A woman sat by the fire, cooking.
A hyena approached.
In the evening twilight, she didn't see the hyena; she thought it was her husband.
"Take the baby so I can stir the porridge," she said, holding out the baby that was in her arms.
The hyena took the child.
Then the hyena ran off with the child, and when she heard her baby crying, she realized what had happened and screamed. "Help! A hyena stole my baby!"
Her husband chased the hyena, but it was too late.
The baby was gone, and the parents wept a river of tears.
[a Lozi story from Zambia]
Inspired by: "The Woman and the Hyena" 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.
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