In the time when hunters were the pride of every village, there lived a man named Thomas. He was strong and swift, his bow steady, and his traps rarely failed. Each morning, he left the village with his dogs at his side, venturing deep into the forest in search of antelope, bush fowl, or wild pig. His skill provided food not only for himself but also for his family and neighbors.
Yet Thomas’s heart was restless. Though respected, he wanted more. He wished for wealth that never ended, food that never failed, and a name that people would never forget. He prayed often at the forest shrines, asking the spirits for a gift that would set him above all others.
One evening, as he returned from a long hunt, Thomas saw an old woman sitting by the path. Her clothes were worn, and her eyes shone like the reflection of stars on water. She asked him for food, saying, “Hunter, share a little of your game with me, for I am hungry.”
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At first, Thomas hesitated, for his bag held only one small antelope. But something in her voice stirred him, and he gave her the meat. The woman smiled and said, “You have shown kindness when you had little. For this, I will bless you with a gift.” She handed him a clay pot, plain and ordinary in appearance.
“When you are hungry,” she said, “place the pot before you and say, ‘Cook, little pot, cook.’ It will give you rice without end. But remember this: blessings stay only with those who are humble and generous. Guard your heart, or the gift will be taken.”
With that, she vanished, leaving Thomas trembling with wonder.
At home, he placed the pot on the ground and whispered the words. To his amazement, fragrant rice began to bubble and rise, steaming and filling the room. His family ate until their bellies were full, yet the pot never emptied. He fed his neighbors, and word spread quickly through the village. Soon, everyone marveled at Thomas’s generosity.
For many weeks, the hunter used the pot to feed the hungry, and his name became honored. Children sang his praises, elders blessed him, and strangers came from afar to see the miracle pot. But pride began to creep into his heart. He thought, “This gift makes me greater than any man. Why should I share so much? Should I not keep my blessings for myself?”
Slowly, Thomas began to withhold the rice. At first, he gave excuses, claiming the pot was resting, or that it had broken. Neighbors who had once feasted in his home returned to their hunger, while Thomas and his family grew fat and comfortable.
But greed does not hide for long. One day, when the village prepared for a great festival, the chief asked Thomas to share rice with all. Thomas refused, clutching the pot to his chest. “It is mine alone,” he said. “I owe no one.”
That night, the clay pot grew strangely heavy. When Thomas whispered the command, the pot boiled over, spilling rice onto the floor. Frightened, he tried to stop it, but the rice kept pouring, flooding his house and spilling into the yard. He shouted, “Enough! Stop!” but the pot did not listen. His neighbors gathered, watching as mountains of rice buried his home.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pot cracked down the middle and lay silent. Its magic was gone. The endless rice had vanished forever, leaving only waste and shame.
The villagers shook their heads. “He was blessed for his kindness but lost it to greed,” they said. Thomas, once honored, was now pitied. He returned to his hunting, but the respect he once enjoyed was never the same. His name was remembered not for generosity, but as a warning.
Moral Lesson
The story of The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot teaches that blessings are meant to be shared. Greed and pride destroy even the greatest gifts, while humility and generosity allow them to endure. Wealth without kindness becomes a curse, but when shared, it feeds generations.
Knowledge Check
How did the hunter first receive the bottomless pot in The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot?
He shared his last antelope with a mysterious old woman, who rewarded him with the magical pot.What command made the pot produce rice in the folktale The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot?
The hunter had to say, “Cook, little pot, cook,” for the rice to appear endlessly.How did the villagers react when the hunter first used the pot in The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot?
They praised him for his generosity and came from near and far to share in the endless rice.What change came over the hunter as time passed in The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot?
He became greedy and stopped sharing the rice, keeping the blessing for himself.What happened to the pot when the hunter refused to share it during the festival in The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot?
The pot overflowed uncontrollably with rice, then cracked and lost its magic forever.What is the main lesson of The Hunter and the Bottomless Pot?
The moral is that greed destroys blessings, while generosity preserves them.
Source: Krio folktale, Sierra Leone. Preserved in oral tradition and referenced in African Folktales and Myths from Sierra Leone (2005).
