They say that treachery, greed and dishonesty are very bad friends and I understood this through a story.
A long, long time ago in a small village called Sankaraniso, located on the banks of the Sankarani River.
One day, a terrible drought hit this village in the Sahel. The streams are dry. The animals are dying, the granaries empty and the villagers helpless.
With nothing left to live on, the villagers were very worried. Without water, without this precious source of life, there is no life anywhere on Earth. Songs, incantations, rainmakers could do nothing about it. Heaven refused to cry over Sankaraniso. But as we say at home: at the end of patience, there was always the reward.
One day, a traveler arrives in the village. He was tired and he was thirsty. And as tradition dictates, he is served water but hold on tight, the last glass of water left in the village. Touched by the generosity of the villagers, the traveler entrusts them with a secret.
THE TRAVELER: “Thank you, you have shared your most precious things with me. I have nothing to give you, but before leaving, I have a secret to tell you.
Do you know Bamako, the backwater of the caiman? »
TRAORE: “Bamako? »
MAÏGA: “The caiman’s backwater?
KEITA: “We don’t know, where is it? »
THE TRAVELER: “It’s very far, very far. There, everything is possible. Gold is flowing. If you want to be rich, go to Bamako”
After consultation, palavers of the elders and offerings to the deities, the young Traoré, Maïga and Keita are designated by the villagers.
The young people ask for the road to leave, which the village gladly grants them.
They walk for hours, they walk a day, they walk two days, they walk three days. And on the night of the seventh day, they finally arrive at the edge of a large backwater.
Traoré is in front and the other two behind.
On the other side of the bank, a glow stretches.
TRAORE: “Wait my friends, what is that over there? »
MAÏGA: “Instead of staying here talking, let’s go see together…”
The three young people move towards the shining point. Arrived at the level of the shore, a huge caiman stands in front of them.
Traoré throws himself without thinking into the water to create a diversion. The caiman pursues him.
Maïga and Keita take the opportunity to cross and go to the other side of the backwater.
And as the traveler had told them, they discover bags full of gold.
MAIGA: “It’s wonderful, we are rich. We will share the water once we get to the village”.
The three friends, arms laden with bags of gold, head back home.
Traoré remains silent in the face of Maïga’s words. Why share? He had taken more risks than the others. Common sense, he said, wanted him to get the biggest share. But Maïga and Keita were not of this opinion. Traoré did nothing, he let himself be distracted by a chase with the caiman. Why share equally with him? Ah, money has always been the weakness of men…
KEITA: “My dear, frankly, I don’t want to share with Traoré. »
MAIGA: “Me neither. He did not do anything. We alone took the risks. »
KEITA: “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it! »
After some thought, they decide to hit Traore at the next resting point and split the contents of the bag in half.
For his part, Traoré is also maturing his plan with regard to his two companions.
TRAORE: “Keita and Maïga have been whispering for a while now. They look too much like children, they are immature and I know they won’t take care of this treasure. I have to get rid of them, so I can keep this for myself and for my family!”
Arrived at the next resting point, Traoré decides to go get food for the rest of the group. He takes the opportunity to poison the food.
When he returns, Keita and Maïga throw themselves on him and beat him to death.
Satisfied with their package, they decide to eat the food brought by Traoré before resuming their journey.
But no sooner had they swallowed a few mouthfuls than they began to complain of abdominal pain. A few hours later, they were dead, leaving behind all the bags of gold, fruits of their collective efforts.
I told you: treachery, greed and dishonesty are really very bad friends.
This story served as a lesson to the descendants of the Traoré, the Maïga and the Keita who forged an alliance and decided to be loyal to each other and to stop hurting each other.
Africa in story is a series created by the NGO Des Livres Pour Tous – Côte d’Ivoire and the collective Making Waves, in partnership with RFI. This project has received support from the “Access Culture” scheme of the French Institute in Paris and the French Development Agency (AFD), the “ACP-EU Culture for West Africa – Awa” program from the French Institute and the Kôrè Cultural Centre, the “Agir” system of the Department of Seine-Saint-Denis and the Île-de-France Region.
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