It is
another night in the village. Under the bright moon light, the children gather
around grandma. Their faces are covered with smiles. They sit impatiently
waiting for another story from grandma. Grandma offers them some boiled ground
nuts, roast corn and plums. As they eat, she puts some corn on the fire to
roast. She is aware of their impatience and decides it is time for
storytelling.
“Children,
children” she says.
“Yes
grandma” they shout.
“Are you
ready to hear my story?” She asks.
“Yes
grandma, what is your story about?” they ask anxiously.
My story
is about a girl named Mary and her family. Once upon a time in a small village,
there lived a poor girl named Mary. She had to wear torn clothes and had no
slippers. She was raised by a wicked step mother who beat her and made her do
all the house chores. One day, her wicked step mother beat her and forced her
to go to the stream at night to wash the dishes.
While
she was washing the dishes they accidentally fell in to the stream and were
carried away. The poor girl did not know what to do. She was afraid of what her
step mother will do to her, so she sat by the stream and started to cry. While
she was crying she heard someone from the dark. The person drew closer. She
grew scared and was about to run when this old lady emerged from the woods. She
looked sick and tired. She ran up to the woman and helped her sit down to rest.
“Old
mama what are you doing out this late this night.”Mary asked.
“I
should ask you the same question my child. I heard you crying, why were you
crying?”The old woman asked.
Mary
sadly narrated her story. The old woman nodded in dismay. She then stood up.
“Please
my child I am tired and I have to get home. My sight is not good. Please can
you help me home?” the old woman asked releasing a tired sigh.
“Yes
mama I will gladly help you.”Mary said.
Mary
offered her shoulders to the old woman. The old woman balanced on her and they
both walked away from the stream. After a short walk, they got to the old
woman’s hut. Mary bade the woman goodnight and turned to leave. The old woman
stopped her.
“My
child tomorrow at the first cock crow, follow the road from the steam leading
into the woods. You will get to a junction that divides into two roads. Follow
the right path. You will get to an old hut. In this hut, you will find so many
eggs. Some of the eggs will shout ‘take me take me’ and others ‘don’t take me
don’t take me’. Pick an egg shouting ‘don’t take me don’t take me’. After that,
go and find a large cleared piece of land and break the egg on the ground.” The
old woman instructed.
Before
Mary could ask a question, the old woman was gone. Mary ran all the way home
terrified of what her fate will be once she gets home. Her step mother was
waiting at the door way with a large whip. She lashed the girl and left the
poor girl to sleep in the barn.
At the
first cock crow, Mary ran out and went to the woods. When she reached the
junction the old woman had described, she took the right path. After a long
walk, she came to the hut with the talking eggs. Some golden eggs jumped on her
right away.
“Take me
take me” they cried. She looked around and saw some dirty eggs crying, “Don’t
take me don’t take me.”
She
picked a dirty egg went out of the hut. When she got to a cleared piece of
land, she broke the egg on the ground. Nothing happened. She decided it was
time to go home and face her grandmother’s wrath. As she turned to run, a
beautiful voice called her from behind. Behold as she turned she say a
beautiful chiefdom and before in stood a beautiful queen and chief.
“Mary,
do not run! Your great beautiful heart has brought you here. This is your home
now.” The queen said. She asked her maids to clean Mary up. Mary was given
beautiful clothes and good food. She then lived as a happy princess in the
palace.
Days
went by and Mary’s step mother gladly gave her up for dead. One day however,
news of what had happened to Mary reached her step mother’s ear. In an attempt
to get the same fate, she forced her lazy daughter Magdalene to go wash dishes
at the stream at night.
Magdalene
grumbled all the way to the stream. As she slowly watched the dishes, she
suddenly saw an old woman emerge from the bushes.
“Oh my
God! You are the ugliest thing I have seen in all my life.”Magdalene cried out.
“My
child please can you help me to my hurt.” The old lady begged.
“No. There
is no way I am touching a dirty old woman like you.” Magdalene snorted.
Though Magdalene
was rude, the old woman gave her the same instructions she had given Mary.
Magdalene did the exact opposite. She took the left road and picked the shiny
eggs shouting ‘Take me’. When she broke the egg, a large snake appeared and
swallowed her up….
“Children
what did you learn from this story?”Grandma asked at the end.
We learned
so many lessons from the story;
Do
not ill treat any child
Do
not spoil your kids
Respect
your elders and be kind to strangers
Respect
and obey instruction passed by authority.
Not
all that glitters is gold.
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