Thunder and Lightning

Thunder and Lightning, a traditional San tale

A long time ago, both Thunder and Lightning lived among the people on this earth. Thunder was a mother sheep and Lightning was her son, a ram. Neither one was very popular with the people, however...

Hot-tempered Lightning would often fly into a furious rage, burning whatever he came across. Sometimes he damaged farms and crops with his fire, and occasionally he killed people who got in his way.

Thunder did not approve of her son's wild behavior. Whenever she found out her son was up to no good, she would raise her voice and shout at him as loudly as she could, and that was very loud indeed!

As you can imagine, the neighbors were very upset: first by the damage caused by Lightning, and then by the unbearable noise from his mother that always followed his destructive outbursts.

Time after time the villagers would complain to the King, who finally sent the two of them to live at the very edge of the village. The King also warned them to never mix with the people again.

The King's punishment did no good, however, since Lightning could still see people as they walked about the village streets, and found it all too easy to continue picking quarrels with them.

Fed up, the King called his counsellors together and after much debate, they agreed on a plan. Why not banish Thunder and Lightning completely from the Earth, and send them away to live in the sky?

And so the King's order was proclaimed throughout the land: Thunder and Lightning would be sent away into the sky, where the people hoped they would not be able to do any more damage.

Problem solved? Well... Lightning still loses his temper, and cannot resist sending fire down to the Earth when he is angry. Then, you can hear his mother rebuking him in her loud rumbling voice.

(adaptation originally via Gateway Africa)

(images via David Berliner and Sekundemal)