Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Egassi Reta

In the olden days people gathered near the river and birbira trees were there, and they put the birbira fruits into the river to attract the fish and intoxicate them. When they were doing this, the water was rising and rising and rising.

After the water was rising, it divided into two, and all the men were pulled into the river. It opened and carried them away.

Some of the people were changed into elephants and some were changed into crocodiles and some of them got tails.

So, after being changed into elephants, crocodiles and monkeys, they built houses under the water in the sea and there they lived ever after.