SET IV
How The Desert Came Into the World (Akan)
Long ago, Kwaku Ananse and his friend Akwasi Owusu were the best farmers in the world. Their farms were so big that there was everything in them. People came from near and far to buy foodstuffs from them. And so they became very rich.
One day the rains stopped coming, and for a whole year there was no rain. Ananse and Akwasi Owusu didn’t know what to do. All the streams and rivers had dried up, and people stopped buying from them because there was nothing on their farms.
Akwasi decided to go to Nana Nyankopɔn, the Creator of the universe to solicit help. So one Thursday morning, he called on Nana Nyankopɔn and said, “Nana, there has not been rains for many days. All the streams and rivers have dried up. All the crops on my farm have dried up and wilted. Please give me some rains.”
Nana Nyankopɔn was moved with pity and said to him “I have dedicated some of my work to people, because I get so tired of small requests from people. I have given the task of wind to Paa Kwasi, the task of sunshine to Yεboa, and the task of rain to Nsia, the hunchback. If you want rain, go and see Nsia the hunchback and ask him to give you some rain.”
Akwasi was very happy and thanked Nyankopɔn. He set off to look for Nsia the hunchback. Presently, he came across him sitting under a tree taking a rest from the heavy task that Nyankopɔn had given him.
Akwasi greeted him politely and told him that Nyankopɔn had told him to come and look for him to give some rain. “If it is Nyankopɔn who sent you, I cannot refuse to give you some rain. Take a small stick and beat my back, he said.”
Akwasi picked two small sticks and gently his Nsia’s back two times and thanked him and went home. In the morning he went to his farm and sure enough, there had been a heavy shower. And all the plants were standing upright and green.
Ananse passed by Akwasi’s farm the next morning. He was so happy that he almost jumped and touched the sky. He punched the air and yelled, Yee! He thought the rain had fallen on his farm too. But alas when he got to his farm, he realized with shock that the rains had stopped at the boundary. There had not been any on his farm. But why had rains fallen on Akwasi’s farm? Surely, there must be an answer to this. He became suspicious of his friend and decided to go and ask him how on the earth he got the rains on his farm. Akwasi did not want to tell Ananse about Nyankopɔn’s rainmaker because of Ananse’s sly nature. But later he decided to do so, so he told Ananse about Nyankopɔn’s rainmaker.
As soon as Ananse heard this, he also decided to go and look for the rainmaker. He combed the forest for many hours and at long last came upon him sitting under a tree taking a rest from the heavy task that Nyankopɔn had given him. As soon as Ananse saw him, he picked (up) a big club and hit the hunchback’s back with all his might. The hunchback cried in pain. But Ananse continued hitting him on the back with all his might with the heavy club. The hunchback fell down panting, but still Ananse continued hitting him with brute force. After continuous beating, the hunchback lay still without moving. Ananse called out to the hunchback but there was no response. He had killed Nyankopɔn’s rainmaker. He became frightened, “Oh dear, what have I done? I have killed Nyankopɔn’s rainmaker. He wanted to run, but realized that if he ran away he would get in trouble because his friend Akwasi would know he had killed the rainmaker.
So sly was Ananse that it wasn’t long before he came out with a solution to his problem. He picked up the dead body and went to hide it in the middle of a mango tree. He then went to call Akwasi and told him that he had seen a mango tree that was full of ripe mangoes. Akwasi liked mangoes very much but was reluctant to go because he didn’t trust Ananse. But he later changed his mind and went with Ananse. Ananse told him to climb up to the mango tree and when he got to the top to start shaking it vigorously. Suddenly there was a big crash. The body of Nyankopɔn’s rainmaker had fallen from the treetop when Akwasi shook the tree. Ananse started shouting and wailing. “Akwasi see what you have done?!? You have killed Nyankopɔn’s rainmaker. He must have been hiding in the tree taking a rest from the heavy task that Nyankopɔn had given him. See what you have done now, you have killed him! What will Nyankopɔn say now?” Akwasi became confused, not knowing what to do.
He got down quietly from the tree, but then as he was getting down his mind worked like lightening. He pretended to be shocked and said he was going to see Nyankopɔn about it. He went away quietly after saying this. Ananse was very happy and jumped and clapped his hands. “Fool, I have put you into trouble. Nyankopɔn will really punish you.” Unknown to Kwaku Ananse, his friend Akwasi had also gone to make a plan with some people to teach Ananse that he wasn’t a fool after all.
So, very soon, Akwasi Owusu came with the people and told Ananse that there was no problem at all. Nyankopɔn was happy the rainmaker was dead. He had been lazy at times and refused to work. “I am going to reward you for killing him,” Nyankopɔn had said. And Akwasi started singing and dancing happily. He said again that he had come with Nyankopɔn’s messengers to carry the dead body to Nyankopɔn. Ananse at once became furious when he heard this. He said angrily, “Look Akwasi, don’t try to be too clever. I killed him! I was afraid that Nyankopɔn was going to punish me, that’s why I hid the body on the tree. I am going to claim the reward!” So he carried the body on his shoulders and quickly went to Nyankopɔn’s palace to tell him that he has killed the hunchback and that he rather than Akwasi should be rewarded. Nyankopɔn was so furious that Ananse was punished severely. After the punishment, no rain ever fell on Ananse’s farm, and ‘til today if you look at the desert there is no rain. Ananse’s farm was where the desert is now. (Hutchinson, 15).
Ìj*pá, The Snail, and Ọsìn’s Hunchback (Yoruba)
Once upon a time, Ìj*pá and Ìgb*n (The Snail) were friends. They were from the same town. Ìlásè was the name of their town. You would think that they loved each other very much, if you just looked on the surface, but what happened afterwards showed clearly that Ìj*pá’s friendship was just a facade. Ìgb*n loved Ìjapa with all his heart to the point that that he gave Ìj*pá one of his daughters as a wife. Still, Ìj*pá didn’t stop his jealousy of Ìgb*n because he (The Snail) was a hard-working farmer. All of his crops did well. His yams sprouted wonderfully, his corn gave birth to big kernels, his Black-eyed peas sprouted nicely, his greens reached out with hands that were dark as night. But, Ìj*pá’s crops didn’t do well. He didn’t even plow the ground so that it was only with much effort that one could know the difference between the corn and the other plants. He didn’t place sticks for his yam shoots so all of them were sprawled on the ground like ropes. He didn’t even cut down the huge trees that were in his field. They overshadowed all the crops so that sunlight didn’t even touch them. He planted eight corn kernels into one spot so that
his corn would be more plentiful than that of Ìgb*n. That is why each one didn’t get enough nourishment and all of them looked pathetic, as they were pitifully pale.
The elders cite a certain proverb that, “A person who doesn’t have what another person has doesn’t like that person,” if you’ll excuse me for citing a proverb. Because Ìj*pá’s farm wasn’t as nice as Ìgb*n’s, he started to hate him. He also started strategize a means of killing him so that his wife (Ìgb*n’s daughter) would inherit the farm. This way, the farm would become his.
The king of the town of Ìlásè that we are discussing had a hunchback who would do small duties in the divination house of the king. The king loved this hunchback and would not allow himself not to see him for even one day. When there wasn’t work for him in the divination house, he would help the king graze his horse. He would take the road leading to Ìgb*n’s farm to graze the horse.
One day, Ìj*pá noticed the hunchback as he was going to graze the king’s horse. He got up and quietly followed him. When he caught up to him, he silently followed him until he got to the boundary of Ìgb*n’s farm. When they got there, Ìj*pá suddenly hopped on the hunchback’s back and hit him on his head with a club. The hunchback fell down and died on the spot. Ìj*pá dragged his corpse into Ìgb*n’s farm and then went back to his own house.
The king started looking for his hunchback. He beat the gongs all around the town announcing that he was looking for his hunchback. Whoever saw him would receive a large reward. Ìj*pá went to the king saying, “Oh, Unquestionable One, I know where your hunchback is. My in-law, Ìgb*n killed him. His corpse is in Ìgb*n’s farm, but please don’t mention that you heard this from me. Of course you realize that this is my in-law? You can quickly send an attendant to his farm and he’ll see the corpse there. Ìgb*n begged me not to tell, but I hate that he killed an innocent person. I also care for you, and that’s why I came to tell you, Unquestionable One. Please, quickly send someone to call him because he (Ìgb*n) is trying to escape the town as we speak.
Before the time it would take a bird to alight, the king sent one attendant to Ìgb*n’s farm and another to arrest Ìgb*n. When Ìgb*n arrived, the king told him that he should get ready to die for killing his hunchback. Ìgb*n nearly fell down when he heard what the king said. He wiped his eyes to make sure that he was still in this world and pinched himself to make sure that it wasn’t a dream that he was dreaming. His jaw dropped in surprise to the point that he couldn’t close it again. He looked like one who had just woken up from sleeping. Those who went to Ìgb*n’s farm came back carrying the hunchback’s corpse, dropping it in front of the king. At this time, Ìgb*n was struck with horror and burst into tears saying: “Oh! Unquestionable One! It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me who killed your hunchback. I didn’t...didn’t...didn’t......e....ven...g-g-g....go...to the farm recently....”
The king declared that he was saying lame excuses and that he should go home because he (the king) was giving him seven days to get his stuff together to get ready to die. He gave the order for them to bury the Ọsìn’s Hunchback. (The king’s name was Ọsìn).
When Ìgb*n reached home, his daily meal consisted of tears; what kind of undeserved punishment was this? What did he have to do with Ọsìn’s Hunchback that would make him murder him? Who even killed the hunchback and carried him to his farm? All of these were the various questions that came to his heart. The news spread all over the town that Ìgb*n had killed Ọsìn’s hunchback, but no one knew how the king felt about it. Was he happy or upset? Ìj*pá and his wife came to sympathize with Ìgb*n with Ìj*pá saying “What kind of unsubstantiated accusation was this? A person who’s seen this has seen it all! This world is so terrible. Ọlórun (The Owner of the Heavens) will reveal the secret of the wicked person who did this. But you should also think well, for isn’t it true he was stealing your corn causing you to beat him, killing him?” Ìgb*n said no way; he hadn’t even seen him for about a month.
One day from the day of Ìgb*n’s execution, he went to pay the king a visit saying, “Oh! Unquestionable One, the crown should remain on your head for a long time, and your shoes should remain on your feet for a long time. I know without a doubt that my enemies have done this and that they have lied about me. I also know that tomorrow, my head will be removed from my neck. However, I ask The Unquestionable One, for permission to try out an idea so that the king may know the truth. I ask for you to dress me in an extravagant outfit, put me on a white horse with ornaments so that I can ride it. I ask for you to have drummers follow me shouting that you are happy that Ìgb*n has killed your hunchback and that you had been looking for someone to kill him but simply hadn’t found anyone. Now that Ìgb*n has killed him, you’re honoring him by giving him an important position in the town of Ìlásè. As I dance around the town with this parade, my heart tells me that the one who has done this wicked deed will confess in front of the king. If you don’t agree...I’ve prepared myself to die, Unquestionable One.”
The king recognized that this idea of Ìgb*n’s was good indeed. He also decided to try it out so that he wouldn’t spill the blood of an innocent person. He ordered for them to do as Ìgb*n said.
When Ìgb*n’s execution day arrived, the king dressed Ìgb*n in an extravagant outfit with golden necklaces and rings, a hat of diamonds, and bronze shoes. All of this was used to dress Ìgb*n. They also dressed his horse in an ample amount of adornments. Drummers followed in procession. Royal trumpeters were in front. The drums were sounding, the horse was dancing, Ìgb*n was dancing. They sang a song along with all of this:
Ìgb*n p’Abuké Ọsìn, (Ìgb*n killed Ọsìn’s hunchback)
Gbọngúdúgbọn.
Ìgb*n p’Abuké Ọsìn, (Ìgb*n killed Ọsìn’s hunchback)
Gbọngúdúgbọn.
Ọba dá Ìgb*n lólá, (The King is honoring Ìgb*n)
Gbọngúdúgbọn.
Ìgb*n g’ẹsin ròbòtò, (Ìgb*n is riding a large horse)
Gbọngúdúgbọn.
Ìgb*n y*ò joyè lóla, (Ìgb*n will take a title tomorrow)
Gbọngúdúgbọn.
Ìgb*n p’Abuké Ọsìn, (Ìgb*n killed Ọsìn’s hunchback)
Gbọngúdúgbọn.
The sounds were overpowering, as everyone celebrated with Ìgb*n. Ìgb*n had become a man of importance, second only to the king. Drumming, dancing, singing; the whole town was following Ìgb*n in a huge celebration.
When they came to the front of Ìj*pá’s house, when Ìj*pá saw Ìgb*n as the center of attention, he nearly busted out of his clothes as he ran jìb*jìb* (was the sound that it made). He ran to the palace with the club he used to kill the hunchback in hand hollering: “Oh! Unquestionable One, it wasn’t Ìgb*n who killed your hunchback, I did it, I am the one who killed him. You should honor me; I should receive a title, not Ìgb*n! Look at the club that I used to hit him on the head. I am the one who killed him and dragged his body into Ìgb*n’s farm! Call them back, I’m the one who you should have riding the horse...”
The king ordered that the bind Ìj*pá hand and foot. They sent word, calling Ìgb*n back saying that the one who carried the head of the animal confessed. That the one who murdered Ọsìn’s hunchback said it with his own mouth.”
Ìgb*n turned around; he was shocked to find Ìj*pá bound. He said “Há*, it was you who did this to me, you who turned around and sympathized with me! You who I loved so much that I gave you my child’s hand in marriage! What did I do to you? What crime did I commit against you that you wanted to send me to the land of spirits with violence, without committing an offense or conspiring to do so. Èdùm*rè, (The Owner of the Rainbow), The Ultimate Royal Judge, will not but judge that between me and you...”
The king thanked him profusely for the wisdom that Ìgb*n used to reveal the secret of this criminal. If it weren’t for this wisdom, would’ve spilled the blood of an innocent person. However, now, “The one who threw ashes into the wind, had them blow back onto him. Wickedness will happen to the owner of wickedness. The one who plants pieces of yam, it is he and his family who will eat the harvest.” The king ordered for them to draw the sword in front of his face and reinsert in back of him.
This is how Ìj*pá allowed hatred due to jealousy and greed to destroy his own life. This story teaches us that, “In is in the backyard that the enemy is, and the one who will ruin a person usually lives with that person.” The Creator should help deliver us from enemies in the house. Give these words power. (Babalọlá, 1982:103) (Self-Translation)