The People of the Sea
Beni Shangul-Gumuz
A Gumuz Story
Before you read the story
- Have you ever collected leaves and berries from trees?
- Do you know which leaves and berries are good to eat?
- Do you know which leaves and berries are bad to eat?
- Do you know how to make medicine from the leaves and berries?
Now read the story
In the old days, people were good hunters and good fishermen. They understood the animals and the fish. They knew about the trees and plants.
People used to go to the river and collect fruit from the birabira tree. They put the fruit in the river. The fruit confused the fish. The fish came up out of the deep water, and the people could catch them easily.
One day, many people were near the river. They were putting birabira fruit into the water. They were waiting to catch the fish.
"Look!" they said. "The water is rising!"
The water was rising faster and faster. It was coming up, over the edge of the river. The people were frightened. They wanted to run away. The river was not a river now. It was a great sea.
Then, in front of their eyes, the water divided into two. There was water to the left, and water to the right. But in the middle was a path.
The people could not stop themselves. They walked down on to the path between the water on the left, and the water on the right. Then the waters came together again, over the heads of the people.
Now the people changed. Some of them became elephants. Some became crocodiles. And some of them grew long tails. They were monkeys.
The animals stayed in the water. They built houses there. And they live there still, under the sea.
Exercises
A. How much did you understand?
In the old days the people knew about the trees and plants. They understood the animals and the fish.
Put sentences 1, 2 and 3 in the right order.
- They were waiting to catch the fish.
- People used to go to the river and collect fruit from the birabira tree.
- They were putting birabira fruit into the water.
The water was rising faster and faster. It was coming up, over the edge of the river.
Put sentences 4, 5 and 6 in the right order.
- Now the people changed. Some of them became elephants. Some became crocodiles.
- Then the waters came together again, over the heads of the people.
- The river was not a river now. It was a great sea.
B. The fruit from the birabira tree.
In the story the people used to go to the river and collect fruit from the birabira tree.
Now match sentences 1, 2, and 3 with sentences a, b and c.
- They put the fruit in the river.
- The people were frightened.
- And some of them grew long tails.
- They wanted to run away.
- The fruit confused the fish.
- They were monkeys.
C. Missing words
Fill in the missing words in these sentences.
- There was water to the left, and water to the right. But in the middle was a ……
- Then the waters came together again, over the …… of the people.
- Now the people changed. Some of them became …… Some became ……
- The animals stayed in the water. They built …… there.
D. What do you think?
What do you think of the ending to this story?
Do you think that the animals are still there, under the sea?
Teachers’ answer key
A. How much did you understand?
The right order of these sentences is 2, 3, 1.
People used to go to the river and collect fruit from the birabira tree.
They were putting birabira fruit into the water.
They were waiting to catch the fish.
The right order of these sentences is 6, 5, 4.
The river was not a river now. It was a great sea.
Then the waters came together again, over the heads of the people.
Now the people changed. Some of them became elephants. Some became crocodiles.
B. The fruit from the birabira tree.
- 1/b. They put the fruit in the river. The fruit confused the fish.
- 2/a. The people were frightened. They wanted to run away.
- 3/c. And some of them grew long tails. They were monkeys.
C. Missing words
- There was water to the left, and water to the right. But in the middle was a path.
- Then the waters came together again, over the heads of the people.
- Now the people changed. Some of them became elephants. Some became crocodiles.
- The animals stayed in the water. They built houses there.
For teachers — answers to the exercises above.