Once upon a time, in the traditions of the Bakongo people of what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo, there lived a Gazelle and a Leopard who decided to work together as partners. They cleared a large tract of land, cultivated maize, cassava, sugarcane, and other crops, and felt proud of their efforts. When the farm was finally complete, they wished to celebrate their achievement with a great feast.
The Leopard proposed, “Let us buy a goat for the occasion.” But the Gazelle, never satisfied with modest things, suggested, “A goat is too small for such a feast. Let us buy a pig instead.”
The Leopard agreed, and together they purchased a large pig. After the animal had been prepared and cooked, the Gazelle turned to his friend and said slyly, “Friend Leopard, before we enjoy this fine meal, let us first go and bathe in the river. When we return, the food will taste even better.”
Trusting him, the Leopard accepted. At the riverbank, however, each insisted the other should dive first. At last, the Leopard leaped into the water, plunged beneath the surface, and quickly returned. The Gazelle laughed mockingly. “You call that a dive? Watch me and see how it should be done.”
The Gazelle plunged into the water but did not resurface immediately. Instead, he ran swiftly along the riverbed, emerging far away near the town. Without hesitation, he hurried back to Leopard’s house, devoured the entire pot of boiled pig, and then returned to the river, puffing and blowing as though he had swum a long way. “There,” he declared proudly, “that is how one truly dives.”
READ: The Leopard Pays Homage to the Goat : A Bakongo Folktale
When they walked back together, the Leopard discovered his pot empty. His wife, bewildered and ashamed, received harsh scolding and beatings from her husband for failing to guard the food. The Leopard turned to the Gazelle and said, “Uncle Gazelle, this is a disgrace. Someone has eaten our feast inside my very house. We must replace it with a goat.”
But the Gazelle, hiding his guilty satisfaction, replied coldly, “It was your house where the food disappeared. Therefore, you must pay for the goat yourself.”
The Leopard reluctantly killed one of his own goats, had it cooked, and then insisted, “This time we shall eat first, and bathe afterward.” Yet the Gazelle objected again, urging that they bathe first. Once more, Leopard gave in.
The trick was repeated. The Gazelle used the same deceitful tactic, and when Leopard returned, the food was gone. Again, Leopard’s wife was beaten, and again, the Gazelle excused himself from any blame. This cruel cycle repeated itself many times, each time costing Leopard another goat, each time humiliating his wife, and each time enriching the Gazelle with satisfaction at his clever tricks.
At last, weary of humiliation, the Leopard decided to end the mischief once and for all. He visited a local healer and obtained a powerful fetish known as nkondi, a spiritual figure believed by the Bakongo to punish wrongdoers and expose liars. The Leopard placed the nkondi inside his house and waited for the Gazelle’s return.
The following day, the Gazelle arrived as usual. But when he tried to enter the house, the fetish spoke in a deep, booming voice: “Ah, you are the thief who comes to eat my master’s goats. Go away, you scoundrel!”
The Gazelle was stunned. He shouted, “Come out and face me, and I will strike you down!”
The nkondi answered, “Step inside, if you dare, you thin-legged trickster.”
Furious, the Gazelle burst through the door and struck the nkondi. Instantly, his hand stuck fast. He struck again with the other hand, which also stuck. Desperate, he kicked, but both legs stuck too. In his rage, he lowered his horns and butted with his head, only to find that stuck as well.
Meanwhile, the Leopard waited at the riverbank, assuming the Gazelle had drowned. But when he returned to the village, he heard shouts and noise from his home. Rushing inside, he found the Gazelle bound fast to the fetish.
“Oh-ho!” cried the Leopard triumphantly. “So, it was you all along! No wonder you always wanted to bathe before we ate.”
The Gazelle begged, “Uncle Leopard, please free me. I will never do this again.”
But the Leopard only laughed. “First I shall eat, then I will decide.” And so, he sat down, ate his meal slowly, chuckling with each bite, while the Gazelle remained trapped and helpless.
When the Leopard had eaten his fill, he finally released the Gazelle, only to thrash him soundly for his deceit. Bruised and aching, the Gazelle limped away, his cleverness at last punished.
Moral Lesson
This Bakongo folktale teaches that cunning and deceit, though they may succeed for a time, always bring consequences. The Gazelle’s tricks brought temporary satisfaction, but in the end, his dishonesty destroyed his friendship and earned him disgrace and pain. True success rests not on trickery but on honesty and respect for others.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who were the main characters in this Bakongo folktale?
A1: The Gazelle, known for his cunning, and the Leopard, his hardworking but trusting friend.
Q2: What task did the Gazelle repeatedly trick the Leopard into?
A2: Bathing before eating, giving the Gazelle the chance to eat all the food first.
Q3: What cultural object was used to catch the Gazelle?
A3: The nkondi, a Bakongo spiritual figure believed to punish wrongdoing.
Q4: What lesson does the folktale emphasize?
A4: Deceit may succeed temporarily, but dishonesty leads to shame and punishment.
Q5: From which culture does this story originate?
A5: The Bakongo people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Q6: What role did Leopard’s wife play in the story?
A6: She suffered unjust beatings, symbolizing how deceit can cause innocent people to suffer.
Folktale Origin
Source: Bakongo folktale, Democratic Republic of Congo.
