The Hare and the Baobab's Fruit

During a famine, the only food to be found was the fruit at the very top of a giant, slippery-skinned baobab tree. No animal could climb it. The Hare, however, knew the tree had a secret name, and if the name was spoken, the tree would bend down. But he did not know the name. He went to the oldest woman in the world, who lived in a cave. "The name," she whispered, "is 'Mbuyu-Mbuyu-Inama'." The Hare was so excited, he ran back towards the tree, but on the way, he tripped and bumped his head, and the magic name fell right out of his memory. He had to go back to the old woman. This happened again and again. Finally, the Hare, frustrated, decided to create a song. He sang, "Mbuyu-Mbuyu-Inama, bend down low!" over and over as he ran. By putting the magic words to a rhythm, he could not forget them. He reached the tree, sang the song, and the baobab bent down, providing food for all the animals. The story teaches that memory is fallible, but a rhythm or a song can carry knowledge safely.