Fifty Lemons / Hāmsā Lamin
Fifty Lemons / Hāmsā Lamin
In this Ethiopian parable, for one person, fifty lemons is a heavy load. For fifty people, fifty lemons are adornments. Translator Woubeshet Ayeno says that in his home region of Ethiopia, people stand on the bridge over the Blue Nile River, make a wish, and then toss a lomi (lemon) into the river to make their wish come true. In that region, the lomi is yellow. The river is a oat with yellow dots! In other regions, lomis are green and look like what we call a lime in the United States." -- publisher