"I'm not afraid of you," Elephant said to Thunder.
"You should be!" replied Thunder. "I'm more powerful than you."
"Not true!" said Elephant.
"Prove it!" said Thunder. "Go a long way off and bellow. I'll tell you if I can hear you."
Elephant went away, and then bellowed loudly.
"I can't hear you.....!" said Thunder. "Are you making any noise?"
Elephant trumpeted as loudly as he could.
"I can't hear you.....!" said Thunder again. Then Thunder roared and lightning flashed.
Elephant was terrified.
"It's just me, your brother," said Thunder.
"No, you are my master," said Elephant, acknowledging Thunder's power.
[a Lozi story from Zambia]
Inspired by: "The Thunder and the Elephant" in Barotseland: eight years among the Barotse by D. W. Stirke, 1922.
Notes: You can read the original story online. Barotseland, now incorporated into Zambia, is the home of the Lozi people. Compare also this story: Thunder, Elephant, and Man.
No comments:
Post a Comment