Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Yalemgeta Mamo

Once upon a time, Aleka Gebre Hanna, considered to be the most famous wise man, was suffering from sores. He went to a traditional medicine giver and the traditional medicine giver advised him that the treatment is too terrible, and he would not survive it.

Aleka said, “I must. I’ll suffer one day rather than many days.”

Finally the medicine man put a sharpened iron into the fire and when it was red hot he burned the sore.

At this time it was on his anus and his faeces came out and the medicine man said, “You are shitting.”

And Aleka replied, “What do you mean? When the house is burned, don’t you think the goods should be removed?”