Ethiopian Folktales

Narrated by Daniel Legesse

Once upon a time during the revolutionary era there was a person called Ato^{“Mr.” in the Amharic language.} Kumche Ambau. He prepared a very big football field and called many people to the opening ceremony. One of the guests who was invited to the opening ceremony was from Addis Ababa. He was a senior government official.

Kumche Ambau delivered an opening speech, “Dear guests, I would like to apologise because you have come here before the football field is painted with cow dung.”^{Compacted dung is sometimes used to make the floor of a hut.}

And everybody laughed.

Then there was a match between two football clubs.

The guest from Addis laughed and asked, “Why are these people using one ball?”

“It’s because we are not economically developed. As our economy develops I will let every player have one ball.”