In the vast African wilderness, where the morning mist clung to ancient trees and the calls of exotic birds echoed through dense vegetation, there lived a man whose poverty weighed on him like a heavy stone. His mud-brick hut stood at the edge of a small village, its thatched roof patched and re-patched countless times, bearing witness to seasons of struggle and want. Unlike his neighbors who possessed herds of cattle, goats, and the wealth needed to secure wives and build families, this man owned nothing but his hunting tools and an abundance of unfulfilled dreams.
Each morning, as the sun painted the eastern sky in brilliant oranges and golds, he would wake to the same harsh reality: his grain stores were nearly empty, his clothing was worn thin, and most painfully of all, he lacked the bride price necessary to marry and start a family of his own. In their culture, a man without wealth was a man without prospects, trapped in a cycle of solitude that seemed impossible to break.
Desperation finally drove him to venture deeper into the forest than he had ever gone before, carrying his carefully crafted snares made from twisted plant fibers and his hopes for better fortune. The forest was alive with sounds – the rustling of leaves as small creatures moved through the undergrowth, the distant calls of monkeys swinging through the canopy, and the ever-present hum of insects that filled the humid air with their constant chorus.
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With practiced hands born of necessity, he set his snares along well-worn animal paths, positioning each trap with the skill that comes only from years of hungry hunting. The work was methodical and hopeful, each snare representing a chance for the meat that would fill his belly and perhaps provide enough surplus to begin building the wealth he so desperately needed.
The following morning dawned bright and clear, filled with promise. His heart raced with anticipation as he made his way through the forest to check his traps, following familiar paths that wound between towering trees whose roots formed natural corridors through the dense vegetation. Birds called from overhead, and butterflies with wings like stained glass windows fluttered through shafts of sunlight that penetrated the green canopy.
When he reached his first snare, joy exploded in his chest like a burst of sunshine. There, caught securely in his trap, was Mbindi the Wild Goat, a fine specimen whose meat would provide meals for many days. The animal’s sleek brown coat gleamed in the dappled light, and its eyes watched him with the resigned wisdom that wild creatures often display when caught.
“Today I feast!” the hunter exclaimed aloud, his voice echoing through the forest as he moved forward to claim his prize. Already he could imagine the rich aroma of roasting meat filling his humble dwelling, the satisfaction of a full belly after so many days of meager meals.
But as he reached for the trapped animal, Mbindi spoke in a voice that was both calm and urgent, stopping the hunter in his tracks. “Wait, my friend. Do not take me now. Bwinge is coming after a while. Be patient just a little longer.”
The hunter’s eyes widened with surprise and growing excitement. If this goat was asking him to wait for something called “Bwinge,” surely this mysterious creature must be even more valuable than the prize already within his grasp. His mind raced with possibilities, perhaps Bwinge was a magnificent antelope, or a fat bushpig, or some other prize that would bring him even greater fortune.
Without hesitation, he released the wild goat, watching as it bounded away into the dense undergrowth with graceful leaps that carried it quickly out of sight. Though his stomach growled with hunger, his heart was filled with anticipation for the greater prize that was supposedly coming.
The next day brought the same ritual of hope and expectation as he made his way through the morning forest to check his snares. The air was thick with humidity and drops of dew still clung to spider webs that stretched between branches like nature’s own intricate artwork. When he reached his trap, he found another creature caught in its woven embrace, this time Ngweya the Hog, a substantial animal whose meat would have provided him with food for weeks.
“Surely this is a feast sent by the ancestors!” he cried out, his mouth already watering at the thought of the rich, succulent pork that would soon be his. The hog was large and healthy, exactly the kind of prize that could begin to lift him from his crushing poverty.
But once again, as he moved to claim his catch, the animal spoke with the same mysterious message. “Release me, hunter. Bwinge is coming. Your patience will be rewarded if you wait just a little longer.”
Though his hunger had grown even more intense, and though doubt was beginning to whisper in the corners of his mind, the hunter found himself compelled by curiosity and hope. What manner of creature was this “Bwinge” that both animals spoke of with such certainty? Surely it must be something extraordinary to make these fine animals seem inferior by comparison.
Once again, he opened the snare and watched as the hog trotted away into the forest, its powerful legs carrying it swiftly into the shadows between the trees. As he walked back to his village empty-handed for the second time, he wondered aloud, “What thing is it that is named ‘Bwinge’? What creature could be so magnificent that I should release such fine game to wait for it?”
On the third day, his curiosity burning like a flame in his chest, the hunter returned to his trap with a mixture of anticipation and growing skepticism. The morning was particularly beautiful, with golden sunlight streaming through the leaves and creating patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. Birds sang their dawn chorus from every branch, and the air was filled with the fresh scents of growing things.
But what he found in his snare this time was not an animal at all. Instead, there sat a small human child, a dwarf with the distinctive features that marked him as one of the forest people, those mysterious beings who were said to possess powerful magic and ancient wisdom. The child’s eyes sparkled with intelligence that seemed far older than his diminutive size would suggest.
Anger flared in the hunter’s chest like a suddenly stoked fire. After days of releasing valuable game on the promise of something better, after going hungry while waiting for this mysterious “Bwinge,” he had found only a small person who had apparently been playing tricks on him all along.
“You are the one who has caused me to send away the beasts!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest with the frustration of accumulated disappointments. “Are you the one called ‘Bwinge’? I should kill you for the tricks you have played on me, for the hunger I have endured because of your deception!”
But the dwarf child raised his small hands in a gesture of peace, his voice carrying a calm authority that seemed to fill the forest clearing with power. “No, friend hunter, do not harm me. I am not Bwinge, but I can call Ungumba for you true wealth that will end your poverty forever.”
Something in the child’s tone, a certainty that seemed to vibrate with magical potential, made the hunter pause. “Then call quickly!” he demanded, his anger mixing with desperate hope. “I have been patient long enough. Show me this wealth you speak of!”
The dwarf child smiled, and the hunter felt the air around them begin to shimmer with an energy that made his skin tingle. “Let guns come!” the child commanded, his small voice carrying across the forest with supernatural power.
Instantly, as if materializing from the very air itself, fine hunting rifles appeared on the ground around them weapons of superior craftsmanship that gleamed with oil and metal polish, worth more than the hunter had ever dreamed of possessing.
The hunter’s eyes widened in amazement, but his hunger for wealth had only been awakened, not satisfied. “Call again!” he demanded urgently. “Bring more!”
“Let women come!” the dwarf commanded, and suddenly the clearing was filled with beautiful women, their eyes bright with intelligence and kindness, each one worthy to be a wife and mother, representing the family life that had been denied to him for so long.
The hunter’s heart raced with excitement, but still he wanted more. “Call for goats!” he shouted. “Bring me livestock!”
At the child’s next command, herds of fine goats appeared, followed by cattle, sheep, and an abundance of other possessions, household goods, fine clothing, tools, and everything a man needed to establish himself as a person of importance and wealth in his community.
The hunter stood surrounded by more riches than he had ever imagined possible, his poverty transformed in moments into abundance that would last him for the rest of his life. His hands trembled as he touched the reality of his new fortune, hardly able to believe that his long wait had finally been rewarded so magnificently.
With deep gratitude and newfound respect for the magical being who had granted his wishes, the hunter carefully released the dwarf child from the snare. “Go in peace, small one,” he said, his voice now filled with reverence. “Thank you for the gift you have given me.”
The dwarf nodded solemnly and disappeared into the forest as mysteriously as he had appeared, leaving the hunter to gather his incredible wealth and make his way back to his village, where he would indeed become a great man, respected and prosperous for the rest of his days.
Moral Lesson
This folktale teaches the profound value of patience and trust in life’s processes. The hunter’s willingness to delay immediate gratification, despite his desperate hunger, ultimately led to rewards far greater than he could have imagined. It shows that sometimes the greatest gifts come to those who can wait with faith for something better than what appears to be available in the moment.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who was the mysterious “Bwinge” that the wild goat and hog spoke of in this African folktale? A: “Bwinge” was not a specific animal but rather referred to “abundance” or “more”the concept of greater wealth that would come to the patient hunter through the magical dwarf child’s powers.
Q2: What did the poor hunter initially lack that motivated his forest hunting expedition? A: The hunter was extremely poor and had no goods to buy a wife, lacking the bride price necessary for marriage and the basic wealth needed to establish himself in his community.
Q3: How did the magical dwarf child (Ungumba) reward the hunter’s patience? A: The dwarf used magic powers to grant the hunter guns, women for wives, goats, cattle, and an abundance of other possessions, transforming him from poverty to great wealth and status.
Q4: What animals did the hunter catch in his snares before finding the dwarf? A: The hunter first caught Mbindi the Wild Goat, then Ngweya the Hog, both of whom told him to wait for “Bwinge” instead of taking them immediately for food.
Q5: What African cultural element is represented by the hunter’s need for wealth to obtain a wife? A: The story reflects the traditional African practice of bride price, where a man must demonstrate his ability to provide by offering wealth to the woman’s family before marriage can take place.
Q6: What does this folktale teach about patience and delayed gratification? A: The story demonstrates that patience and the willingness to wait for something better, even when faced with immediate needs, can lead to rewards far greater than what’s immediately available, the hunter’s wait brought magical abundance instead of just survival.
