Long ago, in the rolling hills of Southern Africa, there lived two devoted siblings named Demane and Demazana. The people of their village believed deeply in the bonds of family not only between parents and their children, but among uncles, aunts, cousins, and all who shared a common ancestry. To them, family was a wide circle, woven tightly like a basket, and everyone within it carried a shared responsibility to protect and care for one another.
Demane and Demazana were known for their kindness. Their parents had passed on early, and the siblings lived together in a small hut at the edge of the village. Though they had little, their love for one another was wealth enough.
One season, a great drought struck the land. Rivers turned to dusty paths, and the fields no longer yielded food. Hunger crept through the village like a shadow. Demane, being older, resolved to travel across distant hills in search of food and help.
Before leaving, he said to his sister:
“Demazana, stay inside the hut when the sun falls. Do not open the door for anyone unless you hear my voice.”
Demazana promised she would obey, though fear tugged at her heart.
As the days passed, a fearsome ogre who wandered the land caught the scent of a lonely child. One evening, he came to the hut and scratched at the door.
“Demazana… open for me,” he growled, trying to mimic her brother’s voice.
But Demazana was clever.
“That is not my brother’s voice,” she said. “Go away!”
Night after night, the ogre returned, each time trying to disguise his voice—but Demazana refused to open. She held tightly to her brother’s instructions.
After many days, Demane returned victorious, carrying food from a faraway village. When he reached their hut, he called out in his true familiar tone:
“Demazana, it is I, Demane. Open the door.”
At the sound of her brother’s real voice, Demazana flung the door open and embraced him with joy.
But before they could celebrate, the ogre reappeared, angrier than ever. Demane stepped before his sister and confronted the creature. Using courage and quick thinking taught by their elders, he tricked the ogre into stepping near a hidden pit the villagers once used for hunting. With one swift push, the ogre tumbled inside and disappeared forever.
That night, the siblings returned to the village. The people celebrated them—not only for surviving the drought, but for their wisdom, courage, and unbreakable bond.
From that day forward, elders told the story of Demane and Demazana to remind children:
“Family is not only blood—it is trust, protection, and the courage to stand together.”