In the embrace of the Serengeti, where the horizon kisses the sun and baobabs stand as silent witnesses to time, a family of warthogs named Jabari, Hasani, and Zalika grew up under the watchful eyes of their doting mother. Their childhood was a beautiful weave of golden days and starlit nights, their laughter mingling with the rustle of the acacia leaves.
As the seasons turned, the siblings found themselves at life's crossroads, ready to carve out their own corners in the world. Jabari, whose courage was as unyielding as the savanna itself, chose to weave his home from the tall grasses that swayed like dancers in the breeze. Hasani, with a wit as quick as the zephyrs that raced across the plains, opted for the strong, embracing arms of the baobab trees to shelter him. And Zalika, whose wisdom flowed as deep as the rivers that nourished the land, sculpted her haven from the rich, red clay that painted the earth with its vibrant hues.
Also Read: THE FISH AND THE TOAD'S KISS
But their dreams were soon clouded by the shadow of Kiburi, the hyena with eyes like moonless nights and a laugh that chilled the warmest of hearts. He prowled the savanna with a hunger that was never sated, his gaze fixed on the unsuspecting warthogs.
Jabari's grassy abode, a marvel that danced with the wind's every whim, was the first to feel Kiburi's wrath. "Little warthog, little warthog, let me in," he taunted, his voice a sinister melody.
Jabari stood firm, his voice resolute. "Not by the bristles of my chinny chin chin."
With a snarl, Kiburi unleashed the fury of the storm. "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" And with that, Jabari's grass house was no more, sending him sprinting to Hasani's sanctuary.
Together, the brothers fortified the baobab haven, but Kiburi's determination was as fierce as the midday sun. "Little warthogs, little warthogs, let me in," he sneered.
The brothers stood united. "Not by the bristles of our chinny chin chins."
Kiburi's laughter was a harbinger of doom. "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" And just like that, the baobab fortress crumbled, driving the brothers into Zalika's embrace.
Also Read: THE BABY SNAKE AND THE BABY MOUSE
Zalika's home was a fortress of clay, its walls kissed by the sun and its foundations rooted in the wisdom of the earth. When Kiburi faced this bastion, his confidence faltered. "Little warthogs, little warthogs, let me in," he growled, his voice losing its edge.
The siblings' reply was a chorus of defiance. "Not by the bristles of our chinny chin chins."
Kiburi's challenge was met with the immovable force of Zalika's creation. "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" But no matter how he raged, the clay house stood proud and unyielding.
In a final act of desperation, Kiburi clambered onto the roof, seeking entry through the chimney. But the warthogs were one step ahead, their fire blazing with herbs that sent spirals of smoke into the sky. Kiburi, engulfed in the scented fog, lost his footing and tumbled down, down, down, right into the flames. With a yelp of defeat, he vanished into the night, leaving the warthogs in peace.
From that day on, the siblings lived in harmony, their homes a proof of their unity and strength. And the story of the three little warthogs became a beautiful folktale whispered on the winds of the Serengeti, a tale of courage, ingenuity, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
Also Read: JELANI AND THE SEVEN COWS
