![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mogaus-gift_english_20170331-1.jpg)
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/7-gift.jpg)
Batloung village was a dull African village,
where nothing interesting had happened before …
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/8-gift.jpg)
… until one day, when an unusual child was born. Baby Mogau had a full set of teeth!
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/10-gift.jpg)
Local villagers flocked to Mma Mogau’s
home to witness this miracle.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/13-gift.jpg)
With his big smile, Mogau brought happiness to the village.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/15-gift.jpg)
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.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/16-gift.jpg)
Mogau painted the same picture over and over.
His mother realised that they needed to
find the place in his paintings.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/19-gift.jpg)
They left the village and started their journey. The villagers who loved Mogau’s smile decided to follow them.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/21-gift.jpg)
They travelled for many days, walking through forests,
over streams
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/23-gift.jpg)
and past big mountains.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/25-gift.jpg)
Finally, they reached Mogau’s special place.
It looked exactly like his paintings!
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/27-gift.jpg)
They got to work, setting up a new village –
a village where everyone was happy.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/28-gift.jpg)
When Mogau was old enough, he became the king of this colourful village.
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/29-gift.jpg)
Mogau’s kingdom of happiness grew and became known, near and far. He was the king who made his people smile!
![](https://read.shineliteracy.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/31-gift.jpg)
Mogau's Gift
Mogau’s Gift
Illustrator: Shadrack Munene
Author: Lorato Trok
Designer: Rofhiwa Mudau
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Website: https://bookdash.org/
Editor: Kelly Norwood-Young