Puledi Moloto is a young girl from Mohlabaneng village in Limpopo province. She attends school at Manonyaneng Secondary school. Her favourite subject is English and she enjoys writing stories whenever she gets the time. When she grows up she would like to be a medical doctor and an author.

Long, long ago, there was a water spirit called Mami Meetse. Mami Meetse lived in a river, and the community members of Hlabamoneng only fetched water in the morning. They did this because they did not want to upset Mami Meetse. If you wanted to fetch water in the afternoon, you would have to first thank Mami Meetse for the water she gives you every day. You would do this by clapping your hands; holding them to your heart and bowing your head.

One day the Prince’s friend, Tebogo came to visit his best friend. He lived in a far away village called Lamaluleme. As he was walking to the village, he passed women fetching water in the river. After a long time of walking, he finally arrived at Chief Bosetsi’s house. 

Prince Mpho was happy to see his best friend, so he asked his father if they could kill a pig for him. The Chief agreed and so they called all of Prince Mpho’s other friends to come and eat with them.

When it was afternoon, the village friends headed home, and his best friend also wanted to go home.

“My dear friend, it was good to see you and thank you for the meat, but now the time has come for me to go home,” said Tebogo.

“No problem my friend, and thank you for coming to see me,” replied the Prince.

“Let me go then…” Tebogo started to leave.

“Wait my friend,” the Prince interrupted him, “If it happens that you get thirsty on your way home, and you would like to drink water from our river,” he said carefully, “You should clap your hands, hold them to your heart and bow your head,” he continued. “In this way, you are thanking the Mami Meetse,” he finally finished.

“Okay my friend I will do so,” Tebogo said without taking him seriously.

On his way home, he passed the river and he realised that he was thirsty. So he stopped and drank the water up to his fill.

“Mami Meetse! What is that nonsense?” he asked himself loudly. When he was about to leave, he heard a voice and then he sought for the person who spoke but he saw nothing.

“I SAID WHY DID YOU DRINK MY WATER THEN NOT THANK ME FOR IT?” Asked Mami Meetse angrily.

The Prince’s friend was taken aback. “So-rr-y Ma-mi Mee-tse… I did not mean to…” muttered Tebogo fearfully.

“Thank you for doing that… Now you are my son!” Mami Meetse laughed as she grabbed Tebogo’s hand and walked with him to the deep ends of the river.

As all this happened, a man who was nearby cutting fire wood saw EVERYTHING! The man who saw everything rushed to the chief’s house and told them what he saw!

“Oh no! My best friend!” Cried the Chief’s son.

“My Son, your friend made Mami Meetse upset so he must accept EVERYTHING coming his way,” said the chief blankly.

“Dad… My King! Please let’s go beg Mami Meetse to release my friend! Please father!” He cried some more.

“We can’t, my prince,” said the chief sternly.

Since from that day, no one has never seen the chief’s son’s friend. But there is a rumour saying that he sings at night.

The end!