Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by John Kurang

The fox was preparing his field to be cleared. He went to collect people to clear it for him. He came to the dog early in the morning.

“Tomorrow morning there’s work to be done in my garden.”

The dog asked, “Have you asked my enemy, the leopard? Won’t he come and kill me?”

“No,” said the fox, “I didn’t invite him. It’s only you and me.”

So the dog agreed to come.

Then the fox went to the leopard.

“Tomorrow we’re going to work in my field,” he said.

“Alright,” said the leopard. “I’ll come and help you.”

He contacted the sheep next.

“Tomorrow we’re going to work in my field,” he said. “Come and help me.”

“Did you invite my enemy, the hyena?” asked the sheep.

He said, “No, it’s only you and me.”

But then he went and invited the hyena.

“Tomorrow we’re going to work in my field,” he said, “Come and help.”

The hyena agreed.

“All right, I’ll come,” he said.

Then the fox went to the hen.

“Tomorrow we’re going to work in my field,” he said.

“But I have many enemies,” said the hen. “Have you invited them?”

“No,” said the fox. “Only you and me.”

So the hen said, “OK.”

Then the fox went to the hen’s enemies and said, “Tomorrow we’re going to work in my field. Can you help me?”

“OK,” they said. “We’re coming.”

All the workers asked him, “What are we going to eat while we’re working in your field?”

“Don’t worry,” said the fox. “I’m going to prepare a very nice wine.”

So all the animals brought their hoes and came to the fox’s field. The first one to be called, the dog, came. Then the leopard came and he saw the dog which he wanted to kill and eat. The sheep was afraid when she saw the hyena. And the dog and hen were afraid too.

They started work and went on till eight o’clock.

Then the workers said, “What about the wine that the fox promised us yesterday? Where is it? We want to drink.”

The fox said, “Wait a moment. I’m going to arrange everything.”

Then they went on working, but at nine o’clock they sat down because they were exhausted.

They said to the fox, “Why are you delaying? Look, we’re exhausted. Why don’t you bring the wine so that we can help ourselves?”

So the fox said, “I’m tired of your complaints. Let each of you go and eat whatever you can eat.”

And then the confusion came, as the predators caught their victims and killed them and ate them for lunch.

The proverb is that this is like the working of the fox’s field.