## Amhara

The Amhara region is in the cool highlands of Ethiopia. There are many wonderful ancient churches and castles in the Amhara region and a long history of famous kings and emperors.

When people tell stories in Amharic (the language of the Amhara region) they often start with the phrase teret teret ye lam beret. This means that the cows are safely in the barn, and it's time to tell stories.

| The Stories | Originally told by
--- | --- | ---
1 | The Unwise Judge | Magabi Eynew Gessesse
2 | The Cub and the Leopard | Magabi Eynew Gessesse
3 | The Trees and the Axe | Daniel Legesse
4 | Wardit the Mule | Mesfin Habte-mariam
5 | The Ox and the Donkey | Melese Getahun Wolde
6 | The Hyena's Funeral | Yirga Ejigu
7 | Sinziro and his Brothers | Magabi Eynew Gessesse
8 | The Magic Stick | Yirga Ejigu
9 | The Man with the Evil Eye | Worku Alemu

Translations by Mesfin Habtemariam and Daniel Legesse

With grateful acknowledgements to Bikale Seyoum, Alemayehu Gebrehiwot and Daniel Legesse of the Amhara Education and Culture Bureau for their invaluable support and encouragement in the collection of these stories.

© These versions of the stories retold by Elizabeth Laird
© Exercises written by Elizabeth Laird and Jacek Opienski
© Illustrations by Yosef Kebede and Eric Robson