329. Ngowa aveli ndi Ngowa. (A swine is a swine).
Tales andFables of the Animal Kingdom.
Source: Oral narrations.
Once upon atime Traditional Doctor Mosongi Inoni operateda clinic in a large cave on the bank of a stream, close to a deep pool below a waterfall. One day Ngowa with patches of mud on his body visited the clinic and askedthe Doctor to treat him for a pain on the hip and a wound on the leg. Afterstaff of the clinic had bathed Ngowa with warm water and medicinal leaves, Ndombo and Woongo, Ngowa sat close to a fire.
When water on his body had evaporated the Doctor massaged Ngowa’s hip and covered Ngowa’s would with medicine. Soon Ngowa went out of the cave and rolled over the spot on which he had been bathed. Covered again with patches of mud on his body Ngowa entered the cave again and againstarted to dig the floor and walls of the cave.
Surprised tosee Ngowa with mud again, Kava Nyame, a staff in the clinic asked: “is this not the Ngowa wehave just bathed and treated. Why has hesoiled himself again ?. Why has heallowed mud to cover the wound on his leg” ?.
The patients accused Ngowa ofweakening the walls of the cave. Then Ngowa responding without regret said bycreation he feels at home in wet and mud environment and that again by creationhe has to dig the floor at all times wherever he is. At that point Mwambala exclaimed: “sayii ! Ngowa aveli ndi Ngowa”, that is “a swine is a swine”.
“Ngowa aveli ndi Ngowa”
Literally: primitive, foolish, a reference to someone who has chronic habits of continuingto take distasteful actions.
oma nanu. Mbua Ndoko.
Mola Mbua Ndoko
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