Now there is group of closely related Gikuyu families who meet once a year every
December.  Last year they first met in one of their member’s home at Leshau, in
Nyandarua district of Central Kenya.  Normally when this planning meeting is
convened they type the invitation letters showing the direction to the home of
the family that will be hosting them that particular year.  Last year they were
meeting at the home of one Mr. Wasi Wasi who refused to enroll in the adult
literacy classes as he found no use in them.  These people were adults who came
to learn a lot of things, apart from knowing how to read and write.

    The secretary of the group typed the invitation letter that was dispatched to
various families in the sub-clan including the host, Mr. Wasi Wasi.  He was very
proud and did not trust anybody.  He had a big piece of land and many cattle and
usually went on his business alone.  One day he went to the local dairy
collection point to deliver milk and as he waited some letters were called out
for their owners.  He received one and so he went to a near by tree and opened
the letter.  He looked though the writing inside and the map that had been drawn
just below the writing.  He assumed that the writing was about his land and the
map beneath the writing was showing the direction to his home.

    He stood up and started running.  He
headed to his home shouting that his wife and children had sold his land. When
he got home, he collected a machete and started chasing his wife and children
around.  Members of his family thought that he had succumbed to cerebral
malaria.  As he chased them, he was trapped and the machete and the letter fell
down.  He was wrestled down by members of his family and neighbours.  When he
was asked what was wrong, he said that his land been sold by his wife and
children and the evidence was the map that was in the envelope that had dropped
down.

    The neighbours opened the letter and read it and found that the map inside was
directing members of their subclan to his home during their annual get
together.  As a member and host of that year’s fete he had been sent one
letter.  Every one around laughed heartily.  From that day Wasi Wasi moves
around alone because of the shame he got during that encounter. That is why the
English say, Little knowledge is dangerous.