A long time ago, deep in the African jungle, there was a clearing where a particular tribe had built their huts and lived peacefully. In their midst were a skinny older man and his wife, a thin older woman. These two were always complaining of their hunger and poverty. Naturally, all the good neighbours took pity on them and often invited them to share a meal with them. However, whenever they visited a hut, they made it a point to steal something to keep for themselves. Soon the kind neighbours started suspecting the old couple. Their suspicion was confirmed one day when the skinny old couple stole a leather bag full of cowrie shells from a sick man.
The sick man was too sick to get up from bed when the couple stole into the hut and carried the bag away. In those days, the cowrie shells were used in the place of money, and a bag full of cowrie shells meant a very great fortune. Hence, it would be a very great loss for the sick man to lose them. Even in his delirious condition, the sick man recognized the old couple and shouted with all his might for help. By the time the neighbours heard his cries and came to his aid, the scraggy old couple had run away to hide the treasure.
The neighbours searched the couple's poor shabby hut thoroughly but could not find any trace of the bag. To add to this, the old man and his wife stoutly denied having anything to do with it and insisted that it was all the ravings of a very sick man, who was imagining things. But as soon as the neighbours left their hut to think things over, the old couple grabbed the bag of cowries from the hiding place and started running towards the deep jungle. Just in time someone spotted them and raised an alarm. And so, all the village came running after the culprits.
To escape from them, the skinny old couple clambered up a tall stout tree and decided to wait there until the people moved away. However, the people were determined to catch the cunning old scarecrows and punish them severely. For a long time, the people were sitting and standing around the tree. Some of them even started building small shelters all around to cook their food. Soon the whole village built several huts there to keep watch over the old couple. Days and months and years passed. While the people kept their vigil, the skinny old couple still clung to the top of the tree.
From the many huts down below, the rich smell of fried fish and fowl came up to their nostrils and turned them inside with longing.
The couple felt more and more miserable, day by day, due to their increased hunger, but all they could do was to eat the fruits of the tree first, then the leaves. During wintertime, when there was nothing else growing on the tree, the hungry old couple stripped off the bark of the tree and chewed it for food.
The cold and rain severely affected them at first, but soon they began to grow protective hair all over their bodies to keep them warm. Their hands gradually turned into rough claws, because they had clung on to the tree far too long. Now they had almost forgot ten how to speak.
Suddenly one morning, the skinny old man woke up and said, "I have a very peculiar feeling at the end of my spine, as if it is growing!"
The skinny old woman looked at him and said, "Indeed, you are growing a tail!"
They stared at each other for a moment, then the woman said, "I believe I too am growing a tail!"
"Indeed, you are growing a tail like mine!" exclaimed the skinny old man.
Those were the last human words they ever spoke to each other because all their speech afterwards turned into chattering and gibbering. They no longer resembled their former human selves.
As their tails grew longer and longer, they learned to jump from tree to tree. One day, while fighting over some fruit, they dropped the bag of cowries down on the ground. It never occurred to them to pick it up again, because b fruit, the, because b fruit, they dropped the bag of cowries down on the ground. It never occurred to them to pick it up again, because by then, they had completely forgotten the value of the cowrie shells.
The villagers waiting at the foot of the tree picked the bag up and shared the contents among themselves, as the sick man had already died, being tired of the long wait. Soon afterwards the scraggy old couple disappeared into the thick jungle.
Today, when monkeys come near the huts, the people jeer at them and day that they are the descendants of the skinny old couple, who stole the bag of cowrie shells long ago.
More Zambian folk-tales
Why the Jackal Howls at the Moon
Long, long ago, in the middle of a dark forest in the Congo, there lived a Jackal. He was big and strong, and all the other animals were afraid of him. At nightfall every evening, he would take his gold tipped bamboo spear and go out hunting.
One night, as he set out into the forest, the Moon, up in the sky, was watching him, as he hunted among the trees with his gold tipped spear. In a few hours' time, he had killed two Kudus and a wild Pig. The Moon became jealous of the Jackal's success and planned to steal the spear.
Why the Sky Is So High
According to an early Zambian belief, the sky was like a roof over the earth. It was so low that the people could reach and touch it. At certain places, it was even hanging down loose, like a mosquito net that we use over our bed at night.
The Gods and Spirits of our forefathers lived inside this sky, and they could always listen to the prayers, songs, chatter and squabbles taking place on Earth.
The sky was so low, that the people could talk to the Gods and get their wishes fulfilled immediately.
The Fourth Gourd of Cowrie
Chipila and Zongwe were friends. They lived in adjacent huts and owned adjacent pieces of land. They helped each other with the tilling, hoeing, sowing and reaping. They were such good friends, that people called them the Twin Gods.
A Different Baby
This story took place a long time ago, when strange things used to happen off and on. In those days a man and his wife lived in a country full of happy people. The couple had four healthy sons, but they yearned for a little daughter. When the wife was expecting their fifth child, they hoped it would be different this time, a girl child, for example. The man and his wife prayed day and night, repeating the same worlds, "Please, God, make it different this time, make it different this time."