In the forests of Gabon, hunters and animals lived in constant watchfulness of one another. The hunter needed the forest to survive, while the animals depended on their wits and speed to remain alive. Yet among the hunters, there was one man whose pride outgrew his wisdom. He roamed the villages telling all who would listen that he was the greatest hunter the forest had ever known.
This hunter boasted that no beast could escape his traps, no bird could fly beyond his arrows, and no creature dared to stand against his strength. Around the evening fires, he declared that the animals feared him more than the storms of the rainy season. His words carried far, until even the animals themselves heard of his boasting.
At first, Leopard growled with anger, for he did not like to hear that a mere man thought himself greater than the king of the forest. Antelope flicked his ears in irritation, saying that the hunter’s pride would only bring trouble. Even Monkey chattered with scorn, mocking the hunter’s words from the treetops. But it was Tortoise, slow and steady, who decided to put the hunter’s pride to the test.
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One morning, the hunter set out into the forest, his traps and weapons ready. He whispered to himself, “Today I will return with more game than anyone has ever seen.” The sun shone bright, and the air was heavy with the songs of birds. As he walked, he noticed Tortoise resting quietly on the path.
The hunter laughed loudly. “What luck! Even the smallest creature has come to surrender before me. Surely, you know that I am the master of the forest, the one no beast can escape.”
Tortoise raised his head and replied calmly, “Hunter, I have heard of your boasting. You claim that no creature can outwit you. But I am only a Tortoise, small and slow. Do you truly believe you can catch me so easily?”
The hunter bent down, amused by the challenge. “You? You cannot run, you cannot fly, and you cannot hide. Of course I can catch you.”
“Then try,” said Tortoise, pulling his legs and head safely into his shell.
The hunter laughed again and reached to grab him. But just as his fingers touched the shell, Tortoise rolled into a muddy puddle nearby. The shell became slippery, and the hunter’s hands slid off. He tried again, but each time the Tortoise shifted slightly, sinking deeper into the mud where the hunter’s grip could not hold.
Frustrated, the hunter set a trap around the puddle. “Now, little one, you cannot escape.” Yet as he tightened the snare, Tortoise pressed himself flat against the mud, and the loop closed harmlessly above him. The hunter’s trap was useless.
The hunter grew red with anger. “This cannot be! I am the master of the forest. No animal escapes me!”
At that moment, Monkey leapt down from a tree, laughing loudly. “You cannot even catch a Tortoise, yet you boast of conquering Leopard and Antelope!” The forest echoed with the chatter of birds and the laughter of animals hidden in the trees.
The hunter hung his head, realizing that his pride had made him foolish. Tortoise slowly pulled himself from the puddle and spoke softly. “Strength and traps may help you, but pride will always blind you. The forest belongs not to one creature alone, but to all who live in it. Humility is greater than boasting.”
The hunter could not answer. He gathered his traps and left the forest quietly, never again speaking so loudly of his greatness. From that day, the animals remembered how the smallest among them had humbled the proud hunter, and the villagers noticed that he no longer bragged at the fireside.
Moral Lesson
The Boasting Hunter teaches us that pride often leads to shame. Those who speak too loudly of their own greatness are the ones most easily humbled. Wisdom and humility bring respect, while arrogance invites ridicule. Even the smallest creature can bring down the proud when truth and patience are on its side.
Knowledge Check
Who was the main human character in The Boasting Hunter?
The story centers on a hunter who bragged that no animal could escape him.How did the animals react to the hunter’s boasting?
Leopard growled with anger, Antelope was irritated, Monkey mocked him, and Tortoise decided to test him.What challenge did Tortoise give to the hunter?
Tortoise dared the hunter to try and catch him.How did Tortoise escape the hunter’s grasp?
He hid inside his shell and slipped into a muddy puddle, making it impossible for the hunter to hold him.Why did the hunter’s trap fail against Tortoise?
The Tortoise pressed flat into the mud, so the snare closed above him harmlessly.What is the main lesson of The Boasting Hunter?
The story warns that arrogance leads to downfall, and humility is stronger than pride.
Cultural Origin: Gabonese folktale (Mpongwe Tribe), recorded by Robert H. Nassau in Where Animals Talk: West African Folklore Tales (1914).
