Long ago, in a rural part of Ethiopia, there lived a very poor man who worked tirelessly to survive. He grew pumpkins and corn to feed himself, but his fields were constantly raided by a troop of baboons. Whenever he left the fields, the baboons would come and eat the crops, leaving him frustrated and anxious about his livelihood.
One day, while chasing the baboons away, all of them fled except for one small baby baboon who could not run fast enough. The man noticed the tiny creature and was moved by its innocence and charm, so he decided to take it home. The baby baboon clung to him, showing attachment and trust, and the man chose to raise it as his own child. As the baboon grew, he began taking it with him to the fields every day.
When the man planted seeds in the ground, the young baboon often took them and ate them, which both amused and irritated him. Patiently, he explained, “Do not eat the seeds now. We need to plant them so they can grow into plants. Later, we will have even more seeds.” The baboon listened carefully and learned how to follow his instructions. It helped him plant seeds, and as time went on, it even assisted with weeding and harvesting, becoming a valuable companion in the fields.
When the baby baboon grew up, the man cared for it as his own child and later took a female baboon to raise alongside it. When the female baboon reached maturity, she gave birth to a first son who walked on two legs and had a human-like form. Later, they had a daughter who was also fully human in appearance.
These two children grew up, and according to the legend, since they were the only surviving ancestors, they married each other to continue the lineage. From this generation onward, their descendants lived and developed fully as humans, gradually forgetting that their original ancestors had once been a baboon. In this way, their family became prosperous and happy, symbolizing the formation of modern humans according to traditional folklore.
The story concludes by illustrating how a new human lineage began from a poor man and a baboon child he raised as his own. Over time, their descendants became fully human, representing the emergence of modern humanity.
The moral and significance of the tale lie in its explanation of human origins through traditional folklore. It emphasizes the close connection between humans and primates and highlights the deep bond between people and nature, reminding us of the importance of respecting and living harmoniously with the natural world.