In the time when animals walked and talked as freely as humans do today, a terrible famine swept across the land like a merciless wind. The rains had failed for many seasons, and the earth lay parched and barren under the scorching sun. Rivers that once flowed with crystal-clear water now showed only cracked mud beds, and the once-lush forests had withered to brown, brittle skeletons of their former glory. Every creature, from the tiniest ant to the mightiest elephant, felt the gnawing pain of hunger in its belly.
During these dark days of scarcity, when even the most resourceful animals struggled to find a single morsel to eat, the clever lizard discovered something extraordinary. As he wandered through the desolate landscape searching desperately for food, his keen eyes spotted movement near what appeared to be an ordinary hillside. Curious by nature and driven by hunger, the lizard crept closer and concealed himself behind a withered bush.
What he witnessed filled him with amazement and hope. A local farmer, his face weathered by years of toil under the African sun, approached a large, moss-covered rock that seemed no different from countless others scattered across the countryside. But this rock held a secret that would change everything. With practiced movements, the farmer rolled the heavy stone aside, revealing the dark mouth of a hidden cave that had been perfectly concealed from prying eyes.
Also read: Ijapa and the Sky Feast
The farmer disappeared into the mysterious cavern’s depths, and within minutes, he emerged carrying an armful of fresh, golden yams that seemed to glow with promise in the harsh sunlight. These weren’t the shriveled, pathetic roots that occasionally turned up in the drought-stricken fields – these were plump, healthy tubers that made the lizard’s mouth water with desperate longing. After carefully replacing the stone to hide the entrance once more, the farmer walked away, completely unaware that he had been observed.
The lizard’s heart pounded with excitement and fear as he waited for the farmer to disappear completely from sight. When he was certain the coast was clear, he scurried to the rock and, using all his strength, managed to roll it aside just enough to squeeze through the narrow opening. Inside the cave, his eyes widened in absolute wonder. Stack upon stack of perfect yams filled the cool, dark space – more food than he had seen in all the long months of famine combined.
Taking only what he needed for one meal, the lizard selected a single yam and carefully rolled the stone back into place. His mother had taught him that patience and moderation were virtues that would serve him well in life, and even in his desperate hunger, he remembered her wisdom. Day after day, the lizard returned to the secret cave, always taking just one yam, always ensuring that the entrance remained perfectly hidden.
For weeks, this routine continued, and the lizard began to regain his strength and vitality. His scales, which had grown dull during the famine, started to shimmer once again in the sunlight. But his good fortune was about to take an unexpected turn.
One afternoon, as the lizard made his way home with his daily yam clutched carefully in his claws, he encountered the tortoise trudging wearily along the dusty path. The tortoise’s eyes immediately fixed on the plump yam, and his expression transformed from exhaustion to intense curiosity.
“My friend,” called the tortoise in his slow, deliberate voice, “where in this barren wasteland did you manage to find such a magnificent yam? I have searched everywhere, and there is nothing but dust and dried leaves.”
The lizard hesitated, knowing that sharing secrets could be dangerous, but the tortoise’s pleading eyes stirred something within him. Perhaps it was loneliness from keeping such a momentous secret, or maybe it was genuine compassion for a fellow creature’s suffering. After making the tortoise promise with the most solemn oath to tell absolutely no one about what he was about to reveal, the lizard agreed to share his discovery.
“Meet me tomorrow before the first rooster crows,” whispered the lizard. “I will show you something that will change your life forever.”
As dawn painted the sky with the faintest blush of pink, the two friends crept through the morning shadows toward the hidden cave. The tortoise’s excitement was palpable as he followed the lizard’s lead, his heavy shell making soft scraping sounds against the rocky ground. When they reached the secret location and the lizard rolled away the stone, the tortoise gasped in complete amazement.
The cave was even more magnificent than the lizard had described. Mountains of golden yams stretched back into the darkness, representing more food than the tortoise had ever imagined in his wildest dreams. But unlike his friend, the tortoise was not content with moderation. Greed, that ancient enemy of wisdom, began to whisper seductive thoughts into his mind.
The lizard, following his usual practice, selected one perfect yam and prepared to leave. “Come, my friend,” he urged the tortoise. “We should go quickly before anyone discovers us here.”
But the tortoise was deaf to his companion’s sensible advice. His eyes gleamed with avarice as he began stuffing yam after yam into every crevice and fold of his shell. “Just a few more,” he muttered to himself, completely lost in his greed. “I must take enough to last for weeks and weeks.”
As the morning sun climbed higher in the sky, the tortoise continued his frenzied collecting, heedless of the growing danger. The lizard, growing increasingly nervous about the approaching daylight, finally gave up trying to convince his friend to leave and hurried home alone. By the time he reached his dwelling, he had already finished his breakfast and settled down for a peaceful afternoon nap.
Meanwhile, disaster was approaching the cave with swift, angry footsteps. The farmer, making his regular visit to check on his precious store of yams, arrived to find the tortoise still frantically gathering as much food as his shell could hold. The man’s face flushed with rage at discovering this blatant theft of his carefully preserved food supplies.
“Thief! Scoundrel!” roared the farmer, grabbing the terrified tortoise by his shell. “How did you discover my secret cave? Who else knows about this place?”
The tortoise, trembling with fear and unable to think of any clever excuse, immediately confessed everything. “It was the lizard!” he cried desperately. “The lizard brought me here! He’s the one who’s been stealing from you all this time!”
Filled with righteous anger, the farmer dragged the tortoise straight to the lizard’s home, where they found the clever reptile lying peacefully on his back, apparently enjoying a midday rest in the shade of his favorite rock.
“Is it true that you brought this thief to my cave?” demanded the farmer, his voice shaking with fury.
The lizard looked up with perfectly innocent eyes and spoke in a weak, pitiful voice. “Honored farmer, I’m afraid there must be some terrible mistake. I’ve been feeling dreadfully ill all day and haven’t left my home at all. How could I possibly have taken anyone anywhere when I can barely move from this spot?”
The farmer studied the lizard’s seemingly frail condition and then turned his blazing anger back toward the tortoise. Without another word, he lifted the heavy tortoise high above his head and hurled him against the nearest stone wall with all his might.
The tortoise’s beautiful, smooth shell shattered into countless pieces with a sound like breaking pottery. As he lay there in agony, surrounded by the fragments of what had once been his perfect armor, the tortoise cried out in desperation to the insects of the forest. Taking pity on the foolish creature, ants and beetles and termites came crawling from every corner of the woodland. Working together with the patience and skill that only insects possess, they carefully collected every single piece of the broken shell and painstakingly glued them back together with tree sap and mud.
And so it was that the tortoise came to have his distinctive cracked shell, a permanent reminder of how greed and the betrayal of friendship can lead to lasting consequences.
Moral lesson
This ancient tale teaches us that greed destroys friendships and brings misfortune upon ourselves. The tortoise’s desire for more than he needed led not only to his physical punishment but also to the loss of trust from someone who had shown him kindness. Meanwhile, the lizard’s betrayal of his friend, though it saved him from immediate consequences, revealed the fragility of bonds broken by selfishness and fear.
Knowledge Check
Q: Why did the tortoise’s shell become cracked according to this folktale? A: The tortoise’s shell was shattered when the angry farmer threw him against a wall as punishment for stealing yams from the secret cave. Forest insects later reassembled the broken pieces, creating the distinctive cracked pattern.
Q: What moral lesson does this African folktale teach about greed? A: The story demonstrates that excessive greed leads to downfall and suffering. While the lizard took only what he needed and remained safe, the tortoise’s insatiable desire for more yams resulted in his capture and punishment.
Q: How did the lizard betray his friend the tortoise in this story? A: When confronted by the farmer, the lizard denied knowing the tortoise or taking him to the cave, pretending to be sick and lying on his back all day, thus abandoning his friend in his moment of need.
Q: What does the secret cave symbolize in this traditional folktale? A: The hidden cave represents opportunity and abundance, but also tests character. It reveals the difference between wisdom (taking only what’s needed) and folly (succumbing to greed).
Q: What role does the famine play in this African folktale’s narrative? A: The famine serves as the catalyst that drives both characters to desperate measures, setting up the moral test between moderation and greed when abundance is finally discovered.
Q: How does this story explain a natural phenomenon through folklore? A: This etiological tale provides a traditional explanation for why tortoises have cracked, segmented shells, connecting natural observation with moral storytelling typical of African oral tradition.
