Never Lend Money to a Friend African Folktale

Never Lend Money to a Friend

Friendship wisdom holds that you should never lend money to a friend to that you cannot afford to lose. 

Never Lend Money to a Friend African Folktale

As the elders say, once there was a great famine in the land, and the tortoise sat down to think of some sneaky scheme to help him in his destitute state.

Money doesn't grow on trees.

Because of his planning, he went to his friends: the worm, chicken, wildcat, leopard, and hunter, and from each of them borrowed seven bags of seed. These he promised to pay on different days at the end of the season, telling the worm to come first for his money, the chicken next, and so on; the hunter being last.

When the time agreed upon came, the worm went to him for payment. But, the tortoise told him to wait, saying he had to go to fetch the money. So, the worm waited; and the next day the tortoise came back, followed by the chicken, whose payment was now due. Seeing the worm, the chicken swallowed him up, and then told the tortoise the object of his visit.

However, the tortoise told the chicken likewise to wait while he got the money; and when he returned, the wild cat came with him and devoured the chicken.

When will a friend return borrowed money?

When he then asked for his money, he was told to wait, while the tortoise went out for it. This time the leopard came back with the tortoise, and he, seeing the wild cat, fell upon him and killed him, after which he explained the reason for his coming; and he, as the others had been, was told to wait, which he did in ignorance of the scheme he was so soon to fall prey.

Shortly the tortoise came back, and with him the hunter, who fired at the leopard, though he failed to kill him. Therefore, the leopard attacked him, and they fought until they both were dead.

Wicked tortoise laughed at the foolishness of his victims and chuckled, “you should not lend money to anyone, as they would try to get rid of you in order not to pay you back!”