Once upon a time, in the rugged valleys and sunlit plains of Eritrea, an ape and a gazel met and began to disparage each other’s way of life. The gazel, curious and bold, decided to live with the ape to see firsthand how he survived in his world.
At first, the gazel became thirsty and turned to the ape. “Where is thy water? From where shall I drink?” she asked politely. The ape, eager to show her the provisions of his land, led her to a pit carved into the rock, filled with cold water, and said, “Drink from this!” Yet the gazel refused. Confused, the ape thought to himself, “Perhaps she dislikes this water.” Seeking to please her, he guided her to a nearby mountain spring, where crystal water bubbled from the rocks. Still, the gazel did not drink.
The ape wondered why she would refuse such nourishment. Only then did he realize that the gazel’s sustenance was not water but the air itself; she drank from the breeze and the stormy winds of her homeland. Here, in the narrow valleys of the ape’s territory, there was no strong wind to quench her thirst. Seeing the ape’s confusion, the gazel asked, “Is this all that you drink, or do you have something else?”
The ape replied, “This is all that I drink.” The gazel looked at him, shaking her slender head, and said, “May thy drink be bad, o Ab-Gaharu! My drink is the breeze and the stormy wind.”
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Curious and a little proud, the ape said, “Let me see thy drink also!” The gazel agreed and led him down from the valleys into the open plains. She took him to the crest of a high sand-hill, where the wind rushed freely across the landscape. “Here,” she said, “this is my drink.” The ape felt the breeze whirl around him, but he was unaccustomed to such nourishment.
As the sun rose high and the heat grew unbearable, the ape struggled. The stormy wind of the plains could not satisfy his thirst. “May thy drink be bad, o little gazel! My drink is the spring, the pit, and the well,” he cried, exhausted. The intense sun and unfamiliar sustenance penetrated deep into his heart, and he could endure no more. Soon, the ape succumbed to the heat and died.
Thus, the story concludes with a simple truth: each being thrives in the way nature intended, and for everyone, their own way of living is the best.
Moral Lesson
This Tigréan folktale teaches that every creature, and by extension every person, has a way of life suited to their nature and environment. Attempts to impose one’s habits or beliefs on another may lead to suffering or failure. Respecting diversity and understanding that different lifestyles sustain different beings is essential for harmony and survival.
Knowledge Check
Who were the main characters of the folktale?
The ape (Ab-Gaharu) and the gazel.
What was the gazel’s primary form of sustenance?
She drank from the air, the breeze, and the stormy wind.
Why did the ape show the gazel the water in the pit and mountain spring?
To demonstrate his own way of life and provide her with nourishment.
What caused the ape to die in the story?
The heat of the sun and his inability to drink the breeze, which was the gazel’s sustenance.
What lesson does the folktale teach about lifestyles?
Every being thrives best in its own natural way; one’s method of living may not suit another.
What is the cultural origin of this folktale?
Tigréan folktale from Eritrea.
Source: Tigréan folktale, Eritrea
