The Donkey Who Spoke the Truth

A Samburu family was migrating during a terrible drought. They had loaded all of their possessions onto their Donkey. The father of the family, in his desperation, began to pray to Nkai, but he made false promises. "Oh Nkai," he said, "If you bring us to water, I will sacrifice my finest bull!"—but he had no intention of doing so. The Donkey, hearing this lie, suddenly stopped and refused to move. The man beat the Donkey, but it would not budge. Then, the Donkey turned its head and spoke. "You lie to Nkai," the Donkey said. "Your heart is not true. I will not carry the possessions of a liar." The man was shocked and terrified. He fell to his knees and made a true, humble prayer, promising only what he could give. As soon as the true prayer was spoken, the Donkey stood up and began to walk again. They found a waterhole just over the next hill. The story is told to teach that even a humble donkey can recognize a lie spoken to God, and that Nkai values a small, honest promise over a large, deceitful one.