Long ago in the lush valleys of Mahé’s Victoria District, there lived a humble man named Etienne. He was known for his kindness but also for the deep loneliness that shadowed his heart. Though he worked hard in his garden each day, tending the bananas, coconuts, and cassava that kept him alive, he longed for companionship.
One evening, as Etienne rested under the shade of a tall banana tree, he whispered to the wind, “If only I could find a wife as gentle as the rain and as faithful as the soil.” The breeze carried his words away, but the forest seemed to listen.
That night, the moonlight shimmered on the leaves, and Etienne heard a soft voice singing among the banana trees. Startled, he rose and followed the sound. There, beneath the largest tree, stood a woman so beautiful that his heart nearly stopped. Her skin glowed like polished wood, her hair flowed like dark silk, and her eyes sparkled with the same green as the forest after rain.
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“Do not fear,” she said in a voice as calm as the river. “I am born of the tree you planted. You wished for love, and I have come to share your life.”
Etienne could hardly believe what he saw. “You are the spirit of the banana tree?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” she replied. “But only if you promise never to boast or speak of me to others. My heart is bound to yours, yet the world must not know.”
Etienne promised with all his soul. From that night, the Banana Tree Bride became his companion. She cooked, sang, and worked beside him in the garden. His home filled with laughter and peace. The crops grew twice as tall, and his neighbours began to wonder how such fortune had found him.
As the months passed, curiosity spread through the village. Some whispered that Etienne had found hidden treasure. Others claimed he had bargained with spirits. Each time people questioned him, he smiled and said nothing. Yet their suspicions grew, and so did his pride.
One evening, after drinking too much palm wine at a village feast, Etienne’s tongue loosened. When the others praised his prosperity, he laughed and said, “You think I am lucky? My wife is no ordinary woman. She is a spirit from the banana grove!”
The crowd gasped. Some laughed, thinking he joked. But when Etienne returned home, the air felt heavy and cold. The Banana Tree Bride stood silently at the doorway, her eyes filled with sorrow.
“You broke your promise,” she said. “You let pride tear apart the sacred bond between us. Now I must return to the earth from which I came.”
Etienne fell to his knees. “Please, forgive me! I will never speak again of what we shared.”
The spirit shook her head gently. “Love built on respect can endure anything, but love broken by pride cannot survive.” She kissed his forehead, and her form began to fade like mist under the morning sun. Only a single banana leaf drifted to the floor where she had stood.
From that day, Etienne’s garden lost its magic. The fruit grew small, and the soil hardened beneath his feet. He lived the rest of his days quietly, tending the same banana tree that had once given him love. At night, when the wind blew through its leaves, he sometimes heard her song again, soft and distant, reminding him of the love he had lost.
The people of Victoria District still tell his story when the moon shines bright over the hills. They say the Banana Tree Bride’s spirit lives in the gardens of those who plant with care, and that her voice can still be heard when the wind rustles through the green leaves at dusk.
Moral Lesson
The story teaches that love must be nurtured with humility and respect. Pride and boastfulness can destroy even the purest bond. Just as Etienne lost the spirit who loved him because he could not keep his promise, people must remember that sacred trust is more valuable than fame or praise.
Knowledge Check
Who was Etienne, and what was his greatest wish at the beginning of the story?
Etienne was a lonely farmer from Victoria District who wished for a loving and faithful wife.How did the Banana Tree Bride come into Etienne’s life?
She appeared as a spirit from the banana tree he had planted after hearing his wish whispered to the wind.What promise did Etienne make to the Banana Tree Bride?
He promised never to boast about her or reveal her spirit nature to anyone.What caused the Banana Tree Bride to disappear?
Etienne broke his promise by telling the villagers about her after becoming proud and careless.What change occurred in Etienne’s life after she left?
His crops lost their magic, and he lived in sadness, tending the same banana tree that once gave him happiness.What is the main moral of The Banana Tree Bride?
True love thrives only when it is protected by trust, humility, and respect.
Cultural Origin:
Source: Love and spirit tale, Victoria District, Mahé. Compiled by Marie Therese Lafortune in Creole Hearts and Spirits(1932).
