A Folk Tale from Malawi
Long ago, the pig and the baboon used to live together on the hillsides.
One day, it was very cold and a cutting wind was blowing. As the pig and the baboon sat in the sun trying to get warm, the baboon turned to the pig, and said, “This wind is enough to wear the end of one’s nose to a blunt point.”
“Yes,” answered the pig, “it’s really enough to blow the hairs of one’s buttocks and leave a bare, dry patch.”
“Look here,” said the baboon, getting cross, “you are not to make personal remarks!” “I did nothing of the kind,” retorted the pig, “but you were rude to me first.”
This started a quarrel, and they came to the conclusion that neither cared for the other’s company. So they parted, and the baboon went up on to the rocky top of the hill, while the pig went down to the plains, and there they remain to this day.
