by Amos Tutuola
But Ade was so unfaithful to Adisa that, one day, when Adisa went to another town, just to return in a few days’ time, Ade entered his room. He took the juju-gourd from the rack and he hung in its place an inferior one. After that, he took the superior one to the large river and he threw it into the water. And it fell into the hand of the very same strange creature who had given it to Adisa. Instantly he swallowed it, and then he waited for the day when he would ask Adisa to give it back to him.
As soon as Ade had thrown the juju-gourd into the river, he went to the same king who had condemned him to death before Adisa woke him. He said, ‘Your majesty, the king, I bring secret news to you. Adisa, my friend, who woke me when you condemned me to death last time, has told me that, whenever any member of your family dies, he will not wake him or her. This will be his revenge on you for condemning me to death.’
And the king kept this bad news in his mind from that day. But of course Adisa had not told Ade such a thing at all. Ade was just trying to convince the king he should kill Adisa – all because Adisa did not teach Ade how to use the juju-powder inside the juju-gourd.
A few days later, after Adisa had returned from his journey, one of the king’s family died suddenly. Ade did not show in his behaviour that he had betrayed Adisa out of his juju-gourd, and Adisa himself was not aware that his juju-gourd had been thrown in the river, and an inferior one hung in its place. The king sent for Adisa. He implored him to help him wake his dead man. Without a word, Adisa returned to his house. He took that inferior gourd, which he supposed to be his own, and returned to the king. He removed the cork, so as to put juju-powder on the eyes of the dead body. To his dismay, it was sand that came out of it.
In short, Adisa failed to wake the dead man. Then, in the presence of the king, Ade said, ‘Adisa, you have done as you told me you would, that one day you would take revenge on the king because he condemned me to death some time ago!’
Adisa stared at Ade in shock. ‘Ade, when did I tell you that I would not wake the king’s man if such a man should die?’
‘Ho-o-o!’ Ade shouted. ‘Because both of us are now before the king, you now deny all you planned to do to the king! But if you did not plan to take revenge on the king, please, just wake the dead man now!’
Now the king was convinced of the truth of the lies which Ade told him. Without hesitation, the king ordered his killers to take Adisa to the bush and beat him to death at once.
Ade followed the killers to the bush, and he and the killers beat Adisa to death before they went back to the town. Thus Ade, the unfaithful friend, betrayed Adisa, his faithful friend, to death at last.
A few minutes after Adisa was beaten to death, the strange creature who had given him the juju-gourd came there. He woke Adisa and asked him thus: ‘Where is your friend, Ade, today? And where is my juju-gourd, which I gave to you the day you woke Ade from death?’
‘He is not here.’ Ade wiped his face with both palms, and then he explained with great sorrow, ‘He was the very one who caused my death. And he joined hands with the killers, and they beat me to death.’
‘Did you not tell me on that day, that Ade was faithful to you, and was it not for that you begged me to spare him for you?’ The strange creature spoke with a horrible voice.
With a tired voice, Adisa replied. ‘Certainly, I did.’
‘Now, since you did not allow me to eat the dead body of Ade the other day, today I shall eat you, instead!’ Then he killed Adisa again and ate his body. When he had finished the body, he went away.
Of course, Adisa saved his friend, Ade, from death, but Ade betrayed him to death in return.
Rere, the Disobedient Son
Long ago, an old man and his wife lived in a village. The old man’s name was Oluwo. He had three sons and the name of the youngest was Rere. Rere was barely twelve years old when one morning he told his father that the work which he preferred to do was hunting. But his father tried his best to persuade him not to go hunting. And, Rere’s father being rich, he told him that he would give him anything which he demanded from him if he chose another profession. But Rere would not change his mind.
‘I prefer the hunting profession to all other professions that are on earth,’ Rere insisted.
But Rere’s father loved him so much that – instead of allowing the boy to go and hunt in the bush, for Oluwo feared the wild beasts would kill him – he went to the market. There he bought a gun, plenty of gun-powder and gun-shot, and he also bought many rams and goats. He tied the animals to the trees which were at the back of his house. Then he gave the gun, gun-powder and the gun-shot to Rere, and he told him to practise shooting at the rams and goats.
Yet Rere rejected his father’s advice. He insisted he would go and hunt in the bush and jungle instead. So Oluwu left him to himself.
One morning, Rere took his gun, gun-powder, gun-shot and machete. He went to a faraway jungle without telling his father and mother. When he got to the heart of the jungle, he started to roam about looking for animals. Unfortunately, he did not see any animal before the rain came. The rain was so heavy that it forced Rere to enter into a large hole of a big tree and he hid himself there.
When the rain did not stop till the night was approaching. Rere came out from the hole of that tree. He started to go home in the heavy rain. But he did not track far before he reached a stream. And as soon as he had crossed the stream to half-way, the torrent started to carry him away suddenly. Rere struggled hard to free himself from the torrent, but all his efforts failed.
His luck was that the torrent did not carry him far when Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, saw him as the torrent was rolling him away. Without hesitation he jumped into the stream; he held Rere and pulled him to the bank. Having given him first aid and noticed that he was conscious, he took him to his house which was near the stream. He gave him food, and after the boy had rested for some minutes. Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, asked, ‘Why were you so careless as to enter the stream which had a strong torrent like that?’
‘It was the night which was near that forced me to enter the stream, though I saw that it rushed strongly. I did not want to sleep in the jungle,’ Rere explained to the Jungle Drummer.
‘But what did you come to do in this jungle which is full of wild beasts, a small boy like you?’ the Jungle Drummer asked with wonder.
‘I came to hunt in this jungle,’ replied Rere, dejected.
‘Have you not been advised by your father not to come and hunt in the jungle?’ the Jungle Drummer asked calmly.
‘Of course, my father warned me not to come,’ Rere explained clearly. ‘He even bought many rams and goats for me just to practise hunting at, instead of going to hunt in the jungle or bush. But I did not know at that time that he was saving me from harm. And at last, when he noticed that I did not pay heed to his advice, he left me to myself.’
Then, when Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, asked more questions of Rere, the boy put all his father’s advice into song and he sang it to Tortoise:
Rere, the son of Oluwo.
My father bought animals.
He told me to learn shooting at them, but I refused.
I said, it is in the bush and jungle of buffalo and elephant that I will go and practise hunting.
And when the torrent took me, I became Tortoise’s slave.
When Rere sang like that with a lovely voice, Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, was so impressed by the song that he stood up suddenly and danced up and down happily for some minutes. ‘Oh, yes, this boy is a very good singer. He has a good and lovely voice. Now I will not allow him to leave me, but I shall be adding his lovely song and voice to my playing whenever people invite me to come and play my drum for them.’ Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, thought this to himself.
Fortunately for the Jungle Drummer, at the time he rescued Rere from the stream and took him to his house, it remained only twelve days to the time when the king of Tortoise’s town would give sacrifice to his head. And Tortoise, the Jungle Drum
mer, was one of the drummers that the king had invited to come and beat their drums at the big ceremony connected with the sacrifice.
So, before the day was reached, Tortoise carved a big tree into a huge drum with many small holes around its body. The drum was so light that a person could hold it up easily with one hand, and it was so roomy that it easily accommodated such a small boy as Rere.
When Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, had completed the drum, just to test it, he put Rere in it and sealed both ends with strong leather of antelope. Then he told Rere to sing his usual song.
As Rere started to sing his song, and the Jungle Drummer or Tortoise started to beat the drum to the song, both were so lovely and fascinating that those who were near there started to dance here and there until they were exhausted.
Having tested the drum and Rere’s song, and seeing that both were extremely fascinating, Tortoise believed that the other drummers could not beat him. As soon as Rere came out from the drum, Tortoise ran to the king and boasted before him, ‘Your worship, the king. I, Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, shall beat my wonderful drum and sing an enchanting song in an impressive way, so that you will stand up from your seat and dance with great joy on the day and in the night that you are sacrificing to your head, though people have not seen you dancing before.’
‘You, Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer? But how will your drum and song be so impressive and fascinating that they will make me dance? How many times have you seen me dancing since I have become king? Eh, tell me, Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer?’
‘I assure you, king, you will stand up and dance merrily on the day you are sacrificing to your head,’ the Jungle Drummer confirmed to the king.
‘If it happens as you are telling me now, I promise I shall divide my slaves, my pawned men, and all my other property into two parts, and I shall give you one part of them,’ the king promised, though he did not believe Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer.
Tortoise left the palace as soon as he had promised the king all that he would do on the day that the king was to make sacrifice to his head. So he and Rere began to prepare for the big day.
When the day was reached, Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, gave sufficient food to Rere. After the boy had eaten to his entire satisfaction, the Jungle Drummer told him to creep into the huge drum. Then he sealed both ends of the drum with the fine leather of antelope. Having done that, he put the drum on his head and then he carried it to the assembly ground where the celebrations of the sacrifice to the king’s head would take place. Although several other drummers preceded Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, and all were set with their drums ready for beating, he did not waste time but he hastily set his own drum down near their own.
After a while, the king, his lieutenants, chiefs and bearers arrived on the assembly ground. They walked in procession into the pavilion which was mainly erected for the king. After the chiefs had performed the sacrifice for the king’s head, in which many cows and rams were included, beating of drums, singing, dancing, and flattering started. But Tortoise did not beat his drum this time. He kept calm and was just looking at the other drummers.
Although the other drummers played and sang well, neither the beating of their drums nor their singing various kinds of songs impressed the king, his lieutenants, chiefs and bearers enough to stand up and dance.
But as soon as the Jungle Drummer, Tortoise, struck the side of his drum three times, which was the sign for Rere to start singing, and Rere started to sing with his usual impressive and enchanting voice, and Tortoise started to beat his drum to Rere’s enchanting song, then the king, his lieutenants, his chiefs, his bearers and the multitude of people rushed to the centre of the assembly ground. All started to dance here and there merrily as if they were intoxicated by hot drink. The king and his people were so impressed by the enchanting song being sung inside the drum by Rere that they danced merrily till midnight.
When all were tired and had stopped dancing, the king, according to his promise to Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, divided his slaves, his pawned men, and all the other property into two parts. He gave one part to the Jungle Drummer, Tortoise. Then the king went back to his palace while other people went back to their houses in happiness.
Of course the king and his people were not aware that it was a person, Rere, who sang the enchanting songs inside Tortoise’s drum for them. Thus Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, surpassed all other drummers, those who returned to their houses with shame, while Tortoise returned to his house with honour.
Meanwhile, Rere’s mother and father, Oluwo, had started to look for him from the day he went to the jungle and they did not know his whereabouts. They did not know that Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, had rescued him from the torrent of the stream and had detained him in his house and was using his enchanting songs in the drum.
So, after Oluwo had tried his best to find Rere’s whereabouts but failed, he consulted the wise man, who explained to him: ‘Certainly, you will find your son, Rere, if you can sacrifice the used or old leather of a drum, and with it the small bells which are attached to the edges of the drum, to the god of the river.
‘After that,’ the wise man continued, ‘you will prepare an important feast to which you will invite several people. You will invite Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, as well, to come and beat and sing at the feast. Surely, that is the day you will find your son, Rere. But be sure that you supply plenty of hot drinks in the feast.’ Thus the wise man advised Rere’s father, who then went away and made the sacrifice to the god of the river as directed by the wise man.
Then a few days later, Oluwo prepared a very rich feast, and, in addition, he bought plenty of the hot drinks. Afterwards, he invited several people and also Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer.
Then, after the guests had eaten and drunk, Tortoise was to beat his drum. He was too greedy, and he was drunk to excess before he started to beat his drum. But still, as soon as he started to beat his drum, and Rere started to sing his enchanting song, all the guests, and Rere’s father and mother did not resist when they stood up and started to dance merrily.
But when they had danced for about one hour, Rere’s father and mother stopped dancing suddenly. When they stood still and listened carefully for some minutes, they were shocked with horror the moment they identified the voice of their son, Rere, who was singing a kind of song in which he was mentioning his father’s name, Oluwo, over and over again. And the song was coming out of Tortoise’s drum.
Now Rere’s father and mother were impatient to see their son. What to do to get their son back from the Jungle Drummer, Tortoise, was a big problem for them. If they told Tortoise openly that their son was inside the drum, he might run away with him. However, after a while, a thought came to Oluwo’s mind. He stopped Tortoise suddenly from beating his drum. After that, he invited him to a small room in his house.
As soon as he had given Tortoise a seat, he started to serve him and flatter him continuously. And as Tortoise was greedy in everything, he drank so much that he became unconscious within a few minutes. As soon as he fell down from the seat and fell asleep, Oluwo went and loosened the leather of the drum and then pulled out his son, Rere, who was nearly suffocated by the heat. Then Oluwo sealed the drum back with the same leather that he had removed from it. He did the seal so carefully that the drum seemed as if its leather had not been removed at all. Then he replaced the drum behind Tortoise.
Then he rushed his son, Rere, to an open place where there was fresh air to breathe in.
All Oluwo’s guests had gone away before Tortoise woke up in the mid-night. As soon as Tortoise, the Jungle Drummer, lifted up his drum and felt that it was lighter than when Rere was inside it, he knew that Rere had come out of it.
‘Who has tampered with my drum?’ Tortoise started to shout angrily. But when Rere’s father heard the noise, he beat Tortoise with a club mercilessly, and then drove him away from the house.
After Rere had become conscious and had eaten, his father asked, ‘Rere, will you go
and hunt in the jungle again?’
‘Never shall I go and hunt in any jungle any more, not until I am old enough!’ Rere replied with regret.
The Duckling Brothers and their Disobedient Sister
Once there lived an old man and his wife. They had two sons, named Ajala and Adele. Ajala was older than Adele. Their father and mother were so poor that they could not live without borrowing money from the inhabitants of their village. They were also buying their clothes on credit.
One day, when the father failed to pay some of their debts, the creditor acted very rudely to him. Having seen this, Ajala was so ashamed that, the following morning, he invited his younger brother, Adele, to one corner of their house, and told him, ‘Adele, you see, we are old enough to go abroad to find a kind of job to do. When we work there for some years and we save some amount of money, then we shall come back to our father and mother and give them the money. And when they pay their debts from the money, they will be free from their debts.’ This was Ajala’s advice to Adele.
Without argument, Adele agreed to his brother’s advice. Then the following morning, both of them told their father and mother that they were going abroad for a job, and they all bade each other goodbye. Thus Ajala and Adele left their village for an unknown place.
A very long, long time after they had left their village they came to an endless jungle. Having travelled in the jungle for nine days, they came to its middle.
Ajala and Adele were tired and wearied before they reached there. They stopped their journey, and they sat down in order to rest on that spot for some hours. But as they started to discuss the food that they would eat, a fearful old woman appeared before them unexpectedly.
Ajala and Adele were so afraid of the strange old woman that they were unable to stand up and run away for their lives because they thought that she came there to kill them.