Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Ay Nuria Yusuf Abdalha

There were two persons called Fatima Zikel and Ahmed Zikel who were brother and sister. They had a stepmother. One day the stepmother ordered Ahmed Zikel to bring fire by carrying it in his hands, and she ordered Fatima Zikel to bring water in a sieve. So the boy tried to pick up the fire in his bare hands and he was burnt. Imagine how a stepmother could be so cruel! Fatima Zikel tried hard to bring water in the sieve but she couldn’t.

While they were doing their jobs, Fatima Zikel calls to Ahmed Zikel, “Where are you, Ahmed Zikel?”

Ahmed says, “I am here, trying to pick up fire with my hands.” (refrain)

Ahmed calls out to her, “Where are you, Fatima Zikel?"

"I am over here, trying to fetch water with this sieve.” (refrain)

So they, Fatima Zikel and Ahmed Zikel, decided to separate and go in different directions, one to the east and one to the west. And they continued to live separately for a long time. Then, one day, through Allah’s wishes, they were able to communicate spiritually.

Fatima Zikel said, “Ahmed, where are you? What are you doing?”

Ahmed answered, “Fatima, I am here. Where are you?”

Fatima Zikel said, “I am here. Come to me.”

And they met and told each other everything.

Then the hyena came and said, “Who are you?”

They told him the whole story. So the hyena told them about his quarrel with the fox and asked them to make peace between him and the fox. The hyena in return promised to look after them. The hyena told them about the properties, the house and the sword, and the ox that the fox had cheated him of.

Then he said, “I have a son. Fatima, you can live with my son, and you, Ahmed can live with the fox.”

So they did and lived happily ever after.