Swahili Tales/Goso the Teacher
GOSO, THE TEACHER.
There was a teacher who taught children to read under a calabash tree, and this teacher's name was called Goso. And one day a gazelle came and climbed up the calabash tree, and threw down a calabash, and it struck the teacher, and he died. His scholars took their teacher and went and buried him.
When they had finished burying him they said, "Let us go and look for him who threw down the calabash which struck our teacher Goso, and when we get him let us kill him.
Then they said, "What threw down the calabash was the south wind: it blew, and threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher, and let us go and look for the south wind, and beat it."
And they took the south wind and beat it. And the south wind said, "I am the south wind, you are beating me; what have I done?" And they said, "It was you, south wind, who threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso, you should not do it." And the south wind said, "If I were the chief, should I be stopped by a mud wall?"
And they went and took the mud wall and beat it. And the mud wall said, "Do you beat me, what have I done?" And they said, "You mud wall stop the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the mud wall said, "If I were the chief, should I be bored through by the rat?"
And they went and took the rat and beat it. And the rat said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You, the rat, bore through the mud wall, which stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the rat said, "If I were the chief, should I be eaten by the cat?"
And they went and looked for the cat, and took it and beat it. And the cat said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the cat which eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the cat said, "If I were the chief, should I be tied by a rope?"
And they went and took the rope and beat it. And the rope said, "I am a rope, you are beating me, what have I done?" And they said, "You are the rope which ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the rope said, "If I were the chief, should I be cut by a knife?"
And they went and took the knife and beat it. And the knife said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the knife which cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the knife said, "If I were the chief, should I be consumed by the fire?"
And they went and took the fire and beat it. And the fire said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the fire which consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the cord, and the cord ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the fire said, "If I were the chief should I be put out by water?"
And they went and took the water and beat it. And the water said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the water which puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the water said, "If I were the chief should I be drunk by the ox?"
And they went and took the ox and beat it. And the ox said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the ox which drinks the water, and the water puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the ox said, "If I, the ox, were the chief, should I be stuck to by a tick."
And they went and took the tick and beat it. And the tick said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the tick which sticks to the ox, and the ox drinks the water, and the water puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the tick said, "If I were the chief should I be eaten by the gazelle?"
And they went and searched for the gazelle, and when they found it they took it and beat it. And the gazelle said, "I am the gazelle, do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the gazelle which eats the tick, and the tick sticks to the ox, and the ox drinks the water, and the water puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it."
The gazelle held its tongue, without saying a word. And they said, "This is the one that threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso, and we will kill him." And they took the gazelle and they killed it.