Writer:
Mezemir Girma
The sheep are busy
grazing, whereas the cattle are sleeping beside the river above the historic
Engidwasha Cave. Two siblings are in charge of all these animals.
“Kasa, it is your turn to
bring those sheep back here before they go to that farm. You know the owner
will punish us today too,” said Kelem.
“Hey! I will hit you! You
go bring them!” he said waving his stick.
“No! No! You deny? It is
your turn. I will not go another time. I will bring them only now and you will
go for two rounds. If not, I will tell Baba in the evening.”
“You tell him and
tomorrow I will hit you,” he threatened her.
Kelem went murmuring and brought
the sheep.
Kasa threatens his sister
as such. Sometimes he punishes her. He has also a habit of abusing other people
and running towards his parents or elder brothers for protection. At this
particular moment, along the road from the side of the church comes a passerby.
Kasa told his sister that
he will insult the man. His sister warned him that the man would punish him.
Kasa insists that he will insult the passerby. He could not listen to the
advice of his sister. He even threatened to hit him by a sling.
The man approached.
Seeing that he wore a lowlanders’ gabi
Kasa shouted, “Lowlander wanderer! Lowlander robber! You dirty lowlander!”
However, the man kept walking as if he didn’t hear what that boy said. Kasa
kept insulting the man until the man went down the road and disappeared from
sight. Kasa laughed happily over his small victory.
“He heard what I said. He
kept quiet only because he is afraid. Lowlanders are cowards,” said Kasa to his
sister who looked indifferent.
As he was bragging, a man
emerged from the side the previous man went to. This man hid his hands towards
his back. As he approached the children, it was difficult to know he was the
previous man since he held the gabi he wore in his armpits.
“Hello children. How are
you? Can you show me where Asrat’s home is?” asked this man. Kasa told him that
Asrat is his father and their home is nearby. “But, you know, my parents went
to a distant farm. You cannot find them now,” said Kasa.
“Ok, good! Are you his
children? Come, greet me children,” said the man. The man approached Kasa and immediately held
his two hands together by his left hand. It was a stick that this man held in
his hands. The man started to flog Kasa, who kept crying. None of Kasa’s family
members were around to save him.
As soon as the man left, Kasa
began to throw stones towards the man using a sling. He narrowly missed the man
two, three times. The man tried to avoid the flying stones and started to run
towards the boy. He caught him and punished him for the second time. He pinched
him sending his hands under his shorts. He slapped him with his hard hands.
His sister, Kelem, observes what happens to
Kasa and learns that insulting people causes such punishments. After the man
punished Kasa and told him he would punish him more if he hears he insults
other people, the man went down the road. This time Kasa didn’t insult the man.
He just murmured “I would tell my father if he were here.” This single
incidence made Kasa a boy who respects young and old people alike.
Moral: Abusing people
causes troubles.
ምንም አስተያየቶች የሉም:
አስተያየት ይለጥፉ