Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Niall Gatch

Ganya and his son went into the forest to hunt, but they didn’t find any game and became very hungry. From morning till night they hunted and hunted without success, but at last they killed a hyena. Unfortunately the Nuers do not eat the hyena.

They said to each other, “What shall we do? If we don’t eat the hyena, we’ll die, but if we do, we’ll break our custom.”

They thought for a while and Ganya said, “Yes, I’ve got the answer. First let’s cut off the hyena’s head and throw it away.”

So they did.

He looked at the hyena and thought again.

“Now cut off the legs and throw them away,” he said.

So they did.

“Now cut off the tail,” said Ganya.

So they did.

Then Ganya said, “OK, now it’s a buck. Let’s skin it and cook it and eat it now.”

So it is the story.