The gathering was still wondering about the crown when thousands of various kinds of small birds, with golden, silverish and bluish feathers, appeared suddenly. Then they started to perch on top of one tree and another. And their cries were a very lovely song which was so melodious that the people were not aware when they began to dance merrily in their seats. It was just as if these small beautiful birds were invited to this field of competition to add more to the joy of Popondoro’s marriage.
The people were still dancing in their seats when another intereshng thing happened again suddenly. This very time, uncountable insects flew onto the field. They were various kinds with their colours which attracted people indeed. Then they began to fly in swarms and slowly round the field as they were humming in different lovely tones. And their hums were a sort of revival for the competitors.
So also the beautiful slender trees which surrounded the field with their attractive leaves were bowing to and fro in a slow motion and they were regarding Popondoro’s ‘beauty of magnet’. Just the same the green leaves which were on their branches were blowing merrily here and there, and were showing to the people that they were greeting Popondoro’s happy marriage.
But those mighty trees seemed they were not so happy in respect of Pauper, who was one of the competitors. Those trees were not so happy because he used to fell them and after he used to carve them into different kinds of articles.
Hardly two minutes after the suitor competitors had started their heaps, they were covered with a cloud of dust like the smoke of a burning house. But there was none of them who bothered about that.
In ‘a wink of monkey’. Pauper, the thoughtless strong man, the ragged man and the man of men, had outrun his rivals, when Slanderer, the man who had in him the whole of the wicked characters of earth, was the most behind all.
But when Popondoro saw Pauper in front of the others, she began to sing a fascinating song with such a strange voice and in joy which could not be described. And again, she was flattering him. But when Pauper was much encouraged by Popondoro’s lovely song and flattery, he became nearly mad at once. His power became tripled immediately.
Meanwhile, as soon as the rest of the suitor competitors heard Popondoro’s song and flattery, they became so dejected that many of them fainted and fell down. The cause of their fainting was that it seemed to them now that it was likely to be Pauper who Popondoro took to be her most favourite, but they were not yet very sure of that.
Now, having seen this and that he was the only one who was far behind the rest. Slanderer brought his magic amulet from his pocket. Having touched his tongue with it, he commanded loudly: ‘Pauper! Pauper! Pauper! Whatever we tell “Ogbo” to do that “Ogbo” does! Whatever we tell “Qgba” to do that “Qgba” does! But my magic amulet, let the handle of Pauper’s hoe break now!’
But all the elders, chiefs, nobles, crowd of spectators, Popon-doro’s father, mother, their well-wishers and Popondoro herself were shocked in fear and they wondered greatly when they saw that Slanderer had hardly commanded his magic amulet when the handle of Pauper’s hoe broke into two.
The whole of them shook their heads suddenly and were sulky at Slanderer for his evil deed. Even Popondoro was so much perplexed that she nearly fainted. But Slanderer was greatly shamed when the people despised him greedily.
But as soon as Pauper shouted to Slanderer in proverb and in bravery that: ‘But the shelf is just telling a lie, the loads belong to the ceiling’, then he took his cutlass, he ran into the nearby forest. He felled one big tree. But as his profession was wood-carving, within five minutes, he carved a new handle of hoe from that tree. Pauper did not waste time at all, ‘in a wink of crab’, he ran back onto the field, although his rivals including Slanderer had made their heaps farther than where he had reached before his hoe was broken.
But then he continued his own heaps and ‘in a wink of monkey’ he overtook his suitor rivals and ‘in a wink of crab’ he outran them by two heaps.
Now, Pauper, the powerful man like the buffalo, the rag-wearer, was in front of all again. But when Popondoro, whose Ijeauty of magnet’ had such power to attract people, her father, mother and the other people saw how Pauper was making his heaps with all his power towards them, all began to clap loudly for him and all were shouting to him cheerfully, that: ‘Pauper, put more efforts! Put more power! Gee up and become the husband of Popondoro today!’
And moreover, this time, Popondoro modulated her song to that of a more encouraging one, which gave more power to Pauper immediately he listened to it. So this song made it clear now to the other wife competitors that Popondoro had chosen Pauper to be her most favourite. Now, Slanderer, in great anger, commanded his magic amulet as usual to break the handle of Pauper’s hoe and it broke into two at once.
Though Pauper was as strong as a giant and was leading in the competition, depression overwhelmed him so much at this time that he stood upright lazily. He supported his buttocks lazily and then he forgot himself, standing on the same spot like a dead man.
But when Popondoro saw that Pauper was so depressed this time that he could not go further in his heaps, with her golden voice, she started to sing the song of revival for him. But as soon as the song aroused him he took his cutlass and the broken handle of his hoe. Then he ran into the forest.
Pauper hastily felled one ‘idin’ tree and ‘in a wink of monkey’ he carved a new handle of hoe from it. As he was carving the handle it was so he was stretching out his neck just to see how far his suitor rivals had gone in their heaps.
As soon as he had finished the handle and when he wanted to run back onto the field, it was this very moment that a feeble old woman stood up suddenly in the green forest which was near there. She was not so far from the place at which Pauper carved the new handle of his hoe. But he did not see this feeble old woman all the time that he was carving the handle.
This feeble old woman began to wave her hands to Pauper and she was shouting to him with her hoarse voice, saying: ‘Please, I beg you, come and help me put my load onto my head! Please, help me!’
‘Haaa! Old mother, don’t disturb me! Please, forgive me!’ Pauper shouted hurriedly and in earnest.
‘Haa, what are you hurrying for, my son?’ the old woman pleaded further. ‘There is nothing on earth which is better than to help the old people! Remember now that, “the hand of a child cannot reach the top of a shelf and so that of an old person cannot enter into the calabash!” A child should not refuse when he is sent on an errand by an old person!’ the feeble old woman reminded Pauper with her hoarse voice.
But when this old woman appealed to Pauper like that and being merciful and a humble young man since when he was a boy, although his destiny of poverty and wretchedness were torturing him much, then as he held his new handle of hoe, he ran to this feeble old woman. In a hurry, he shouted to her: ‘Old mother, bend down, bend down and let ne put your load onto your head!’ But as Pauper was hurrying to the old woman it was so he was stretching out his neck many times just to see how far his rivals had gone in their heaps.
‘But what are you hurrying like this for, my son?’ the old woman asked instead of bending down and letting Pauper put her load onto her head in time.
‘Hooo! I am competing for a wife, but if I win, one damsel whose name is Popondoro will be my wife today! But there is one man among us who is also a competitor and he is so greedy that he breaks the handle of my hoe with his magic amulet each time that I am in front of all others. But he does this evil deed so that he may win the beautiful lady!’ Pauper explained in a hurry.
‘Is that your problem? Well, it isn’t bad yet! “One who is not a clothing embroiderer wears embroidered clothes but how much more for the embroiderer himself.” Your hoe will not break again, my son! But just stretch your new handle of hoe nearly to touch my nostrils!’ The old woman wanted to help Pauper in a miraculous way.
When Pauper stretched the new handle of his hoe so that it nearly touched the old woman’s nost
rils, she blew out mucus from her nose onto the handle. Having done that, she told him that each time Slanderer commanded his magic amulet to break the handle of his hoe, he should shout in haste that: ‘It is forbidden! An old woman’s mucus never cut while the handle of the hoe which is carved from “idin” tree never break!’
When the feeble old woman had taught Pauper the incantation which would repress the power of Slanderer’s magic amulet, she bent down, the Pauper put her load onto her head and soon, she went away.
But then, ‘in a wink of monkey’ Pauper ran back onto the field of the competition. He continued his heaps at once. Even if his suitor rivals, including Slanderer, had made their heaps far from where he had reached before his hoe broke, ‘in a wink of crab’ he overtook them and ‘in a wink of monkey’ he outran them by six heaps.
Now, this tough competition was nearing its end, and Pauper was in front of the rest. Meanwhile, it was sure that he would be the winner. But when Slanderer saw now that there was no doubt Pauper was going to win, he commanded his usual magic amulet to break the handle of Pauper’s hoe. But Pauper hastily shouted that: ‘The shelf is just telling a lie, the loads belong to the ceiling’. After, he recited aloud the incantation which the feeble old woman taught him. He said: ‘It is forbidden, old woman’s mucus never break and so the handle which is carved from “idin” tree never break!’ So Pauper’s handle of his hoe did not break this time.
‘But why Pauper’s handle of hoe does not break this time? Has he got something whose power has repressed my magic amulet?’ Slanderer shook his head to left and right and retorted painfully. ‘All right,’ Slanderer continued, he said: ‘I shall wait and see whether Pauper will be the winner of Popondoro. But if Popondoro will not be for me in the end, she will not be for Pauper as well!’ he said earnestly.
‘In fact, “termites are trying, but they cannot chew the stone”, that is forbidden,’ Slanderer retorted further within himself. ‘But “if it is not possible for the rat to eat the sese beans it will scatter them uselessly instead”,’ Slanderer lamented angrily.
‘O well! But with all my wicked cunnings,’ Slanderer shook his head in earnest and then he went further, ‘I shall find one way or the other to disturb Pauper from marrying Popondoro!’
He conhnued his evil plan, he said: ‘I am sure of myself that I’m just like “a leper who cannot extract milk but can overturn it”.’ It was like that Slanderer stood on one spot, supporting his buttocks, and then he began to plan his evil deed within himself how he would disturb Pauper from marrying Popondoro if he himself failed to marry her.
Inasmuch as Slanderer was still in confusion at the failure in the end of his magic amulet, on the power of which he depended to win the wife competition. Pauper had made his heaps very far so that there were only two heaps which remained for him to make and win Popondoro. But then when Slanderer was sure that Pauper was already the winner, he threw his hoe and cutlass upon the ground. Then with his evil cunnings, he started to walk zigzag along to Popondoro who sat amidst her father and mother, in her strange Ijeauty of magnet’ and ‘the crown of rays of sun’ on her head.
When there remained just a short distance to reach her, he rushed furiously against her in great anger. He grasped her unexpectedly. But when he wanted to run away with her, Popondoro’s father, mother, the chiefs, the elders and the crowd of spectators started to struggle to take her back from him.
But as soon as Pauper saw that Slanderer wanted to steal her away, he ran to her and then he joined hands with the other people. But all were still struggling to take her back from Slanderer, when the rest of the competitors threw their hoes and cutlasses away. In anger, all ran to Popondoro. Then every one of them started to struggle to take her and run away with her.
After all, however, as ‘the truth never strays, but lying wanders into the bush’, Popondoro’s father, mother and the rest of the people, including Pauper, struggled so hard that in the long run they overpowered Slanderer and the other suitor competitors, and they took Popondoro back from them. And without hesitation, they gave her to Pauper who won the competition. Now, Popondoro, who was beautified with ‘beauty of magnet’ by Creator, became Pauper’s wife in the end.
But as soon as Popondoro’s father and mother released her to Pauper, he put her on his shoulder. But as he held his cutlass firmly, he began to run along into the forest in which there was an enormous and very tall tree. And he had run far with Popondoro before the other hostile suitor competitors saw him. Having seen Popondoro on his shoulder, with the ‘crown of rays of sun’ on her head, all of them started to chase him in order to take the damsel from him.
But as Pauper was a wood-carver and that he had the art of climbing tall trees, this helped him so much that ‘in a wink of crab’ he had carried Popondoro onto the topmost of that enormous tree before the rest of the competitors came. Then he hid her inside a huge hole which was on the topmost of that tree.
I
When he was sure that Popondoro was quite safe, then he held his cutlass firmly and he descended gently from the tree. But his feet had hardly touched the ground when the rest of the competitors, including Slanderer, rushed against him. They were beating him mercilessly. But as he was as strong as a giant, he began to beat them mercilessly in return.
It was like that they continued to beat one another from that tree until they reached the town. But as they were still beating one another in the town, the Oba ordered his guides to go and arrest them and bring them before him.
He found those who had failed the competition guilty of breach of peace. But he warned them that they must not fight with Pauper any longer. He confirmed to them that Pauper was the winner of the competition. Therefore, he was the rightful man to marry Popondoro, though Pauper was alien in Abalabi town.
Having warned them seriously to keep peace and order in the town, then every one of them hastily ‘put his child’s hands into his clothes’ and then he went quietly to his house. It was like that the suitor competition came to a hostile scuffle in the end.
14
BRAWLER MEETS PAUPER
AT THE MARRIAGE
CEREMONY OF HIS NEW WIFE
Well, when it was evening. Pauper went back to the tree. He climbed it and he brought Popondoro down. Although there was dark at that time, the ‘crown of the brilliant rays of sun’ which was made to adorn Popondoro’s head by Creator, helped Pauper and Popondoro so much that they saw the road through to the town.
But as ‘what one likes most is what will form the greater part of his possessions; the owner of two hundred slaves dies but is found to have only one garment’, so it was true that in the end. Pauper won Popondoro. But it was a pity indeed that as he was making a lot of money on his wood-carving, he had not more than the same dirty rags which were on his body since when he had been driven away from his Laketu town. And all of his friends did not know how his money was vanishing without reason.
But it was now they understood that his destiny of poverty and wretchedness were punishing him indeed. But alas. Pauper had not yet agreed even slightly till now that there was something which was called destiny.
But after a few days and when there was peace all over the town, the chiefs and the Oba made an important meeting. Their main discussion in the meeting was about Slanderer’s evil cunnings with which he caused confusion, scuffle and great disaster in the town in which many people died, in order to win the love of Popondoro. For his evil character, the Oba gave order to his chiefs and the elders to expel him out of Abalabi town.
It was like that Slanderer left the town with great shame just as he was expelled out of his native town, Laketu.
When there remained three days before Pauper was going to perform the marriage ceremony of his new wife, and in order not to be a great shame for him, his friends lent him one huge embroidered pair of trousers, one large embroidered garment and one embroidered cap with flaps. All of these special dresses were mainly for this sort of ceremony.
In
addition, they bought one big fat ram and all ingredients of the soup, and many other kinds of eatable things with which to eat the ram. They bought several kegs of palm wine as well.
The ram was slaughtered on the day of the ceremony and the house-women cooked all and then they brought all to the front of the house. The palm wine was brought to the outside as well.
Then a few minutes later, the drummers arrived and they started to beat their drums immediately. But as Pauper, in borrowed dresses, his friends and many other well-wishers were eating, it was so they were drinking and dancing merrily.
But as this marriage ceremony was great, it attracted nearly one thousand spectators at once. All surrounded the circle of the dance, in front of the house in which Pauper, the bridegroom, was living.
Now, I bring it to the memory again that some years ago, the Oba of Laketu town, who was Pauper’s father, with his chiefs expelled Pauper, in respect of his overmuch poverty and wretchedness. Brawler, in respect of her continuous and harmful brawls, and Slanderer, in respect of his wicked behaviours. But that day the Oba cursed as well upon Pauper and Brawler, his wife, that wherever Pauper was. Brawler would be there with him, and that wherever Brawler was. Pauper would be there with her.
Furthermore, we should not forget that it was with brawls and in anger that Brawler chased Pauper from Laketu town until they were near one crossroads at which several feeder-roads met. But as Pauper was faster that day, he had run to that crossroads but then he had run to the road which went to the westward. But when Brawler ran to that same crossroads, she mistakenly took the road which went to the eastward. She thought that was the right road which her husband took. It was like that both of them missed each other that day.
Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer Page 7
