Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Abdu Rahim Ibrahim

Once upon a time there was a hyena, a lion and a fox and they were three good friends. These animals were so friendly that they had good unity. They talked to one another, they played together and did everything by helping each other.

One day, they got an animal and they slaughtered it. And they agreed to share the meat into three portions. The hyena was Abu Ali, the lion was Juma’a and the fox was Abu Hussein. The hyena, being very aggressive and greedy, took the job of sharing the meat into three portions. While he was doing so he put the best part of the meat towards himself, with good bones, since he likes bones. After the allocation was over, the three of them each had to take their share. Then the hyena's greed was so great that instead of taking one share, he took two shares for himself. The others were watching him.

“Where is our share? You took two and only one is left. Where is the share for the two of us?”

He replied, “You know I am so big and I eat so much, this is my habit and I must take the two shares.”

“Give us our shares,” they urged him, but he ignored them.

They were angry. Well, behind the lion and the fox other lions and foxes were watching and all of them altogether beat the hyena to death.

The three shares were remaining. Now the lion and the fox agreed to share the whole meat.

“Who should I be the one who does the sharing?” the lion says to the fox. “You know more about meat than I do. You can cut it into pieces well, so you have the responsibility to share it.”

So the fox, clever as he was, made seven pieces while the lion watched.

The lion said, “We are two. Why seven portions? I can’t understand.”

The fox said, “OK. This one is my breakfast. The second is my lunch. The third one is my supper.”

“What about the others?” the lion asked.

“Let me tell you,” said the fox. “This one is your breakfast, this one is your lunch and this one is your dinner.”

“What about the seventh piece?” asked the lion.

“How can you ask me such a question? You are a very strong animal and I have seen the death of the hyena. I would be foolish to take more. My dear master, the seventh one is for you.”

So saying, the cunning fox saved his life.

Seeing that the lion and the fox with all their relatives had killed the hyena, God thought it was not fair and he turned them into baboons. When the strong are many, they should not attack one person.