In the heart of the African forest, where the air was thick with the scent of wild herbs and the rustle of unseen creatures, a clever Gazelle returned home from the market with a bag full of golden maize. The grains glistened in the afternoon sun, and soon, the aroma of boiling maize filled his small hut. As the kernels softened in the pot, a visitor approached the Leopard, fierce and proud, his spotted coat gleaming as he strode into the Gazelle’s dwelling.
Curious, the Leopard leaned over and asked, “Friend Gazelle, what are you boiling so deliciously in your saucepan?”
The sly Gazelle, hiding a mischievous smile, replied, “I am boiling my mother’s teeth.”
The Leopard’s eyes widened in surprise. “Truly? Let me taste them.”
Without hesitation, the Gazelle scooped some maize from the pot and offered it. The Leopard chewed eagerly, savouring the sweetness of the maize, and thought it the finest thing he had ever eaten. He marvelled at his companion’s supposed discovery and, in his foolishness, rushed back to his own home, determined to try the same.
Once there, the Leopard pulled out every single tooth from his mother’s mouth, ignoring her cries of pain. He dropped them into a pot of boiling water, waiting for them to soften like the Gazelle’s supposed teeth.
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Soon, the Gazelle happened to pass by and, catching sight of smoke from the Leopard’s home, stopped in. Seeing the pot, he asked, “Friend Leopard, what are you boiling there?”
The Leopard, sweating from his work, replied, “I am cooking my mother’s teeth, but no matter how long I boil them, they remain hard.”
The Gazelle burst into laughter. “Oh, foolish one! I meant maize, not teeth! You have destroyed your mother in your blindness.”
Realization struck the Leopard like a spear to the heart. Enraged and humiliated, he roared, seizing a club to kill the Gazelle. But the Gazelle, swift and nimble, darted into the forest and hid inside the hollow of a log.
Panting with fury, the Leopard soon came upon the log, unaware of his enemy concealed within. Thinking it fine firewood, he carried it home. As he split the log with his axe, out leapt a magnificent dog sleek, strong, and beautiful.
The Leopard gasped in awe. Mistaking the dog as a gift from fate, he declared to his wives, “This is no ordinary dog. None of you must ever harm it.”
Days passed peacefully until one wife, careless and proud, pointed her finger mockingly at the dog. Offended, the creature raised his head and howled a long, sorrowful cry that pierced the Leopard’s ears and shook his heart.
The Leopard, furious at the insult to his beloved dog, struck down the wife who dared provoke it. From then on, whenever another wife angered the dog, the animal howled again, and the Leopard, blinded by rage, killed yet another. One by one, his wives fell to his hand, until none remained.
When at last the house was silent, the dog transformed back into the Gazelle, his eyes glinting with mischief. With a mocking laugh, he bounded away into the forest, leaving the Leopard alone with his grief, his folly, and the bitter lesson of his rashness.
Moral Lesson
This folktale from the Congo teaches the perils of blind imitation and unchecked anger. The Leopard, deceived by envy and foolishness, destroyed his own family through rash actions. His eagerness to copy the Gazelle without wisdom led to tragedy, while the Gazelle’s wit allowed him to escape unharmed.
The story reminds us that wisdom lies not in copying others blindly but in discernment and patience. It also warns against allowing pride and temper to rule our actions, for anger often harms those closest to us.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What food was the Gazelle truly cooking in the story?
A1: The Gazelle was cooking maize, not teeth.
Q2: Why did the Leopard pull out his mother’s teeth?
A2: He foolishly believed they could be boiled like maize, as tricked by the Gazelle.
Q3: Where did the Gazelle hide from the Leopard’s anger?
A3: He hid inside a hollow log in the forest.
Q4: What did the Leopard mistake the Gazelle for after splitting the log?
A4: He thought the Gazelle had turned into a fine dog.
Q5: Why did the Leopard kill his wives?
A5: Each time a wife insulted or provoked the dog, he killed her in anger.
Q6: What is the central lesson of this tale?
A6: Blind imitation and uncontrolled anger lead to destruction and regret.
Folktale Origin
Source: Congolese folktale, Central Africa.
