A man named Mamad was famous for his honesty, he had never lied and always tells the truth. He became so popular that, words about his honesty spreads to the royal palace and even catching the attention of the king.

The king wanted to verify the truth and summoned Mamad to the palace. The King asked if it is true that Mamad had never told a lie in his whole life. Mamad answered yes and the king asked him to swear as a proof. Mamad unhesitatingly swore and said he had never told a lie and he will never lie in the future as well.

The king let him go back but he was still not convinced. So, he decided to send some spies to keep a check on Mamad and catch him once he tells a lie. The spies kept watching for days which soon it turned to months but Mamad never told a lie. The king’s patience ran out and he decided take matters in his own hand.

He summoned Mamad again at the time of great hunt. The palace was buzzling with noises as the people prepared their armour and weapons for the hunt. The King put one foot on the stirrup before turning back to Mamad and asking him to go to the palace to inform the queen that he will have lunch with her and Mamad will be joining them.

Mamad obeyed and went back to inform the queen without knowing that the king had lied in order to make him tell a lie. The king will not go back to the palace for lunch and in this way his words will become a lie.

In the palace, Mamad informed queen that the king might come to for the lunch, while saying that he is not certain, he is saying what the king told him. The queen began preparing for lunch and waited for the king for a long time but the king never came back.

The next day, early in the morning, the king arrived and told the queen that Mamad, the man who never lied told her a lie. The queen got angry on the king, it was the king who lied to her, not Mamad.

African Folktale-The man who never lied is a folktale from Nigeria.