Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Yirga Ejigu

Once frogs and rats gathered to discuss their relationship and they agreed to make a feast once a month, and they cast lots to choose who should make the first feast. The rats won the lot, and began preparing themselves for the feast. The feast passed off very well.

The next time was the frogs’ turn. So they started to worry about the situation because they had nothing in their hands, so they met to discuss what they should do.

One of the frogs said, “There's nothing to worry about. We are unique because we can live both on land and in the water. So, since we can’t have anything to make the feast, we can call the rats to come to a feast in the water.”

So all the rats came to the ceremony, and the frogs croak, “Come in! Come in!”

And one of the rats said, “How can we get into the water? If we do, we’ll drown.”

So the frogs showed them how to dive into the water, and one of the rats said, “What’s new? The frogs can do it.”

And he dived in.

The rest followed him. Plunge, plunge, plunge, plop and the frogs were waiting for them, saying, “Please drink! Please drink!”

And all the rats were drowned.

So to make an equal friendship hurts much.