the lion whisker

8/18/2019 The Lion Whisker

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The Lion’s Whisker: An Ethiopian Folktale

ASSALAMUALAIKUM AND A VERY GOOD MORNING TO THE

HONOURABLE JUDGES, TEACHERS AND FELLOW FRIENDS. THIS

MORNING I WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOU TO A FOLKTALE, BUT, IT IS

NOT A LOCAL FOLKTALE THAT WE USE TO LISTEN TO. I WILL YOU

BRING TO ETHIOPIA WHERE THE STORY IS TOLD.

Haile wa a !a""# li$$le % li'i() wi$! !i *&$!e+ a( -a$!e+ i( $!ei+

!&*e i( E$!i&"ia. B$, &(e a# !i *&$!e+ ie a( Haile wa & !+$, a( &

/&(-e, a( & a()+#. A #ea+ "ae a( !i -a$!e+ e/ie $& +e*a++#. B$,

Haile +e*ai(e & !+$, a( & /&(-e, a( & a()+#. S& w!e( 0e#(a% *e$

!i* a( !))e !i* !e "lle awa# -+&* !e+. W!e( !e -i1e !i* !i -a'&+i$e

-&& -&+ i((e+ !e i(2$ ea$. W!e( !e *ae !i* a "la# i$ &$ &- -i(e /l&$!

!e +a( $!+&)! $!e w&& a( "la#e & +&)!l# !e $&+e $!e /l&$!e ".

W!e(e'e+ !e "&3e $& !i* !e i)(&+e !e+.

O(e a# w!e( !e+ !%a( wa )&(e !($i(), 0e#(a% we($ $& Haile2

%e+&&* $& $al3 $& !i*.

4Haile, I l&'e #& & */! a( I +eall# (ee #& $& l&'e. . .4

Be-&+e !e /&l -i(i! Haile 5*"e " a( ai, 4I !a$e #&, #& a+e(2$ *#

*&$!e+. I2* +((i() awa#.4

Haile +a( "a$ 0a#(e% a( &$ &- $!e !&e. 0a#(e% a$ &w( a( /+ie

a( /+ie. W!e( !e+ !%a( +e$+(e !e $&l !i* w!a$ !a !a""e(e. He $&l

!e+ $& )& &( a( /&&3 i((e+ a( (&$ $& w&++# $!a$ !e w&l -i( Haile. Haile

wa a$ $!e +i'e+ i( !i -a'&+i$e "&$. T!e $w& wal3e !&*e a( a$e i((e+

wi$!&$ a w&+.


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T!a$ (i)!$, a $!e &$!e+ $w& le"$, 0a#(e% )&$ &$ a( wal3e ee" i($&

$!e -&+e$ $& $!e !&*e &- $!e wi$/! &/$&+. T!e wi$/! &/$&+ wa a 'e+# wie

w&*a( w!& 3(ew $!e wa# &- "e&"le2 *i( a( !ea+$.

4I (ee #& $& *a3e *e a l&'e "&$i&( & *# $e"6&( will l&'e *e,4 ai

0a#(e%.

4Well,4 $!e &l w&*a( ai l&wl#, 4Be-&+e I /a( )i'e #& a l&'e "&$i&(, #&

*$ %+i() *e $!e w!i3e+ -+&* a -e+&/i& li&(.4

0e#(a%2 e#e )+ew la+)e a !e ai, 4H&w a* I ""&e $& & $!a$74

4Ue #&+ i*a)i(a$i&(,4 ai $!e wi$/! &/$&+.

0e#(a% we($ !&*e a( le"$ 5$ a -ew *&+e !&+. S!e )&$ " %e-&+e $!e

( +&e a( "$ e'e+al la+)e "ie/e &- +aw *ea$ i( a %a) a( !eae $&wa+

$!e !ill. S!e wal3e ($il !e -&( a /a'e w!i/! !a la+)e "aw "+i($ a+&(

i$. 0e#(a% $&&3 a "ie/e &- *ea$ &$ a( "la/e i$ i( -+&($ &- $!e e($+a(/e $& $!e/a'e. T!e( !e !i i( $!e %!e a%&$ 89 -ee$ -+&* $!e e($+a(/e a( wai$e.

A-$e+ a -ew *i($e a la+)e, 'e+# -e+&/i& l&&3i() li&( $e""e &$ &- $!e

/a'e, l&&3e a+&(, *elle $!e *ea$, a( a$e i$ all ".

0a#(e% wai$e -&+ a /&"le &- !&+ $!e( !e wal3e " $& $!e e($+a(/e &-

$!e /a'e a( "la/e a e/&( "ie/e &- *ea$ i( -+&($ &- i$. T!e( !e *&'e %a/3 &(l# :8 -ee$ a( i(2$ !ie i( $!e %!e. A-$e+ a -ew *i($e $!e li&( /a*e

&$. He l&&3e a+&(, $a+e a$ 0a#(e%, *elle $!e *ea$, "i/3e i$ ", a( a$e

i$ all ".

0a#(e% wai$e -&+ a /&"le &- !&+ $!e( !e wal3e " $& $!e e($+a(/e &-

$!e /a'e a( "la/e a $!i+ "ie/e &- *ea$ i( -+&($ &- i$. S!e *&'e %a/3 &(l# 8

-ee$ a( i(2$ !ie i( $!e %!e. A-$e+ a -ew *i($e $!e li&( /a*e &$. He


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l&&3e a+&(, $a+e a$ 0a#(e%, *elle $!e *ea$, "i/3e i$ ", a( a$e i$ all

".

0a#(e% wai$e -&+ a /&"le &- *&+e !&+ $!e( !e wal3e " $& $!ee($+a(/e &- $!e /a'e a( "la/e a $!i+ "ie/e &- *ea$ i( -+&($ &- i$. S!e *&'e

%a/3 &(l# $w& $e". A-$e+ a -ew *i($e $!e li&( /a*e &$. He l&&3e a+&(,

$a+e a$ 0a#(e%. S!e $a+e %a/3 a$ $!e li&(. Al$!&)! !e wa !a3i() i(ie,

!e i(2$ *&'e !e+ %&#. S!e 5$ $a+e +i)!$ %a/3 a$ $!e li&(2 la+)e %+&w(

e#e. T!e li&( *elle $!e *ea$, "i/3e i$ " a( %e)a( ea$i().

Ve+# l&wl# 0a#(e% e1$e(e !e+ !a(, )+a%%e a w!i3e+ a( ;i/3l#

"lle i$ &$. T!e li&( 3e"$ ea$i() a l&wl#, 'e+# l&wl#, a i- wal3i() &( a $i)!$

+&"e, 0a#(e% %a/3e awa# $&wa+ $!e %!e. W!e( !e )&$ i($& $!e -&+e$ !e

+a( %a/3 $& $!e wi$/! &/$&+2 !&*e.

B+ea$!i() !ea'il#, !e +!e i($& $!e wi$/! &/$&+2 !&e a( !el "

$!e w!i3e+. 4See, !e+e, I %+&)!$ #& a li&(2 w!i3e+. N&w, )i'e *e a l&'e

"&$i&(.4

T!e wi$/! &/$&+ l&&3e a$ $!e w!i3e+. 4A!, $!i &e l&&3 li3e a -e+&/i&

li&(2 w!i3e+. B$, I &(2$ !a'e a(# l&'e "&$i&(.4

4W!a$, w!a$ & #& *ea(74 /+ea*e 0a#(e%.

4N&w, $ell *e, !&w i #& )e$ $!a$ li&(2 w!i3e+74 $!e &l la# /al*l# a3e.

4Well, I !a $& %e 'e+#, 'e+# /a+e-l a( "a$ie($. I wa 'e+# )e($le a( 'e+#

;ie$, a( "e+i$e($.4

4Ye, a( #& we+e 'e+# /&+a)e&. See, #& !a'e all &- $!e 3ill #&

will (ee $& )e$ #&+ $e"&( $& l&'e #& wi$!&$ a *a)i/ "&$i&(.4


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T!e( 0a#(e% (e+$&&. S!e +e$+(e !&*e a( $+ea$e Haile (i/el# a

%e-&+e. B$, !e i (&$ *a3e a(# "e/ial e--&+$ $& wi( !i a--e/$i&(. S!e wa

5$ !e+ wee$, )i'i() el-. W!e( Haile wa +e $& !e+ &+ i)(&+e !e+, !e

/&($i(e &( a i- !e !a ai (&$!i(). I( $!+ee wee3 Haile %e)a( $& *ile a(

"ea3 $& 0a#(e%. I( i1 wee3 !e &--e+e $& !el" !e+ wi$! /!&+e. I( (i(e wee3

!e i('i$e !e+ $& wal3 wi$! !i* $& !i -a'&+i$e "la/e a$ $!e +i'e+. O(e (i)!$ a%&$

the lion whisker

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