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Overview
Sute, translated as Mole, brings flour to a shared household while Mukenge supplies chickens. He has already made a tunnel between their house and the river. At the bathing place he claims that he can stay underwater out of sight for some time. He dives, enters the tunnel, goes home, eats the food they prepared together and returns by the same route before emerging from the water. When Mukenge finds the meal gone, Sute denies knowledge on the ground that they both went bathing.
On the next day Mukenge proposes eating first because their earlier food vanished, but Sute persuades him to bathe without delay. He repeats the diversion and secret meal. Mukenge later discovers the molehills and sets a trap in the passage. At their next visit to the river, Sute again dives and takes the underground route, but dies near the house. Mukenge finds the food still present, discovers and eats the body. The narrative ends with Sute’s theft causing his death, rather than a successful final escape. Note 551 stresses that the tunnel predated the deception; it was used for stealing, not initially created solely for that purpose.
Origins & earliest records
Named contributor Jelemía dia Sabatelu; Mbamba origin, Mbaka narrative dialect. Chatelain calls Sute an African mole in note 550, but supplies no secure modern scientific identification. The companion’s suspicion, trap and final discovery are all in the complete witness.
Records & interpretation
Complete tale XXIX, Fox and Mole, bilingual pp. 202–207; English pp. 203, 205, 207. Contributor and notes 550–553 p. 299.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Folk-Tales of Angola
Complete tale XXIX, Fox and Mole, bilingual pp. 202–207; English pp. 203, 205, 207. Contributor and notes 550–553 p. 299.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Collected Ki-mbundu text with facing English translation and contributor notesChatelain 1894 — Sute of the Hidden TunnelResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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