Long ago, in the heart of Central Africa, there lived a man who journeyed down to a lonely river to fetch water. The sun was heavy on his back, and the forest whispered with the sounds of unseen creatures. When he reached the riverbank, he stopped in astonishment, for there, gathered at the water, were all the animals of the wilderness. The great and the small, the edible and the inedible, the fierce and the timid, all had come to drink.
The man, wary of being seen, crouched in the tall grass and hid himself. From his secret place he observed the animals. Once their thirst was quenched, the creatures lingered. The elephants frolicked together in playful romps, splashing mud on one another. The lions tussled in proud displays of strength, their golden manes glowing in the sun. The hyenas cackled and snapped among themselves, wrestling in mock battles. Every species kept to its kind, as though nature had called for a great gathering by the waterside.
As the man watched, marveling at the sight, something strange occurred. Down to the river came a small animal, no taller than a dog. It was the debbi. Though tiny in size, the debbi’s presence carried a weight far greater than its body. The moment it appeared, the entire riverbank erupted in chaos. Elephants trumpeted in fear, lions scattered into the tall grasses, and hyenas fled as if chased by fire. All creatures, whether mighty or meek, abandoned the riverbed at once, leaving only silence and dust behind.
READ THIS: The Lion, the Hyena, and the Fox: A Gabonese Folktale
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Thy wonder, O God!” he whispered. “What is this creature that even elephants fear?”
The debbi moved with calm dignity, unbothered by the panic it had caused. It lowered its head to the water, drank its fill, then climbed the bank. At a dry patch of earth, it rolled and wallowed before departing the way it had come. Soon the riverbank was empty once more.
The man emerged from hiding, his heart pounding with awe. “How can such a little one drive away all the mighty beasts of the forest?” he wondered. Curiosity drew him to the spot where the debbi had wallowed. There, gleaming in the dust, he found a single hair. Without hesitation, he picked it up and tied it carefully into the corner of his cloak, thinking little of its power.
Carrying his water, the man journeyed to a nearby village. But when he entered, the villagers took one look at him and fled in terror, abandoning their homes as if he were a monster. Stunned, the man continued on to another settlement, only to be met with the same reaction. Wherever he went, people scattered before him.
Confused and frightened, the man spoke aloud: “What has become of me, that men flee from me as though I were mad?”
In one village, however, a courageous man stood his ground. Planting his feet firmly, he called out: “You, stranger! What do you carry that terrifies us so?”
The weary traveler shook his head. “I carry no weapons,” he replied. “You flee from me of your own accord!”
The villager frowned. “No, there is something upon you. Do you perhaps carry a root or charm?”
At these words, the man remembered the hair. He explained everything: how he had hidden by the river, seen the animals scatter, watched the little debbi drink, and taken the hair from the place where it had wallowed.
The villager’s eyes gleamed. “Sell it to me,” he demanded. And so, with silver exchanged, the man gave up the strange hair.
The new owner sewed the hair carefully into a leather case and hung it about his neck as a talisman. From that day forth, people fled before him as before the debbi itself. His raids were unmatched, for no enemy could stand before his presence. Whatever he took, he carried home in triumph. When his village was attacked, he forced the raiders to surrender their loot without a fight. Men spoke in whispers of his power, for none dared challenge him.
But fate, as always, turned. One day he lost the talisman. Without the debbi’s hair, he was no longer feared. Warriors struck him down, and his body fell where once all men trembled before him.
From that time on, the people of Gabon say of anyone who carries a terrifying aura: “He has a hair of the debbi with him.”
The debbi itself remains a mystery. Sightings are rare, but when the creature does appear, men and beasts alike scatter in fear. Those who find one of its fallen hairs and wear it upon their bodies command dread and awe. And though the debbi is said to dwell mainly in the Gash-Barka region, it is seldom seen, an elusive shadow of the wilderness.
Moral Lesson
This tale teaches that power does not always reside in strength or size. The smallest creature can inspire the greatest fear, and the humblest possession can carry immense influence. Yet it also warns of the fragility of such power, built not on virtue but on fear, it vanishes the moment its source is lost. True strength is not in domination, but in wisdom, humility, and the lasting respect one earns from others.
Knowledge Check
What is the debbi’s size compared to other animals?
It is smaller than a dog, yet feared by all creatures.
What effect did the debbi have on animals at the river?
All animals, including elephants and lions, fled in terror.
What did the man find after the debbi wallowed?
He found a single hair, which he tied into his cloak.
Why did villagers flee from the man after he took the hair?
The hair carried the debbi’s fearful power, causing people to avoid him.
What happened when the talisman was lost?
The man who wore it was no longer feared and was killed by warriors.
Where is the debbi said to dwell?
In the Gash-Barka region, though it is rarely seen.
Source: Gabonese folktale, Central Africa.
