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The Borrowed Buttocks


By Susan Mwape

There once was Chief who lived in Kazimuli village. The chief married a very beautiful woman and people came from other villages to just look at the chiefs beautiful wife.  As part of the village entertainment every year, there used to be an annual dance competition ceremony which brought women from the village to a dancing competition.

When the Chief’s wife heard about the competition she became miserable. This was because in as much as she was very beautiful she had small flat buttocks. When she looked around the village she saw that most of her friends and women in the village were fat and most of them also had big buttocks. She then realized that she did not stand a chance in competing with those women.

After thinking and thinking the Chief’s wife saw a dog that they used to keep ate the palace. The dog had big buttocks so the chiefs wife decided to go and talk to it. She told the dog about the competition and explained to it how sad she was that she could not compete. She then asked the dog if it could lend her it’s buttocks since it had big. Hearing how much she complained and how sad she looked the dog felt sorry for her and agreed to lend her its buttocks during the competition.

On the competition date as agreed the dog gave the Chief’s wife its buttocks and she was very happy. She quickly wore them and wrapped a beautiful chitenge on top. She was very happy and went to the competition. At the competition, the chiefs wife danced very well she was the highlight of the event. Since she was naturally a beautiful woman the buttocks complimented her a lot such that everyone admired and said she was the best dancer.

After the main event later that evening the dog went to the chief’s wife asking that she returns its buttocks. The chief’s wife would not hear of it and became annoyed and arrogant. She refused to return the buttock and evn though the dog was whispering the request to her, she rudely told the dog to get lost. She started bragging to the dog and saying there was no way she could have borrowed its buttocks. The dog insisted that she returns its buttocks but the chiefs wife rudely left and went away shaking the buttocks and dancing looking very beautiful.

The dog became very angry and called out to the chiefs wife again asking her to give the buttock back when she did not heed the dog start started singing:

Oyiye ntenge ntako mai mai
Ntenge ntako
Akazi amfumu
Ntenge ntako
Akazi amfumu
Ntenge ntako
Batenga matako
Ntenge ntako
Matako ya imbwa
Ntenge ntako…

The chiefs wife only danced more and paid no attention to the dog. This angered the dog and the dog tried to get to the chief’s wife but people would not give it way because they were all mesmerized and watching her dance. The dog managed to sneak in between the drummers and ran behind the chief’s wife and then snatched its buttocks and ran off. The chiefs wife fell to the ground embarrassed and cried.  The chief was very disappointed when he heard about his wife and asked all his subjects to learn to return and also respect anyone who lends them anything.





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Comments

Matongo Maumbi said…
It's good that you have finally decided to wake up, and I only hope it's not for show and then go back to sleep....
8:19 AM
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