Jealous co-wife
Mary Narebon
Jacob Kono
There lived two co-wives.
They shared the same hut with their husband.
For a long time, neither wife had a child. Then, the first wife became pregnant.
She gave birth at a time when the husband was not at home.
The second wife felt jealous towards the first wife and her baby.
She began to think of ways of killing her co-wife so that she could have the husband alone.
During that time, people did not cook food. They ate it raw.
The second wife said, "I will cook the food so that I poison my co-wife."
She believed that cooked food could kill a person.
She cooked food for her co-wife for many days.
However, instead of dying, the first wife became healthier and healthier because of cooked food.
When the husband returned home, he found a new baby, the first wife healthier and the food being cooked.
The husband was amazed by the cooking of food and he asked, "Who taught you to cook!"
The second wife whispered to the husband and said, "I am cooking so that I poison my co-wife."
"I am jealous of her for having had a baby while I have not. I feel you will chase me away."
The husband was angry and warned her, "Stop being evil minded."
The husband gathered his wives and made peace between them.
They all agreed to cook food because it made them healthier.
That is how the cooking of food began!
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Jealous co-wife
Author - Mary Narebon
Illustration - Jacob Kono
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs
© African Storybook Initiative 2017
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
