Storytelling  On  Corruption

THE BAOBAB SEED AND YOUR GRAND CHILDREN’S HOUSE

BAOBAB TREE

By Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath

BAOBAB SEEDS

Once upon a time, there lived an old man in the Kalahari Desert. There was no water, no food, and no fruit. In fact, the old man had nothing for his living.   

One night, as he was struggling to catch some sleep he had a dream.

In the dream, God sent an Angel to tell him what to do for his survival. The Angel   instructed him to plant a tree. The Angel  then presented him with three different seeds and asked him to pick only one.

Those seeds included that of mango, avocado pear and baobab. Of the three, the baobab seed was the tiniest or the smallest, but the old man knew that when it geminated it would become the biggest three of all.

So he picked the baobab seed.  Then the Angel said to him: “Please my dear old man, because you chose the baobab see, I would advise you not to plant it on a spot where your children or grand children may want to build a house one day”

The old man did not understand what the Angel meant by that.  As he tried to seek further clarification, the Angel vanished and the old man woke up suddenly from his slumber.

The old man was so confused that he went to consult a dream interpreter to tell him the meaning of his dream.  He was told straight in the face that the baobab tree represents greed.

Thus corruption is like a baobab tree. Its beginning, like a baobab seed, may be very small but its practice can create a big problem for society.

Corruption can block the chances for future generations to progress and advance. That is why the Angel advised the old man not to plant the seed on a spot where his   children or grand children might want to build a house in the future.

Corruption can prevent sustainable development.  That is the moral lesson for this story.

NB: This story was written on Monday, 27 May, 2019 (c) abissath@gmail.com