In a large village in Northern Zambia lived a schoolboy named Biti Mupalume. Biti was still young and was attending school, where he had reached Grade 7. Like other children his age, he was expected to concentrate on his studies and prepare for his future. But there was something Biti loved even more than his schoolwork. He loved football.
Whenever a football match was being organised, Biti wanted to play. Wherever people called him to join a team, he quickly became one of the best players on the field. His skill was so remarkable that people began talking about him wherever he went.
One day, Biti was invited to play football in Mporokoso. He travelled there and joined the game, and once again his talent immediately attracted attention. He played with confidence and showed the kind of skill that made spectators forget that he was still a schoolboy.
Biti’s reputation continued to grow until news reached him about an unusual challenge from Chitimukulu, a powerful chief. The chief had announced that any man who could defeat eleven players in a football match would receive an extraordinary reward.
The challenge attracted attention throughout the area.
When Biti heard about it, he did not hesitate. He believed in his ability and decided that he would accept the challenge. He travelled to meet Chitimukulu and prepared himself for the match.
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The day of the contest eventually arrived.
The opposing side had eleven players.
Biti stood alone.
There was no large team surrounding him. He did not even have a goalkeeper to support him. Yet he stepped onto the field with confidence, ready to face the eleven players himself.
The match began.
As Biti moved across the field with the ball, the spectators erupted with excitement. People began calling his name, praising him as he moved past the opposition. The sound of the crowd grew louder as Biti demonstrated his extraordinary football skills.
His fame seemed to follow him wherever he went.
Even his football boots became part of the legend. As he walked across the dusty ground, the marks left by his boots appeared to carry his name. His jersey also bore the name Biti Mupalume, making the young footballer’s identity impossible to forget.
The match became a spectacle.
Biti played with such exaggerated strength and confidence that the spectators were amazed by what they saw. His kicks were described as extraordinarily powerful, and the people watching reacted with laughter and excitement as the young player continued to dominate the match.
The eleven players could not stop him.
Biti defeated them.
His victory was so remarkable that his name became even more famous. The schoolboy who had once simply enjoyed playing football had become a celebrated figure whose reputation had spread far beyond his village.
But the football contest was only the beginning of Biti’s extraordinary fortune.
After his victory, he was told that he would receive a remarkable reward connected to Chitimukulu’s family. The young footballer had not only proved his ability on the field. His victory had placed him in a position where his life was about to change completely.
Then something unexpected happened.
The woman Biti was supposed to receive had already given birth to twins.
The children were two girls.
This created a new question.
Who was their father?
Chitimukulu wanted to know who had fathered the children. The people gathered together, and the question was put before them.
The children were eventually brought forward.
When asked to identify their father, they did not point to the men who were gathered there.
Instead, when Biti appeared, the children pointed toward him.
They identified Biti as their father.
The story then took another remarkable turn.
Chitimukulu rewarded Biti by giving him the chiefdom.
The young schoolboy who had become famous because of his football skills was now destined to become a ruler.
Biti’s journey was extraordinary. He had begun as an ordinary schoolboy who loved football. His talent had taken him from his school and village into a major contest, where he faced eleven opponents alone and emerged victorious.
His victory brought him fame.
His fame brought him an unexpected reward.
And that reward eventually placed him in a position of leadership.
The story presents Biti as a larger than life young hero whose confidence and extraordinary ability allow him to overcome obstacles that would have seemed impossible for someone his age.
He does not become famous because he was the strongest warrior or the wealthiest young man.
He becomes famous because of a talent he developed through something he loved.
Football gave Biti a way to distinguish himself.
His confidence gave him the courage to accept a challenge that others might have considered impossible.
And his victory changed the direction of his life.
By the end of the tale, Biti is no longer simply the schoolboy who loved football.
He has become Biti Mupalume, the celebrated football hero whose name echoes across the field and whose extraordinary success eventually places him at the head of a chiefdom.
His story reminds us that sometimes an unexpected talent can open a door to a future that a person never imagined.
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Moral Lesson
The story celebrates talent, confidence and determination. Biti’s love for football becomes the quality that sets him apart and ultimately changes his circumstances.
However, the tale also presents a more complicated picture of youthful ambition. Robert Cancel notes that Biti’s character is deliberately exaggerated and that the story was performed as a humorous young men’s tale. His confidence, boldness and disregard for ordinary expectations are part of what makes the story entertaining.
The deeper lesson is that talent can create opportunities, but talent should ideally be accompanied by responsibility and good judgment.
Knowledge Check
1. Who was Biti Mupalume?
Answer: Biti Mupalume was a schoolboy from a large village who became famous for his extraordinary football ability.
2. What grade had Biti reached?
Answer: Biti had reached Grade 7.
3. What did Biti love doing?
Answer: Biti loved playing football and was known for being exceptionally talented at the game.
4. What challenge did Biti accept?
Answer: He accepted a football challenge in which he had to defeat eleven opposing players.
5. What happened after Biti won the football contest?
Answer: His victory brought him an extraordinary reward and eventually led to his being given the chiefdom.
6. Why is Biti remembered as a football legend in the story?
Answer: His extraordinary skill, confidence and remarkable victory over eleven opponents made him a celebrated figure whose fame transformed his life.
Source
Robert Cancel, Storytelling in Northern Zambia: Theory, Method, Practice and Other Necessary Fictions (2013), “Tabwa Storytelling 3,” told by Chipioka Patrick.
