A tale from Mayotte: Mtru maskini na imauti

The tale Mtru maskini na imauti — « The poor man and death » — is an emblematic story from the oral tradition of Anjouan, transcribed by Mohamed Ahmed-Chamanga in his collection Rois, Femmes et Djinns — Contes de l'île d'Anjouan (L'Harmattan).

It's the story of a man so poor that he calls upon death. He tries to take his own life by jumping from a tree (a kapok tree, mufi), but God miraculously cushions his fall.

Themes: poverty, despair, divine providence, resilience.

In the middle of the night, a poor man, desperate from hunger and loneliness, decides to end his life. He goes to his in-laws' house to beg one last time — without success. Discouraged, he climbs a tall kapok tree and prepares to throw himself into the void.

The moment he leaps, God (Mwene-Mngu) intervenes: he turns the air beneath the man into an invisible cushion, which sets him gently on the ground. Saved against his will, the man understands that his life has a value he had not suspected — and that no despair is final.

He returns home, transformed. The ending hints that he will soon find his livelihood.

Like many Comorian tales, Mtru maskini na imauti is explicitly religious. Divine providence (Mwene-Mngu protects) is central. This is consistent with a deeply Muslim society where belief in divine omniscience and benevolence is the backdrop of daily life.

But the tale is also anthropological: it tells the poor that they are seen, that their life has value, that nothing is final. In a society where poverty is highly visible, this is a powerful social message.

Children learn this tale from the youngest age. The story depicts poverty without hiding it — a pedagogy of acceptance and hope.

Next tale: Hadithi ya Ibnaswia — a Ngazidja story, humorous this time. The story of a hungry man, a stubborn skewer seller, and a bitter ending.