Mapalala, Bernard

Kijakazi and the Bad Brothers

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: E & D Limited, 2004. 26 p. ISBN 9987-622-93-3. Ages 8-10.

Summary
This is the story of a beautiful woman, Kijakazi, who is persevering, kind, and forgiving. Kijakazi also happens to be a medicine woman and healer, and she treats Makele, a rich man in the village. Makele’s twin brothers are abusive and lazy, and their only preoccupation is to drink beer irresponsibly. When Makele decides to marry Kijakazi, the twin brothers burden her with household chores and insult her because she cannot bear children.

Kijakazi perseveres and endures even when her husband goes on a long journey to deliver the medicine she sends for an ailing chief. When the chief is healed, he promises Makele the chieftaincy of that land and he discovers the cure for barrenness. In the end, Kijakazi gives birth, and Makele decides to become the chief of that distant land. Because the village cannot tolerate the lazy and evil twin brothers, they are punished by being sent away from the village to live in the solitary hut that Kijakazi used to occupy in the forest. They learn the bitter lesson that evil undertakings do not pay. For Kijakazi, it is the beginning of a life filled with happiness.

Commentary
Told in the form of an oral narrative, traditional materials like songs, proverbs, and folktales are woven into the story. This captivating style both entertains children and teaches them lessons about good and evil.

Children's Fiction

Tanzania

E & D Limited