Muti was an orphan, left to face the harshness of life from her earliest days. She lost her parents when she was only a small child, and with their passing, she also lost the protection, care, and love that other children took for granted. To add to her misfortune, she was not considered beautiful. No one wished to take responsibility for her, nor did anyone bother to guide her through the small but important lessons of daily life. She wandered the village aimlessly, idling in grassy fields or gazing into the distance with loneliness etched across her face.
Kind-hearted neighbours occasionally gave her scraps of food or old animal skins to cover herself, but affection was absent from her life. As she grew into a maiden, her pain deepened. Around her, girls of her age found husbands and built families, while no man even looked her way. Cruel whispers followed her: her dishevelled appearance, her awkward manners, her lack of grace. The children mocked her for being childish, and older women dismissed her when she tried to join their conversations. Wounded by rejection, Muti bore her loneliness silently until one day the burden became unbearable. She crept to a secluded corner and wept bitterly, the tears of someone who longed simply to belong.
As she wept, a gentle hand stroked her hair. Startled, Muti looked up to see an old man standing before her. His voice was kind but firm.
“That is a sorry sight, my child,” he said softly. “Why are you so sad?”
Between sobs, Muti poured out her troubles.
The old man nodded thoughtfully. “Never mind,” he said at last. “Come with me. My clever wife will know what to do.”
The couple welcomed her, and the old woman studied Muti carefully. Her eyes were sharp, her voice commanding.
“Muti,” she said sternly, “if you truly want a husband, you must obey me completely. Do as I ask, and if you prove yourself worthy, I will find you one.”
Longing for love, Muti promised again and again that she would do anything.
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From the next morning, her training began. She cleaned the hut, patched animal skins, made ropes, knitted nets, cooked meals, thatched the roof, and performed endless chores. Each task was new to her, for she had never been taught such skills. Fear kept her from asking questions, so she worked clumsily, guided only by her desire for the husband she had been promised. To her surprise, the old woman praised her efforts, no matter how imperfect they were.
One day, the old woman commanded: “Clear the thicket north of this hut and build one of your own there.”
Though overwhelmed, Muti obeyed. For three days she laboured, and when at last the small hut stood complete, she ran joyfully to show her achievement.
“Where is the husband you promised me?” she asked breathlessly.
“Not yet,” the old woman said firmly. “One more task awaits.”
The next morning, Muti was told to weave a net, catch a perfect male fish, place it in a pot half-filled with water, cover it with a leaf, and bring it back. Hours passed as she struggled, for every fish she caught was either female or blemished. At last, she succeeded and brought the pot. The old woman simply said:
“On the fifth morning from today, come look inside.”
Muti waited anxiously. On the appointed day, she lifted the leaf covering the pot. To her astonishment, a tiny man stood within. “Good morning, my wife!” he greeted cheerfully. Trembling with joy, Muti listened as the old woman declared:
“That is your husband. Take him to your hut and care for him well. But beware, never eat anything that he eats. If you disobey, you will regret it.”
Muti promised to obey and carried her little husband home. Despite his size, he was a marvel. He fetched fruit, firewood, and water, trapped animals, and filled the hut with music and laughter. Though he lived only on red berries, he made Muti’s heart overflow with gratitude and love.
But soon famine struck. Rivers dried, crops withered, animals perished, and people fled in search of food. Muti stayed behind, surviving only because her husband’s red berries grew in abundance. Yet hunger gnawed at her, and thirst parched her throat. One scorching day, desperate beyond endurance, she disobeyed. As soon as her husband stepped out, she ate the forbidden berries.
At once, he sensed her betrayal. His face darkened with grief.
“Muti, my wife,” he groaned, “you have deceived me. Now we must part!”
He ran toward the dry riverbed. Muti cried out, chasing him, begging forgiveness, but it was too late. Before her eyes, her husband transformed back into a fish and burrowed deep into the sand.
Muti fell to the ground, sobbing until her tears mingled with the dust. She had longed for love, found it, and lost it, all because she could not resist temptation.
Moral Lesson
This Bemba folktale teaches that true happiness requires discipline and trust. Muti’s longing for companionship was granted, but her inability to obey one crucial rule led to heartbreak. The story reminds us that greed and disobedience can undo even the greatest blessings, while patience and restraint preserve what is most precious.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who was Muti and why was she lonely?
A1: Muti was an orphan girl in a Bemba village of Zambia, shunned for her appearance and lack of guidance.
Q2: What role did the old woman play in Muti’s life?
A2: The old woman tested Muti with difficult tasks, preparing her for a husband.
Q3: How was Muti’s husband created?
A3: A tiny man emerged from a pot after Muti caught and placed a perfect fish inside.
Q4: What warning did the old woman give Muti?
A4: She told Muti never to eat the red berries that her husband ate.
Q5: Why did Muti lose her husband?
A5: She disobeyed the warning, ate the berries, and broke the trust, causing him to transform back into a fish.
Q6: What is the central lesson of the tale?
A6: The story teaches obedience, patience, and the importance of self-control in sustaining blessings.
Folktale Origin
Folktale Origin
Source: Kalulu the Hare and Other Zambian Folk-Tales, Bemba folktale, Zambia
