Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Duwal Pul

Long ago there were two friends who were very poor. They grew up together facing many hardships. In fact, they spent most of their time collecting wood. If they got money they could only spend it on food. It was a really hard life.

Then, one day, one of them said, “How long are we going to live such desperate lives? Let’s starve for a day or two and with that money enter the lottery. We might win the jackpot!”

His friend said, “No, I don’t want to starve, I’d rather eat my share!”

So one of the friends starved and bought a ticket, and the one with food said, “Let me draw the lottery for you,” and he took it.

When the day of the draw came, that ticket won the jackpot.

The friend who had paid for the ticket was delighted that he’d won and went running to his friend, but the man had already drawn the money and chased him away, saying, “I don’t even know who you are, you’re a stranger.”

Then he bought a large villa and a car and he got married. But the other one was back collecting sticks and selling them in the market.

Now, one day, the rich man’s wife saw him in the market. She knew he had been her husband’s friend, so she gave him her goods to carry to the house, and she took him in and gave him food. After that, she always made him carry her goods from the market and she would give him food. So they got talking and he told her all about the past and how her husband had betrayed him.

And the wife was so angry that she took out all the money from a box and gave it to the friend, saying, “This is rightfully yours.”

When her husband came home, he became very angry when he saw there was no money. His wife told him that a thief had probably come and stolen the money. But he was so angry that he chased her away and burnt down the house.

After some time, he had to sell all his assets, and he became poorer and poorer. Then, one day, as he was walking along he met his friend, and he had heard rumours that his friend had become quite rich.

So he said to his friend, “I’ve heard you became quite rich, why couldn’t I come and visit you at your house?”

So the friend said, “OK,” and he took him and showed him his modest house and car and all his riches and said, “Now you’ve seen all that I have, but I never want to see you again.”

And he called the elders and told them, “This man deceived me long ago, and when I was poor he never even visited me once, but now that I’m rich he comes to see me. So I want you, the elders, to forbid him to come to my house again.”

The elders considered the story and how the man had been deceived over the lottery ticket, and they approved that the two former friends should never see one another again.