Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Niall Gatch

There was a man who lived not far outside of Gambela who liked to eat a lot. He had a good wife who used to make him a lot of food. For breakfast a lot of food, for lunch a lot of food and for supper a lot of food.

But after some time he had a problem and was put into the Gambela prison.

When he was put into prison, there was very little food, so he was afraid that if he ate a little food he would become hungry. So he decided that it was better not to eat than to eat little and stimulate his stomach. So one day went by and he ate no food, a second day went by and he ate no food, the third day went by and he ate no food.

But the prison warder became worried and he called the people and he said, “If this man does not eat, he will die and that’s not good.”

They said, “Yes, but the food here is not very good. His wife makes very good food.”

So he said, “OK, I’ll call his wife. Where is she?”

They told him she was in another town.

So he looked for a telephone and he called the man’s wife and said, “Your husband is not eating so please make as much food as possible and bring it to us.”

She immediately put down the phone and collected all her food and made lots and brought it to the prison.

The man was very happy and he ate all the food and called the prison warder.

And he said, “I’ve only been here three days and the village is a long way away. How did my wife come here so quickly?”

So the warder said, “I used telephone.”

But the man didn’t know what a telephone was, and thought it was a young girl who had run all the way to the village, and fetched his wife and made the food.

So he said, “Please show me telephone. I also want to marry her if she’s so fast.”