saying, “Boy! Come back here!” He started to be confused about what the old woman wanted. He ran back to her. She said, “I don’t think you heard me properly. I said you will find many wonderful things in the forest, but don’t take any of these things. Only bring back the root that you find.” The boy nodded and ran back to the forest.
Just after he had entered the forest, he heard a voice again saying, “Boy! Come back here!” He tried to ignore the voice but it continued so he went back to the old woman. The old woman said, “I don’t trust you. I don’t think you’ll do what I ask you to do. You will find many wonderful things in the forest, but don’t take anything. Only bring back the root that you find.” The boy was becoming annoyed with the repetition. He ran until he was in the forest.
Once he was in the forest, he saw a bowl filled with money. He took the money and put it in his pocket. All of a sudden, he thought about what the old woman said, that he mustn’t take anything except the root. He took the money out his pocket and put it back in the bowl.
He looked around and saw some splendid new clothes. He took off the clothes he was wearing and put on the new ones. Again he thought about what the old woman had said. He took off the new clothes and put his old ones back on.
He looked around and saw the root. It was withered from the sun. He asked himself what the old woman thought he would do with the root. Next to the root, there was a bowl of food. The food smelled delicious and the boy was hungry. He couldn’t stop himself from eating.
When he had finished, he remembered what the old woman had told him. He remembered that the old woman had said he must only take the root. He looked around for the root, but he couldn’t see it.
He went back, feeling disappointed, to tell the old woman what had happened. But the old woman was gone. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The clever jackal and the foolish crow | Once upon a time Jackal was walking around the bush. He was very hungry. He saw the crow flying above the trees. Crow had a huge piece of cheese in his mouth.
“Hmmm…that cheese looks delicious! I must find a way to get it,” thought the jackal. “Oh, I have a plan!” said Jackal to himself while wiping his mouth quickly. He did not want Crow to notice that he was hungry.
Crow had been flying the whole morning. He was tired. He decided to sit on a branch of a tree. The jackal sat down under the tree where Crow was sitting.
Jackal called with a huge smile, “Hello Crow! You’re looking very good today. Your feathers look glossy and healthy. You must be taking very good care of yourself.”
Crow was very flattered to hear this. Crow always thought he was the strongest and most beautiful of all the other birds.
“I hear you also have the most beautiful singing voice of all the other birds. Won't you sing a song for me this morning?”
Crow was so flattered that he stretched his wings and prepared to sing for the jackal. He pushed his chest out and let out a loud pitched sound.
As Crow started singing the cheese fell to the ground, right in front of Jackal. Crow stopped and looked down. Jackal grabbed the piece of cheese and ate it. He ran into the bush and crow was left angry and hungry. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The happy revival | For ages, Olokwango hill stood smiling at the middle of Kwere plains. From the two dimples on its side came springs which converged downhill to form a river. River Temu meandered silently across the Kwere plains. Its waters were a gift to the sheep and goats of the area as well as the deer that dwelt in the plains.
Things were all well until Matata became headman. He ordered a path to be cleared from the top of the hill to the foot so that he could climb uphill easily and roll gently down to the foot. Olokwango hill was angry with the damage to his beard, but he was patient.
During the weekend, Matata’s children and their friends would climb uphill to play. They would run all over the place, breaking twigs and branches, lighting fires for their games, which they would later leave burning.
Over time, Olokwango lost patience. The dimples became smaller and smaller as his face turned into ugly wrinkles. At last the springs were no more. The deer in the plains migrated because there was no more the tall green grass to play in. The sheep and goats grew thinner and thinner. Everyone felt the sadness of Olokwango hill.
The people of Kwere realized that something needed to be done. They joined hands and overthrew Matata the headman. In his place they appointed Baraka who immediately ordered everyone to plant a flower to honour Olokwango. Baraka and his people held ceremonies and brought gifts of pine, cedar, and cypress for Olokwango.
No one walked on the hill any longer, and the grass had a chance to grow tall once again. Gradually the smile on the face of Olokwango hill grew broader and the dimples deeper. Out of the dimples the springs ran again. River Temu was rejuvenated. The plains became greener than ever before. The deer galloped happily once more across the grass.
“Long live Baraka, long live Baraka,” the people of Kwere sang. “Long live, Olokwango,” said Baraka and his people. “May our children and children’s children forever respect you.” |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The seventh sun A tribal tale from Odisha, India | Long, long ago there were seven suns in the sky. Their rays made the earth so hot that human beings could not bear it.
So, the seven brothers belonging to a tribe called the Munda decided to kill the suns. They shot arrows at them and were able to kill six of the suns.
The seventh sun hid behind a hill.
Now, with the suns gone, there was darkness everywhere. The deer could not see the tigers, the elephants bumped into trees, the rabbits walked over the lions and there was confusion all around.
To find a way out, the animals decided to have a meeting. A rabbit told them about one of the seven suns who was still alive and hiding behind a hill. But who would be the best one to call out to the sun?
"I will call out to the sun," said the lion, for he was the king of the forest. "Sun, sun, please do not run away from us. Come back in and shine on us," roared the lion. But the sun did not listen to him.
The elephant called out next. He raised his trunk and trumpeted, "Sun, sun, please come back," but the sun did not listen to him.
The beautiful peacock danced and pleaded, "Sun, sun, please come back," but the sun refused to come out. One after the other, all the animals called out to the sun, but he did not listen to any of them. Finally, a rooster offered to call the sun. Everybody laughed. The lion was a fair leader. He said, "The rooster should be allowed to try."
The rooster stepped forward and gently crowed, "Kookoodokoo - koo." To everyone's surprise, the sun peeped out a little from behind the hill.
The rooster crowed again, this time a little boldly, "KookoodoKOO-KOO..." The sun came up a little higher. The rooster crowed for the third time. This time it was louder and bolder, "KOOKOODOKOO-KOO..." and the sun rose high and bright. There was light everywhere. The animals were delighted and the humans felt relieved.
The animals asked the human beings not to kill the sun and they agreed. Ever since that day, when the rooster crows in the morning, the sun rises and shines in the sky. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The Smell Thief | Mr Shabangu was the best baker in town. Every morning he woke up at four o’clock to mix and knead the dough for his famous buns, cakes and biscuits.
By eight o’clock the people of the town were walking past the bakery on their way to work and school. By this time the cakes and buns were almost cooked, and the most delicious smells wafted out of the bakery’s windows.
Many of the people went into the bakery to buy their breakfast. Mr Shabangu smiled happily at them as he passed them the fresh, tasty cinnamon buns and warm, golden biscuits that were so famous in the town.
But other people were not so lucky. Because they had so little money, the poorer people of the town could hardly ever afford to buy any of the delicious buns, cakes and biscuits. All they could do was enjoy the lovely smells that drifted out of the bakery windows. When Mr Shabangu noticed these people sniffing the air near his bakery, he said angrily, ‘How dare they sniff my delicious smells!’
‘Those are MY smells. I made them, so they belong to me! If people want to smell my wonderful smells, they should pay for them!’ He huffed and puffed and wiped the sweat from his brow, before turning back the oven to bake some bread and rolls for his lunchtime customers.
One old woman especially loved the smells that drifted out of the bakery window every morning. This was Ma Shange who slept on a bench in the park every night.
A few weeks before, a kind person had given her the money to buy herself a cinnamon bun. She had taken the bun back to the park and ate it very slowly, licking her lips and sharing the last crumbs with the birds.
After that, although the old woman didn’t have enough money to buy breakfast, she longed for the delicious bun again. So every morning she walked slowly past Mr Shabangu’s bakery, sniffing the air and smiling blissfully at the mouth- watering smell.
Ma Shange’s new habit made the baker very angry. As each day went by, he grew angrier and angrier with her. Finally, one winter morning when he was in an especially bad mood, he stormed out of his bakery and grabbed the old woman by the arm. ‘How dare you steal my smells!’ he shouted. ‘You’re nothing but a smell thief!’ He wiped his hands on an apron, then pulled it off and threw it back into the bakery.
‘This is the last day this cheeky woman will steal my smells!’ he shouted. And with these words, he dragged Ma Shange off to the court to see judge Ngwenya. The judge was sitting down at his huge, shiny desk when the angry baker stormed in, dragging the quivering and confused Ma Shange with him.
‘Good morning,’ said the judge in his deep voice. ‘Sir,’ said Mr Shabangu furiously, ‘I demand justice! I wish to lay a complaint against this woman. Every day for the last three weeks, she has walked past my bakery early in the morning when my delicious smells are at their best, and stolen them. I demand that she pays for those smells!’
And with these words, he dragged Ma Shange off to the court to see judge Ngwenya. The judge was sitting down at his huge, shiny desk when the angry baker stormed in, dragging the quivering and confused Ma Shange with him.
‘Good morning,’ said the judge in his deep voice. ‘Sir,’ said Mr Shabangu furiously, ‘I demand justice! I wish to lay a complaint against this woman. Every day for the last three weeks, she has walked past my bakery early in the morning when my delicious smells are at their best, and stolen them.
The judge scratched his big, bald head for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. ‘Fair enough,’ he said to the baker. ‘Justice will be done.’ He turned to Ma Shange. ‘How much money do you have on you, Madam?' he asked.
‘Only two rands,’ stammered Ma Shange. ‘Well,’ said the judge, hand it to me, please.’ Meekly, Ma Shange reached into the pocket of her tatty old cardigan and pulled out two one rand coins. She handed them to the judge. He took them, thanking her politely.
Then he shook the coins in his big fist, so that they made a clinking sound. ‘This is my judgement,’ he said to the baker. ‘The punishment must fit the crime. Therefore the sound of Ma Shange’s money is the payment you will get for the smells she stole. And now I wish you a good day.’ The baker looked thoughtful. Then, realising how unreasonable he had been, he turned slowly and walked out of the room.
The judge smiled kindly at Ma Shange, and handed her back her money. 'Now, Madam, he said pulling a brown paper bag from his briefcase, would you care to join me for breakfast? These buns are still warm, I bought them only half an hour ago.’ |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The talking bag | Once upon a time there was a female giant. As she was walking near the lake one day, she found three little girls. She asked them, “Who among you is loved by both parents?”
One of the girls said, "My mother loves me most." Another said, "My father loves me most." But the third one said, "I am loved by both parents."
The giant then asked the girl loved by both parents to help her put a load of firewood on her back. So the girl followed the giant.
After going for some distance, the girl asked the giant, “Where is your firewood?” The giant replied, “It is near those trees over there!”
When they reached the trees, the girl asked again, “Where is your firewood?” The giant answered, “Not far now!”
They walked on and met a man. He asked the giant, “What is the name of your child?” The giant replied, “She is called the ‘talking bag’.”
The girl burst out singing: “I am not called the talking bag. My name is Kaamungei! Oh! My mother, whom I love, Oh! My father, whom I love, Oh! My calabash, which I use to drink milk!”
When the man heard what the girl sang, he rescued her and took her back to her parents. The story ends there! |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The tree wife | Once upon a time, there lived a man who had plenty of everything – a large fertile farm, with cattle, sheep, and goats. But, as he grew old, he grew sad, because one thing was missing. He did not have a wife.
Standing under a tree one day, he had a brilliant idea. If he couldn’t find a wife, perhaps he could make one?
So he set to work to shape a beautiful woman from a strong branch of the tree. When he had finished making the statue, he touched her eyes, and they opened. He blew gently on her, and she came alive.
She was truly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He knelt before her, and asked her to be his wife.
He gave her a colourful apron, beads, and a head ring, the sign of a married woman. And he built her a house with the mud and grass that used to lie at the foot of her trunk. “Only one thing I beg of you,” he said to his wife. “Never tell anyone where you come from.”
But before long, the young men from a neighbouring village began talking among themselves. “How can such an old man have such a beautiful young wife?” So they decided to steal her and take her to their own kraal.
The old man was heartbroken. He felt he could not live without her. But then he thought, “Perhaps if I have something of hers, I would not feel so sad?” So he sent his doves to find her, to sing to her, and to bring back something of hers to him.
When they found her, they sang to her in the language of birds: Tree woman, tree woman More beautiful than any other Your husband has sent us To bring back your apron!
She gave them her apron, and they flew over the hill, over the river, back to her husband. He held the apron to his face, and was comforted for a little while.
But his longing did not go away. So again he sent his doves to sing to her: Tree woman, tree woman More beautiful than any other Your husband has sent us To bring back your head ring! And back they flew with the head ring, the sign of a married woman.
He held the head ring and sighed for his wife, far away in the kraal of other people. After a while, he called his doves again. He told them to go to her and sing: Tree woman, tree woman More beautiful than any other Your husband has sent us To bring back your life!
So away they went the third time. They perched on her shoulders. As they sang, each bird pecked out an eye. Immediately she turned again into a statue. Her feet and arms fell away. Then her head. And she fell to the ground.
Her husband slowly rolled her wooden trunk to the river. He stood her up with her roots in the water. Nourished by sun and soil, she grew leaves again.
And when the wind blows, the leaves sigh. Just as a woman does when she longs for her husband. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Thoko's FantaPine Seed | It was a warm day in Malealea. Thoko was sitting on his father’s wagon. It was piled high with mielies. There were many children on the wagon. They were going home after spending the whole day in the fields. They had all worked hard that day.
Thoko was very lucky. He worked the hardest of all the children. So his father had bought him a FantaPine drink from M’e Pontso’s shop. “Mmmmm, mmmmm it is delicious,” said Thoko. It was Thoko’s favourite drink.
He sipped it slowly. He wanted it to last him until they got to the top of the hill. At the top of the hill his father stopped to give the oxen a rest. “What a beautiful valley we live in children,” he said. “We are lucky to live in such a clean, fresh place.” He smiled. On they went.
The sun was warm. The wagon was rocking gently from side to side as the oxen walked. The children were chatting softly to each other. Thoko felt sleepy. He wanted to lie down on the mielies and sleep a little. He looked at the empty FantaPine tin in his hand. “I am tired of holding this empty tin,” he thought to himself. What can I do with it?”
Thoko thought for a minute. Then he threw that FantaPine tin as far as he could out into the field.
Wheeeeeeeee! That tin flew over the field. Twok! It landed in one of the furrows. The children laughed. “Aiee, Thoko is good at throwing!” they said. “Look how far he threw that FantaPine tin!”
Thoko’s father turned around. He stopped the wagon. “What did you throw into my field Thoko?” he asked. “I threw my FantaPine tin father,” said Thoko. “Why did you do that Thoko?” asked his father. “I was tired of holding it, and it made my fingers sticky,” said Thoko.
“Let me ask you something, Thoko,” said his father. “Do I grow FantaPine in my fields?” “Hahahahahahaha,” the children laughed. “Aiee, no, no, no, of course not father,” Thoko said. “Have you seen FantaPine growing on the stalks in the summer Thoko?” “ Heeeehahahahahaha,” laughed the children. “No father, never,” said Thoko.
“Have you seen us harvesting FantaPine in winter in my fields Thoko?” asked his father. “Whooo, heeee, ha, ha, haaaaa!” laughed the children. “No father, we do not,” said Thoko. “Do you see us taking FantaPine tins home on my wagon to eat?” his father went on. “Absolutely not, my father,” said Thoko.
“Does your mother grind FantaPine tins to make sorghum porridge Thoko?” The children were laughing so much they had to hold onto the sides of the wagon. But Thoko could see that his father was not happy. “Never father.” said Thoko.
“So Thoko, answer me please,” said his father. “What do I grow in my fields?” “You grow corn and sorghum in your fields father,” answered Thoko. “Yes,” said Thoko’s father, “you are right. So I am asking myself a question. Why is my son planting FantaPine tins in my field, when he knows very well that I grow only corn and sorghum?”
The children stopped laughing. There was silence on the wagon. Thoko looked at his father. His father was frowning. He said, “Thoko, you get down off this wagon right now. You go and find that FantaPine tin and you bring it back here at once!” He spoke in a big, loud voice.
Thoko felt ashamed. He got down off the wagon and went into the field. He looked for his empty FantaPine tin. There it was, shining in the sun. He walked over to it. Just as he was about to pick it up, he noticed a dirty plastic bag lying nearby. Thoko stopped and thought about that plastic bag. Then he walked over to it and picked it up. He went back to the wagon.
His father was waiting for him. “What have you got there, Thoko?” he asked. “I have my FantaPine tin and a plastic bag father, he said. "I see,” said his father. "Yes,” said Thoko. ”I said to myself, my father grows only corn and sorghum in his fields. He does not grow FantaPine drinks, and he also does not grow plastic bags in his fields.”
“Thoko, I am very proud of you my son,” said his father. “Children, let’s all go into the field. We will see if there are other plastic bags, and tins and other things that we don’t grow there,” he said. “Mm, good idea!” said Thoko.
The children clapped their hands and jumped down off the wagon. They ran into the field. They found many plastic bags, papers, tins and boxes there. “These must not be planted in the fields,” they said. When they came back to the wagon, their arms were full of all the rubbish.
“Put them all here children," said Thoko’s father. "We will take them home and burn them. We do not want these things in our fields. These things we cannot grow. These things are not good for our soil." "Yes, yeeees!" said the children. Everybody got back onto the wagon.
Thoko’s father whistled to the oxen. The wagon began to move again. “Thoko,’ said his father, ‘tell me, do you think our fields are happy now?’ ‘Yes, father,’ said Thoko, smiling. ‘And me too, I am happy now.’ |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Tselane and the giant | Once upon a time there was a little girl called Tselane. After her father died, she lived alone with her mother. One day her mother decided that they would move to another village to start a new life.Tselane did not want to leave her old village and she started to cry.
Her mother was scared to leave her daughter alone because giants lived in the caves nearby that village. But Tselane cried so much that her mother finally agreed that she could stay behind.
Tselane’s mother told her that she would bring food every day. She said, “I will sing a song so that you know it’s me. Don’t open the door for anyone else, my child.” She sang the song: "Tselane my child! Tselane my child! Come out and eat your porridge! Come out and eat your porridge!"
The next morning Tselane’s mother came to the house with food. She sang their special song. Tselane opened the door and took her mother’s delicious food. Then her mother kissed her and went back to her new home.
A giant was hiding in the bushes, watching and listening to Tselane and her mother! After Tselane switched off her light that night, she heard a deep voice singing her mother’s song outside the door. "Tselane my child! Come out and eat your porridge!" sang the giant. “Go away! You are not my mother! You are a giant!” shouted Tselane.
The giant walked away disappointed and disappeared into the caves. Every morning and every evening, Tselane’s mother brought her food. Every morning and every evening, the giant also came. But each time Tselane sent him away. She recognised his deep voice as he sang her mother’s song.
One day the giant had an idea. “I can change my voice to resemble that of Tselane’s mother!” he said to himself. He made a fire and threw a round smooth stone into the flames. When the stone was very hot and red, he took it out of the fire and swallowed it! “Kudutlu!” went the hot stone down the throat of the giant.
The giant started singing. He jumped for joy when he heard his voice sounding as sweet as that of Tselane’s mother! Early the next day, the giant went to Tselane’s house early in the morning. When he got to the door of the house, he sang: "Tselane my child! Tselane my child! Come out and eat your porridge! Come out and eat your porridge!"
Tselane was excited to hear her mother’s voice. She opened the door, and there was the giant! She tried to close the door but the giant was too quick. He grabbed Tselane and threw her into a sack.
The happy giant walked back to his cave.“What a beautiful day! If only I had traditional beer, it would go so well with my dinner tonight,” he said to himself.
A little later in the morning, Tselane’s mother came as usual to bring her daughter food. She sang her song, but Tselane did not come out. She sang her song again, but still Tselane did not come out. After singing for the third time, she kicked the door open. Tselane was nowhere to be found. Her mother realised what had happened, and she quickly made a plan.
She poured some beer into a big calabash, put it on her head, and walked down to the caves.“Good evening, giant!” called Tselane’s mother. The giant smelled the delicious smell of traditional beer and opened the door. Tselane's mother said, “I was passing through and I heard you singing so beautifully. I am on my way to another village for a party.”
“Let me pour you some beer before I continue on my journey,” said Tselane’s mother. The giant was not going to let the opportunity of drinking traditional beer pass him by! He invited Tselane’s mother into his cave. The giant drank the beer in one great gulp. Tselane’s mother gave him more and more – and more – until the calabash was empty. The giant was soon so drunk that he fell asleep on the floor.
As soon as Tselane’s mother heard the giant’s loud snores, she opened the sack lying in the cave. Tselane jumped out of the sack, and theyran home as fast as they could. From then on Tselane stayed with her mother at the new village. They lived happily and were never again bothered by giants. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | What Vusi's sister said | Early one morning Vusi’s granny called him, “Vusi, please take this egg to your parents. They want to make a large cake for your sister’s wedding”.
On his way to his parents, Vusi met two boys picking fruit. One boy grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot it at a tree. The egg broke.
“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That egg was for a cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. What will my sister say if there is no wedding cake?”
The boys were sorry for teasing Vusi. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is a walking stick for your sister,” said one. Vusi continued on his journey.
Along the way he met two men building a house. “Can we use that strong stick?” asked one. But the stick was not strong enough for building, and it broke.
“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That stick was a gift for my sister. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”
The builders were sorry for breaking the stick. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is some thatch for your sister,” said one. And so Vusi continued on his journey.
Along the way, Vusi met a farmer and a cow. “What delicious thatch, can I have a nibble?” asked the cow. But the thatch was so tasty that the cow ate it all!
“What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That thatch was a gift for my sister. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for my sister’s cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”
The cow was sorry she was greedy. The farmer agreed that the cow could go with Vusi as a gift for his sister. And so Vusi carried on.
But the cow ran back to the farmer at supper time. And Vusi got lost on his journey. He arrived very late for his sister’s wedding. The guests were already eating.
“What shall I do?” cried Vusi. “The cow that ran away was a gift, in return for the thatch the builders gave me. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for the wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift.”
Vusi’s sister thought for a while, then she said, “Vusi my brother, I don’t really care about gifts. I don’t even care about the cake! We are all here together, I am happy. Now put on your smart clothes and let’s celebrate this day!” And so that’s what Vusi did. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Young Palinyang’ | Long time ago there lived an orphan boy called Palinyang’. Palinyang’s parents were killed by robbers when he was only six months old. As the villagers mourned the death of Palinyang’s parents, they wondered what would become of Palinyang’.
After the burial, Sausau, the village headman called a meeting. Sausau was respected and feared at the same time because of the way he dressed and talked. His hair was long and fell on his back. It was believed that Sausau lived in the forest long before trees were cut down and houses were built.
During the meeting, Lokeyokoni, a very rich villager, adopted Palinyang’. Lokeyokoni had many sons and daughters. The daughters helped their mother with household chores while the sons went out to graze their father’s big herd of cattle.
Palinyang’ grew up in this family and was very happy. He was loved and he loved everybody. He enjoyed grazing the animals in the fields.
Palinyang’ loved one particular cow so much that he gave it the name Alinyang’. Alinyang’ was the oldest cow in the whole herd. For this reason, the owner valued it a lot.
One day when the boys were out grazing the animals, it started raining and they had to shelter under a tree. The rain fell for many hours until it was dark. When it eventually stopped raining, the boys went to collect the animals and take them home but there were no animals to be seen.
They were afraid of what their father would do to them if they arrived home without the animals. When they could not trace the cattle, two boys decided to go to their uncle’s home while two others went to their aunt’s place. Palinyang’ decided to continue looking for the animals till he found them. He had no uncle or aunt to run to.
Palinyang’ followed all the tracks that he knew while singing the name of his favourite cow. This is how the song went: Piii pi Alinyang’! Piii pi Alinyang’! Chaka akula chi! Chaka orete chi!
Palinyang’ went on singing the song throughout the night. He stepped on the cow dung but it was cold. He then stepped on the urine but it was cold as well. Palinyang’ did not give up.
At dawn, Palinyang’ reached a small village and found the animals in the care of the village headman. He pleaded with the headman to let him lead the animals home, but the headman refused.
Frustrated, Palinyang’ started singing his song as he turned to go home. It was then that Alinyang’, the oldest cow, heard Palinyang’. Alinyang raised her ears and started following Palinyang’. All the animals broke from the enclosure and followed Palinyang. He lead them home.
When they reached home, villagers were waiting because they had heard Palinyang’s voice from far. They all sang songs praising Palinyang’. Lokeyokoni thanked Palinyang’ and bought him a red bag for carrying books to school. And that is how Palinyang’ started going to school. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Baby snatched by cranes | Once upon a time there was a family who lived in a village. The parents in this family woke up early every morning to work in the fields. They left the baby with their elder son, Sipho who was ten years old, and their eldest daughter Bulelwa, who was twelve years old.
The older children loved playing outside during the day and they forgot about doing their household chores. They called their friends to come and play with them. The boys loved playing soccer. The girls loved playing with dolls around the yard. They forgot about looking after the baby when their friends arrived. The baby cried and cried and nobody heard.
One day the children put the baby under a tree in the shade on a bright red blanket. They went to play. The baby began crying as usual. A group of cranes flew above the playground and felt sorry for the crying baby. They tried to get the children to notice that the baby was crying but the children kept on playing. The cranes decided to take the baby and raise it themselves.
Four cranes came to pick up the baby from under the tree. Each crane took a corner of the baby’s blanket, lifted the baby up and flew away. The children did not notice anything because they were busy playing. The children’s parents were working hard in the hot sun.
It was so hot that the mother decided to rest under a tree. While she was resting she heard her baby crying. She looked around and she could not see anything. Then she looked up and she saw four cranes flying away with her baby in the bright red blanket. She screamed and chased after the cranes. When the woman told her husband what she saw he did not believe her.
The cranes hid the baby between the reeds to protect it. They wanted to find a new family that would care for the baby. They fed it and put it to sleep. Then they flew away to look for more food. The baby slept for a long time without crying. When the baby woke up it started crying because it was hungry.
A big frog heard the baby’s cry. It came closer and saw the baby wrapped in the blanket. The frog thought the cranes had stolen the baby, and decided to hide the baby from the cranes. Suddenly the frog heard the voices of the cranes. There was no time to hide. The frog swallowed the baby and hid behind a big rock. When the cranes arrived they could not find the baby and they flew off to look for it. The frog hopped back to the baby’s family home.
The baby’s family was sitting in the evening feeling very sad. Suddenly, a big frog jumped through the door. The frog told them about how it swallowed their baby. They begged the frog to give them the baby. “Give me three flies to eat then I will give you the baby,” said the frog.” The father caught three flies and fed them to the frog. The frog coughed and the baby popped out. The family and the frog jumped and danced with joy. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Dima and Owl | In the old days there were two people, Dima and Owl. Owl owned the sun, water and fire. Dima did not have any of these things and lived in darkness with his family.
Dima tried to make a garden, but he could not grow vegetables because there was no sun. Everybody suffered because there was no sun. When they hunted animals to eat, they hung the meat in the trees to dry, but it rotted because there was no sun.
One day, Dima decided to visit Owl. When they served food, Dima wondered why Owl’s food tasted so good. He wondered if it was because the food grew in the sun and it was cooked in fire. Secretly, Dima made a plan. He decided to dance. He wanted everyone at Owl’s place to gather around him and see him dance. He was a good dancer. Owl and his family admired the beautiful dancing.
When it grew dark, Owl decided to fetch the sun from his house so that he could still watch Dima’s dancing. Owl kept the sun in an animal skin bag inside his hut. He carried the sun out from his house and held it high up above his shoulders. Now it was light. Everyone could see far into the distance. Soon everyone was dancing in the light of the sun.
Dima crept closer to the sun while he was dancing. Owl held on to the sun but after a while he forgot about it because he enjoyed the dancing so much. He saw how beautifully Dima danced. He too wanted to dance like this.
Suddenly, Dima took his fighting stick and hit the sun into the air like a ball. The sun travelled so far that it remained forever in the sky. It gave everyone light all day.
Dima ran away so fast that Owl could not find him. He stayed far away for a long time. After a while, he disguised himself and went back to Owl’s place. The children recognised him and said: “There is the man who stole our sun!” The adults did not agree with the children and said, “No, this is not the man who stole our sun.”
They saw that this man was an old dancer. He wore a lot of beads around his body. They were magic dancing beads and they made people dance. It was not long before everyone was dancing. They danced the whole afternoon, until the sun began to set. It became too dark to see the magic dancer.
Owl said to his wife, “Go and look in my bag and fetch the moon.” Owl held the moon high above his shoulders and it lit up the darkness for all to see the dance. While they were dancing, Dima moved closer and closer to the moon, for he had a plan.
He took his fighting stick and hit the moon high up into the air. Once again, he ran away from Owl. This time he stayed away for a very long time, until Owl’s family forgot all about him.
Dima disguised himself again and returned to Owl’s place. This time he wanted Owl’s fire. Owl had the firesticks hanging around his neck. Dima joined Owl under a tree and the two men started playing an old clapping game called gi.
They clapped and clapped and as they clapped some more, Owl’s firesticks started jumping around his chest to the rhythm of the clapping. Clap-clap, clap- clap. Dima tried to grab the firesticks, but Owl threw them over his neck so that they hung across his back.
They clapped the whole day long. The rhythm of the clapping made Owl forget all about the firesticks. When they swung around onto his chest once more, Dima grabbed the firesticks and ran away. Owl and his family ran after Dima, but he made a clever plan. He had a bag full of thorns and threw them onto the ground behind him. This stopped Owl and his family from chasing him. They could not cross the thorns on the path.
Dima could not wait to make fire. He rubbed and rubbed the sticks. He blew and blew the ember in a little dry grass until a tiny flame appeared. The fire grew and lit the whole veld and each time the flames reached a tree, Dima said, “From now on people will be able to make a fire with each tree on earth.”
A long time passed. When Dima finally returned to Owl’s place, he found no one but a little boy playing with wooden animals. Dima asked the boy to show him where they kept their water. The boy led him to the place of water. Dima saw the big djaba, the huge clay pot in which the family stored water.
Dima pretended to leave for his home, but he secretly turned round to the place of water. He turned the huge pot over so that the water started flowing on the ground. Dima quickly jumped over the flowing water to the other side. Then he was safely across the river of water where Owl could not find him.
This is why the whole earth has rivers full of water today. This is why we have the sun, moon and fire, because of the magician Dima.
Story notes story to Titu Mangumbu and Marlene Winberg in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa while he was busy painting on a canvas. Mangumbu, Mahongo and Winberg translated it and retold the story in this written version with as few alterations as possible. His elders told the story Most of the episodes in the Dima and Owl myth have a wide distribution in the extensive area of southern Africa and the Kalahari whose original inhabitants speak !Xun and other closely related languages, although the names and identities of the trickster, Dima, and his adversary change from area to area. The “clapping game” mentioned in our version, Dima and Owl, is still current among the !xun, the Nharo, and possibly other communities of Kalahari San. This story depicts Dima as a culture hero and transformer of the primeval world into the present world. He achieves this with words, “From now on people will be able to make a fire with each tree on earth.” The Manyeka Arts Trust holds a !Xun audio telling of this story by Meneputo Mnaunga Maneka in archive. The illustrations in this story are from story boards by Marlene Winberg interpreted digitally by Satsiri Winberg through manipulations of the Manyeka Art Collection of paintings made by San artists /Thaalu Rumao, /Tuoi Samcuia and Joao Wenne Dikuango, who have all passed away since. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Fruit | Once there was a family who had a tree with such sweet fruit that everyone visited their compound to taste the fruit. The family also had a very beautiful daughter. Many people admired her dazzling beauty, white eyes and above all, her great personality.
When she grew up into a young woman, young and old men flocked to her home seeking her hand in marriage. Her parents decided that the man who could sit in the compound the whole day without eating any fruit would be given her hand in marriage.
The news spread all over the village. The first man to come was the head of all farmers in the village. He was handsome, rich and young. He was welcomed and served the fruit. He sat for a few minutes, but before long, he ate the fruit and was sent away.
The leader of animal keepers was next. He was handsome, young and rich. The girl admired him. But when he was served with the fruit, he immediately ate it, and was sent away.
The next man to come had many pieces of land. He was arrogant and ugly. The girl prayed that he would eat and go away. When served, he refused to eat. The time passed, and the girl started begging him to eat. By around four o’clock, he was overcome with hunger, and he ate. He, too, was sent away.
Next, the chief came around. He was arrogant, old, and ugly. No one liked him in the village. The girl wished that he would eat and go away. When he was served with the fruit, he refused to eat. He stayed the whole day. At about six o'clock, he asked if he could go to the toilet.
He was allowed to go. When he returned, the aroma of the fruit hung around him, and his lips were red! He had eaten the fruit in the toilet! To the girl's relief, he was sent away.
A few days later, a young, handsome, rich prince arrived. The girl looked at him in admiration. She took him aside, and begged him not to eat the fruit. She served him much less fruit than the other suitors. But by midday the prince had already eaten and was sent away. The girl burst into tears of anger and disappointment.
The next day, a farmer came around. He was poor and lazy, but he was young and popular among many people for being a great talker. He came determined to win. The girl served him many fruits and asked him to eat and go away.
When he was served, he refused to eat. The girl waited painfully. Midday passed, and then two o’clock. At four o’clock, the farmer asked for water. The girl prayed that he would eat the fruit, but she was still praying when the clock turned to seven. This farmer had overcome the test of endurance set by the parents!
Her parents had to hand over their daughter to the “lazy one”. The girl begged to be saved from her fate, but her parents could do nothing. As the farmer took her home, he sang such a beautiful song while clapping his hands. Many people flocked to the road to see the couple.
Among the people were servants of the rich prince. They called the farmer aside, and offered him money and cattle if he would leave the girl. Without a moment’s hesitation, he took the money and the cattle, and walked off.
The servants dressed the girl in fine clothes and took her to the palace, straight to the prince. Before long, her parents were called and a ceremony was organised to join the two in marriage. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Hyena and Raven | Hyena and Raven were once great friends, even though they were quite different in some ways. Raven could fly but Hyena was only able to walk.
One day Hyena, curious to know something about his friend, asked Raven, “What is this white thing which is always below your neck?”
Raven answered, “It is the fatty meat which I usually eat in the sky. I have been eating it for so long now it is stuck on my neck.” On hearing about meat, saliva started pouring out of Hyena’s mouth for he was greedy and he loved meat very much. Hyena really wanted to eat that meat. But how could he reach the meat in the sky if he had no wings to fly? “Please my friend,” he asked Raven, “lend me some feathers so that I can make myself some wings. I really want to be able to fly like you.”
Raven was not mean, so he gave him some feathers. Hyena sewed them together into wings. He fastened them to his body, and tried to take off into the sky. But he was far too heavy for the few feathers to carry him. So he had to think of another plan.
“Please my friend,” he asked Raven, “could I hold onto your tail as you fly up into the sky?” “All right,” said Raven. “I know how much you want to fly. Let’s do it tomorrow morning.” When day came, Hyena took hold of Raven’s tail and Raven flew up into the sky.
Raven flew and flew and flew until he was exhausted. But Hyena said, “Just a little further, my friend!” He could see the white and fatty meat just above them, and his mouth was watering.
When they reached the first piece of fatty meat, Hyena felt a jerk. One of Raven’s tail feathers came off in his hand! Then there was another jerk, and another. Raven felt much lighter, and the ache in his tail was going. He sang: Raven’s feathers, unpluck yourselves. Raven’s feathers, unpluck yourselves. In response, Hyena sang the opposite: Raven’s feathers hold on, don’t unpluck yourselves. Raven’s feathers hold on, don’t unpluck yourselves.
Finally, the feathers could not hold Hyena anymore. He was in the middle of nowhere in the sky. He jumped onto the fatty meat thinking that as he ate, the fatty meat would hold him. But as he tried to hold and eat the ‘meat’, all he felt was moist cloud!
By now he was falling fast. “Help, help!” he shouted. But no one could hear him. Raven was lost in the clouds.
Hyena fell on the ground with a crash and lay silent for some minutes. He woke up howling in pain, with a broken leg and dark scars all over his body.
From that day to now, Hyena limps and he has many scars on his body. He has never been able to fly. And he and Raven are no longer friends. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Katitu Momambo, the clever little girl | Once upon a time there lived three girls in a desert village in the Kalahari. Katitu Momambo was the youngest of the three. She was small but clever and wise. The big girls went into the veld one day to gather food and wood. Little Katitu ran after them, but the sisters sent her back. “Go back Katitu! You are too small to go with us! Stay at home!” they said. Katitu followed them from a distance.
When they noticed her, they were too far away from home to send her back, so she joined them. While she was walking behind them, Katitu cut herself some wood. She made herself a bow and many arrows. The girls walked and walked and walked until the sun dropped into the Kalahari horizon. They were lost. They walked into a deserted village and found a hut in which to spend the night.
An old woman was sitting next to the hut. Little Katitu went and greeted her. “Oh?” answered the old woman, “This is the village of the Big Snake! He stays in a big hole in the cattle kraal. When people come to milk the cows, he eats them! He will go to your hut at night when you sleep and kill you there!”
Wise little Katitu did not panic. She asked the old woman for a hard cow skin to cover the door of their sleeping hut. Then Katitu wanted to sleep a little, so that she could stay awake throughout the night. “When the wind begins to blow,” she said to her sisters, “you must wake me up.” The wind came up, the sisters awoke Katitu and went to sleep. Katitu fixed the hard cow skin against the door of the hut and made a little hole in the middle for her bow and arrows. Katitu heard the Big Snake approach.
“Hai, gom-gom, hai, gom-gom, where are they?” sang the Big Snake. The little clever girl answered him with a chant, “Here they are, here they are!” Then the Big Snake rushed against the hard skin at the door of the hut. Little Katitu shot an arrow through the hole in the skin. Yes, the little girl killed the Big Snake.
Then Katitu woke up the older girls. “Sister, sister, sister,” she whispered, “get up, get up, get up!”
And when the girls woke up they saw a big snake lying there. “Come, we have to take him back to his hole!” shouted Katitu. They rolled him up, rolled him up, rolled him up and they set him right back in his hole. “Hurry! We have to run!” And the girls ran and ran and ran.
The next morning, the Big Snake’s wife told his children to go and look for him. When his children found him lying dead in his hole, they screamed: “Father is dead! Quick, let us go after those girls!” All the snake’s children went after the girls. Katitu told her sisters to turn into trees. When the snakes arrived at the spot where they had seen the girls, only trees were standing there. The snakes were tired and lay under the trees to sleep. When they were asleep, the girls turned back into human beings and ran on.
The girls continued to run and were very tired and thirsty. Eventually, they saw a waterhole! None of older sisters wanted to scoop the water from the deep well. They asked Katitu to climb in as she was the smallest. “Will you help me out of the well if I climb into it?” asked Katitu. “Yes,” they replied, “we will help you.” Katitu went into the well and scooped water for her sisters.
Each girl drank and then walked away. They all left Katitu in the deep well and walked home. Later that evening, the elephants came to drink. One of them drank and left. Another one drank and left. The last elephant drank and swallowed Katitu with the water! A few drops of Katitu’s blood sprayed onto the reeds growing at the water hole.
Meanwhile, Katitu’s sisters had arrived home without any food or wood. They were crying and told the family that Katitu was lost. Everyone started searching for her. Katitu’s little brother and his friend were searching too. They became very tired and rested next to a waterhole. They cut some reeds to make themselves flutes. When Katitu’s brother played on his flute, the flute sang by itself: “Is this my brother who plays me, who plays me, The other girls left me, left me and the elephant swallowed me, swallowed me!” The boy rushed home and handed the reed to his father, who played it. And again, the reed sang: “Is this my father who plays me, plays me? The other girls left me, left me, and the elephant swallowed me, swallowed me!” The father handed the reed to Katitu’s mother, who played it. And again, the reed sang: “Is this my mother who plays me, plays me? The other girls left me, left me, and the elephant swallowed me, swallowed me!”
Katitu’s father called the young men of the homestead and ordered them to find the tracks of the elephants and find Katitu. The young men hurried off. They met the first group of elephants and asked them, “Elephants, elephants, have you seen the one who swallowed our girl?” And the elephants sang: “!a plaf! !a plaf! We trot lightly. We are so light, we carry nothing!” And they passed on.
The young men met up with an old elephant in the bush and asked, “Old elephant, elephant, have you seen the one who swallowed our girl?”
The old elephant sang: “!a plaf! !a plaf! I trot lightly! I am so light, I carry nothing!” But now the young men heard a little voice in the belly of the elephant. “Cut him open! Go on, cut him on his left side, for I am sitting on his left side!” said the voice.
They held the old elephant down and cut open his belly. There was little Katitu lying inside! The young men took her out and carried her home. Katitu was welcomed as a hero by the villagers. And that is the tale of Katitu Mamombo. The wise little girl who saved her sisters from the Big Snake, saved them from the snake’s children, and (with the help of her brother) saved herself from the belly of the elephant. Of course, her sisters were punished.
Story notes Ju|’hoan storyteller, Nxisae Magdaline Nxao, told a short version of this recorded another version from Paulina Oxoros in northern Namibia (Schmidt the Cave to Cave European Union storytelling project in Spain, based on Nxao and Schmidt’s recording. The ‘clever little girl’ belongs to a well-known story type where a vulnerable young girl (or young boy), saves the lives of others, by engaging her wit and the power of words, rather than supernatural means to solve problems. The illustrations in this story are from story boards by Marlene Winberg, interpreted digitally by Satsiri Winberg through manipulations of the Manyeka Art Collection of paintings made by San artists. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Kato Clever and the big trouble | In a small garden in the city, there was a big tree. Many small animals lived together on the big tree. There also lived a family of squirrels. Vikki was one little squirrel among them who liked to talk big. His cousin, Kato from Far Forest had come to visit him.
One evening, as all the animals who lived in the little garden were just going to sleep, they heard loud sounds from the park, next to the little garden.
Kato and the other squirrels saw big yellow machines, and men in hard yellow hats, pointing to the little garden and other houses on the street. They were going to pull them all down and build a parking lot.
The people who lived there would move to other houses. No one gave a thought to the animals, birds and insects who lived in the little garden.
The machines were first spotted by the mole family. To be more exact, by Mister Popples, the eldest who told Master Mopples, who in turn told the youngest, Little Popples.
When they were young they were called Pop, Mop and Pip.
Mister Popples told the squirrels, the squirrels told the birds, caterpillars, butterflies, tiny spiders and all those who lived in the little garden. There was total panic, a lot of running, flying, scurrying and hopping, with no one knowing what to do? Where to go? The caterpillars said, "Let us look for leaves." The butterflies said, "We want flowers." The mice wanted holes. The squirrels, birds, insects wanted trees, bushes and grass. All the animals wanted the soft earth, not cement or concrete. "Where will we find all this?" they cried. "We will surely die," they said and wept.
Kato's uncle and aunt were very quiet and all the little squirrels crept close to their mom. Kato cleared his throat and spoke shyly, "I live in the Far Forest, may be we can all go there?" There was a buzz of excitement and someone said, "How?" Kato scratched his head and thought hard, "Well, the Squirrel Express can take the squirrels and the butterflies, spiders caterpillars and all the insects. The birds can either fly or come with us. The moles, mice and the grass snake family can go by the underground Mole Express."
Everyone thought it was a splendid idea. Mister Popples rushed to ask Mister Grumbles, the driver of the underground express train if he could take them all to the Far Forest. Mister Grumbles fumbled, stumbled, bumbled before he finally mumbled, "Alright." Now it was Mister Popples' turn to be grand. "Friends, you need not wory, my grandfather's grandson's...third nephew's second niece's family live in the Far Forest.
So, in the early hours of the morning the Squirrel Express and the Mole underground train with all its passengers, chugged their way to the Far Forest with its trees, flowers, ponds and soft earth. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Lion's fire sticks (Level 5) | This story starts in the old times when animals and people lived together. In those days people did not have the right to fire. They ate their food raw. Only Lion had the power of fire.
The people and the animals came together to make a plan. “What can we do to get the fire from Lion so that we can cook our food?” they asked. They decided to wait until evening and started singing and singing, clapping and clapping, calling everyone together. “Come dance with us. Come dance with us. Come dance with us.”
Many animals came from the bush to join in the dancing and singing. Lion brought his fire sticks. He rubbed the sticks, rubbed and rubbed. Soon a little smoke appeared beneath the sticks. Lion blew on the smoke and added some dry grass. A little flame appeared and everyone brought a piece of wood. Soon everyone was dancing around a fire.
Rabbit was a cunning and fast animal. The people said to him, “While we are singing here and while Lion is dancing with us, you must take his fire sticks and run.” So Rabbit grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran. He did not make it because Lion caught up with him and brought the fire sticks back.
The lion sang a boastful song: “To me it does not matter. I don’t have a problem. I can eat you with hair, I can eat you without hair. I don’t have a problem. All of you are food to me.”
Springbok could run and jump very fast. The people said to him, “While Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run.”
When they were dancing and singing, Springbok grabbed the fire sticks and jumped away into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear the clippety-clop clippety-clop of Springbok’s hooves behind me?”
Lion turned and saw Springbok running into the veld with his fire sticks. So he ran after Springbok, caught him and came back with his fire sticks. Again, Lion sang his boastful song.
Then the people whispered to each other. They said, “Let us ask Duiker. He is small and very fast.” “Duiker,” they said, “while Lion is dancing and singing here with us, you must grab his fire sticks and run away.”
When they were dancing around the fire, Duiker grabbed Lion’s fire sticks and ran into the veld. But Lion said, “Why do I not hear Duiker snort-snorting behind me as before?” He turned around and chased after little Duiker who was leaping into the veld. Lion caught up with him and returned to the fire with his sticks.
Again, Lion sang his boastful song. “To me it does not matter. I don’t have a problem. I can eat you with hair, I can eat you without hair. I don’t have a problem. All of you are food to me.”
“Oh,” sighed the people, “Which animal can help us now? Ostrich has the longest legs of all, let us ask him.” They explained the plan to Ostrich and he grabbed Lion’s fire sticks this time.
Lion said, “Why do I not hear Ostrich’s high singing voice behind me anymore?” He looked around, saw Ostrich and chased after him.
After a long time, Lion returned with a tired face, for Ostrich ran too fast for him. “From this day on,” he said, “I will not leave any of you alone. I will hunt you and chase you and eat you!” And this is how Lion came to be everyone’s enemy and how people got the power of fire. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Magezi and the finger of millet | Long ago, there were two animals that were good friends. One was called Magezi Mataala Manene, the other was called Kasiru Kasiira Katono. They used to live by sharing. Their friendship was so deep that they could share one white ant.
One day, Magezi Matala Manene made a suggestion.“Why don’t we dig together as we eat together?” he asked. Kasiru Kasiira Katono replied, “Good idea. We should also store our food together.” They both agreed to this.
Magezi Mataala Manene asked his friend, “Ee! Who will start the digging? Why don’t you dig, and I will come to sow?” “Yes,” replied Kasiru Kasiira Katono, and she dug a big garden. Then she told her friend, “Magezi Mataala Manene, I have finished digging. Come and sow millet.”
Magezi Mataala Manene said, “You go on with the sowing, I will come and weed.” So Kasiru Kasiira Katono went on with the sowing. When she finished she told her friend, “Grass has started to grow. Go and weed.” But Magezi Mataala Manene replied, “No, you go on with weeding. I will harvest.”
Kasiru Kasiira Katono went on with the weeding until the millet was ripe. At harvesting time she went to her friend and said, “Magezi Mataala Manene, I cultivated, and sowed, and weeded. Now come and harvest the millet.”
Magezi Mataala Manene replied, “Not at all, I have no time! You go on and harvest. I will put it in the granary.” Kasiru Kasiira Katono accepted this. She harvested the millet and took it home. She called Magezi Mataala Manene and said, “My friend, I have finished harvesting. Come and take the millet to the granary.”
Magezi Mataala Manene replied, “I cannot lift all that millet. You put it in the granary. I will come during pounding.” Kasiru Kasiira Katono said to her friend, “It seems you are simply tricking me.” Magezi Mataala Manene replied, “No it’s not true! Give me just one millet finger and you take the rest. I will pay you back.”
Kasiru Kasiira Katono was not mean. She gave Magezi Mataala Manene one finger of millet, and they parted ways. Magezi Mataala Manene moved on, moved on, moved on! He found a hen scratching the soil and eating stones. He said, “My in-law hen, instead of eating soil, have some of my millet.”
Hen took the millet and ate. Magezi Mataala Manene looked and saw that the hen had eaten all the millet. He cried out, “Wuwiii! You have eaten all my millet. The millet was not mine, I borrowed it from Kasiru Kasiira Katono.” Hen begged, “Since it is time for laying, I will lay one egg for you to take instead.”
Magezi Mataala Manene got an egg from the hen. He moved on, moved on, moved on! He found some children shooting mangoes in a tree using stones. He told them, “If you want those mangoes to fall, you should use this egg to shoot them down.” He gave them the egg. When they used it to shoot the mangoes, it hit a branch and broke. The egg dripped down and the shell remained in the branches.
Magezi Mataala Manene cried out, “Wuwiii! You have broken my egg! The hen gave me the egg, but it was not mine. The egg was for the millet the hen ate. The millet was not mine. I borrowed the millet from Kasiru Kasiira Katono.” The children whispered, “Don’t shout like that. The owner of the mangoes will find us here. Instead of the egg take this mango.”
Magezi Mataala Manene moved on, moved on, moved on! He came across a parrot eating an insect. “Have you ever seen such a mango as this?” he asked the parrot. When the parrot took the mango, its sharp beak pierced the skin and the fruit burst open. Magezi Mataala Manene cried out, “Wuuwiii! You have burst my mango! The children gave me the mango, but it was not mine. The mango was for the egg the children broke. The hen gave me the egg, but it was not mine. The egg was for the millet the hen ate. The millet was not mine. I borrowed the millet from Kasiru Kasiira Katono.”
The parrot plucked out its most beautiful feather saying, “Here, take my feather instead of the mango.” Magezi Mataala Manene took the feather and moved on, moved on, moved on. He came to a lake. When he was crossing, the feather slipped out of his hand and into the lake. He could not get the feather back. So he filled his mouth with water and kept it in his cheeks until he reached dry land. There he found the charcoal burners with their fire.
He opened his mouth, the water came out, and splashed on to the fire. The fire went out. The charcoal burners were pleased. Magezi Mataala Manene cried out, “Woweee! Your fire has taken my water. I got the water from the lake, but it was not mine. The water was for the feather that the lake took. The feather was for the mango that the parrot burst. The mango was for the egg that the children broke. The egg was for the millet that the hen ate. The millet was not mine. I borrowed the millet from Kasiru Kasiira Katono.”
The charcoal burners said, “Here, take this axe instead of the water.” Magezi Matala Manene took the axe and moved on, moved on, moved on! He came across butchers slaughtering a bull. He told the butchers, “Here is an axe for you to cut up the meat.”
While the butchers were cutting the meat, the axe broke. Magezi Mataala Manene cried out, “Woweee! You have broken my axe. I got the axe from the charcoal burners, but it was not mine. The axe was for the water that the fire took. The water was for the feather that the lake took. The feather was for the mango that the parrot burst. The mango was for the egg that the children broke. The egg was for the millet that the hen ate. The millet was not mine. I borrowed the millet from Kasiru Kasiira Katono.”
The butchers said, “Here, take the head and tail of the bull instead.” Magezi Mataala Manene moved on, moved on, moved on! Until he got to a muddy swamp. He put the head of the bull on the mud. He also placed the tail in the mud. It looked as if the bull was stuck in the mud.
Magezi Mataala Manene began to shout, “Wu-lululu! Wu-lululu, wulululu! The king’s bull has got stuck in the mud!” All the villagers came running. What concerns the king, concerns everyone. A crowd soon gathered around the head and tail. They started asking, “Now what do we do?”
Magezi Mataala Manene advised, “Some of you pull the tail, and some of you pull the head. We will pull the bull from the mud.” The people took his advice. “Ready! One, two, three, pull! Come out nowwwww!” they shouted. The villagers fell down over each other from the effort of pulling. Two were still holding the head. One held up the tail.
Magezi Mataala Manene cried out, “Wo wee! You have pulled apart the king’s bull. Each one of you must give one bull for the king.” Quickly, the people went back to their homes. Quickly, they returned with a bull each. And so Magezi Mataala Manene left with a herd of bulls to return to his friend Kasiru Kasiira Katono. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Refiloe and the washed chickens | It was the first wedding in the Tenane family, and Refiloe had never been so excited in her life. "I’m going to be Palesa’s bridesmaid, with a new dress and shoes!" she said to her chickens. Refiloe told her chickens everything. Her father had given the chickens to her as a birthday present, and she loved them very much.
"Take those dirty scruffy chickens out of here Refiloe!" shouted her mother, "I don’t want them anywhere near this wedding tent."
Refiloe shooed her chickens out of the tent. "Run away you silly things." she said, "I don’t want you to be eaten at Palesa’s wedding!"
"Mme says that this is going to be the best wedding ever seen in Malealea," Refiloe told her chickens, "and she says that I can help all the older girls with the cooking." The chickens paid no attention to her. "Refiloe!" called her mother from inside, "leave those chickens of yours and come and help me with these pots please!"
Refiloe’s mother was very proud of her house, and wanted it to be perfect for the wedding. She cleaned and washed and scrubbed and scoured and polished everything in sight. When she had finished, there was not a single speck of dust anywhere. The chickens poked their heads inside the front door. "Out!" shouted Refiloe’s mother, "out you scruffy things with your dirty feet and beaks!"
Refiloe followed her chickens out into the yard. "Mme is right, you are a disgrace," she scolded them So Refiloe thought for a while. Suddenly she smiled and said to herself, "I have an excellent idea." She went and filled a bucket with water from the spring. Refiloe had a lot of trouble catching her chickens. They did not think that a bath was such a good idea.
Refiloe put the first chicken into the bucket of water. It clucked at the top of its voice and flapped its wings like crazy. "Hold still you silly thing," Refiloe shouted, "this won’t take long!" When Refiloe wiped the chicken’s nose and eyes it suddenly went limp and flopped over the side of the bucket.
"This is no time to sleep," said Refiloe. She gave it a good shake to get all the water out. "If you are not going to wake up now, I’ll have to put you somewhere to dry nicely," she said. She laid the chicken out on the grass to dry. The chicken lay completely still.
Refiloe washed each and every one of her chickens. Each and every one of them went limp and floppy before she was finished with it. She put all those eight chickens in a row on the grass to dry. Not one of them moved a single feather. "I’ll leave them to sleep a little," Refiloe thought to herself, and off she went to check on the moroho.
Mme Ngwe and Mme Pedi were Refiloe’s aunts. They did not like each other at all. The aunts had been preparing for months for Palesa’s wedding, but they would not even think about riding together in the same taxi.
Mme Ngwe spotted Refiloe’s chickens laid out to dry. "What a nice little snack for me to take home!" she said to herself. She took off her chale and carefully wrapped all those chickens up in it. Not a single chicken moved. "Perfect!" she smiled, "now I shall put them somewhere where Mme Pedi will not ever find them," and she put the bundle around the corner among the pumpkin vines.
Mme Pedi decided to make her famous pumpkin dish. She took her big bowl and went off to the vegetable garden. In the vegetable garden she saw Mme Ngwe’s bundle under the pumpkin vine. She undid the bundle. Out fell all eight chickens. "Eish!" she cried jumping back in surprise. "Oh, you are the cleanest, prettiest chickens! Just ready for my pot," she crooned. "Now, where shall I hide you my darlings?" Mme Pedi chuckled, "I’ll have to find a very good place," she said walking round the house. "I know," she said at last, "I’ll put you on the roof!" Mme Pedi climbed up onto the garden wall and put the chickens in a row on the thatched roof.
The next day the sun rose in good time for the wedding. Refiloe was up first and went to see her chickens. She saw that they were no longer lying on the grass. "They must be nicely dry by now. I’m sure they have gone to look for their breakfast," she said.
Palesa’s wedding was wonderful. Those chickens did not get up off the roof to join in when all the bridesmaid ladies danced into the yard. Not one of the chickens stirred when the church choir sang in their loudest, sweetest voices. The chickens were still lying on the roof when the priest gave his sermon. They did not even twitch a feather when the pigs and Refiloe’s grandfather all snored loudly in the middle of the sermon. Not one foot of those chickens trembled when sheep wandered into the tent, nearly knocking over the wedding cake.
It was only when the groom’s father was halfway through his speech that things started to change on that roof.
The first chicken spread its wings and flew onto Mme Ngwe’s bosom. Mme Pedi next to her started giggling. Another chicken flew up onto Mme Ngwe’s new duku. The people at the next table tried not to laugh. The lady next to Mme Ngwe put her head down onto the table, "Ai, aai, aaaaii, he, he, heeeeeeee!" she cackled. All the other chickens decided to join the first two. You couldn’t see Mme Ngwe for all those chickens!
The guests screamed with laughter. The men had to hold onto their bellies. The women rolled around in their chairs. The boys and girls were hanging onto each other. The grandmothers could hardly breathe for laughing. The grandfathers stamped their walking sticks. Then the two aunts looked at each other and started giggling. Mme Pedi opened her mouth wide with laughter. Mme Ngwe threw back her head and laughed until all her chins shook. Refiloe couldn’t believe it!
All the guests agreed that it was the best wedding entertainment ever known in Malealea. "Oh you are so lucky!" Refiloe said to her chickens as she put them into their coop for the night, "Mme says that she will never put you in the supper pot." "But look how dirty you are again," she told them, "I think I’ll have to give you another wash tomorrow!" |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Sniffles the crocodile and Punch the butterfly | In the swamp on the far side of the Far Forest, lived Sniffles, the crocodile. Sniffles was always crying big crocodile tears or going sniff...sniff... Even his mom was quite tired of him and would say, "Stop sniveling and crying, start behaving like a crocodile. Go hunt for your food." But Sniffles would burst into tears at the thought of eating another animal. So mom and dad had to feed Sniffles every day.
Sniffles did not want to be a crocodile. "I am so ugly," he thought, bursting into tears. He did not even want to live like crocodiles do. His best friend was Punch, a golden yellow butterfly. And Punch wanted to be big and strong. So Punch always had her feeler curled into a fist saying, "Look out! I will punch you in the mouth." They made a very funny pair. Sniffles swimming with Punch perched on his head. The other crocodiles would laugh and make fun of them. That did not bother Sniffles. He continued crying, sniffling and being friends with Punch.
One sunny afternoon, Punch settled herself near Sniffles' ear and told him, "I have seen two men come this way with guns, they want to kill crocodiles for their skins." "Don't these men have skins of their own?" asked a puzzled Sniffles. "I don't know Sniffles." replied Punch. "Tell the other crocodiles and hide." "But Punch, they might shoot you. Oh! What will I do?" cried Sniffles sobbing loudly. "People catch butterflies with nets and pin them on a board, my grandaunt told me," said Punch and flew away.
The other crocodiles heard Sniffles crying and shouting, "Men coming to kill us. Hide...Hurry...Hide." At first the crocodiles did not believe Sniffles, but then they heard the men's footsteps. The crocodiles went deep into the river and left some rotten logs floating on the water. The men shot at the logs which looked like crocodiles from afar. The men could not see any crocodiles, only hundreds of butterflies that flew into their faces and hair.
Shaking their heads and trying to brush off the butterflies they said, "There are no crocodiles here, we will bring nets and catch the butterflies." And off they went. All the crocodiles got together and said, "Thank you, Punch." "Thank you, butterflies."
The next day Sniffles saw men with nets. He remembered Punch telling him about nets. "Punch, the nets! Come here quick! The men with the nets have come." All the crocodiles came on the river bank. The butterflies settled on the backs and heads of the crocodiles.
A few of the crocodiles made a circle around the men as they came close. The crocodiles snapped their jaws. Sniffles was in front, gnashing his teeth and whipping his tail around most menacingly. The men were so frightened that they took to their heels and ran right out of the swamp. The other crocodiles were very proud of Sniffles, as he had acted like a real crocodile. Now Sniffles was also proud to be one.
All the butterflies flew around the crocodiles, fluttering their wings. "Thank you, Sniffles, thank you, crocodiles." "It is alright," said Sniffles shyly. "That is what friends are for, to take care of each other." |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The baboons that went this way and that | There was much unhappiness in a village of small huts. The people who lived there had been happy before, but then wild animals had come and had begun to frighten them. These animals ate all their crops and from time to time they even carried off children who wandered away from their parents. It was not a good place to live any longer, and the people began to think of where they might go to lead a new life.
One family found the answer. Rather than deal with the wild animals who seemed to be everywhere on the flat land, they decided to go in search of food up in the hills. It was not hard to find food there. There were bushes that grew in the cracks between rocks. There were trees that grew at the foot of the slopes. There were rock rabbits which could be trapped and birds which could be brought down with the stones which littered the floor of the caves.
Other families noticed how well the hill family was doing. They saw the sleekness of their children, and they noticed how calm the parents were. “It is a good life that we lead up in the hills,” said the husband. “You should come there too.” Soon the other families abandoned their homes on the flat land and went up to the hills. Each family found a cave to live in, and in this way they were warm and secure. Soon everybody talked about how sorry they were that they had not come to the hills earlier, rather than letting the wild animals eat their crops and drag off their children.
As the children grew up in the hills, they began to get better at the things that had to be done to live in such a place. They became very quick at climbing rocks, and even the youngest could scamper up a face of rock almost as quickly as any rock rabbit. They also became good at climbing into trees to look for fruit, and they could swing in the branches almost as well as any monkey. People who passed by and saw the hill people living on their hill wondered whether they were perhaps wild animals, but when they saw their faces and the clothes that they were wearing they realised that they were only people who had made the hills their home.
Slowly, things began to change. The parents noticed that their children were talking less, and that rather than speaking to one another in the language of people they were beginning to use grunts. Then the adults themselves noticed that their noses were getting bigger and that they were growing hairier. Every time they looked at one another they saw that their faces had changed yet more and that their teeth were longer. Soon they spent as much time on four legs as on two, and it was at this point that they became a new creature. This creature, which had never before been seen in that place, was the creature which people now call the baboon.
For a time, the baboons lived happily. They stopped chasing the rock rabbits and started to eat grubs from the ground. They also forgot how to talk, and nobody now made any sound other than a bark or a grunt. They took off their clothes and let the rags lie on the ground until they were destroyed by ants. Their legs and arms were now completely covered with dark hair. They still remembered, though, that they had been people, and this was something which made them worried. When they looked into each other’s faces, they realised that their noses were now much bigger than they had been before, and this made them jeer. Every baboon laughed at every other baboon, pointing at his enlarged nose and throwing his hands about in mirth. This made the baboon who was being laughed at angry. He would jump up and down in anger, all the while laughing at the large nose of the other.
Eventually the mockery became so great that the baboons could no longer bear to be together. Each family split off and lived by itself, laughing at the others because of their great noses, but not liking to be laughed at for their own noses. That is why baboons live in small groups today and do not live as a baboon nation, as do people and many other animals. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The generous fish | Once upon a time there was a very rich man called Mpunzi. He had a wife and one daughter called Nosisa. Mpunzi wanted a son, but he and his wife could not have any more children. Mpunzi blamed his wife for not giving him a son. He bullied his wife and treated her like a child.
One day Mpunzi was very angry and he hit his wife with a stick. She ran away back to her family. She left with a sad heart because Mpunzi did not let her take Nosisa with her. Mpunzi bullied his daughter in the same way he bullied his wife. Nosisa lived a very sad life.
Mpunzi decided to marry another wife. He hoped that the new wife would give him a baby boy. Nosisa’s life became even more difficult when her father married again. Mpunzi scolded her all the time and made her serve the new wife. Nosisa worked like a slave.
Mpunzi was very proud of his cattle. He used to sit outside his homestead and watch his cattle grazing in the field. He felt very satisfied with his wealth. Mpunzi’s many servants cleaned around the homestead, and looked after his goats, cattle and sheep. They milked the cows for fresh milk that Mpunzi sold to other villagers.
Mpunzi loved his new wife very much. He treated her like a queen. She sat inside her hut all day and gave orders to Nosisa and the servants. Nosisa woke up early every day to make tea for her stepmother. She cleaned her hut and cooked for her, but her stepmother always complained that her food was cold, her tea was weak, and her hut was not clean.
One day Mpunzi became very angry at Nosisa. He scolded her and hit her with a stick. Nosisa ran off to the river where she sat and cried the whole afternoon. Suddenly she heard a voice coming out of the river. She looked up and saw a big fish. The voice was coming from the fish. Nosisa was so shocked she almost ran away, but the fish stopped her. “Please don’t run away my daughter, I am your mother. I have changed myself into a fish so that your father does not know it’s me.”
“What is the matter?” asked the fish. Nosisa told the fish everything about her sad life. “Don’t worry my girl. I will bring you food every day,” said the fish. The fish gave fresh vegetables to Nosisa. She had a feast. When she looked up the fish was gone. That day Nosisa went home smiling. She would not have to go to bed without food as usual.
Nosisa went to the river every day. In the morning she woke up as usual and did her chores around the house. At midday, she went to the river. She called out every time, and every time the fish would appear with delicious food. Nosisa became happier and happier. She could talk to the fish about anything. She started to regain her health. Her skin was glowing and she was a happy child.
Nosisa visited the fish every day until her stepmother became suspicious. Nosisa had gained weight and she was glowing. “Something is going on at the river, I must find out what it is,” thought the stepmother. One afternoon she followed Nosisa to the river. She saw Nosisa talking to the fish, and getting delicious food. Nosisa’s secret was out. “I have to do something about this fish,” said the stepmother.
In the evening, Mpunzi came back from the fields. He found his new wife crying in her hut. “What is wrong my lovely wife,” asked Mpunzi. “I went to a traditional doctor,” said the wife. “He told me that the only way for me to give you a son is to eat the biggest fish that lives in this nearby river,” she said. “Will you catch the fish for me tonight?” pleaded the woman. “I will do anything for you my beautiful wife,” said Mpunzi.
Mpunzi set off to the river before it was too dark. He took his servants to help him find the biggest fish in that river. They searched and searched and eventually Mpunzi caught the biggest fish. He put it in a bag and went home with it. When he got to the house, there was a good hot fire ready to cook the fish. “I will make the best meal ever for us,” said the woman to Mpunzi. “You are the bravest and strongest man I know.” Mpunzi was very pleased with himself.
That night Mpunzi and his wife went to bed happy after their delicious meal. They left the bones on the table for Nosisa to clean in the morning. When Nosisa brought coffee into their hut in the morning they were still sleeping. “This is very strange,” she thought to herself. “My father usually wakes up very early in the morning to go to the fields. I wonder why he is still sleeping.”
“Anyway, now I can run to the river for a nice breakfast,” she thought. Nosisa ran to the river. When she got there she called out to the fish, and she called again and again. The fish never came. Nosisa started to cry. She did not know what had happened to the fish. While she was crying a bird came to sit next to her and told her what had happened. She cried harder thinking that her mother had been caught and eaten.
The bird told her to collect the fish bones from the table and throw them back into the river. If she did that the fish would come back to life. The bird also told her to let her father and stepmother sleep and wake them up only at midday. Nosisa did as she was told. She ran back home and walked quietly into her father’s hut. They were still fast asleep. She took the bones, put them inside a bag and threw them back into the river.
Nosisa ran back home and just before midday she woke her father and stepmother. She could hardly recognise them. They looked old and grey and frail. They were too old to scold her. They were too weak to hit her. They were too tired to look after the homestead. So, Nosisa took over the homestead and her father’s wealth. She called all the servants and told them what had happened. They prepared a feast and there was peace at the homestead from that day on. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The Honeyguide's revenge | This is the story of Togar, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gartee. One day while Gartee was out hunting he heard the call of Togar. Gartee's mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head. "Chitik-chitik-chitik," the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next. "Chitik, chitik, chitik," he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gartee followed.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree. Togar hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gartee as if to say, "Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?" Gartee couldn't see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Togar.
So Gartee put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire. When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned. He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive. When Gartee reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow. The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gartee some painful stings!
When the bees were out, Gartee pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs. He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Togar eagerly watched everything that Gartee was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide. Togar flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gartee reached the bottom of the tree. Togar perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
But, Gartee put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird. Togar called out angrily, "VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!" Gartee stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. "You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?" Then he walked off. Togar was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
One day several weeks later Gartee again heard the honey call of the Honeyguide, Togar. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again. After leading Gartee along the edge of the forest, Togar stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. "Ahh," thought Gartee. "The hive must be in this tree." He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Togar sat and watched.
Gartee climbed, wondering why he didn't hear the usual buzzing. "Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree," he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard! Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gartee, he rushed down the tree. In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Togar, the Honeyguide, had his revenge. And Gartee learned his lesson.
And so, when the children of Gartee hear the story of Togar they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide! |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The Honeyguide’s revenge | This is the story of Ngede, the Honeyguide, and a greedy young man named Gingile. One day while Gingile was out hunting he heard the call of Ngede. Gingile's mouth began to water at the thought of honey. He stopped and listened carefully, searching until he saw the bird in the branches above his head. "Chitik-chitik-chitik," the little bird rattled, as he flew to the next tree, and the next. "Chitik, chitik, chitik," he called, stopping from time to time to be sure that Gingile followed.
After half an hour, they reached a huge wild fig tree. Ngede hopped about madly among the branches. He then settled on one branch and cocked his head at Gingile as if to say, "Here it is! Come now! What is taking you so long?" Gingile couldn't see any bees from under the tree, but he trusted Ngede.
So Gingile put down his hunting spear under the tree, gathered some dry twigs and made a small fire. When the fire was burning well, he put a long dry stick into the heart of the fire. This wood was especially known to make lots of smoke while it burned. He began climbing, holding the cool end of the smoking stick in his teeth.
Soon he could hear the loud buzzing of the busy bees. They were coming in and out of a hollow in the tree trunk – their hive. When Gingile reached the hive he pushed the smoking end of the stick into the hollow. The bees came rushing out, angry and mean. They flew away because they didn’t like the smoke – but not before they had given Gingile some painful stings!
When the bees were out, Gingile pushed his hands into the nest. He took out handfuls of the heavy comb, dripping with rich honey and full of fat, white grubs. He put the comb carefully in the pouch he carried on his shoulder, and started to climb down the tree.
Ngede eagerly watched everything that Gingile was doing. He was waiting for him to leave a fat piece of honeycomb as a thank-you offering to the Honeyguide. Ngede flittered from branch to branch, closer and closer to the ground. Finally Gingile reached the bottom of the tree. Ngede perched on a rock near the boy and waited for his reward.
But, Gingile put out the fire, picked up his spear and started walking home, ignoring the bird. Ngede called out angrily, "VIC-torr! VIC-torrr!" Gingile stopped, stared at the little bird and laughed aloud. "You want some honey, do you, my friend? Ha! But I did all the work, and got all the stings. Why should I share any of this lovely honey with you?" Then he walked off. Ngede was furious! This was no way to treat him! But he would get his revenge.
One day several weeks later Gingile again heard the honey call of the Ngede. He remembered the delicious honey, and eagerly followed the bird once again. After leading Gingile along the edge of the forest, Ngede stopped to rest in a great umbrella thorn. "Ahh," thought Gingile. "The hive must be in this tree." He quickly made his small fire and began to climb, the smoking branch in his teeth. Ngede sat and watched.
Gingile climbed, wondering why he didn't hear the usual buzzing. "Perhaps the hive is deep in the tree," he thought to himself. He pulled himself up another branch. But instead of the hive, he was staring into the face of a leopard! Leopard was very angry at having her sleep so rudely interrupted. She narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to reveal her very large and very sharp teeth.
Before Leopard could take a swipe at Gingile, he rushed down the tree. In his hurry he missed a branch, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground twisting his ankle. He hobbled off as fast as he could. Luckily for him, Leopard was still too sleepy to chase him. Ngede, the Honeyguide, had his revenge. And Gingile learned his lesson.
And so, when the children of Gingile hear the story of Ngede they have respect for the little bird. Whenever they harvest honey, they make sure to leave the biggest part of the comb for Honeyguide! |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | The Rain Bird | In a country called Gabon, a little village stood at the very edge of a forest. In the heart of this forest, in the highest branches of an enormous tree, lived a very special bird − the bird that made rain.
For as far back as the villagers could remember, they had taken the time to keep this bird happy. They saved scraps of bread, pieces of fruit and fresh coconut milk, and every week or two a group of villagers took these delicacies into the forest. When they had laid them at the base of the tree, one of them played a simple tune on the thumb piano.
After a while, the bird flew down to the ground to eat and drink. When she had finished, she began to sing the most beautiful song. At the same time, she raised her dark, shiny blue wings, and within minutes, the rain began to fall.
This went on for many years. Because the rain fell regularly, the crops grew abundantly and there was plenty of food in the village. But gradually things began to change. Somehow, the villagers were always busy and they began to neglect the rain bird. "It will rain anyway," they said. "It’s time to stop spoiling that silly old bird!"
But the people were wrong. When they stopped looking after the bird, the rain stopped falling. The crops began to dry up and die, and the animals grew thin and weak. Still, nobody in the village went into the forest to feed the bird that brought the rain. Now they were all too busy trying to find money to buy food in the neighbouring town.
One scorching day, a young girl called Ketti decided to go into the forest after school. "At least it will be cool in there," she thought to herself. She walked and walked, and after some time, she came to the tall tree in which the rain bird lived. Ketti stared up at the tree. Suddenly, she remembered how her granny had taken her into the forest to feed the bird when she was still a tiny child. Ketti opened her school bag and pulled out a piece of bread left over from her lunch. Carefully she laid the bread at the base of the tree. Then, because she had no thumb piano with her, she sang an old song that she had known all her life.
With a loud whooshing sound, a beautiful blue bird swooped out of the branches above Ketti’s head and began to eat the bread. When the bird had finished, she opened her mouth and sang a few pure, high notes. Then she raised her shiny wings and all of a sudden Ketti heard the rumble of thunder. By the time she reached her home, giant rain drops were pelting down, cooling the baking red earth.
Ketti was very happy, until she told her parents what had happened. "Don’t be silly!" scolded her mother. "Nobody believes that bird has anything to do with the rain anymore!" "Your mother is right," said Ketti’s father. "The drought has been broken now and we will be fine. Don’t go wasting good bread feeding that greedy old bird again!" Though Ketti didn’t argue with her parents, she felt sure they were wrong. "If only Granny were still alive," she said to herself, "she would have believed me!" But Ketti’s granny had died a few years earlier. The only thing Ketti had left, was her granny’s old thumb piano.
Two weeks passed and there was no more rain. The crops began to shrivel up again and the hungry animals’ ribs began to stick out even more. The sun beat down mercilessly from a glaring blue sky. "I don’t care what they say!" thought Ketti. "We need rain. I’m going to feed the bird again tomorrow!"
So, early the next morning, after taking a slice of bread and a handful of red berries from the kitchen, Ketti slipped out of the house. She began to make her way to the centre of the forest. What she didn’t realise, was that her father was also awake. When he saw what his daughter was doing, he realised that she was going to feed the rain bird again.
"I’ll teach that disobedient child a lesson!" he said to himself angrily. He snatched his bow and arrows and silently followed Ketti into the forest. Just as the bird flew down to eat the food that Ketti had set out for it, her father raised his bow and released his deadly arrow. The arrow flew straight into the bird’s heart. The bird let out a piercing shriek. Terrified, Ketti spun around − just in time to see her father fall down, stone dead. Ketti screamed and turned around − just in time to see the arrow fall harmlessly from the bird’s glossy body. Then the bird, unharmed, swooped up into the highest branch of the tree.
Ketti raced out of the forest to a scene of utter devastation. Every animal and every person she saw lay dead on the ground. With a pounding heart, she ran all the way back to her home. She quickly found her granny’s old thumb piano. "This is my only hope!" she thought. "The rain bird is angry. I have to make her happy again! I HAVE to!"
Half an hour later, Ketti was back at the base of the big tree. Her body was drenched with sweat and she was gasping for breath. A few paces away from her lay the lifeless body of her father. Ketti looked away quickly, and with trembling hands, began to play the thumb piano. She played and played, until her fingers hurt.
Finally, what she wanted most in the world happened. Down swooped the bird as if nothing had happened. The bird ate some of the berries still lying on the ground and sang a few notes. Then, as Ketti played on, the bird raised her wings. Ketti heard a rustle behind her.
It was her father who had woken up. "I’m sorry!" he said again and again to the big, blue bird. Then he held out his hand to his daughter and they walked slowly back to the village. In the village all the people and animals were alive again.
That night the villagers held a meeting. They all agreed that they had learned a valuable lesson. And from that day onwards, not one week passed without a special trip to the forest to feed the bird that brought the rain. |
Tell me about the content of the given story. | Tjenga and the eland man | This story is about two friends, Tjenga and Ngu. They understood each other, played together, hunted together and shared their food. Tjenga left his family and went to stay with Ngu’s family.
Early one morning Tjenga left to hunt in the bush. After searching for some time, the young hunter found the footprint of an antelope on the ground. It belonged to an eland, the most beautiful of all antelopes.
Quietly, he followed the eland’s footprints. Careful not to step on any dry, noisy grass, he walked, crawled and crept all day long until he finally found the eland. It was grazing on a hill.
Quietly, Tjenga set his arrow in the bow and pulled until the string was tight and ready. He aimed at the eland’s heart. Tjenga released the poison arrow and it flew through the air. The arrow hit the eland’s heart.
Tjenga was afraid because he had shot the beautiful eland. He lay down silently in the bush, resting and waiting for the poison arrow to do its work. The sky and the air around Tjenga shivered from the midday heat while the hunter waited for the eland to die.
Suddenly, the eland turned into a person. Tjenga’s heart was even more afraid, for he did not mean to kill a person. What would the people say if they found that he had killed a person? Tjenga walked to his friend Ngu, to tell him what had happened. When he found his friend and told him the news, he said, “I am in big trouble. I hunted an eland and after I shot it, it became a person. Please, you must help me now so that I can bury it before the people see what I have done.” Ngu said, “Oh no! You are not my own family. I cannot make your problem my problem!” With a sore heart, the young hunter returned to his own people. Tjenga told them his story. Without saying much, his father said, “Come, let us go and have a look.”
When the family got to the hunting ground where Tjenga had shot the eland, they did not find a dead person there. The father said, “Did you lie to me?” “No,” said the boy, “I told you about my hunt and the eland man just as I saw it.”
His mother said, “You did not kill a person. This is meat, it is an animal and we must eat it because we are hungry. We need its skin to make clothes. That is why you shot the eland. From now on you must understand that people are people and animals are animals.”
Tjenga’s family made more fire. They danced all night and celebrated the food that the hunter had brought home. Tjenga’s father said to him, “Now you have learnt a great lesson. You cannot leave your own people and adopt another. When you are in serious trouble, it is your own people who will help you and not your friends.”
Story notes oral story to Kapilolo Mahongo, who retold it in Afrikaans to Marlene Winberg, who retold it in English. Manuel Masseka explained that it was a tale about a young hunter, Tjenga’s remorse at killing the eland. Tjenga’s elders explain to the young hunter that the beautiful antelope is not a human being, that animals and people are different. As with many San stories, this one hints at the primeval time before humans and animals were separated from each other. It also teaches about the difference between family and friends. The illustrations in this story are from story boards by Marlene Winberg, interpreted digitally by Satsiri Winberg through manipulations of the Manyeka Art Collection of paintings made by San artists /Thaalu Rumao, /Tuoi Samcuia and Joao Wenne Dikuango, who have all passed away since. |