The Wise Man and His Sons
A long time ago there was a wise old man who was respected throughout Kenya because of his wisdom. When he grew old and feeble and realized that his days were coming to an end, he called his six sons to his bedside to deliver his will. ‘My dear sons,’ he said, ‘I am growing weak and old, and one of these days am going to die and leave you to take care of my wealth and perpetuate this family. I have great confidence in you, but I want to warn you that unless you live in unity and harmony you could easily get destroyed by your enemies.’ ‘We promise you father,’ they replied, ‘that we shall live in unity, and we shall uphold the respect you gained over the years, and we shall take care of this family and defend our property.’ ‘Once upon a time,’ he began, ‘cows lived in the wilderness like other wild beasts. They grazed in the jungle in large herds and were not afraid of the other animals. But they were constantly attacked by the other strong beasts like lions, leopards, elephants and when the cows realized that they could not live in peace in the jungle, they decided to seek help from men. They all agreed to live under the protection of men except for three stupid sister cows. Their names were Ndune (Red), Nyange (White), and Nguno (hornless). Ndune was as red as ochre and her eyes were fierce and had sparks like fire when she was angry. Her horns were long, sharp, and strong and she could scare any beast. Ndune was loved by her sisters dearly. Nyange had a white coat, as white as snow. She also had fierce horns, but looked more peaceful than Ndune, and was not so much feared, but when she was angry her white fur became whiter, and blinding to other animals. Nguno looked like a clown without horns, and annoyed other animals who regarded her as an abnormal creature of God who should not be attacked. ‘I think you know this story,’ he said ‘Yes,’ they replied, ‘but please continue, father.’ ‘One day lion, who was very clever, decided to divide the three sister cows, kill them one by one, and eat them. Lion had tried to catch them before. But the three cows had fought and killed many beasts. Nyange and Nguno would charge their assailant from back and front while Ndune would come from the side and, with her sharp fierce horns, fierce the enemy’s stomach, tear it open, and kill him instantly. Lion could not kill any of them unless he divided them and attached them separately. ‘So one day the clever lion went and spoke to Ndune. He told her that she was respected in the jungle for her fierce horns and her beautiful red coat. He told her that if she lived apart from her sisters she would never be attacked by anyone. She would be made the duchess of the whole jungle kingdom. Her sisters were very ugly and annoying and that is why the three of them were constantly attacked. Ndune was very much tempted to leave her sisters when she heard what the clever lion told her. Next the lion went to Nyange and praised her beauty. He told her that she was born a peacemaker because of her white coat, and that she should have spent much of her time seeking peace in the jungle. He told her that if she left her fierce and domineering sister Ndune, and also avoid the company of her monstrous and abnormal sister Nguno, then lion would make her the beauty queen of the jungle and find her a good husband there. Nyange was flattered and started to think about the idea of living apart from her sisters. ‘Finally the lion went to see Nguno. He told her that she was the most peaceful cow that ever existed, and that she was highly respected for her elegant hornless head. It was risky on her part to live with her sisters who were constantly attacked by savage beasts because of their fierce horns and their provocative coats. Lion promised to protect Nguno if she deserted her sisters at once. Nguno, who was getting tired of fighting ceaseless battles was happy about this friendly gesture, and at once decided to desert her sisters without pausing to think it over.’ ‘No sooner did she leave her sisters than she was caught by lion and killed. ‘Nyange also slipped away from Ndune the following day and went to look for lion so that she could be made the jungle queen of beauty. She too was caught and killed. Now Ndune was left alone, and she was also caught and killed. That was the fate of the three stupid cows. Had they continued to live together in unity, they would have lived.’ ‘It is a very good story, father,’ said the six sons,’ and it has a great lesson in it. We shall continue to live in unity.’‘ Good, my sons,’ the old man continued, ‘I am very pleased to hear that, and I know that you will not let me down. I have one more example to show you, come closer.’ At this point he showed them six sticks, equal in size. He gave one to each of the sons. ‘Break them in two, please,’ he commanded. The sons broke the sticks at one go. He asked them to break them into smaller bits, and this they did. Then he produced a bundle to his sons, and asked to pass it to one another, to examine it closely and see how it was bound. Then he asked them to break the bundle, and they all tried one after the other. None of them could manage to break the bundle, and he took it back intact. ‘You see, my sons,’ each one of you is like these cows or these sticks,’ he said. ‘If you are not united you will be destroyed like the three cows that were devoured by lion, or like the six sticks you have just destroyed. But if you stay together like this bundle of sticks, you will defeat your enemies, and you will be able to protect your property and sustain this family.’ ‘Yes, father,’ replied his sons, ‘unity is strength and we shall always remain united.’
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A girl went to the river to get some water. As she was filling her water container, she saw a young man who came and greeted her.
Then the young man asked her to give him water to drink. When he had drunk the water, he asked her to give him one of her breasts. She thought about it, and asked him, “What do you want my breast for?” He replied, “I want to suck from it.” So she let him suck from her breast; but he removed it, as well as one of her arms, and ate them. She used the other hand and continued to fill the water container. When the water container was full, the young man helped her place it on her back and she went home. He told her not to mention anything about him in connection with the missing breast and arm, or else he would come and kill her. When the girl got home, she put down the water container and went into her bedroom and slept. When those of her family asked her if she was feeling well or not, she replied that she had a fever, and went on sleeping. They give her gruel to eat and asked her to get out of her bed, but she refused to get out. The following morning, they asked her to get up so that she could eat, but again she refused, and so they fed her there. But when people went away, she got up, washed her wounds and dressed them with medicinal herbs. As soon as she heard people coming, she went back to her bed. This went on for several days. One of her brothers decided one day to hide himself nearby, so that he could watch and see exactly what happened when the rest of the family went away to work in the fields. So while she was in the middle of washing and dressing her wound, he appeared and asked her to tell him how and when that had happened. He asked her, “Who cut your breast and arm?” But she was afraid to die and she did not tell him. Her brother insisted on knowing how it had happened. So the girl told him to gather all the other people, relatives and neighbours, before she told him. He did so. They all came together and fenced all around the home, and the men arrayed themselves ready to fight if need be. The girl came out and sat in their midst. They asked when she had fallen ill, and her parents said when. They then asked her how it had happened and she explained exactly how she has lost her breast and arm. As soon as she finished relating her story, she heard: Beautiful girl, beautiful girl, Why do you expose me? She answered, You open, you open And leave alone all but one, My handsome brother is he Who caused me to mention you She realized that the young man was an iimu, and he was now coming from the river to eat her. All the men started shooting their arrows at the iimu, but the iimu came nearer and nearer, and the men shot more and more arrows until the arrows were flying about like locusts. The iimu came to the wooden stockade and started removing it so that he could read the girl, and the people continued to shower their arrows on him. He started eating up some of the men, women and children whom he found on the way, and finally reached the girl. He seized her and swallowed her, but he then fell down dying, because of the many arrow shots he had received. As he was dying, he called out to the few surviving men and said “Cut off my two little fingers and toes, and shave all my hair. Then burn them and grind them into a powder, and you see all your friends and relatives come to life again.” The iimu died, and the people did as they had been hidden. Suddenly they saw all their dead friends and kinsmen come to life again, and they were all greatly amazed. They were all living people together again. The girl also came back to life, with her breast and hand restored to her. (Adapted from Akamba stories by J. Mbiti)
Elephant learns some manners
One day elephant came across Squirrel on the path to the river. The proud and lordly Elephant swept Squirrel off the path with his trunk, rumbling, ‘Out of my way, you of no importance and tiny size.” Squirrel was most offended, as he had every right to be. Stamping his little feet in a rage, he decided that he was going to try and teach elephant some manners. “Ho!” shouted Squirrel indignantly, “you may be very tall and you may be very proud and I bet you think you’re the greatest animal on earth, but you’re much mistaken!” Elephant looked round in surprise. “I am not mistaken Squirrel,” he rumbled, “I am the greatest, and everyone knows it.” “Let me tell you something Elephant,” said Squirrel chittering angrily and flicking his tail, “I may be small, but I can eat ten times as much as you! I challenge you to an eating contest - and I bet you that I, Squirrel, can eat more palm nuts, and for a longer time, than you, high and mighty Elephant!” Elephant roared with laughter. He was so amused in fact that he accepted the tiny creature’s challenge. Besides, he was rather fond of palm nuts. So both animals collected a huge pile of palm nuts and agreed to start the contest the very next morning at first light. Elephant could hardly wait. He even skipped his evening meal of acacia pods so as to be truly empty for the morning. He intended to put Squirrel firmly in his place once and for all. The next day dawned fine and sunny as often does in Africa and the two contestants started to eat. Elephant muched steadily through his pile, with a fine appetite. Squirrel, nibbling away furiously, was soon full to bursting. Quietly, he skipped away, sending a cousin who was hiding nearby to take his place. Elephant was so absorbed in his greedy task that he didn’t even notice. Brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts - one hungry squirrel after another took a turn at the pile of palm nuts. Eventually at midday Elephant looked up. “Well, Squirrel, have you had enough yet? He asked, surprised to see his small adversary still busily eating. Not only was he still eating, but his pile of palm nuts was disappearing almost as fast as Elephant’s own. “Not yet!” mumbled Squirrel, his mouth full, “and you?” “Never!” replied Elephant scornfully. And he started to eat a little faster. By the time the sun was setting, Elephant was so full he could hardly stand. He looked over to where Squirrel (the original squirrel, who had come back after a day of sleeping in a nearby tree), was still eating more palm nuts. Elephant groaned. “Truly you are amazing, Squirrel,” he said. “I cannot go on and I’m forced to admit that you have won the contest.” And he lifted his trunk in salute. Squirrel, hopping with delight, thanked Elephant and told him not to be so proud in future. And from that day to this, Elephant has always shown great respect for Squirrel. (When Hippo was Hairy and Other Tales from Africa, Lutterworth Press, 1990) Read the following narrative and answer the questions that follow.
The Black and the Red God
Once there were two gods, the black god and the red god. The black god was very humble, kind and loving, while the red god was malevolent and did not care about the people at all. These gods lived together away up in heaven but the black god lived below the red god, therefore closer to the people on the earth. One day, famine spread allover the world. Cattle could find neither grass to eat nor water to drink and they were almost dying of starvation. Then the black god spoke to the red god and said, “ Let us give people water for they are about to starve to death.” The red god was reluctant to let the people have water, for he hard no liking for them, but after much pleading from the black god, he relented. It was then agreed that water was to be released from heaven to earth. When this was done, it rained very hard or many days. After sometimes, the red god said to the black god.” You can now hold back the water, for the people have had enough.” The black god answered; “ let us leave it for a few more days for the earth has been parched dry”. This was done, and when the red god again told the black god to hold back the water, he did so and the rain stopped falling. A few more days elapsed and the black god now asked the red god to release some more water for the people. The red god refused; and there ensued an argument between them, with the red god threatening to wipe out all the people, whom he described as having been spoilt, and the black god struggling to prevent him from doing so. And so, upto this day, when one hears loud thunder, it is the red god tying to get past the black god to wipe out the people of the earth. But when the sound of thunder is not very loud ,it is the black god who is trying to prevent the red god from killing the people. Kipsigis Story
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