Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Odolla Owar

The baboon, the monkey and the fox lived in the house of a chief. Whenever they were sent to bring something, the baboon and the fox used to carry the heavy loads, but the monkey always got out of it.

One day, they went to bring something for the chief. As usual, the fox and baboon carried the heavy loads and the monkey’s was light. When they reached the bush, the fox and the baboon went off to discuss how they could kill this tricky monkey.

When they came home, the fox and baboon came first, leaving the monkey behind, and said to the lion chief, “Why have you got bare feet and are not wearing shoes at all? All the shoes in the village are made by the monkey. When he comes, call him and tell him to sew some shoes for you.”

So the lion chief called him and said, “Why do you make me suffer by not making shoes for me? Make some for me.”

When he thought about it, the monkey was confused because he doesn’t know how to make shoes, but he’s scared to say so or the chief will be angry.

He said, “I know how to make shoes but they can only be made from the skin of the baboon and the spinal cord of the fox.”

So the baboon and the fox were killed.

After they were skinned, the skins were given to the monkey to put into water to soften. The monkey threw the skins into very deep water. Then he saw his reflection and stayed for three days.

Then the chief called him and said, “By now the skins are soft and they’re ready to be made into shoes.”

When the monkey went to the river, he saw his reflection again and he had an idea.

He ran back to the lion chief and said, “In the water there’s a very big lion like you, who wants to kill me.”

So the lion chief went back with him. When they came to the river, the monkey stayed behind, but the lion chief saw his own reflection.

He roared and the reflection roared, so the lion jumped into the river to fight the other lion and was drowned.