There was once a boy who had no family and no place to stay, so the people in the nearby village named him Molahlehi, which means “the lost one”. Molahlehi always had to find his own food, but one day a kind woman gives him a bowl of phutu. Molahlehi is very grateful and from that day onwards the woman always brings him food when she sees him. Molahlehi promises to repay her kindness one day. Molahlehi grows up and sets out to find his place in the world. When he eventually becomes a very important king, he does not forget his promise, and rewards the woman for her kindness.

This story is also available in Zulu.

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This story was provided courtesy of the Nal’ibali reading-for enjoyment campaign. For information about the campaign, or tips and ideas on how to read and share stories with children, visit www.nalibali.org