The Kindness of the Farmer (1)

A snake slithered towards a farmer, shouting, "Help, please! People are chasing me. Let me hide in your belly!"
The farmer, being a kind-hearted person, agreed, and the snake crawled down his throat.
Just a few minutes later, men came running up to the farmer. "Did you see a snake come this way?" they asked.
"No," the farmer replied, and he could feel the snake trembling with fear in his belly.
Then the men ran on.
"You're safe!" the farmer said to the snake. "Come on out now!"
"No!" said the snake. "It's nice in here. I think I'll stay!"


Inspired by: "The Nature of the Beast" in African folk tales by Roger Abrahams, 1983.
Notes: You can read the original story online. This is a Hausa story. See what happens next: The Kindness of the Heron.

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