Once, in a small Zambian village, there lived a girl whose life was marked by hardship and sorrow. She was small in stature, plain in appearance, and lacked the skills that most young women of her community possessed. She could not cook, she could not hoe, and she did not even know how to wear clothes properly. Orphaned and without relatives, she owned no home, no cattle, and had no family to support her. For these reasons, no young man in the village wanted to marry her.
Loneliness weighed heavily on her heart, and one day, overwhelmed by her misfortune, she broke down and wept bitterly. Her cries reached the ears of a kind-hearted diviner who lived nearby. He took pity on the girl and brought her into his hut, where he introduced her to his wife, a renowned witch-doctor. The couple decided to help her find the happiness of marriage, something she had longed for but never believed possible.
“Do not cry,” the diviner told her gently. “We can help you.”
The witch-doctor added firmly, “Yes, my child, I want to help you. But first, you must learn to care for yourself.”
Encouraged by their kindness, the girl dried her tears and listened carefully.
READ: The Hare and the Lion : A Zambian (Bemba) Folktale
Building a Life of Her Own
The diviner explained that if she truly wanted to marry, she must first build a hut for herself and make a garden. This, he said, would show that she was ready to live as a wife. The girl took his words to heart. With determination, she learned how to construct a small hut and planted a garden near it. For the first time in her life, she began to feel hopeful.
When her hut and garden were finished, she returned to the diviner and asked him to find her a husband. Now it was the witch-doctor’s turn to guide her. She taught the girl how to set traps and catch fish from the river. Once the girl had mastered the skill, the witch-doctor revealed the secret of her plan.
“Go to the river,” she instructed, “and set your trap. When you catch a fish, make sure it is a male. Place it in a pot half-filled with water and bring it home. Then leave the rest to me.”
The girl did as she was told. Her first catch was a female fish, which she cooked and ate. But when she caught a male fish, she carefully placed it in a large pot filled with water and carried it home. The witch-doctor sprinkled magical medicine into the pot, covered it with a cloth, and warned the girl not to open it until dawn.
A Husband from the River
That night, excitement kept the girl awake. Before the sun rose, she rushed to the witch-doctor’s hut. The witch-doctor reminded her of one final condition:
“You must never eat monkey’s fruit,” she warned. “If you do, your husband will return to the river as a fish and never come back.”
Eager for marriage, the girl quickly promised. When the pot was uncovered, she gasped in amazement. Inside stood a man, small at first but full of life. The girl was overjoyed. She married him at once and proudly told the villagers, “Now I am a wife!”
For a time, they lived happily together. The girl tended her garden and went fishing, while her husband gathered monkey’s fruit, the only food he could eat.
The Breaking of the Promise
One year, a great famine struck the land. Crops failed, fish became scarce as the rivers dried, and hunger spread across the village. For days, the girl survived with little or no food, but her husband always managed to find monkey’s fruit.
One afternoon, after gathering fruit, the man placed them inside the hut and went outside to rest. Starving, the girl could no longer resist temptation. She ate some of the fruit, though she knew the warning. When her husband returned and saw the peels hidden in the corner, he knew she had broken her promise.
Without a word, he turned and began to run toward the river. Terrified, the girl ran after him, crying, “Forgive me! I will never do it again, never again!”
But her pleas were in vain. Reaching the river, the man leapt into the shallow water, transformed back into a fish, and disappeared forever. Heartbroken, the girl remained by the riverbank, waiting in vain for his return. She never went home again.
Moral Lesson
This folktale teaches that promises carry great weight, especially when made in trust and love. The girl’s life changed because of her obedience, hard work, and patience, but it was destroyed by a single act of disobedience and weakness. The story warns us to respect commitments and reminds us that love, once lost through betrayal, may never be regained.
Knowledge Check
1. Who helped the girl when she was weeping?
The diviner and his wife, the witch-doctor.
2. What was the first step the girl had to take before marriage?
She had to build a hut and make a garden.
3. How did the girl’s husband come into existence?
A male fish was transformed into a man through the witch-doctor’s magic.
4. Why was the girl forbidden from eating monkey’s fruit?
Because eating it would turn her husband back into a fish forever.
5. What caused the girl to break her promise?
A famine left her starving, and she could not resist eating the fruit.
6. What is the main lesson of the folktale?
Promises and trust must be honoured; breaking them can destroy relationships.
Folktale Origin
Source: Bemba folktales, Folktales of Zambia by Chiman L. Vyas (1969), Zambia
