Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty

by Amos Tutuola

  “You are telling lies, the Queen of the River! You can live only in the river. But I am so cruel and bold that I am living in the great fire, therefore, I am powerful more than you! Better you go back to your river now otherwise I shall burn you and your followers into ashes unexpectedly. Hah, fire! The great fire in which I live, in which I enjoy my life, in which my town is! The great fire which I can command and which obeys my command as if it is a living creature! Hah, fire! fire! the great fire! Please, the Queen of the River, go away from my town now!” the Spirit of Fire shouted like that on the Queen of the River for about one hour as the large quantity of fire which was sparking out from his mouth continuously was spilling upon the Queen of the River, her followers, Aina and myself.

  The Spirit of Fire hardly boasted like that when he was preparing to burn the Queen of the River with his fire. But as soon as he moved his wide mouth and the thick black smoke rushed out so much that it was spread unexpectedly over the Queen, her two women who were in cowries and who carried the pitchers of water, her two policewomen, Aina and myself, that all of us were unable to see each other any more. Then meanwhile, the Queen of the River hastily commanded her two women who carried the two pitchers full of water to throw these two pitchers on to the Spirit of Fire and his followers.

  When the pitchers were thrown on them they (pitchers) broke into pieces. But the water in these two pitchers was hardly touched and soaked the Spirit of Fire and his followers when the flood-tide came suddenly. This flood-tide was so powerful that it carried the Spirit of Fire, his followers, his town, etc. away at the same time. So the Queen of the River, her two women, her two policewomen, Aina and myself were now floating along on top of this flood-tide instead to sink down. It was like that the whole of us sat on top of the flood-tide as it was carrying us along. After a while, this wonderful strong flood-tide was divided into two suddenly. The Queen of the River, her two women who were covered with cowries and who carried the two pitchers of water and her two policewomen, were carrying along to the river in which they were living by one part of that flood-tide. But Aina and I were carried back by the second part of the flood-tide to the fruit tree from where the Spirit of Fire and his followers caught us before we escaped from his town of fire.

  As soon as this flood-tide carried us to the fruit tree, it dried up suddenly. But as soon as Aina and I found ourselves on the dry land under that fruit tree and as we stood up and were still wondering to see that we came back to this fruit tree once more. We saw the Queen of the River and her followers far away from us. All of them sat on top of the flood-tide. They were singing the song of the river with a very cheerful voice, they were beating the drums and were dancing, they were waving hands to us as they were bading us goodbye. But to our surprise and fear was that as we stood up under the fruit tree and we were dancing to their lovely song and drums, the whole of them disappeared unexpectedly. We saw them no more and also the flood-tide.

  When the Queen of the River and her followers were disappeared and their song and the sound of their lovely drums were faded away, Aina and I stopped to dance at the same time. Meanwhile, we began to look round that place because all of what had happened to us was just like a dream to us. Having waited under this fruit tree until when we came back to our senses. Then without hesitation, we began to travel along to the east of this forest with fear of not being caught again by the Spirit of Fire because we were not sure whether he and his followers were still alive. But of course my long sword was still in my hand. That was how we were saved from the Spirit of Fire by the kind Queen of the River.

  THE CRUEL KING

  A cruel man cannot change another man’s destiny.

  A born and die baby makes the doctor a liar.

  A barren woman is jealous of a mother.

  A lazy man is jealous of a worker.

  *

  So as soon as we had left that fruit tree, we began to travel along towards the direction that the sun was appeared (east) from this forest. We did so perhaps we might see the road which went to a village or a town so that we might travel on it to that village or town.

  But of course we were very lucky that we did not travel very far when we came to one rough road. Then with gladness, we began to travel on it to the east as well. Having travelled for about two hours we came to a town. This town was strange to us because we did not know anybody there. However, as we were hanging about, I saw one young man who was the same age with me. I greeted him as he wanted to enter a house. He stopped and came nearer to us at the same time. Then as he stood before us he replied cheerfully to my greeting. When I noticed that he was kind to the strangers like us, then I spoke to him in a friendly manner that I was in poverty so that I wanted to stay in that town with my sister, Aina, to be working there until when I would get sufficient money

  When I explained to this young man like that, he asked for my name first and I told him that my name was Ajaiyi. Then he told me that his own name was ADE, THE TRAITOR. But I did not know what he meant by “traitor” of course I shrank up with fear when he mentioned the word “traitor” together with his real name. However, as I believed that “a cruel man cannot change another man’s destiny” I did not fear him so much whether, in future, he could betray me. So after he discussed with me about this town for some minutes, he asked us to follow him and we did so. He took us to his house which was not so far from the place that he met us. As soon as he gave us seats in his sitting room, he gave us the food and water. Having eaten together with him to our satisfaction, but as his house was so small that it could not contain both Aina and myself together with him and his wife. He took us to one nearby house. This house was small as well and it was empty but it could contain more than four persons. He told us to be living in it. After that he went back to his own house.

  When it was about five o’clock in the evening he came back to us with food and two kegs of the native drink. Having satisfied ourselves with the food, then Ade, my new friend, began to enjoy ourselves with the drink as I was telling him more about my poverty which I had inherited from my father. I told him about the kidnapper who kidnapped Aina and myself to another town and then sold us to the slave-buyer who was the Chief Idol Worshipper of that town. I explained to him further before the drink was finished, that the kidnapper first deceived us that he was our eldest brother whose name was often mentioning to us, before my father died, “Remember The Day After Tomorrow.” The kidnapper first deceived us also that he was born by my father but he went to another town before Aina and I were born. I explained to Ade as well that if the kidnapper had not first deceived us like that he could had not been able to kidnap us. I was still intoxicated by the drink when I remembered this time to tell Ade as well about the cruel Spirit of Fire who wanted to burn us into ashes and also about the kind Queen of the River who saved us from the Spirit of Fire. Ade wondered greatly when he heard of all these difficulties which we came across before we came to his town.

  But as “a born and die baby makes the doctor a liar” I could not say whether Ade believed all what I explained to him because he was not present when all happened to us.

  As soon as Ade and I had finished the drink, he went back to his house to sleep because it was then nearly eleven o’clock in the night. Ade reluctantly went back to his house by that eleven o’clock, he wanted to remain with us till midnight but he feared the hunters who were keeping watch of the town and who might catch him as a thieve. When he left, Aina spread the mats on the floor, both of us laid down and then fell asleep immediately because we were very tired before reaching this town.

  By six o’clock in the morning, Ade came in and woke us. As soon as Aina and I sat up on the mats, he told me that as I was in a great poverty which was driving me about, he would help me to get a job to do for some months. Ade explained to me further that if I could do the job I would get plenty of money to take to my village. I was extremely happy when Ade told me like that. Then without hesitation, I stood up, I hastily put on my trousers, etc. whic
h had already been turned into rags and Aina put on her own dress which had already been turned into rags as well.

  But as “a town is never so small as not to have a king or a ruler.” So as this town had a king, Ade took us to him. Although this town was small. Ade hardly introduced us to the king (the cruel king) when I prostrated and Aina knelt down with great respect in front of the king. Ade told him that Aina and I were strangers who had just come to the town. So as I prostrated and Aina knelt down the king greeted us cheerfully, after that he warned us that he did not want thieves or lazy strangers in his town. When he warned us like that, I confessed to him that we were not thieves or lazy strangers but we were driving about by the poverty which we had inherited from our father and mother before both of them died.

  Having explained to the king like that Ade hastily told him that Aina and I were looking for job to do. So without hesitation, he told Ade to give me one cutlass and one hoe and after that to take me to his corn-field to clear the whole of it for him. The king said further that he would pay me a few pennies if I could clear the whole of it. But of course I reluctantly agreed to clear the corn-field for this king, because I thought in mind at the same time that the few pennies which he promised to pay for me could not free me from my poverty. However, I promised him that I would clear it for him, because I must not refuse to clear it for him otherwise he might tell his killers to kill me.

  Then Ade gave me the cutlass and the hoe, after that he took me to the corn-field and Aina followed us. Although this corn-field was more than two acres but Aina and I cleared the whole of it within a few days. Having cleared it, I went to him, I told him that I had cleared the whole of it with the help of my sister, Aina. He did not believe me when I told him that I had cleared the whole of it. So he stood up and followed me to the field but he was very surprised to see that in fact the whole of it had been cleared as I told him. Then he and I returned to his palace. But to my sorrow, this cruel king paid me only two shillings and six pence. Having received this money from him, I reluctantly prostrated and then thanked him with sorrow before I left his palace. As soon as I got out of his palace, I began to grumble as I was going back to the house that it was certain that I was created with poverty.

  However, when I grumbled to the house, I gave this two shillings and six pence to Aina. I told her to use it for our food. But as Ade was trying all his efforts to get me the odd jobs which I was doing everyday, I had more interest in him than when Aina and I had just come to this town.

  Gradually, I became well known to many people of this town. They were chatting with me whenever they saw me in the town because it was soon revealed to them that I was a hard working man. They even liked me more than Ade because he was lazy. But of course, as “a lazy man is jealous of a hard working man.” So Ade began to jealous the likeness which these people had on me. Then as time went on, he became unfaithful to me, but of course this had not yet been revealed to me at all, but I was faithful to him in all respects.

  But at that time as there was a king who reigned in this town and who gave me his corn-field which I cleared for him but he paid two shillings and six pence for me for the job. But as this king was extremely selfish and cruel to all offenders. So he reserved a bush in which all offenders were killed. This bush was at a distance of about two miles from the town. It was a terrible bush indeed to all offenders and there the fearful creature who had the voice of that of a human being lived. This fearful creature was a human dead body eater and he lived in the big deep pond which was somewhere in this dreadful bush. There was nobody in this town who was bold or brave enough to go near the pond for the fear of this powerful creature.

  During one rainy season, Ade, the traitor, who was unfaithful to me, offended this cruel and selfish king. The offence was quite simple enough for another king to forgive him. But although Ade asked for pardon, this king refused entirely, for he had never pardoned an offender in his life. There was a big tree at the front of the palace to which every offender was tied until the day arrived that he would be killed. This big tree which was an enemy to the offenders, was in the open place so that the whole people of the town might be able to come there and pay their last visits to any offender tied up.

  And Ade was tied up to this tree and then the whole people of the town came to pay him their last visits until the very day that he would be killed reached. Everyone of these people was thankful to the king that he sentenced Ade to death, because he had been unfaithful to most of them. But as I was faithful to him and as it was a great sorrow to me if he was killed although he was unfaithful to me. I was trying all my best to see that he was released by the king. Yet all my efforts were failed, for this cruel king did not listen to my plea at all.

  However, when Ade was taken to that dreadful bush by the king’s killers, I followed them, because “an upright man should not copy unfaithful man.” And in my presence Ade was beaten to death, as that was the order that the king had given to the killers.

  But as I was a faithful friend to Ade and I liked him as well as I liked myself, I did not follow these killers back to the town. But I sat down near the dead body of my friend, Ade, which lay roughly on the ground. As I sat down near his dead body it was so I was driving away all the flies which were trying to cover the body. And it was so I was weeping bitterly for the death of my friend. My intention was to remain with his dead body until I too would be killed by a wild animal or a spirit. And I was still weeping loudly when a creature came to me from the place that I did not know. This strange creature had the voice of that of human being and his appearance was that of an ape but he had two long sharp horns on head. His arms were so much short that both could not even reach his breast bone and each of the arms had so many long fingers. He was human dead-body eating creature who was living in the deep pond which was somewhere in this dreadful bush.

  Immediately he came unexpectedly, he told me: “Will you please leave this place now! I want to eat this dead-body; it is my food!” When this creature shouted terribly on me like that I began to beg him with a trembling voice not to eat it. I explained to him with tears as I was trembling with fear: “This dead-body is my friend whose name was Ade and he was the only man that I liked most in this world before he was beaten to death here by the king’s killers. Therefore, you this creature, spare his dead-body for me.” “Do you believe that he was truly faithful to you before he was killed here?” this terrible creature asked quietly. “Yes, indeed, he was faithful to me,” I confirmed quietly. “All right,” the creature replied calmly together with the shrug of the shoulders. “If it is so, take this small gourd, when you remove its cork put some of the juju-powder which is inside of it on to your friend’s both eyes and he will become alive at the same moment. But I do not believe you at all that this your friend was faithful to you when he was alive, and as you do not allow me to eat his body now, it will be revealed to you in the near future that he was not faithful to you in all respects. Even perhaps he may be the one who will cause your death at last!” this terrible creature pointed finger to me and warned me seriously with great anger and then he disappeared suddenly.

  The small gourd which he gave to me was vomited from his stomach. And when he disappeared suddenly, I was in a great embarrassment because I could not decide whether this creature was a spirit or not. I did not know that he was the dead-body eating creature whose voice was similar to that of human being and who was living in the pond which was somewhere in this dreadful bush. But of course I did not know that it was my weeping called him out of the pond, the place of his abode.

  However, as soon as he disappeared, I removed the cork of this gourd and then I put some of the juju-powder which was inside it on to both eyes of my friend, Ade. But to my greatest surprise Ade woke up from the dead at the same time and he began to talk to me as if there was nothing happened to him. Then without hesitation, I corked this juju-gourd back, I put it in my pocket so that he might not see it. Because the terrible creature warned me seriously before
he disappeared that I must not let Ade see or know the uses of it. As soon as Ade woke up from the dead and he became normal, both of us went back to the town with happiness. So as the people, the king’s killers and the king himself, were still wondering to see Ade that he came back to the town alive, he hastily went direct to his house and I too went direct to the house in which Aina and I were living as well. That was how I saved Ade, the traitor.

  When I entered the house I hung this juju-gourd on the rack in my room. So as from that day, whenever a person died in the town or in any village, I was the one who would be called to wake that dead person and a large sum of money was paid to me as the reward of my wonderful work. Very soon I became well known to all of the people and to the king of this town, that I got the juju which could wake the dead person. But as I was faithful to Ade was that I always gave a half part of the money that I received to him but he was not pleased with that. Instead he was worrying me everyday to tell him how to use this juju-powder but I refused entirely to tell him.

  But as the terrible creature who had given me this wonderful juju-gourd told me that day that Ade was unfaithful to me. It happened one day that after I left this town for another place for only a few days. Ade went to my room, he took this juju-gourd from the rack and he hung an inferior gourd on it. The inferior one that which he hung there was so much resembled my own that it was very difficult to know the difference of it between my own which he took. Then he hardly took it from the rack when he went to a large river which was flowing into the pond in which the terrible creature was living. He hardly threw it in that river when it carried it to the pond and then the terrible creature took it as it was floating about on the pond. He then swallowed it at the same time and then he waited for the day when he would appear to me again to ask it from me.