Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Peter Ochande

One day, in the compound of a king, a hippo climbed out of the river, and a man called Achur Ojalakoro said to the king, “If you give me only one bullet, I’ll shoot the hippo through the eye.”

The king said, “No, don’t try,” but at last Achur persuaded him.

He was given the bullet and the gun, and he killed the hippo at once, and told everyone to get ropes and pull it out of the water. They went to check and it really was shot through the eye.

“Didn’t I tell you,” said Achur, “that I wouldn’t miss it?”

So they divided it up and ate it.