African Legends in 60 Seconds · Episode 1
Enkai and the Cattle
Words from the story, in Swahili
Hear it, then say it
Tap a word to hear it spoken, then repeat it out loud.
ng'ombe
= cattle
The same word is used for one cow or many.
mbingu
= sky
Also used for the heavens.
kamba
= rope
The strip Enkai lowered from the sky.
Read along
The story
Long ago, the sky and the earth were so close, you could almost touch the clouds.
High above lived Enkai, God of the Maasai.
One day, Enkai looked down and saw that the people were hungry.
So Enkai lowered a long strip of leather, all the way down from the sky.
And down that strip came cattle, one after another. In Swahili, we call them ng'ombe.
Enkai said: "These cattle are yours. Care for them well."
But one jealous man took a knife... and cut the strip.
The sky rose far away from the earth, and no more cattle came down.
Ever since that day, the Maasai have cared for their cattle as a gift from Enkai.
Quick quiz
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