Mogau’s Gift

Summary

The story follows the transformation of Batloung, a previously unremarkable African village, with the birth of an extraordinary child named Mogau. Born with a full set of teeth, Mogau’s precocious talents include walking, reading, and painting at just six months old. His mother notices a recurring theme in his paintings and realizes the family must seek the depicted location. As they journey, Mogau's infectious smile and innate ability to bring joy inspire fellow villagers to join them. After a lengthy trek through various landscapes, they find themselves at the idyllic location from Mogau’s art, where they establish a vibrant new village. Over time, Mogau grows to become the beloved king of this thriving community, known far and wide for bringing happiness through his leadership.

Read Online

Batloung village was a dull African village, where nothing interesting had happened before…

…until one day, when an unusual child was born. Baby Mogau had a full set of teeth!

Local villagers flocked to Mma Mogau’s home to witness this miracle.

With his big smile, Mogau brought happiness to the village.

Soon, Mogau’s parents realised he was a gifted child.
By the time he was six months old, he could walk, read books and paint pictures.

Mogau painted the same picture over and over.
His mother realised that they needed to find the place in his paintings.

They left the village and started their journey. The villagers who loved Mogau’s smile decided to follow them.

They travelled for many days, walking through forests, over streams

and past big mountains.

Finally, they reached Mogau’s special place.
It looked exactly like his paintings!

They got to work, setting up a new village – a village where everyone was happy.

When Mogau was old enough, he became the king of this colourful village.

Mogau’s kingdom of happiness grew and became known, near and far. He was the king who made his people smile!

Credits

Originally published by Book Dash under a Creative Commons Licensed BY 4.0. This book can be read for free on https://bookdash.org/books/mogaus-gift and was created by: Shadrack Munene (Illustrator), Rofhiwa Mudau (Designer), Lorato Trok (Writer), Kelly Norwood-Young (Editor) Book Dash logo