This fictional story is inspired by a mother's vision for her son that one day he will become the leader of Ethiopia.

©Elsi Abebe 2018. All rights reserved.

Once upon a time there was a kind, smart, and brave boy named Tesfa who lived with his mama in a little town known as Efeson, near Eferata in a country called Ethiopia.

Tesfa was a good boy who listened to his mama all the time, and his mama was so proud of him. He always loved going to school and learning new things. 

He respected his teachers and did his homework on time. He also enjoyed teaching other students what he learned in school.

Ever since Tesfa was a little boy, he helped his friends do the right thing. He didn't like it when kids didn't tell the truth or bullied other kids on the playground. He especially didn't like it when boys made fun of girls. He told his friends that girls were as smart as boys. 

In his school, Tesfa was most known for being fair at all times and for encouraging kids to apologize when they did something wrong. Tesfa felt that kids who didn't have friends to eat lunch with shouldn't be alone, so he often sat with those lonely kids to keep them company.

Tesfa was also very famous in his school for helping two brothers who refused to play on the same soccer team. The boys didn't even like to be around each other.

Tesfa was sad when he heard that they didn't live in the same home after their parents got divorced. One lived with their mama and the other with their dad.

But one day Tesfa decided to make up a three player game when no other kids were around except himself and the two brothers.

He told both brothers they would win a prize if they played this new game with him. Once the two brothers saw how fun it was to play with each other, they decided to treat each other like brothers again.

During the rainy winter season in Ethiopia, the farmers in Efeson worked very hard. School was out during this time, so the children in the neighborhood played outside in the rain all day long.

But Tesfa would read books like his favorite Amharic story, "Yerabew Wesha" ("The Hungry Dog"), while sitting near a window.

One rainy Saturday morning, Tesfa heard an old lady crying for help. She was screaming, "Why? Why? Why?"

Tesfa recognized that the voice came from the old woman's house at the end of the street.

He took a deep breath and ran outside to help the old lady as fast as he could. His big eyes even got bigger when he saw a small group of boys from the village running away laughing. In their pockets, they had the old lady's coins that she had saved for many years. When Tesfa got closer to the house, one of the old lady's goats was lying on the ground, gasping for air and bleeding from its side.

He was very sad about what the boys had done and whispered to himself, "We should help each other, not hurt each other. We should give, not take. We should make peace, not start fights. We should include everyone,  not pick only a few." He wished his best friend Fiker, who was as kind as himself, was there with him on this sad day. 

"What happened?" Tesfa asked the old lady while breathing as fast as the goat on the ground. He looked at the many rocks scattered on the floor.

 It was clear that the boys meant to hit the old lady with rocks, but barely missed her right eye and hit one of her goats instead.

"Why? Why? What have I done my son? Why would an old lady deserve all of these troubles in her own village?" cried the old lady, as if Tesfa might have the answers.

The old lady also shared with him that two of her own boys left the village to fight in a war that started a few years ago.

"We all have taught our children what love should look like. We have raised them to look after each other and not to start fights, but look at us now. Our children are scattered everywhere, leaving us here alone with old roofs that drip rain all night long," said the old lady, wiping her tears and blowing her nose.

Tesfa could hear his own heart go boom boom, feeling so so sad for the lonely old lady who didn't have any children to help her. That's when he promised himself to help her and care for her as long as he lived.

He also whispered to himself, "I wish all the grown ups could make peace with each other and come home to happily live with their families." 

Tesfa picked up the gasping baby goat, wiped off the blood from her side, and gave her his breakfast (called "Kita") that was in his hand. He then picked up every rock that was thrown at the old lady and put them in a bag. The old lady thought, "Why is he saving the rocks that hurt my baby goat?"