THE THREE OXEN: A FOLKTALE FOR THE SEASON

Folktales may seem whimsical, painted with the innocence of childhood, and laced with the fantastical magic of talking animals or greedy ogres. But beneath their playful exterior lies a treasure chest of timeless wisdom, polished smooth by the hands of time.

These timeless tales, woven by anonymous storytellers around evening fires that have long since gone cold, are enduring messages wrapped in enchanting narratives—lessons that have endured the grand march of generations, from ancient times to the digital age.

It’s precisely because of this endurance that folktales live on. For within the laughter of kaka sungura outwitting the lion, or the cautionary tale of the hyena’s greed, is a warning to be mindful, to tread carefully, or to act with courage when the time comes. They speak not just to children, who sit wide-eyed listening to the wisdom of the old, but also to adults, reminding them that there is a story for every situation, a narrative for every season.

This season, a simple tale I gathered among the Somali community comes to mind. Three oxen-white, brown and black- used to graze together, enjoying the security that comes with unity. One day, the libaax, or lion in Somali, approached the white one.

‘‘Greetings the whitest ox of all. You look so strong today!’’ The lion lied. The white ox looked around to admire his flanks.

“Now my friend, aren’t you ashamed to live with these two ugly oxen?” The lion asked the now beaming ox, then paused for his words to sink in.

“If I were you, I would graze high up in the forests alone.” The lion dropped the clincher. The following morning, the white ox went to graze alone far from his ‘ugly’ brothers. The lion promptly pounced on him, devouring him with relish.

Emboldened by his success, the lion approached the brown ox next. As expected, the same trick worked once again. Finally, he came to the black ox. “Greetings, my friend,” the lion began in his usual friendly tone. “I’ve come to eat you, just as I’ve eaten your brothers,” he added with a mocking grin.

The black ox recoiled, a mixture of fear and sadness in his eyes.

“You stand no chance against me. Prepare yourself to die,” the lion declared, his voice cold and final. The black ox, eyes filling with tears like a well, replied softly, “I died the day the white ox died.”

Then, without resisting, he allowed the lion to devour him.

This simple yet poignant Somali folktale, along with many others, can be found in the collection “The Camel from the Sky and Other Folktales from Northern Kenya”. I gathered these delightful tales during my time in Northern Kenya some years ago. If you’d like to explore more, you can purchase the Kindle version on Amazon by following this link:https://www.amazon.com/CAMEL-OTHER-FOLKTALES-NORTHERN-KENYA-ebook/dp/B0DCVDG81V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18883FSD9R06&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OdTr_MYtulDI-LrcqyQgFjhp1dUmWwv1BIlMAu-5JYE.ZlTtOk0JJD-uv8ZPa6GDc-Q_9vGD23tLcQy09dmEFik&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+camel+from+the+sky+and+other+folktales&qid=1728471303&sprefix=%2Caps%2C366&sr=8-1