CHAPTER ONE
The story of three boys and a magician
Once upon time, there lived three families who were very friendly and lived near each other. Their children grew up like brothers and sisters and shared everything from toys, food and did go to the same school. Whenever one reached home before any other could arrive, the parents of the other would come to the home of the other two inquiring to know what happened to his child.
One day at school, the two boys (Mark & Mathew) were in the same class while the other one was a class ahead and while in the classroom Mark stole Mathews pencil and removed a rubber. He then placed the pencil back in Mathew’s bag without him noticing it. After a few minutes, Mathew noticed that his rubber was missing, he looked around and asked Mark about his rubber to which he denied. Mathew confronted Mark after seeing him using a rubber but he denied it.
‘Why do you accuse me of stealing your rubber as if I could not get mine,’ Mark said
When it was time for going back home, Mathew stood up, dressed his bag on the back and began to move which prompted Mark to ask,’ Are we leaving Martin behind?’. Mathew stopped a few meters ahead and said to Mark,’ ok, go get him, sounding heavy hearted,’
Mark and Martin then caught up with Mathew and they both walked for some good distance without talking to each other. Martin asked,’ Is everything fine guys?’
‘Not fine,’ Mathew replied
Mathew said, ‘can you believe Mark stole my rubber today in class and he denied it’
‘Whoa whoa, who did that, Mark?’ Asked Martin
’Yes, he did not have a rubber in the morning. Where did he get it from in the afternoon, ’replied Mathew?
Mark interrupted the conversation, ‘I had my own rubber but it had gotten lost in the bag, I later found it and Mathew thinks that I am a thief,’ he explained.
Martin the eldest among the three managed said, ‘let’s forget about what happened today and we remain as friends as we have been’
After moving a few meters ahead, they met a middle aged man who introduced himself as Loki.
‘Hey you guys do you know that I can do anything for you right now,’ asked Loki
‘You can do anything for us,’ Martin replied?
‘Yes, anything for you right now,’ said Loki
‘Do you guys have handkerchiefs?’ asked Loki
‘Of Course,’ they replied in a chorus
Loko then opened his bag and emptied it; he then asked them to drop their handkerchiefs inside and close the bag. He then moved around the bag talking in a language that they could not understand and after a few minutes, he asked Martin to come and open the bag and pick whatever was inside. Martin opened and found there three sweets which totally surprised them. Loko then gave them out to them to eat. This made them very happy.
‘Bring out your books and I show you how to become rich,’ Loki said
‘You mean us having a lot of money,’ they asked
Loki replied, ‘yes, a lot of money’
He opened his bag again, emptied it and asked each to come and confirm whether they were anything left in the bag, to which they agreed that the bag was empty. He then asked them to drop their books there and wait for what will happen. He performed his magic stunts and asked Mathew to come over and open the bag. Mathew opened and saw the bag full of money; they both touched the money and were very happy. At this very moment, they were all excited and very happy, Loki again closed his bag and opened it and here the books were there again.
‘Who has any personal wish here,’ asked Loki
Mathew raised his hand and said,’ This guy stole my rubber at school, I want his head to turn into a chicken head’
Few seconds later, Marks head just turned into a chicken head and this made Mathew to be very terrified and asked the magician to return Mark’s head again.
‘Please return Mark’s head, I was joking,’ Mathew replied in agony
You see what you have done Mathew, Martin asked as they both looked on as mark stood puzzled.
‘This was your wish not mine, so I cannot do anything,’ Loki explained
After series of pleading, Loko agreed to return Mark’s head but only if they gave him money.
Mathew with tears rolling down his cheek, he asked,’ where can I get money from, you clearly see that am a student and I don’t work’
‘I know you are a student, but your parents work,’ the magician replied
Mathew then dropped his bag down and run home like a mad person without any conclusive plan on how he was going to get money. He reached home and sighted his dad in the compound, he entered the house from the back and went straight to his parents’ bedroom.
Thankfully enough he saw money besides the bed, picked it and rushed back to save his friend. He arrived, gave the money to the magician and in a few minutes, Mark’s head returned and he appeared normal again.
‘What happened guys,’ asked Mark?
‘Nothing, let’s go home,’ replied Martin
They then walked home in silence. Later in the evening while having dinner, Mathew’s dad asked the wife whether she saw the money that he had placed besides their bed.
‘No, I have not seen any money,’ she replied
‘Then where did the money go?’ Dad asked
‘I took the money daddy to rescue my friend, his head had turned into chicken head,’ replied Mathew
Mathew narrated the story of what happened and they told him never to talk to strangers ever again.
The story of a hungry cat and its four kittens
There was a cat that lived with its four kittens and one day; she woke up with hardly anything to feed her kids. She went to the kitchen and found that she was remaining with a small piece of carrot and pumpkin seeds. She came back to the house and found its kids awake and yarning;
‘Is breakfast ready mum?’ Asked one of the kittens
She looked up in the sky while brushing its mustache and said, ’there is some carrot and pumpkin seeds in the kitchen’
But mum, ‘where is daddy?’ asked another kitten
She stared at them with no answer
‘Does it mean you like staying alone with us,’ asked another kitten
‘Your father is a violent man, that’s why we are better off staying alone,’ the mum replied
‘Why can’t we have rat meat for breakfast mum, am tired of eating carrot with pumpkin seeds,’ asked another
‘I know we have taken sometime like two weeks without eating rat meat but that’s what we have now,’ the mum replied
Ok mum, one kitten replied while they watched over the balcony as their mum was down in the compound contemplating of what to do next. She looked behind and told them;
‘Stay here kids, am going to hunt,’ the mum said
They replied,’ fine mum. We shall be here waiting’
‘Should we wait for rat meat for breakfast,’ asked the youngest
She became angry and said,’ I told you to eat what is there in the kitchen. After having breakfast, get back in the house,’ She said
She walked down the valley talking to herself; Kids will remain kids, I don’t know how the day will end and someone is waiting for rat meat as if I don’t want too. She walked passed near the water well and heard frogs singing and jumping around;
‘Now hear those ones, they look to have nice meat but the problem is there rough skin,’ she talked to herself
She passed the water well and continued walking and after some short distance she bumped into a pack of rats snooping around. When the the rats noticed the cat coming close, they scattered all over running for their dear lives. She followed one and they ran up and down the small hills until it disappeared into a small hole. She tried to push her head but the hole was too small for her and she stood over and watched for some time waiting for the rat to appear again.
‘I almost got you. Oh how I miss your tender meat. My kids love you so much but I missed narrowly,’ she said
She waited for some time but the rat was not coming back and after a while, she walked back in anguish and disappointment.
On her way back home, she passed the water well and again heard the frogs singing. She walked slowly stalking one and pounced on it;
‘I got you Mr. Frog. I don’t care how you look like but my kids want meat,’ she said
‘Yeah, you have me. I guess it’s your lucky day today,’ replied the frog
She looked up in the sky and said,’ thank you universe’
As she pulled the frog over, the frog interrupted and said;
‘How are you going to eat me with all these rusty bumps,’ the frog asked?
‘I will find a way to remove them,’ replied the cat
I have a suggestion here,’ just throw me in the water three times and all these rusty bumps will be gone. You will then enjoy a niece meal’
Oh yes, you could be right Mr. Frog. She then threw it over to the water and Mr. frog bounced back. She threw it over for the second time and Mr. Frog bounced back and this time the bumps seem to have reduced. She threw it over for the third time and Mr. Frog disappeared.
‘Oh my God, my only catch has again disappeared. What will I tell my kids,’ She talked to herself in anguish?
She again heard Frogs singing and making fun of him in the water but did not have any idea of what to do but to walk home empty handed.
‘I thought that I have got some meat however much it was not pleasing but how could I believe in him,’ she said
She went home and delivered bad news but promised to get some meat for the kids, the next day.
The story of a little girl and a thirsty woman
Angle came from a family of five people and her being the only girl and youngest was liked and cherished by many. Their family lived near to a market place that used to work once a month. The market attracted thousands of people from different walks of life. People would walk for over 20 kilometers to either come to the market to sell or buy stuff. Angel and his brothers used to fetch water at a water well which was a few kilometers from their home and they walk there every day. Whenever it used to be a market day, they shared the same walk away with people coming to the market.
The market day was always a busy day because it attracted people of different agendas including gangs. One day a pock thief gang run straight to their home while being chased around and hid under one of their beds. Market goers threatened to set their house ablaze after being accused of collaborating with thieves and had it not that Angel’s dad was a renowned good man in the village, something bad could have happened at his home.
One day while coming from the water well carrying their water containers, Angel was behind being the youngest and had a small container. The water well was a deep hole in a cave. They would tie a rope on a jug and use it to scoop water from the bottom to their water containers. Having walked for some distance from the well, they met a lady who stopped them and requested to drink some water. The boys who were ahead refused to give her and continued walking but Angel accepted and offered the woman to drink some water.
Angel said,’ hey, Tom and Timothy, stop a bit. This woman was so thirsty. She requested to drink some’
They replied,’ couldn’t she reach the well and drink from there. You are delaying us’
The lady drank while pausing over and over again, she finished when the water in Angel’s container was half full and thanked her for saving her life.
‘Do you see that the level of your water is half full, Mummy is going to beat you,’ Tom said
‘You will help me to explain to mummy what has just happened, can’t you see I have just saved a life,’ Angel replied.
The lady stood in a distance and overheard their conversation, she politely asked the boys to escort her back and fill up her container, the boys laughed out loud.
‘Whom you are taking back to the well,’ Tom said
‘Your kindness will make your great and a happy woman one day. When you grow up, you will marry a rich kind man and God bless you abundantly,’ the lady said to Angel
She then said goodbye and went way.
When Angel reached home, she confided to her mum about what she did and her mummy was happy for the kind heart that she had shown.
Many years later when Angel had finished school and was working in one of the media organization as an editor, she fell in love with the chief editor and they later married. She was later promoted to the position of the chief editor while the husband was retired. Angel remembered that woman whom she saved by giving her water to drink and she kept talking to herself, ‘could this be the reason why I am so happy today,’ she talked to herself.
