HOW “AAYE” AND “AIGBORAN” BECAME ENEMIES BY TOLU AKINWALE

Long time ago, there was a man called “Aigboran”. He got married to a very beautiful woman whom he cherished and worshipped like a god. Everybody in the village of “Ojutaye” knew that Aigboran’s wife was the most beautiful woman in the village. Instead of the man to be happy about his luck, he was very much disturbed about the beauty of his wife that he started monitoring her around the village. “Aaye”, the beautiful wife was a trader who sells ewa (beans) like other women in that village. A lot of the village men always made jest of her. One day, one of the closest friends to Aigboran was playing aayo olopon among other groups of men as Aaye was passing with her calabash of  beans, he called “Aaye, Eewa re nda mi loran..ma ta ewa fun mi, eewa re ni mo f era,se wa taa fun mi?(Aaye, your beauty is mesmerizing me, don’t sell beans for me, its your beauty I want to buy, will you sell it to me?

Other men in the group joined in the jest and refused to pay Aaye, everyone insisted that such beauty was not meant for one man but the woman just carried her calabash and left in tears. The rumour of what transpired between the men and his wife got to Aigboran. Then he decided to be more watchful. He consulted an herbalist and asked him to put “magun” (thunderbolt) on his wife. The herbalist advised him against such wicked acts, but he refused. Aigboran went ahead to Orunmila. Orunmila said he could never assist Aigboran in such bad acts, Orunmila however consulted Ifa and ensured Aigboran that his wife was not having any extra-marital affair. Aigboran did not believe Orunmila; he wanted to be very sure nobody in the village was sleeping with his wife. All the warnings of Orunmila fell on the deaf ears of Aigboran. He went to Esu, who gave him a solution to his problem. Esu taught Aigboran how to remove his eyes and pasted it on the calabash of Aaye whenever she was going to sell beans. That was how Aigboran made sure his eyes went with his wife whenever she was not in the house. When she returns, he would remove his eyes from the calabash and put it in his eye balls again. That meant that Aigboran would be blind until his wife return from her trading.

One fateful day, Aaye sold her beans together with the calabash to a man who wanted to do a ritual. She was glad to sell because the man gave her a huge sum of money. She got home and started counting her money when her husband asked from inside the room.

“Aaye mi, Ni bo ni Igba ewa re wa? Mo n wa oju mi o?

(Aaye dear, where is your calabash of beans, am searching for my eyes?”

Aaye gladly and innocently informed the husband that she had sold the calabash

 together with her beans for large sum. Aigboran screamed on top of his voice and started weeping profusely. He narrated to his wife how he used to remove his eyes to monitor Aaye whenever she was going out to sell.

Aaye, out of fear that his husband had become blind since she could not locate the man who bought the calabash, ran away from her husband till date.

A good Samaritan helped Aigboran to Orunmila’s house but Orunmila  told Aigboran in simple terms: Ti aba ri Aaye, O leri oju re o”. Airi oju re, lowo Aaye lowa” (if we cannot find Aaye, you can never get your eyes, You cant get your eyes, because its in the power of Aaye). That was how Esu laalu caused Airoju Airaye in people’s life till date. Of course, Aigboran remained blind till death because Aaye could not be found in the village or anywhere around.

This generated the popular sayings of  the Yoruba Kingdom on  “Airoju Airaye” whenever there is trouble or chaos till today.

Key Words and its Yoruba meanings

*Aaye: A Yoruba word for Alive or space.

*Aigboran: Disobedience

*Ojutaye : The name of the village. Ojutaye means an open space that can be viewed by everybody around.

*Ayo Olopon: An indoor game in the Yoruba culture.

*Magun (thunderbolt):  The Yoruba traditional uses this thing on a woman to detect if the woman is promiscuous. If such woman had been laid with thunderbolt, the man having sexual affair with the woman will die immediately after the sexual act.

HOW TORTOISE'S SHELL BECAME ROUGH BY OLADEJO, KOLAWOLE OROBOLA

HOW TORTOISE'S SHELL BECAME ROUGH.

      Once upon a time, a feast was organized for birds in the sky. Tortoise persuaded birds that he would love to go with them. Birds refused to allow Tortoise go with them because Tortoise is not a bird and he is known to be very greedy and cunning too. After much appeal from Tortoise, Birds agreed to allow him go with them. Birds contributed their feathers together and gave it to Tortoise to enable him fly like them. At the point of departure, Tortoise suggested that each of them be given a name for better identification when they get to the feast. Birds also agreed with Tortoise and Tortoise did the christening. Tortoise gave names to all the Birds and named himself “All of you”.

They {including Tortoise} flew to the sky and they got there safely. At the point when food was to be served, the host brought the food and said “This food is for all of you”.

Hearing this, Tortoise jumped at the food and claimed it was meant for him since he was the only one bearing the name. He ate the food while Birds watched in amazement, anger and annoyance. In the same manner he drank all the wines brought for them. At the end, none of the birds had anything to eat.

       In annoyance, Birds agreed to collect their feathers from Tortoise. This sanction was to prevent Tortoise from flying home. They collected their feathers from Tortoise and began to leave one after the other. When the last bird was about to leave tortoise sent a message  through the bird to his wife that his wife should gather foams in large number and spread the foams outside so that when he jumped from the sky, the foams will guarantee him safe landing. The last bird agreed to deliver the message. When the last bird got to tortoise’s wife, he distorted the message. He told tortoise’s wife that she should gather hard materials like stones, broken bottles, nails etc and spread them outside for her husband. The wife did as instructed. After this, a signal was sent to tortoise to jump down. Tortoise jumped, landed on the sharp objects, sustained serious injury and had his shell broken in the process. The injury left his shell with scars till today.

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ANIMAL INSTINCTS: The Hunter and the Leopard .......by Babatunde Ogunlana

ANIMAL  INSTINCTS; The Hunter and the Leopard......by Babatunde Ogunlana

Agbede was a prominent hunter in Agbado Village. His prominence was not attained from hunting but from his ownership of a leopard which was tamed and domesticated for entertainment. He had returned from hunting one morning with the spotted animal around his neck.

An unusual catch for a hunter indeed who was known for killing, but this day, Agbede became a hero as the entire village and neighbouring settlements gathered to catch a glimpse of his hunting escapade. The cub had been retrieved from its mother who escaped with wounds inflicted on it by Agbede’s gunpowder. The king summoned Agbede and warned him of the danger the young leopard posed to the entire community.

‘’It is only a baby’’ he retorted ‘’ besides, I have tamed it, it cannot harm anybody. Its a  domestic leopard’’ he insisted. Soon his fame spread throughout the region as he became a popular entertainer at coronation ceremonies, traditional festivals and rites of passage for dignitaries in and out of Agbado village. As the cub grew and Agbede’s  strength wane, he relinquish the leopard to his son (Odewaye) to look after, being his only child. One day, Odewale took the leopard to the stream for washing when he stumbled over a hill and bruised his knee and bled.

His only companion, (the leopard) was sorry and sad, but could not help him in any way. As the bleeding continued, it moved closer to him, wagged its tail and curled itself around him, a mutual sign of friendship between the duo. Thereafter ,it began to lick the blood from the wound as a dressing. While at it, it made an unusual squeak sound and looked steadily direct into Odewale’s eyes, a gesture which he mistook for empathy and gently stroke his hands repeatedly on its back.

The cat resumed its ‘dressing’ and made a second sound. This time, its eye balls turned round and its ‘’tamed’’ claws grew out of their shield and it attacked him mercilessly drawing more blood. He died in the jaws of his ‘harmless’ friend whom he thought he had under control....(tamed).

The moral of the story............do not cast your pearls before swine, an animal will always be an animal.

THE TORTOISE’S REVENGE by Omolola Adeosun

One day in the animal kingdom, the elephant and the monkey had a misunderstanding, the monkey had cheated the tortoise and he had promised he would make him pay. The monkey laughed at the tortoise telling him that he was too slow and helpless to defend himself. After thinking about a clever way to make the monkey pay, the tortoise went to his home and told his wife Yanibo to make him sweet bean cakes which he wrapped nicely and took to the elephant’s house. After exchanging pleasantries tortoise offered the elephant the sweet bean cakes his wife had made. The elephant thoroughly enjoyed the cakes and asked the tortoise where he got it from. “Oh I made it from the feaces of the monkey, all I did was beat him till the sweet ones came out!” the elephant then thanked his friend the tortoise and proceeded to the monkey’s house to get more of the sweet bean cakes.

The elephant beat the monkey so much asking him to pass out the sweet bean cakes while the monkey kept pleading assuring the elephant that he knew nothing of the sweet bean cakes. From time to time, the elephant would stop to taste the feaces the monkey had passed out but kept beating him because he had not yet tasted the sweet bean cakes.

Tortoise who had been hiding in the bush then came out laughing so hard “I told you I would deal with you” he exclaimed. It was at this point the elephant discovered he had been tricked by the tortoise and released the already weak and battered monkey.

Lesson: never underestimate anyone.

The History of Creation By Olumide Oduntan

The History of creation

By Olumide Oduntan

Many years ago, the earth and the mouse had an argument about who was the oldest between the two of them.  The mouse said that when he was created, the whole earth was filled with water and that nothing else was in the world.

According to the mouse, when his mother died, he could not find a place to bury her because there was no land in which to dig a grave as there was nothing else apart from water.

The mouse agued that since he did not find a place to bury his mother, he decided to carry her on his head. He concluded that after a while, his mother’s decomposed body began to affect him negatively. This, according to him, is the reason why he is different from other rat species and smells terribly today.

On its part, the earth told the mouse that he was the first to come to the world thereby making him the oldest creation. He insisted that before the creator created anything else, he first created the earth. He argued that all other things were only created after the earth had been created, thereby maintaining its seniority.

In order to settle the argument between them, the mouse and the earth took the matter to Orunmila (the father of secrets).

On getting to Orunmila, he told them that the earth is the oldest. He said that it was after the earth was created that every other thing began to come to be. He added that at the end of time, it is the land that will consume everything.

WHY THE DOG LIVES WITH MAN By IRIRI ANTHONIA EMUOBONUVIE

Long, long, long time ago, the dog used to live in the Forest like the Fox, Hare and the Hyena. Something happened that made it run away and live with Man. There was a terrible famine in the land so great that the animals decided to eat their parents in turn. This idea was not acceptable to the dog whose only surviving parent was his mother he loved so much and he could not voice his reservations.

He could not imagine her death not to talk of him being the cause of her death. The turn of the Lion came for him to present his father and mother, with pain he offered them and the whole animals ate them even though not sufficient but it provided them something in their stomach for the day. Soon it was time for the Elephant, Tiger, Fox ,Hippopotamus , Leopard ,Hare, Tortoise etc

All the while the dog was not happy, he was alive solely for his mother. An idea occurred to him. He quickly grabbed it and decided to act along. Few days to his turn, he told the entire kingdom that his mum was sick with chicken pox, all the animals stayed away from her because of the fear of being infected. Two days later he announced her death, The animals mourned with him and told him to go ahead and bury her.

The Dog took his mother high up a tree and would everyday communicate with her. Each time he is to see the mother she would throw down a rope for him to climb and meet her up there. This continued for a while before the fox noticed that the dog was always absent at a particular time of the day and would reappear at the same time. He began to observe him and when he was very sure, he decided to follow him. He could not believe what he saw ,so the dog lied to deceive all and keep his mother while he ate that of others.

He quickly ran back and informed the others. They were all angry and decided to deal with the dog. They all marched to the place while they were some miles to the place ,Mother Dog looked from the Tree and saw the other animals coming with anger towards them. It dawned on them that their secret has been discovered and imminent death awaits the two of them.

They quickly came down and ran away  from the forest and barely made it outside the forest. They knew they could never return to the forest so they decided to live with man. That is how dogs have ever lived with man

WHY THE TORTOISE HAS A BALD HEAD BY KIKELOMOOIZA OGBODO

WHY THE TORTOISE HAS A BALD HEAD

Once upon a time, in the animal kingdom, there lived an animal called the tortoise. The tortoise is married to Yanribo. The tortoise also has a concubine known as Osemi.
There is a woman that fries `akara’ (bean cakes) by the road side in the neighborhood. Her bean cakes are very delicious and many people always line up to buy bean cakes in the mornings from the woman. Anytime the tortoise is passing by the place the woman is selling `akara’,he is always enticed by the aroma of the bean cake and would wish to buy some, but he did not have any money. He envied those who buy the woman`s akara every morning.
One day he told Yaribo, his wife about the woman’s bean cakes. He said they always make his mouth water but that he does not have money to buy some. He told the wife, ``give me some money to buy akara or I will go to Osemi`s house to collect money from her”. Yanribo replied, ‘I don’t have money, but here is the little money I have”. She gave him a penny. He took the money with his cap on his head and went straight to where the woman was selling bean cakes. When he got there, he met a lot of people waiting to buy bean cakes. He was discouraged but decided to wait for his turn, so he stayed on the queue. When the crowd has lessened and it was nearly his turn to buy bean cake,suddenly,somebody called the woman selling bean cake that she should stop everything she was doing oh!,that her attention was needed at home and that she had some visitors. The woman now appealed to the tortoise to help her watch over the bean cakes on the fire so that they don’t get burnt. The tortoise accepted and was very happy to watch over the bean cakes for the woman.
The moment the woman left, he started eating the bean cakes. As he was frying, he was eating it with relish. He said to himself, ``I will eat and eat and eat and I will keep some in my cap’’. He had not finished talking to himself when he saw the bean cake woman from afar. He immediately began to put some bean cakes in his cap and wore the cap on his head. The bean cakes were hot and he began twisting his neck. When the woman arrived, she thanked the tortoise and also gave him some bean cakes in appreciation. She observed that the tortoise was twisting his neck vigorously, so she asked, ``is anything wrong with you?’’ He said nothing was wrong and he wanted to leave, so he left. The tortoise wanted to remove the bean cakes from his cap on the road, but he couldn`t because people were greeting him and exchanging pleasantries with him as he was going. He then decided to go to Osemi, his concubine’s house. When he got there, he met Osemi, and her relatives. He greeted everyone and was asked to sit down. After he sat down, he was twisting his neck vigorously. When they asked him what was wrong, he replied, `` nothing’’. He said he was okay and would like to take his leave. Osemi’s relatives now said, ``the way you are twisting your neck is too much’’, then his concubine went and removed the cap from the head of the tortoise. Behold! To the surprise of everyone, bean cakes dropped from his head, his hair was burnt and he left there with shame.
That is the reason why the tortoise has no hair on his head and is bald till today. From this story, we learn a lesson that it is not good to be greedy.

A STORY OF THE FOX, THE LEOPARD AND THE TORTOISE--OYETUNDE OYESIJI

Once upon a time, three friends lived in a jungle; these friends are the fox, the leopard and the ever cunning tortoise.
Everyday, each of these three friends would leave their home to hunt and look for food. Each would later return to base after a hard day’s adventure and tell, in turns, the experience of each and exploits. Sometimes the stories were palatable, sometimes not. Oh! I forgot to add that opportunities abound in the jungle where these animal friends were living; opportunities to live a good life!
And so it happened that on this fateful day the fox, old and ageing, was returning home, then saw a ripe mango fruit on a mango tree but as he was old he could not climb the tree. What can be more frustrating for an hungry person than his inability to have food when it is so near! Despaired and disenchanted, he waited endlessly and impatiently for help!.
Truly, help did come with the sudden appearance of the leopard who yielded to the supplications of the fox for help. According to a deal between them, the fox would give a portion of the sweet fruit to his benefactor as compensation. Unfortunately, Mr. fox reneged on his promise to share the mango fruit with Mr. leopard who assisted him in plucking it. A fight then ensued between them. Of course, the leopard, being a younger animal, obviously more energetic, had an upper hand and would have therefore overpowered the fox. Then came the tortoise, walking slowly and majestically, saw the fighting men and asked ‘why are you two fighting’? Are you not expected to be neigbours? “Each of the fighting two then told his story, one after the other” Is that all? Boomed the tortoise “Yes” the two animals responded, almost simultaneously. “Can I have the mango fruit?, asked the arbitrator.
After giving the fruit to Mr. Tortoise, he looked at the fighters, throwing up the fruit his face beaming with smiles, then gave a verdict;
“Since the two of you can not agree on how to share the mango fruit, I will keep it until further notice …”

That was how the cunning tortoise cleverly dispossessed the two fighting animals of the juicy food, the mango fruit.

Lessons: The foregoing story teaches us not to be greedy and selfish, that we should also always love our neighbours as ourselves and that one should always keep to one’s promises.

PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL ---Atunbi Bukola Christiana

A long time ago in the village of Aiyegberu, there lived a maiden by name Olajumoke.  Olajumoke was a paragon of beauty; she was a sight for sore eyes.  Her beauty and allure drew many suitors from far and near who came to seek her hand in marriage.  She however refused marrying any of them, as she felt none was handsome enough to be her husband.  One day, Olajumoke went to her stall in the market square to sell her wares.  While there, a very fair looking young man entered the market and started buying things.  This young man commanded the attention of all and sundry because of his good looks and imposing stature.  Immediately, Olajumoke became drawn to him such that; she left her stall and started following him around the market.  

  As the young man was about leaving, he noticed that Olajumoke was following him and he asked her why, she explained that she loved him and was willing to follow him anywhere.  However the young man persuaded her to go back home as one would have to cross the Red and Blue Sea, before one would get to his own house.  All these warnings fell on Olajumoke’s deaf ears, so the young man started singing this song:

          Arewa deyin leyin mi, deyin  o, Arewa deyin

          Boba deyin a o kan odo aro, deyin o hey deyin.

          Boba deyin a o kan odo  eje,deyin Arewa deyin,

           Arewa deyin leyin mi,

           Deyin Arewa deyin.

         Beauty leave me (2ce)

         You have to leave because we

         Would get to the blue Sea

       You have to leave me because we

        Would get to the Red Sea

        Go back beauty home (2ce)

However, Olajumoke was resolute that she would follow him to the end of the earth.  Thus, the young man had no option than to allow her.  On their journey, they crossed the blue and red sea just as the young man said they would.  Afterwards, they got to a thick forest, where the man had borrowed his two legs and hands in order to procure things in the human market; at this juncture he returned the legs and hands.  Olajumoke was petrified with fear; at this point the handsome man had only a head and chest.  When he got to another place, he returned the chest he had borrowed and was left with only a head.  Olajumoke could no longer mask her fear; so she earnestly begged him that he should allow her to go back home, the man also named “ori” i.e “head” declined her wish and proceeded on the homeward journey.

That was how he used mystical powers to tie a cowrie’s chain on her neck so that anytime she attempts to escape from his home; the chain would alert him with the following song:

     Ori ori o Olajumoke lo

      Apon mepo re Olajumoke lo

      A re bi osun Olajumoke lo

      Ori ori o Olajumoke lo (2ce)

     O Head (2ce) Olajumoke is going

     Damsel as fair as palm oil is going

     Damsel as fascinating as cam wood is going

     O Head Olajumoke is going

Thus, anytime Olajumoke attempts to run away the strange chain on her neck starts singing so much that wherever “head” is he would come with the speed of lightning and stamp himself to her chest.  So she resigned to her fate in the evil forest.

Back home in Olajumoke’s village a man hunt was sent to all the surrounding villages in search of the village belle; jumoke.   Different medicine men were consulted and all of them assured her parents that she would come back home.

One fateful day, a hunter was in the forest searching for game when he saw Olajumoke roaming around the forest.  He was aghast to see such a beauty in the middle of a thick forest, so he asked her what she was doing there and she told him her story.  The hunter promised to help her out, if Olajumoke would promise to marry him afterwards.  The village belle was not happy about this because the hunter was a very ugly man.

Eventually, she agreed to his proposal and the hunter swung into action.  He cut off the cowries’ chain from her neck after chanting certain incantations and he was able to lead her successfully through the forest back home into the waiting arms of her parents.  On getting home, she was received with much pomp and pageantry by the entire village.  Her parents showed their gratitude to the hunter with the numerous gifts given to him; they were however stunned when their daughter expressed the intention of marrying the hunter.  However, there was nothing they could do as Jumoke told them she had earlier on given him her word that she would marry him. 

Be that as it may, they still gave their consent to the marriage, but the villagers mocked Jumoke for eventually condescending to marrying a man who was not as handsome or as wealthy as most of the men that had earlier sought her hand in marriage.

How an intelligent wife saved her boastful husband - Akinola Olawale S

Once upon a time, there was a poor man whose name was Alade. He lived in a village called ‘Akinweyin’ and he used to boast to his wife of his invincible power that has distinguished him as a powerful man among his peers. No day would ever pass that this poor man would not tell his wife about the war he has fought and all the brave men he has killed and how he had changed to different animals to overcome insurmountable opponents.

During that time, inter-village trade was one of the means of amassing wealth as people used to buy goods and go to the neighbouring villages to sell. It was indeed profitable that if anyone could make a trip, he/she would ultimately become one of the richest in the community but it was a hazardous trip. Whoever ventures into this journey would encounter scores of armed robbers who are ready to snatch his wares and if he did not cooperate with them, he might lose his life during the process. The fear of being killed by armed robbers scared the villagers because only brave men could think of embarking on the journey.

One day, Alade’s wife, Ajoke called her husband and told him, “My husband, since bravery and magical power are needed to embark on the journey and come back safely and with your magical command, why don’t you embark on this trip so that we can become wealthy”. The man, after listening to his wife rejected the offer but his wife kept on begging him which later yielded good result.

The following day, he informed his wife that he was ready to embark on the journey to prove his magical powers and he told his wife to accompany him so that she would witness how he would kill any armed robber who crosses his path. The wife consented and they left after Alade had made preparations for the trip.

When they approached a tick and dark forest, they heard some noises and five heavy armed robbers suddenly appeared before them and they were shivering. The wife who had expected her husband to use his power to conquer their assailants saw her husband trembling with anxiety. The wife smartly said, “Today will mark the end of these robbers because I can see my husband has begun to shake which signals first phase of our victory. Shake, my husband shake, continue to shake because that was how you shivered last month and killed twenty men. My husband, don’t hesitate to shake, you shook four days ago and you murdered thirty”. Fear gripped the armed robbers when they heard what the woman said because they thought that she was saying the truth and they robbers ran away. That was how a brilliant saved her proud husband from untimely death.

OBA BOJURI AND THE STRANGE WOMAN by Femi Awonusi

Dim moon in the land of Asese yoorun,

…that Oba Bojuri should offer sacrifice

Of a ram and plenty of kola nuts,

So that fornication would not kill him.

Oba Bojuri did not heed Ifa’s warning,

He said: ’what can a woman do to a king

Like me.’

Long time ago, in the land of Asese yoorun, there lived an Oba, Oba Bojuri. He was a warrior Oba and very powerful. The land prospered during his reign and his subjects loved him. But he had one weakness…

As was the custom, Ifa was consulted regularly to know if there were any unforeseen problems and the sacrifices to offer to avoid such problems. Fagbemi, the land’s Ifa priest, was summoned to the palace to do the consultation. Oba Bojuri and some of his chiefs were present. Fagbemi brought out his divination articles: opon Ifa, iyere-osun and opele, spread iyere-osun on opon Ifa and chanted: ’Ifa olookun, the wisest of all deities. He who knows all, we come to you. Illuminate what is hidden from us mortals.’ Fagbemi threw the opele on the opon Ifa, hesitated, spread the opele with his right hand and sighed. ‘Hmm. What is revealed is disturbing kabiesi,’ he said. ‘Words cannot be so big to cut it with a knife. Tell us what you see’, Oba Bojuri said. ‘Ifa says a strange woman will come to the land and cause your death, kabiesi,’ Fagbemi said. ‘Strange woman? My death’? Oba Bojuri asked. ‘Yes kabiesi. Ifa says you should offer a sacrifice of a ram and plenty of kola nuts to avert this calamity.’ Oba Bojuri smiled superciliously and said: ‘Fagbeemii, what can a woman do to a king like me’? He continued: ‘Have you forgotten so soon my days as a fearsome warrior. Who could dare me? ... ‘But kabiesi…’ No buts Fagbemi. You may leave.’ Fagbemi packed his things, bowed in respect to Oba Bojuri and left. Hmm…

Not long after, a woman came to the land. What a beauty! Moderate height, hazel eyes, fair-complexioned, sonorous voice… She was a head turner. As custom demanded, she went to the king’s palace to pay homage.

‘Who are you’? Asked Oba Bojuri.

‘My name is Arewa and I’m a trader’, she replied. On her knees, head bowed.

‘Look up. Where do you intend to stay’? Do you have a friend here’?

‘No, my king. I don’t have a place for now’?

‘You stay in my palace then.’...

They got married. Arewa and Oba Bojuri became inseparable; she became the favourite of his oloris. She was indulged; Oba Bojuri gave her whatever she wanted. One afternoon, in the Oba’s chamber, she told her husband she wanted only meat as her meals thenceforth. She had become kolokolo. The flesh eater! Oba Bojuri said she could take from any animals in the palace. Who dared complain?

When she finished all the animals in the palace, Oba Bojuri spent so many cowries buying goats for her meals without complaints till there was a large hole in his pocket. He was ruined! What could he do…’What can I do’, he thought. He had to satisfy her…

There was news that a leopard had been killing the goats in the land. Fear swept through the land. All efforts to protect their goats failed. The case was taken to Oba Bojuri who decreed that the land’s powerful hunters should form a vigilante group to patrol the land every night. Hmm…goats were still missing! Something drastic had to be done. Patrol was intensified until one night…the moon was dim…

There was a goat tied to a tree in the market square; a bait. The hunters hid…they waited… the moon was dim…something approached…the hunters stifled their breaths… dane guns at the ready. It pounced! What? The leopard! The goat shrilled and…Boom! Boom! There were gunshots, the leopard shrieked in pain and fell. As the hunters approached it, it stood and ran leaving a trail of blood behind it.

The hunters followed the blood; it led them to the palace. The sky was bright when they got there and they saw people gathered round something, wailing. What could it be? The leopard of course! The hunters thought. Paga! What they saw was heart-rending! It was half-human half-beast. Half-Oba Bojuri half-leopard! Breathing painfully, the half-human half-beast said he had been using charms to change to a leopard to hunt animals for Arewa. He continued: ‘My people, this is what arrogance and fornication had done to me. Learn from me.’ His breath stopped. What a shame! They looked for Arewa. She had run away.

It is said that a dog that would get lost would not hear the hunter’s whistle.

Words in italics

Asese yoorun- Rising sun.

Ifa- Divination oracle in Yorubaland.

Oba- king.

Opon Ifa- Divination board.

Iyere-osun- Divination powder.

Opele- Divination bead.

Olookun- Owner of the sea.

Kabiesi- He that cannot be questioned.

Olori- King’s wife; queen.

Kolokolo- Fox.

Paga! - An exclamation.

HOW THE HUMAN SPINE CAME TO BE- BY: ANITA IWEZULU

HOW THE HUMAN SPINE CAME TO BE

Many years ago, in a town called Ebu in Oshimili North Local Government of Delta state, there was an old woman who always sat near the market. One fateful morning, a young boy was walking down the road when he saw this old woman with some bundles of firewood on her head. He offered to help her and she accepted. Having walked on for about 15 minutes, he asked her if they had not gotten to her house, the reply was no.

After some minutes again, he asked the same question and the answer was the same. The woman pointed at a far distance were there was smoke and said that was where she was going to. At this time the boy was already very tired, and he walked slowly forward. Walking behind him, the woman was singing a song and the song goes thus:

Mi pe we le mi adu? Pelegendepe? (2ice)- did I beg you to carry my load?

Adu pa t’ale, pelegendepe- it is this same load that killed your father                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Adu p’ iyele- it is this same load that killed your mother

Mi pe we le mi adu? pelegendepe. - did I beg you to carry my load?

As she kept on singing she was getting nearer the boy, before long  her claws were already in the  boy’ s back, she dug so deep that it left some marks on his body in between his back . That is how the spine in man came to be.