Once upon a time, deep within the lush forests of the Congo, a Partridge carefully laid her eggs in a hidden nest. She nestled them tenderly, protecting them with all her devotion. But her peace was short-lived. A mighty Python, heavy and determined, slithered into the nest. With a menacing coil, the serpent wrapped her body tightly around the fragile eggs, claiming them as her own.
The poor Partridge trembled with fear and despair. Those eggs were not just shells in the nest, they were her children, her future, her very hope. With a desperate cry, she began calling for help, her voice echoing through the thick forest.
Before long, a powerful Buffalo came stomping through the trees. His horns were sharp, and his hooves thundered like drums on the earth. “What troubles you, little one?” he asked.
“The Python has stolen my eggs and coiled herself around them,” the Partridge replied in anguish. “I need someone wise enough to save them without harm.”
“Do not worry,” rumbled the Buffalo with pride. “I will trample her under my hooves.”
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But the Partridge shrieked in alarm: “No, not you! If you stamp on her, you will crush my precious eggs along with her body. I need wisdom, not force.”
The Buffalo shook his head, puzzled, and walked away, his heavy footsteps fading into the distance.
The Partridge cried again, her voice sharper now, filled with sorrow and urgency. Soon, the Elephant appeared, towering above the trees. His tusks gleamed, and his trunk swung with strength. “Why do you cry, little bird?” he asked in a deep, thunderous voice.
“My eggs! My eggs! The Python has taken them, and I need someone clever enough to free them without breaking them,” the Partridge pleaded.
The Elephant stamped the ground and bellowed, “I will crush her with my weight until she is nothing but pulp!”
The Partridge flapped her wings in horror. “No, no, not you! Your power is too great, your body too heavy. My eggs are too fragile. You will destroy what I love most.”
The Elephant sighed, unable to understand how his strength could not solve the problem, and lumbered away.
One after another, different animals came forward. Each offered brute strength, but none could act with the delicacy the Partridge needed. Her hope began to wane. She feared she would never see her young hatch.
Just then, a different sound arose, a rustling like dry leaves shifting in the wind. From the forest floor came an army of Driver-ants, tiny but countless. Their lines moved in perfect order, disciplined and unstoppable. They marched right up to the Partridge and asked in unison, “Mother of eggs, why do you cry?”
The Partridge, weary but hopeful, explained her plight.
The Driver-ants listened carefully, and without hesitation declared, “This is our work. Leave it to us.”
Together, they advanced upon the Python. With fearless determination, they began to bite, nip, nip, nip, with their sharp mandibles. Each tiny bite was like a sting of fire to the great snake. The Python writhed in agony, uncoiling her long, muscular body. Unable to bear the relentless assault of the countless ants, she hissed furiously and slithered away into the undergrowth, defeated.
The Partridge’s heart leapt with joy. Her eggs lay safe and untouched, shining like pearls in the morning light. She chirped gratefully to the ants, her voice filled with relief and gratitude.
Thus, the smallest creatures in the forest achieved what the mightiest could not. The Partridge had her eggs back, and the ants proved that wisdom and unity can triumph where brute force fails.
Moral Lesson
This Congolese folktale teaches us that true strength is not always found in size, might, or power. Sometimes the smallest and seemingly weakest can achieve the greatest victories when they act with wisdom, strategy, and unity. The ants remind us that collective effort, patience, and cleverness can overcome challenges that brute strength alone cannot solve.
It is also a reminder that not every problem requires force; sometimes it requires delicacy, wisdom, and the courage to think differently.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who stole the Partridge’s eggs in the story?
A1: The Python coiled itself around the eggs, taking possession of them.
Q2: Why did the Partridge reject the Buffalo’s help?
A2: Because the Buffalo’s heavy hooves would crush the eggs while trying to defeat the Python.
Q3: What solution did the Elephant propose?
A3: The Elephant offered to smash the Python into pulp, which would also have destroyed the eggs.
Q4: How did the Driver-ants save the Partridge’s eggs?
A4: They used their sharp mandibles to nip the Python until it uncoiled and fled.
Q5: What is the central lesson of this Congolese folktale?
A5: That wisdom, patience, and unity are stronger than brute force in solving delicate problems.
Q6: Which culture does this folktale belong to?
A6: It is a traditional folktale from the Congo.
Folktale Origin
Source: Congolese folktale, Congo.
