What to do?

Bambara, Mali

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A man had married a woman from another town. He asked his best friend to accompany the bride when the time came for her to be brought to his house. He himself was busy harvesting and could not go.

The friend walked to the bride's village and together they walked back along the footpath to her husband's house. On the way they had to cross a large river. As the woman was wading through the water, a water-monster suddenly seized her and gobbled her up quickly.

A second water-monster emerged from the river and said loudly, "You greedy monster! You ate her whole! What am I going to eat now?" Whereupon the first monster, who had eaten the woman said, "There's another one coming, so you may eat all of him. I've had enough now." The man had heard the monsters' words and wondered what to do.

Then the faithful friend stepped quietly into the river, even though he knew what his fate would be. It was preferable to be eaten by a monster than to have to face his friend with the news that he had failed to bring his bride safely home. He waded into the river and was eaten alive.

He should have entered the water first!

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