The Rabbit and the Wizard

Raziya the Rabbit listened to this exchange from behind a tree, feeling disappointed with her fellow animals. She touched the white spot between her ears and remembered the tale of how her father, Wekesa, earned the spot for her family...

Wekesa was very proud of his cunning. It had always served him well but he wanted more, needed more. So he journeyed to the animal wizard Muzimu and asked, "Great One, will you give me more knowledge? I want to be clever."

Muzimu laughed and replied, "I know your head and your heart. You are already wise, little one."

"You may say I am wise already, but I would say that I am not wise enough, Great Wizard."

Muzimu said, "If you desire more knowledge, bring me a live snake, and I will grant your wish."

Feeling ecstatic, Wekesa walked to the home of the snake. As his feet moved along the path, his eyes wandered the floor of the woods, looking for a long, straight stick. He spotted one right before coming to the home of Talib the snake.

Wekesa called, "Talib, good day!"

Doubt about his plan crept into Wekesa's mind as he watched a powerful, bright-green Python slither from its resting place. Wekesa blinked away visions of the Python squeezing the life out of him and fought to assume a friendly expression as Talib spoke.

"Good day, little rabbit. What do you have in your hand?"

"A friend saw this and wondered if it was longer than you. I told her it was shorter than your great length, but she won't believe it until we measure it against you."

"That stick is tiny compared to me! Let us find this friend of yours, and I will prove her wrong."

After finding their appropriate audience, the green Python straightened its body next to the stick, proving its superiority to the stick's length. Before Talib could move, Wekesa quickly slipped a string around the head of Talib, securing him to the stick.

Talib was outraged. "How dare you hold me in captivity? What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm bringing you to the Animal Wizard. He challenged me to bring a live snake in exchange for more knowledge. Please try to understand why I've deceived you. Surely, you know that the animals of this forest must work to improve their natural abilities to survive this harsh life. I knew I must be as clever as possible, so I made a deal with the Animal Wizard: knowledge and wisdom in exchange for bringing you to him."

Talib sighed and responded, "You tricked me! You betrayed our friendship, and for what? You already possess cunning and knowledge."

Wekesa didn't know what to say. Before Wekesa could think of something to redeem himself, Talib sighed in defeat and asked, "What is the Animal Wizard going to do with me?"

"I didn't ask, but maybe he will do nothing and release you."

"You are a fool if you think that. There is always a price to pay when you deal with the Animal Wizard and his magic."

The Rabbit thought of this price as he walked to the Animal Wizard's home.

After arriving at Muzimu's wooden home built around two large trees, Wekesa presented the animal wizard with the live snake.

Muzimu's eyes widened in surprise and said, "Little one, you tricked the Python. This is proof that you have all the wisdom you need. I do not see why I should to grant you more."

Wekesa could not believe his ears. "You said that if I brought you a live snake, you would grant me more knowledge. Why do you refuse my wish now?"

"You do not need me to enhance your cleverness! You already have the tools to grow your knowledge day after day as you experience more of life. As a sign of the sense you possess, I will mark your head with a white spot of hair. This mark and your wisdom will be passed down to your descendants."

As a white mark appeared on Wekesa's head, he asked, "What are you going to do with the snake? You did not uphold your end of the deal. I didn't ask for this spot or a gradual increase in wisdom! Release my friend."

The Animal Wizard laughed and said, "The powers I serve still demand a price for our dealings today. You should have questioned my intentions for the snake before you dealt with magic. Now go, clever one, before I decide on a higher price."

.... The memory of the tale faded as a noise from the clearing brought Raziya's attention back to the Displaced Mother. Moving through the soft grass, she moved from behind the tree and came before Rudo.

Author's Note: I wanted to include another animal's story before revealing the end of the Displaced Mother's journey. The tale of the rabbit is a story from Animal Fables from the Dark Continent. In the original, the wizard makes the rabbit complete another task, in which the rabbit must retrieve a swarm of bees before the wizard grants the wish of increased knowledge. I wanted to shorten the story to leave more room for details and be able to tie rabbit's story into the overarching story. I also wanted to include some regret and reservations on the rabbit's part for tricking the snake and giving him to the Animal Wizard. It was selfish of the rabbit to seek more knowledge at the expense of another without questioning what would happen. If you want to read more about this classic rabbit story, see this page of research by Laura Gibbs. The next story will end the storybook and the mystery of the town will be revealed!

Image information: Rabbit in Nature; Green Python Snake; Illustration from Animal Fables from the Dark Continent by A.O. Stafford.

Bibliography: The Rabbit and the Animal Wizard in Animal Fables from the Dark Continent by A.O. Stafford.

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