The sticky doll
Mozambican Folktale
Hélder de Paz Alexandre

Once upon a time, there was a family that owned a big farm. They had a lot of peanuts and corn on their farm.

All the animals with four legs went to the farm to eat the crops of this family.

1

Now the rabbit was very clever. It would spot the owners as they came to the farm.

The rabbit would shout, "Robbers! Robbers!" as soon as it saw the farmers, and all the animals would run away.

2

As time passed, the family realized that their crops were being eaten.

They put out a large doll to frighten the animals and protect the farm. They put glue all over the doll's body.

3

The next day, the animals went to the farm and saw the doll. They decided not to return because they thought that the doll would catch them.

The doll frightened all the animals, except the rabbit. It returned the following day.

4

The rabbit went up to the doll and said, "If I slap you with my right hand, you will die!"

The rabbit slapped the doll and its right hand stuck to the glue.

5

Then the rabbit said to the doll, "If I slap you with my left hand, you will die!"

The rabbit slapped the doll and its left hand stuck to the glue.

6

The rabbit said to the doll, "If I kick you with my legs, you will die!"

The rabbit did so and its legs stuck to the doll.

7

The rabbit continued, "If I headbutt your head, you will die!"

The rabbit's head stuck to the doll.

Now the rabbit's whole body was stuck to the doll.

8

That same day, the couple and their youngest daughter went to the farm.

They found the rabbit stuck to the doll and gave it to the girl to take home. When she got home, she told her older sister to cook the rabbit.

9

But the rabbit gave the young girls different orders. It said that they should cook the family's big cock for dinner.

The rabbit also told them to get their father's suit.

10

So the girls cooked the cock. They gave their father's suit to the rabbit, and served supper.

The rabbit put the bones from the meat into the jacket pockets.

11

But then the couple arrived home.

The rabbit jumped out of the window and ran away.

They ordered their dogs to go and catch it.

12

As the dogs approached the rabbit, it gave them the bones from the pocket of the father's jacket.

The dogs stopped to eat the bones.

13

The rabbit ran as fast as it could, until it came to a patch of mud.

The rabbit rolled in the muddy patch until its fur was covered with grey mud. It stopped right there on the path.

14

When the people caught up with the rabbit, they did not recognize it.

They asked, "Did you see a red rabbit running past?" The rabbit answered, "No!"

The people continued along the path.

15

And that is the end of the story!

16
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The sticky doll
Author - Mozambican Folktale
Illustration - Hélder de Paz Alexandre
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs