In a village ringed by bush and shadow, a monstrous python had taken up its home in the great totem tree, sliding down at will to snatch fowls, calves and any careless life that wandered beneath its branches. The people lived under a hush of fear; dogs trembled in their crates, hens hid in hollow logs, and the chief’s brow was heavy with worry. Spears were broken, traps were sprung, and brave hunters returned with nothing but stories of the snake’s terrible two mouths and banana-trunk girth. The totem tree, sacred and central to the clan, could not be chopped down, and no ordinary plan could end the serpent’s reign.
Hope dwindled. One by one those who volunteered to kill the python failed or disappeared. The chief finally declared that whoever rid the village of the serpent would win his daughter’s hand in marriage. Word went out along every path and through every kopje. Hunters came from distant places, but the python’s coils and cunning bested them all. Villagers grew thinner from worry; their cattle grew wary; their children woke from nightmares.
Then, unexpectedly, a small hare arrived. He had no great stature, no famed spear nor broad shield. He brought with him only a goat, a dog, and a bold proposal. The people mocked him at first, how could a hare face what warriors and hunters could not? Still, with few options left and the reward so great, the chief accepted the hare’s pledge and ordered him to begin.
The hare asked only one thing: that people keep several strides from the big tree and hand him an axe. Curious and anxious, the elders complied. The little hare then placed a tuft of green grass before his dog and a slab of fresh buffalo meat before his goat. He peered at their faces, stamped his small foot, and commanded them to eat. The animals hesitated, noses wrinkling at the foreign fare. The hare’s face burned, he shouted, he scolded, he threatened. The villagers watched, their laughter curdling into perplexed silence.
High in the totem branches the python had listened, and pity moved its slow mind. Seeing the hound and the goat terrified, the great snake slithered down to the tree base, careful and almost soft in its approach. With a skill that betrayed its size, the python nudged the correct food toward each animal, grass to the goat, meat to the dog, showing mercy where the hare showed menace. The villagers had believed themselves wise in watching the show; the hare had counted on exactly this.
READ: Friends in Famine: A Bemba Folktale (Zambia)
When the serpent’s head stooped close enough, the hare flung the axe. With the aim of a creature who had watched and waited long, he struck true. The blade split the python’s body and ended years of terror in a single, sharp moment. Silence fell, then a rising roar of relief and rejoicing. The chief, bound by his oath, gave his daughter to the hare. The village feasted for days. They built a hut for the hare and his family, they fed him and clothed him, and they told the story from then on: how cunning and courage, matched with a village’s promise, could topple what no brute force had felled.
This tale has a clear beginning, fear and failure; a middle, unlikely plan that lures the enemy; and an end, promise kept and peace restored. It celebrates shrewdness and resourcefulness, reminding listeners that the smallest among us may carry the sharpest thought. The hare’s victory is not the triumph of brawn but of brain and nerve, and the community’s honour in fulfilling its oath is equally foregrounded.
Moral Lesson
Brains and bravery can wear surprising faces. Where strength fails, quick thinking and careful planning can succeed. Leaders’ promises matter, when a chief honours his word, community trust is restored and celebrated. Lastly, small folk should not be underestimated; gifts of wit and courage are sometimes hidden in humble forms.
Knowledge Check
- Who terrorized the village and lived in the totem tree?
A python with two mouths. - What prize did the chief offer for slaying the serpent?
The chief’s daughter’s hand in marriage. - Which animals accompanied the hare to the village?
A goat and a dog. - How did the hare cause the python to reveal itself?
He pretended to punish the dog and goat so the python would descend to set the right food before them. - What skill of the hare is central to the story’s outcome?
His cunning, planning and clever deception. - Which ethnic group and country does this version of the tale come from?
The Nsenga people of Eastern Zambia.
Source: Nsenga folktale, Zambia. Collected in Folktales of Zambia (see: Chiman L. Vyas, comp., “Folktales of Zambia” collection).
