‘Well, it is not bad yet! But Peace, please help me bite my husband, he is running away!’ Brawler waved hands and shouted to Peace hurriedly.
‘No! I shall not bite a person! But I do only peaceful things!’ Thus Peace and Joy refused to help Brawler. But instead they hastily entered their house in which they lived in peace and joy which had no end.
After a while. Brawler chased Pauper, her husband, to the place where the town terminated. But the large river which was at the termination of the town disturbed Pauper from keeping on running along. So he hastily turned back and with restlessness of mind he continued to run into the town direct, with the hope that as he did so, his wife would stop chasing him.
But as it is for ‘he who carries fire in his hand cannot wait’, it was just so for Brawler that day. She did not stop or go back from her husband, but she continued to chase him along fiercely as she was brawling hotly.
It was not so long after Brawler was chasing Pauper about in the town, that thousands of people saw them and they were following them with great noise because the monstrous attitude of the couple was strange and terrible to them.
But as the fight of Brawler and her husband was going on in the town, the terrible scuffle of Slanderer and his fellow raiders was also going on in the town. But when these confusions were overmuch, to save their lives, the people began to flee in panic to the towns which surrounded this Laketu town. And very soon there were only a few people who remained in the town.
10
THE EXPULSION OF
PAUPER, BRAWLER AND
SLANDERER FROM THE TOWN
In the long run, the Oba and his chiefs believed that, if the scuffle and confusion which were going on in the town continued for a few minutes more, the town would be no longer existing. And moreover what terrified them much was that this very day was Ojo-Eti (The Day of Trouble - Friday), in the month of $ere or January.
But as ‘it is risky for one to go to bed while the roof is on fire’, so, without hesitation, the Oba and his chiefs ordered their royal policemen and the hunters of the town to go and arrest and bring to them Pauper, Brawler, and Slanderer and his fellow raiders.
As soon as they were brought to the Aafin or palace. Slanderer’s fellow raiders escaped with the looted property. The Oba ordered the royal policemen again to lead them to the strange rock which was on the outskirts of the town. The Oba and his chiefs followed them immediately.
Having taken them to the front of the rock, they set the three of them in one row, in front of the huge hole which came through to the outside of the rock. But as the Oba and chiefs stood in front of these offenders. Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer, for a few minutes, they heard from the huge hole a strange voice which shook the forest heavily and the town horribly.
Now, the Oba and chiefs knew that Creator was ready to listen to the accusation that which they brought before Him, although the Oba, his chiefs and spectators did not see Creator with their eyes. The Oba said in His hearing that: ‘Ye Creator of above and beyond earth, we bring these three offenders before You. The offence which they committed is that they put Laketu town in scuffle and confusion so much that the people are fleeing with restlessness of mind to hide themselves in other towns.’
The Oba continued, ‘For this serious offence which these three offenders have committed, I, the Oba of Laketu town, will curse upon each of them in Your hearing now! And I beseech Thee to approve of my cursings!’
After the Oba had thus explained in anger to Creator, he turned his face to Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, Brawler and Slanderer. But then he read their offence to them, that: ‘You Pauper, you Brawler and you Slanderer, the three of you have put great confusion and scuffle in Laketu town!’ The Oba continued his accusation as he pointed his left hand to the three offenders. He shouted in greed: ‘In the name of Creator, I, the Oba of Laketu town hereby curse upon you that you Pauper and Brawler, that peace and joy will be scarce in your fold. But you Pauper and you Brawler will be chasing each other fiercely and in anger and brawls henceforth!’
‘It is so all will be for them!’ the chiefs shouted.
‘Kango! Kango! Kango!’ the Oba’s Bell-ringer sealed the Oba’s cursings with his bell.
The Oba went on in his cursings, he shouted greedily: ‘I curse upon you also that as from today which is Qjo-Eti, and in the month of Sere both of you have become immortals! Let Creator put His approval on this my cursings! Thus it will be for you!’
It was like that the Oba, in great anger, cursed upon Pauper and Brawler, his wife, that bitter day. But to the greatest wonder of those who were with the Oba at this strange rock, the Oba had hardly shouted his cursings to the end when they heard an enormous voice inside the huge hole, which shook the forest and wilderness in extreme fear. And it said: ‘Yes, just so it will be for them! I have put my approval on your cursings!’
Hereafter, the Oba turned his face to Slanderer. He pointed his left hand to him. Then he shouted loudly and greedily, he said: ‘You, Slanderer, just as the whole of the evil characters which are on earth are in your hands, and as by your evil characters you have put Laketu town into serious chaos!’ The Oba continued, ‘In the name of Creator, I, the Oba of Laketu town hereby curse upon you this day which is Ojp-Eti and in the month of $er^, peace, happiness and rest of mind will be scarce for you! But you will be in a state of bitter chaos in your endless days on earth. And so you will continue to dwell in sufferings, distresses and hunger! But just as “the madman arranges his load unevenly”, thus you will continue to behave with all your evil characters unevenly to all parts of the earth!’
‘Furthermore,’ the Oba went further in his cursings, ‘I curse upon you that you have become an immortal as from this bitter day! Moreover, you Slanderer, you Pauper, and you Brawler, will be wandering about until the three of you will disappear on earth in the end! As “a running horse does not look at its back”, it is so the three of you will be running forward without returning to this Laketu town henceforth and forever!’
The pba continued his cursings: ‘“We see only the going of the water-flies but we don’t see their return!” It is your leaving that we shall see and not your return! Let Creator approve these my cursings!’
But then the Oba’s chiefs, with one voice, shouted in greed: ‘It is so all will be for them!’
‘Kango! Kango! Kango!’ The Oba’s Bell-ringer hastily sealed the cursings with his bell.
But the Oba had hardly cursed upon Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer to the end when a strange, fearful voice roared and it said: ‘It is so all will be for them! I have put my approval on your cursings.’
Hereafter, the Oba filled a bowl to its brim with the water of the pond of antiquity which was in front of the huge hole. He poured it onto the heads of Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer.
After, the Oba told them in great passion: ‘The three of you have become immortals as from today. Now, it is time for you to start your endless journey! So our meeting is indefinitely in dreams only or perhaps also on the road! Goodbye to you all!’
But the Oba had hardly bade them goodbye when the royal policemen, with their batons, started to drive them away from Laketu town. The reason for driving them out of the town immediately was that the Oba and his chiefs believed that the ancient water which was poured onto them nnust not dry off from their bodies while they were still in the town. Otherwise there would be an epidemic disease like influenza in the town that year and by that many people would die.
It was like that Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, Brawler, his wife, and Slanderer left Laketu town that day which was Ojo-fti and they started their endless and unretumable journey.
But in fact as ‘a predicted war does not affect a lame person’, because he will go and hide himself in a safe place before the war comes, it was just so for Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer. The Ifa had predicted on the third day of their birth that, according to the destiny which each of them had chosen from Creator, they would be expelled from the town i
n the end. This means the prediction of the Ifa had come to pass upon them. Therefore, their expulsion from the town was not new to them. But alas. Pauper did not believe yet that destiny exists.
As soon as Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer had been driven away, the Oba called Peace, who was related to Pauper’s mother, and Joy, who was related to Brawler’s mother. He told the two sinless girls that: ‘You Peace and you Joy, in the name of Creator and in great joyful and peaceful mind, I change you from mortals to immortals as from this day which is Ojo-Eti, in the month of Sere. So you Peace, are no longer the relation of Pauper’s mother. And so you Joy, are no longer the relation of Brawler’s mother as from today!’
The Oba went on in his order, he told them: ‘And henceforth, it is forbidden for the two of you to live in the house and town in which there are poverty, brawls, slander, chaos, panic, confusion and evil-doers!’ The Oba went further in his order, he told them: ‘But the sort of people with whom you should live are people of good character, painstaking people, righteous people, and people who are meek. Those are the sort of people you should be seeking for in every part of the earth. And you should be peaceful and joyful to them! Let Creator approve this my order!’
But as the Oba had given the order to Peace and Joy like that. Creator shouted greatiy. He said: ‘Yes, it is so all will be for them!’ But when the Oba and Creator had given orders to Peace and Joy like that, they went on their way at once.
But then, the Oba, his chiefs, his royal policemen and uncountable people of the town, went back to the town. So as from that day peace had started to reign in Laketu town.
11
PAUPER AND SLANDERER
GO TO ABALABI TOWN
Immediately Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, Brawler, his wife, and Slanderer were driven out of their town shamefully as offenders, the three of them began to run along on the road helter-skelter, without looking at their back. This road went to a town called Abalabi. This town was very far away from Laketu town.
It was not so long that they were running along. But as Death had failed to slay Pauper for his wife according to her wish, and as that was a great sorrow to her, after a while, and as she continued to brawl hotly along the road like a dead, she grasped Pauper suddenly. But as she wanted to bite him, he snatched himself away from her, and without hesitation he began to run along at a furious pace for his life. And Slanderer, too, followed him.
But as ‘unsteadiness is dance’. Brawler did not stop but she began to chase them along. But she could not overtake them until they had disappeared on the road. As ‘it is with carefulness that a wise man runs away from a bull’, so Pauper ran away from his hostile wife that day with carefulness.
Not so long after. Pauper and Slanderer ran helter-skelter to one crossroads. Several roads met at this crossroads. But without stopping there. Pauper and Slanderer ran to the road which went westward and there they continued running along.
But when Brawler ran to the crossroads in anger and hot brawls, she stopped there, because she did not know which of the roads her husband and Slanderer took so that she might continue to chase them along that road.
This crossroads was indeed to Brawler proof that ‘the place where three roads meet puzzles a stranger’. Brawler was so confused that she did not know which of the roads she should take. Having brawled hotly for many minutes at the crossroads, she took the road which went eastward. She thought that was the right one which her husband took. But of course, ‘when Creator wants to punish a dog. He will put sore on its forehead’. It was just so for Brawler that day.
She ran and ran on that wrong road till the darkness of the night was approaching. But alas, all her efforts and hope had failed. She did not see with her eyes one who even resembled her husband at all. But when she became tired and wearied, she stopped on the roadside, and in great anger she brawled so hotly that her brawls of that moment were as hot as boiling water which was still on fire. Yet, she did not see her husband.
But it was a pity that Brawler travelled on this wrong road for three days before she came to a small town called Sodeji. But being extremely exhausted, this forced her to break her journey in that town. She lodged in the house of a middle-aged woman. But every morning she used to go to the market, near that town, thinking that probably she would see her husband there. But ‘shelf is just telling a lie, the loads belong to the ceiling’. Brawler simply deceived herself, her husband was not there.
Now to continue Pauper’s adventure. When he and his close friend. Slanderer, ran and ran on the road which went westward, in the long run, they came to a town whose name was Abalabi. Pauper and Slanderer put up in a house there. But Pauper did not go out of the house for some days, because he feared perhaps his wife was in that town and saw him. He was not aware that she had mistakenly gone to the eastward.
However, when Pauper was thoroughly sure that Brawler was not in Abalabi town, he started to go out and walk freely about in the town. Now, this means Pauper was in the west while his wife was in the east.
Inasmuch as Pauper was a very hard-working man, sensible, cheerful and enduring, although his poverty and wretchedness were punishing him severely, all these helped him so much that several young men of his age became friendly with him very soon.
One of his friends taught him the art of wood-carving of different kinds such as images of masquerades, images of the noble people, domestic utensils, etc.
It was like that Pauper became an expert wood-carver. And it was so Pauper’s manner of living went in this town. But he was afraid sometimes whenever he remembered his wife. His fear was that it was possible for her to come to Abalabi town and see him.
Further, he was certain that he and Brawler must come together again. Because the Oba of Laketu town, his father, had cursed upon the two of them in the name of Creator that wherever he was. Brawler would be there with him. And wherever Brawler was, he would be there with her. Although they might be parted, that would be just for a short time.
But what kind of work was that which Slanderer was doing since he and Pauper had come to Abalabi town? In fact he was so lazy that he could neither till the ground nor could he clean the road. He was even so lazy that it was hard for him to put the morsels of his food into his mouth by himself.
But he had various kinds of cunnings with which he used to put people in trouble and he was a strong tale-bearer for the Oba and his chiefs in Abalabi town. For this, they loved him indeed.
When Pauper had been qualified in wood-carving, one morning, he went into the forest. He felled one big tree. Having cut it into the sizes that he required, then he carved them into various kinds of images and domestic utensils. All were so beautiful that the people rushed to buy them immediately he carried them to the town.
Everything which Pauper carved from wood was so beautiful that his fame soon went round Abalabi town and to all other towns around there as well. It was so Pauper continued his lovely work and so he was getting a large sum of money every day.
Although Pauper was getting money from the sales of his work, his destiny of poverty and wretchedness did not let him know how the money vanished. He could not even buy cheap dresses but he was wearing the dirty rags all days as when he was in his Laketu town. And the worst of it was, his destiny was so powerful that he could not buy sufficient food to eat as much as he wanted to.
As Pauper got much honour and respect for his work it was just so Slanderer got honour and respect in respect of the right and wrong information which he was giving to the Oba and chiefs. And in a few months’ time, he had forgotten that he and Pauper were sojourners in Abalabi town. But he was behaving wickedly to the people as he wished.
12
PAUPER AND SLANDERER
COMPETE FOR A WIFE
IN ABALABI TOWN
Thus Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, continued his manner of living in poverty and wretchedness in this Abalabi town, while Slanderer continued his manner of living on wrong and right information given to the Oba and
his chiefs in this same town, until when a certain girl grew to the state of a maid. The maiden name of this maid was POPONDORO.
To put derision aside but to speak the truth. Creator who created Popondoro, wilfully created her with a such extraordinary beauty of which we cannot see the like or which does not exist under this sun these present days. And moreover, Creator who wilfully lavished this type of the strange beauty on Popondoro, needs to be glorified and honoured greatly.
After a little while, when Popondoro grew up further. Creator changed her beauty suddenly in a queer way to that of a mesmerism which was greater than the knowledge of a human being. This her kind of beauty was attracting people with full force like the magnet which attracts another iron forcibly.
As Popondoro’s ‘beauty of magnet’ was so powerful, it was attracting young and old men and women of the town. Once one opened his or her eyes and looked at Popondoro, the strange damsel, there was no doubt her strange ‘beauty of magnet’ would draw that person with so much force that he or she would not be able to take his or her eyes away from Popondoro, the strange lass, until after she went away from that place.
For this her strange ‘beauty of magnet’ had much power of attracting people. Nearly all of the young men of Abalabi town were in the war to win the love of Popondoro, the wonderful maid, upon whom Creator had gracefully bestowed the magnificent ‘beauty of magnet’.
Furthermore, nearly the whole of the young men of the town were saying greedily all about in the town that: ‘But if Popondoro, the strange maid of maids, refuses to marry me, I shall commit suicide!’ Every young man was shouting in great earnest.
But as time went on, and in particular all the young men of the town had now ceased to go and work on their farms. Instead of that every one of them was just following Popondoro, the possessor of ‘beauty of magnet’, about. Several parents of those young men, who understood the risk of such strange beauty as that of Popondoro and who were very civil, began to lock up their young sons in the rooms so that they might be free from the trap of maiden Popondoro’s ‘beauty of magnet’. The parents did so because ‘the elders say that he who does not wish to be injured on the eyes by a sharp stick, must keep himself away before it reaches him’.
Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer Page 5
