Once upon a time in East Africa the monster or ogre
Shing’weng’we swallowed all the people in the world together with all the
domestic animals except one pregnant woman who hid in a pile of chaff. Later
this woman gave birth to a boy named Masala Kulangwa (whose name means "the
smart or clever person who understands quickly"). When he grew up he asked:
"Mother, why are there only the two of us? Where are the other people?" She
answered: "My dear one, everyone else was swallowed by Shing’weng’we. We two are
the only ones left."

    From that day on the young man started looking for the
monster. One day he killed a grasshopper and arrived home singing: "Mother,
Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we. Rejoice and shout for joy." But his Mother
answered: "My dear one, this is only a grasshopper, not the monster. Let’s roast
him and eat him."

    Another day he killed a bird and arrived home singing:
"Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout
for joy." But his Mother answered: "My dear one, this is only a bird, not the
monster. Let’s roast it and eat it."

    Another day he killed a small gazelle and arrived home
singing: "Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice
and shout for joy." But his Mother answered: "My dear one, this is only a small
gazelle, not the monster. Let’s roast it and eat it."

    Another day he killed an antelope and arrived home
singing: "Mother, Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice
and shout for joy." But his Mother answered: "My dear one, this is only an
antelope, not the monster. Let’s roast it and eat it."

    Finally the clever young man Masala Kulangwa found
Shing’weng’we, overcame him and cut open the monster’s stomach. Out came his
father along with his relatives and all the other people. By bad luck when he
split open the monster’s back Masala Kulangwa cut off the ear of an old woman.
This woman became very angry and insulted the young man. She tried to bewitch
him. But Masala Kulangwa found medicine and healed the old woman. Then all the
people declared the young man chief and raised him up in the Chief’s Chair.
Masala Kulangwa became the chief of the whole world and his mother became the
Queen Mother.