by Amos Tutuola
Anyhow, I continued to travel along as hastily as I could so that I might be travelled very far away before the nightfall. Although this jungle was about one hundred miles away from my town. But when I travelled up to ten miles and when the darkness of the nightfall did not allow me to see well then I stopped. I made the fire under a small tree which was at the roadside. I roasted one small yam and I ate it, after that I slept without fear of any danger of the night, because that day was the “Day of New Creation” which was Thursday.
Very early in the morning, I woke up, I did not wait to eat anything but I continued to travel along at once. But when I travelled for two hours on this road, I came to where several roads crossed themselves. This was the junction of roads that which used to confuse the stranger, because I did not know which of these roads to travel to the jungle. Then I stopped there and I was thinking in mind how to distinguish the right one which led to the jungle. I was so sad as the rat which was sent to the cat, when I was forced to stop there by this junction. At last when I did not know which was the right one that led to the jungle, I slept there till following morning which was “The Day of three Resolutions” Saturday.
But when it was morning, I took my gun, hunting bag, and cutlass and then I simply took one of these roads, I was travelling along as quickly as possible. To my fear when I travelled for about four hours on this road I travelled to the end of it. There was no real road on which to travel again. But instead to stop I started to travel along in the forest, and when it was three o’clock p.m., I entered a small semi-jungle as I could call it because it was not a real jungle.
How I Fought with “Odara” and Conquered Him in the Semi-jungle
The heavy rain that stops the voices of birds.
After I travelled in this semi-jungle for a few minutes, I started to look for birds to shoot to death for my food, but it was a surprise to me when I did not see anything like a bird in this semi-jungle at all. Anyhow I stopped, I made fire and I roasted a yam and I ate it. After I ate the roasted yam and I was just thinking within myself where to get water to drink, there I saw at that moment, about six hunters appeared from the different direction of this semi-jungle. They asked me that from which town did I come to hunt in that jungle and I told them the name of my town. And I too asked from them the name of their town, they told me the name of their town as well and they said that it was not far from that jungle. But when I told them that it was not in this semi-jungle I came to hunt in particular, but I was going to hunt in the Jungle of the Pigmies, they were nearly shocked to death at the same moment.
They shook up and down their heads with great fear when they thought over about the cruel creatures, wild animals and pigmies of the jungle. They warned me seriously not to go there but I insisted to go. As I noticed that they were hungry, I gave them one of my yams and they roasted it and ate it at once. Then after we chatted for a few minutes I told them that I was thirsty and as they too were thirsty, they told me to stand up and follow them to a small river which was not so far from that place. As I was following them to the river, they were telling me that I should be talking to them very softly because if “Odara” the giant-like or cyclops-like creature as I could describe him and who was the owner of this semi-jungle, heard my voice or any one else, would come out and kill us. They told me that there was no another creature who lived in that jungle with him except animals. Because “Odara” was too harsh, cruel, greedily, etc. As these hunters were still telling me the story of “Odara” as we were going along to the river, there we were hearing faintly, the noises which were coming from a long distance. The noises were just as if thousands of hooligans were following their cruel and merciless leader to some place where they were going to cause harm to several people. Then these hunters who had already known the attitudes of “Odara” listened to the noises as we were still going along.
A few minutes more, these noises were approaching us nearer and thus the noises were approaching us more and more until the hunters were quite sure that “Odara” and his followers were coming to that direction. As they were telling me that everyone of us must find somewhere to hide himself or herself, the followers of “Odara”, who were at a little distance from their leader, “Odara” were then seeing and coming to that direction. Then unexpectedly and without telling one another where to hide, we scattered into the jungle. Many of us crept into the refuses, some hid inside the large holes and some climbed the hill and hid on top of it but I climbed to the top of a big tree and I hid myself on top of it. This tree was not far from the road so that I might see “Odara” and his followers clearly when they were passing along through that place. The leaves of the tree on which I hid were so covered me that if I did not climb this tree on presence of somebody there was nobody who could believe that I was there. Then everyone of us kept as quiet in his or her hiding place and stopped talking as when the heavy rain stopped the voices of birds.
We hardly hid ourselves when the followers of “Odara” were passing through that direction.
“Odara’s” followers were more than fifty in number and each of them held harmful weapons. They were hastily looking at the tops and at the bottoms of the trees and hills as well. They were shouting greatly with fearful voices.
But when I peeped through the leaves, I saw them clearly that they did not wear jacket or to cover their bodies with any cloth or to put on their heads anything like caps but they wore only very short trousers. These trousers were so red that everyone of these followers could be easily seen from a long distance. Everyone of them put on the ears big round rings. As they were going along as hastily as they could it was so they were looking at back always just to see whether their leader, “Odara” was approaching nearer.
As they were going along it was so they were shouting greatly —“Let all the animals of this semi-jungle leave this road for another place, because ‘Odara’ the possessor of the poisonous cudgels, is coming behind! Let the snakes and birds of this jungle leave the road, the possessor of the poisonous cudgels, ‘Odara’ is coming behind!” thus these “Odara’s” followers were warning every creature to leave the road for “Odara” as they were going along.
When I heard this announcement I feared greatly and I did not shake my body at that moment so that they might not see me and thus the other hunters did as well. But after a few minutes that “Odara’s” followers had gone, and as I was about to rub away all the stinging ants which were stinging me repeatedly, there I saw unexpectedly that more than one thousand bush animals, birds, snakes, etc., were running as hastily as they could with closed eyes to every direction of this jungle. They were hiding themselves inside the holes, under the refuses, etc., and the snakes and birds were hiding on top of trees. As I was still wondering when I saw them that they were doing like that, a very strong wind came. This wind was so strong that the whole jungle was in disorder at the same moment. This wind was blowing to the trees so heavily that their tops or branches were touching the ground and all the dried leaves and refuses were blown to the great height in the sky, so these signs showed me that “Odara” was approaching.
As I was still wondering about these curious signs and the ants were still stinging every part of my body so painfully that I could no longer afford it to remain on top of that tree except to come down and as I was just preparing to come down. There I heard a great fearful shout of “Odara”. He was then at a distance of about one-eighth of a mile. When I heard this again I did not attempt to come down as I thought to do but I simply gave my body to these stinging ants. When “Odara” came nearer all the hills and trees were shaking, his voice was hearing all over the jungle. When he travelled near the tree on top of which I hid, he stopped because he suspected that someone was on top of it. He raised his big head up and he gazed at the top of this tree. And as he was still shouting greatly I saw him clearly. He was too terrible indeed to be seen for a human being, and I feared him so much that I did not know when I opened my mouth and the spit was dropping down. He hung a
large bag on left shoulder in which plenty of the “poisonous cudgels” were kept and he held a bunch of the same kind of the cudgels with left hand as well.
“Odara” seemed as the jungle giant. He was very tall and stout. He had a very rough body and this body was full of knots and his face was full of big pimples and his body was full of scars. His head was just as a small round hill, the hairs of his body were very long and rough in such a way that they could not be distinguished from the refuses. He wore a huge thick and dirty trousers which could only reach his knees. Big and small cowries were tied to every part of the trousers in such a perfect way that the trousers itself could not be seen at all except those cowries. The cowries were full of the rotten blood and feathers of birds were stuck to the rotten blood. His eyes were so big and fearful that I was unable to look at them more than once.
As he gazed at the top of the tree on which I hid and as I was still looking at his fearful appearances he shouted greatly unexpectedly with terrible voice just to make sure whether there was somebody who hid on top of that tree. But when the other hunters and I heard his shout unexpectedly, we did not know the time when we shook our bodies with great fear and this showed “Odara” that we hid there. But as he saw me when I shook and as he was coming to that tree. I thought what I could do to safe myself from him and I remembered at the same moment to shoot my gun to him perhaps he would die. Then without hesitation, I shot my “shakabullah” gun to him. But to my great fear was that before my “shakabullah” gun sounded—“Shaka—bul—laha!” this wonderful creature, “Odara” the possessor of the poisonous cudgels, or the jungle giant, had caught the gun-shots with right hand and he swallowed them at the same time and I feared greatly that the gun-shots did not hurt his palm at all. Now he became more angry than ever because I shot him. And immediately he had swallowed the gun-shots he started to throw several poisonous cudgels to the top of that tree. As he was still throwing several cudgels to the top of that tree so that I might fall down and then to kill me, it was so many poisonous snakes were climbing that tree from the bottom so that they might hide themselves on top of it when they heard the fearful shout of “Odara” and this was another great fear to me as well. When they climbed the tree to where I hid they were biting at my legs and ankles so that I might give them chance to hide in there and I was very lucky that the poisons of their teeth did not harm me but they were falling back to the ground and they were dying at once instead because my ankles had already injected with a kind of medicine before I left my town.
When “Odara” saw that I did not come down as he was throwing his cudgels to me repeatedly, the cudgels which were so poisonous that immediately they touched a living creature or a person would die at once. So he came nearer to the tree, he began to shake it with all his powers so that I might fall down. But as he was doing so he smashed Ojo, one of those hunters, who hid near this tree and with pain Ojo did not know when he stood up just to run away for his life, and at the same moment “Odara” snatched him. He first slapped him at belly before he threw him inside the huge bag which he hung on shoulder. After that he continued to shake the tree and again with great fear I shot my “shakabullah” gun to him for the second time. But to my fear again was that before my gun sounded—“Shaka—bul—laha!” “Odara” had caught the gun-shots with his left hand and at the same moment he swallowed them.
When he did so again and when I believed that my “shakabullah” gun could not do anything to him, I feared him so much that I did not know the time that I fell from the top of that tree to the ground without my wish and I hardly reached the ground when I jumped up and began to run away for my life and he was chasing me along to catch.
As I was running away I ran to the part of the jungle in which the rest hunters hid themselves all the while. When they heard as I was shouting greatly for help along to the spot that they hid they thought that “Odara” had seen them as well and he was coming to kill them. For this reason the whole of them came out from their hiding places at a time. They started to run away for their lives at once. But immediately “Odara” saw them as well, he started to stagger about, and as he was chasing this and that he left to chase me unnoticed, because he wanted to catch the whole of us at a time. He had forgotten that a person who chased two rats at a time would lose all. Then at the same moment I was running furiously along to where I would be saved. But unfortunately it was this time my hunting bag which was on my shoulder all the while, was hooked by big thorns of a mighty tree while it was still on my shoulder. As I was still struggling to take it back from the thorns as I did not want to leave it there and run away because my jujus, gunpowder, etc., were inside it. The rest hunters ran to that direction and then he (“Odara”) saw me held up there.
Immediately he saw me there he threw one of his poisonous cudgels to me but I snatched that one easily because it did not hit me, and he threw another one at the same time which hit my breast so heavily that I should had died at once if I had had no juju in my body. When he saw that the second one hit my breast he thought that no doubt I would die in a few minutes time and when he caught the rest hunters then he would come back to take me as well. But luckily immediately he left that place and as he was still chasing the rest hunters along. When I struggled very hard my hunting bag came out from the thorns, then without hesitation I took the two poisonous cudgels and I started to run away for my life as before.
After a few minutes, and as I was still running along zigzag in this jungle just to find out a safety place in which to hide myself before he would come back. I simply saw him as he was chasing the rest hunters towards the place that I was about to hide. Having seen this, I began to run to another part of the jungle at the same time. But those hunters were following me along at the same time instead to run to another place. So this cruel creature, “Odara” was then chasing the whole of us along at a time to catch and kill.
As he was chasing us along it was so he was throwing his cudgels to us repeatedly until we came to the road that which went along to those hunters’ town. Then at the same moment we continued to run along on this road towards the town and he was still chasing us along as fast as he could until we came to a big river which was crossed this road. But as it was only one slender stick was put across the river with which the people of the town were crossing it so after we crossed it to the second side and when “Odara” walked on this slender stick to the middle of the river with greediness. The stick broke into two and then he fell into the water unexpectedly, because he was heavier than what the stick could hold. But as “Odara” was so greedy and cruel was that as he was struggling very hardly to come out from the water it was so he was still throwing his poisonous cudgels at us. Of course, after I shot my “shakabullah” gun to him several times and did not kill or harm him except the sound—“Shaka—bul—laha!” which was simply hearing. Then I started to throw some of his cudgels which he had thrown to us back to him until he sank into the water. It was like that I saw the end of this cruel creature, “Odara” the possessor of the poisonous cudgels.
I kept two of these poisonous cudgels with myself perhaps they would be useful to me in future. And after we rested for some minutes at the bank of this river those hunters told me to follow them to their town and I did so when I thought within myself that I would rest in that town for a few days when I would continue my journey direct to the Jungle of the Pigmies.
In the Ibembe Town
The rain does not know the honourable person apart. But the rain soaks anybody who comes out when it is raining.
The bad bird that eats together with witches.
When I followed these hunters to their town, the town which was called “Ibembe” and as it was the custom of the people of this town that, any stranger who came there must be taken to the king and tell the king the kind of a person whom he or she was and to tell the king as well what he or she came there for. Therefore these hunters took me to their king directly. But to my surprise was that as I was following the hunters to the
king, the whole people of this town rushed out from their houses. They were following us along and they were looking at me with great wonder when they saw that I put the gun and hunting bag on my left shoulder like a hunter. They were asking from one another that—“Is this a young lady huntress?” They asked this question with wonder because they had never seen or ever heard of a lady who was a huntress like me in their lives.
When I stood before the king and his chiefs and within a few seconds that he (king) started to ask some questions from me thousands of people had gathered round and they were looking on with great wonder. The king asked from me that where was my town and I told him. He asked whether it was true that I was a huntress and I told him that it was true, I was a brave lady who was a huntress. But I wondered that I hardly explained like that when the whole people and the chiefs who were all the while looking at me with much astonishment, shouted on me at a time, that if it was true that I was a brave huntress it meant then I was a wicked lady who would be surely turned into a witch in future.
Again the king asked from me the name of the jungle in which I was going to hunt. But when I told him that I was going to hunt in the Jungle of the Pigmies, the whole people, the chiefs and the king himself covered their ears with their hands for a few minutes before they took their hands away from their ears and then they repeated with much surprise that—you a fine lady like this was going to hunt in the Jungle of the Pigmies and not in the ordinary jungle? and I replied—yes. Then the whole people did not laugh or talk but they were looking at me with sadness until when their king asked from me again whether I knew the kinds of the cruel and harmful creatures, apart from the wonderful wild animals, who were living in this jungle. I explained loudly to the king that before I left my town, the people of my town and my father had told me about the creatures of the jungle but I was not afraid of any creature who might be in the jungle. When I said like that the whole of them shrugged their shoulders in such a way which showed me that they were very sorry for me.