Grandpa's Secret Weapon

 

                  THE HUNT

  There lived a grandpa and his grandchild in the quaint village of "Mabugu", who were known for their adventures which included hunting. One chilly morning, they decided to go hunting for an antelope in the forests of Mount Elgon, this particular day – they would use grandpa’s secret weapon: poisoned throwing knife called “ipalu”.

Grandchild: “Grandpa, are you sure we shall kill an antelope with just a knife? I think we need more than that!”

Grandpa: “Ah, my dear, that’s a simple exercise for me, don’t you trust my expertise over this long period of time?

As they wandered across the valley of "zesomi", grandpa incidentally spotted the hooves of an antelope which just passed not many hours ago. He stopped abruptly whence his grandchild ended up slamming on his back

Grandchild: “What is it grandpa?”

Grandpa: “keep quiet, I think we are beginning business so early today, these hooves look like they are for a male antelope.

Grandchild: “Male! That one is stronger than our weapons, shall we manage it grandpa?

Grandpa:" You seem afraid my son, men do not worry about simple things like these, we shall net this animal down by all means. Remember it’s not energy but wit and courage that can make something big less scaring and achievable. For this case we shall lay the traps and then send the hunting dogs to scare the animal out of its hideout.

Hunting usually for land animals is done in the morning after a heavy downpour in the previous night, these animals are spotted by use of their hooves which stick in the soil as they go to their hideout zones after grazing in the night- grazing in the night is a survival technique to avoid other predators that roam during broad-day light. So during day, they rest and resume their routines in the night. Grandpa had realized that the animal was in the nearest thicket so he had to begin the steps to net the animal

So grandpa and his grandchild had to follow the procedures which included first arresting all the hunting dogs to be put under control, then setting up the traps whereby if the animal survived the dogs, it landed into the traps which suffocated it to make a mooing sound to alert them of its place of doom. Grandchild realizing the wit of his grandpa, he exclaimed.

Grandchild: “Ah grandpa, you are so wise and I want to be like you when I grow up.

Grandpa:” Of course you are now becoming me because I don’t have many years to live on this earth like you”

And the traps were set, the dogs were released, soon the animal jumped out of its hideout, grandpa saw it and with his "ipalu" hurled it at the animal at a distance, the dogs chased and within a short time had captured it because the animal became weak in the limbs, grandpa’s secret weapon had worked magic.   

THE END