The Baboons Who Stole Milk

A troop of Baboons watched the Samburu women milking the cattle every morning. The Chief of the Baboons, who was clever but had no wisdom, decided they could do the same. He and his troop snuck into the cattle enclosure at night. They tried to milk the cows, but their hands were clumsy and their minds were impatient. They pulled and grunted, angering the cows and getting no milk. In their frustration, they began to bite the cows' udders, causing the herd to stampede in pain and terror. Nkai, the sky god, saw this abomination—animals trying to steal the sacred gift of milk that belonged to his chosen people. Nkai cursed the baboons. "Because you tried to steal the gift of wisdom with clumsy hands," he declared, "your minds will forever be scattered, and your hands will be fit only for gathering wild fruits, never again to attempt the sacred act of milking." This is why baboons are seen as chaotic, foolish, and noisy creatures, a living reminder of the failed theft of a divine privilege.