Who is Hugo the Hippopotamus?
In Africa, on the ocean coast, in the shallow and warm Kurosani Lagoon, lives a hippopotamus named Hugo. He lives alone, but this does not mean, children, that it has always been like this.
Once upon a time, in ancient times, shark fish lived in the lagoon. These were kind and hospitable animals, and therefore, when hippopotamuses came from the forest to the lagoon, the sharks gave in to Kurosani. They sailed into the ocean and now live there. That's why, children, I don't believe stories about the cunning and cruelty of sharks. Not everything that is said actually happens.
But let's leave the sharks alone and talk about Hugo the hippopotamus.
After all his relatives died, he was left alone in the lagoon.
He lived there year after year, and everyone who came to Kurosani or the nearby village of Mzimuni and the large city of Dar es Salaam asked:
- Where is this hippopotamus-kiboko, who lives alone?
To which people who knew the lagoon usually replied:
- Huko, huko! There, there!
And since the people of the Nasiga tribe say “hugo” instead of “huko,” this became the nickname of the hippopotamus.
How people were offended by Hugo the hippopotamus.
Everything would go well, my children, if Hugo the hippopotamus ate fish, like sharks, or beetles and butterflies, like the black magpies that are in the habit of riding around on elephants.
But alas! Hugo ate neither fish, nor beetles, nor butterflies, but came out of the lagoon every night and ate young shoots of rice and trampled the beds with his short thick legs. He didn't know that Kurosani's people put a lot of labor into growing rice stalks. However, ignorance is no excuse, as the wise marabou says. The same marabou who has a bald head and who has a proverb or saying for every occasion in life. And it came to pass that the people of Kurosani began to hate Hugo, and when people from Mzimuni or the larger city of Dar es Salaam urged them to accept the loss of their harvest, the people of Kurosani answered:
“It’s not your rice that Hugo tramples.” We will kill Hugo!
Things were getting to the point where cruelty was about to triumph. Then the worried Hugo, who noticed something and heard something, decided to consult with Fish.
How the hippopotamus Hugo spoke to the fish.
Hugo's lonely life was very surprising to sea animals, which always stay in a flock. Therefore, Fish willingly came to the call of the hippopotamus. She herself had long wanted to know something about Hugo and his ancestors.
They met at the place where the salty waters of the ocean merge with the fresh waters of the river flowing into the lagoon. No one interfered with their conversation, children, and this is the conversation that took place between them.
FISH. I don’t understand why all animals living on land have fur, but you hippos don’t.
XUGO. In order to answer your question, you need to tell a story that happened, as they say, a long time ago, even before man, his boats and houses appeared. You may believe it, you may not, but once upon a time hippos had thick, beautiful fur. And they lived not in the water, as now, but on land. Mr. Elephant, whose hair is very sparse and, one might say, even completely invisible, was jealous of the hippopotamuses. He agreed with the Rabbit...
FISH. Is this an animal with long ears?
XUGO. And with a long lying tongue, I will add. So, the Trickster Rabbit and Mr. Elephant decided to destroy the hippopotamuses. The rabbit invited them to take a walk along the shore of the boiling lake. And when they began to walk importantly on the sand, admiring their thick fur, Mr. Elephant appeared and pushed them all into the water.
FISH. But they didn't die, did they?
XUGO. They got ashore. But all their fur came out, and out of shame they decided to live in the water. And then they developed the habit of going out to graze only at night.
FISH. One day, a hippopotamus capsized a boat in which a fisherman was sitting. The fisherman was hunting for me. I am indebted to your relatives.
XUGO. You see, then help me with advice. People say they want to attack me because I eat their rice at night. They want to kill me. What to do?
FISH. I might advise you to leave the rice alone. But I myself know what hunger is. My advice: be patient. Wait what happens.
So said the Fish and, wagging his tail, disappeared into the salty water of the ocean, and the hippopotamus Hugo swam through the fresh water to his lagoon.
Children come to Kurosani.
He returned to the lagoon and immediately noticed that white shirts and white blouses, green skirts and blue trousers of schoolchildren were flashing on its banks. Gray tents went up. Schoolchildren from Dar es Salaam came on vacation and built a camp for themselves.
And it so happened that as soon as they set up camp, a man came running and said:
— Hugo the Hippopotamus is in danger! He talked about rice, and then one boy suggested:
- Let's build a fence between the water and the rice field! Hugo the hippopotamus will then not be able to trample the rice.
And all the schoolchildren said:
- Let's build a fence!
They got to work and worked all day. They built a fence, and in the evening they went to their camp, and along the way they sang a song:
Animals of the savannah in the country of Tanzania -
This is a great wealth for the whole world.
We must save animals in Tanzania.
Animal friends are an example for everyone.
They sang, and Hugo the hippopotamus sat in the water, with his ears and nostrils outstretched, breathing quietly and listening. He didn't know that all this fuss was made because of him.
That is why, when night fell, he, as always, climbed out onto the shore, walked around the fence and ate sweet, sweet rice, and with pleasure - the rice was really so sweet! — I even danced in the garden beds.
Mikumi.
In the morning - and this happened exactly in the morning, children - one girl got up before everyone else and ran to the rice field to see how things were going there. Running back, she shouted to everyone:
- How did you sleep? Shikamoo?
“We slept well,” everyone answered her. - Marahaba!
[The words "shikambo" and "marahaba" are used as expressions of politeness.]
- Then look at the field! Everyone looked and gasped.
“I know what to do,” said the girl. “We need to dig a hole, catch a hippopotamus in it and take him to Mikumi!”
And everyone realized that she was right. She's right, because there is a "hippo pond" in the Mikumi Nature Reserve. And they are also right because not only they have a good life in the reserve, but also the elephants, the lions, the bald marabou, and even the evil slobbering hyena...
Here, children, my story comes to an end, because the pit-trap has already been dug and all the children and all the fishermen and peasants of Kurosani are waiting for Hugo to fall into it.
It is not known when he will fall into it, but they say that hippopotamuses always fall into the trap one of the first fifty days after it is dug and covered with grass and branches on top.
And then the hour of moving will come. And all the people of Kurosani will gather to say goodbye to Hugo, because although he trampled their rice fields, he was otherwise a good-natured animal and did no other harm to anyone. And residents of Mzimuni and the big city of Dar es Salaam will take to the road to also say goodbye to Hugo the hippopotamus. They will stand along the road and, when a car with animals approaches, they will start singing. This will be a song with old words:
Where is this hippopotamus?
Hugo! Hugo! Hugo!
But old words are also good if they are appropriate.
It will be a celebration, because then you can say: "People saved old Hugo. Another animal is safe in Tanzania!"
And everyone will be proud, because you can be proud not only of the big victories of your people in wars, but also of their small good deeds.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru