Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer

by Tutuola, Amos

  When Pauper was travelling along this westward road as fast as he could. Slanderer ran and later he overtook him. But then both of them continued to travel along till when they came to this town called Abalabi. But it was just the same for Brawler. She travelled on and on, on that wrong road till when she came to a town called Sodeji.

  But Brawler did not stay so long at Sodeji town, the people of that town drove her away from there when her brawls did not let them have the rest of minds.

  But when she left there she continued to look about for her husband till she came to Abalabi town in which her husband and Slanderer had been sojourning for a long time. But she was not aware that her husband and Slanderer were in this town, because it was a big town indeed.

  But being ‘joy has a transient body’, is that as Pauper and his friends were eating and drinking in great joy, and as the drummers were flattering Pauper with their drums ‘in nines and tens’, and his great showy character in his borrowed embroidered dresses was strange, the crowd of spectators began to shout loudly at him so much that their shouts filled the sky.

  But when Brawler heard the continuous shouts, without hesitation, and with her hot brawls, she started to come to the place of the marriage ceremony, just to see what was happening there. But she did not know that it was Pauper, her husband, who was performing the marriage ceremony of his new wife, Popondoro, whose ‘beauty of magnet’ was above the knowledge of mankind.

  When Brawler arrived at the circle of the dance and when she looked round the circle of the dance, she saw her husband, in very costly borrowed embroidered dresses and he was dancing merrily. But of course, ‘a drunkard forgets poverty when he is drinking’. It was a pity that Pauper had forgotten his poverty and wretchedness entirely at this moment of his merriment.

  ‘Haaa! Pauper, are you this? My hands catch you today!’ But when Brawler shouted harshly to Pauper like that and Pauper raised his head up and saw her, fear overwhelmed him so much that he began to shiver immediately. And in shivering, he ran like lightning into the room in which Popondoro sat in the glory of her beauty. ‘In a wink of monkey’. Brawler too, ran like lightning into that room.

  But the spectators were confused by what was happening now to Pauper, and it was so this sudden happening confused Pauper’s friends. All of them just guessed that Pauper had become insane suddenly by the transient joy of his new wife, Popondoro. Without wasting much time, they ran into the room just to be sure of what had forced Pauper to run into the room.

  But they were afraid indeed when they met Pauper, packing all his rags in haste, and prepared to run away. And it was just the same for Popondoro. She did not understand what had happened unexpectedly to Pauper so much like that, so that he started to pack his rags in fear and haste.

  But of course, when he explained to his friends in haste and in unrest of mind that Brawler was his wife, and they saw that she was biting him repeatedly like a dog, and he was preparing to flee with the costly embroidered dresses which they lent to him, without hesitation, they removed the dresses away from his body. But Pauper had hardly worn his dirty rags again when his wife. Brawler drove him fiercely to the outside. And it was so his friends and Popondoro, his new wife, in her glory of ‘beauty of magnet’, ran in great fear and confusion to the outside.

  Immediately the spectators saw that Pauper, his friends and Popondoro ran to the outside in fear and confusion. They scattered suddenly in confusion. Everyone took to his or her heels. So this horrible happening became the matter of ‘if you cannot run, leave the way for me’. The drummers were so fearful and confused that they hardly waited and took their drums along with them when they were running for their lives.

  But as soon as the whole people had escaped from the circle of the dance. Brawler started to chase Pauper along fiercely in his usual dirty rags like a madman.

  It was so Brawler continued to chase and bite Pauper away from this Abalabi town, as the people yelled at him and derided him in laughter.

  Thus Pauper’s destiny forced him to lose Popondoro, whose strange beauty used to attract people by force like a strong magnet. But it was a great pity that Pauper had not yet believed till now that destiny existed, and that it was the unfortunate destiny which he chose from Creator when coming to earth that was the cause of all his misfortunes.

  15

  PAUPER AND BRAWLER

  ARRIVE AT

  MQKQLQKI TOWN

  It was so Brawler continued to chase her husband. Pauper, fiercely from Abalabi town without stopping till she chased him to a town called Mokolpki at about five o’clock in the evening. But she was so tired that she could no longer bite her husband. The tiredness also caused illness to her.

  When they ran helter-skelter into that town, they lodged at the house of the Baale or the head of this town. This Baale being kind and loving strangers much, he gave food to the couple. After, he started to treat Brawler for her illness immediately as well.

  Truly, the Baale was kind to Pauper and his wife according to how Creator had created him. But Pauper was not so happy for this because he was sure that when his wife was well, she would continue her harmful brawls. But then the Baale and the people of the town would soon become fed up with her brawls.

  Now, Pauper began to think within himself how he could run away from this Mpkoloki town before the brawls of his wife were known to the people, because he knew well that ‘it is sickness which can be cured but not death’. Brawler’s brawls could not be cured. Unfortunately, he had no chance to run away rill his wife was recovered from her illness. And truly, she was hardly well when she conrinued to brawl about inside the Baale’s house.

  At the first instance, her brawls were greatly strange to the Baale and his people. For them, her brawls were just like ‘the fashion which has never existed’. But having looked at Brawler for a while in wonder and fear, the Baale invited her husband into one of his rooms. First of all, he asked his name from him. But Pauper replied that: ‘My name is Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness! But sometimes people call me Pauper!’

  ‘What? Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness is your name?’ the Baale was shocked with fear and then he repeated the name.

  ‘That is my name, Chief!’ Pauper confirmed loudly.

  ‘Is that so? All right!’ But is there a quarrel between you and your wife or why is she brawling hotly like this?’ the Baale wondered.

  ‘Not at all!’ Pauper replied in shame and sadness.

  ‘By the way, what is your wife’s name?’ asked the Baale.

  ‘Her name is Brawler!’

  ‘Brawler or what?’ the Baale was greatly startled.

  ‘Her name iis Brawler!’ Pauper confirmed in pensiveness.

  ‘But I am afraid your wife’s name and that of your own are shockers!’ the Baale remarked. ‘But what is the name of your town?’ the Baale asked further.

  ‘My town is called Laketu. The Oba of Laketu town is my father. But the Oba and his chiefs had changed Brawler, my wife, my close friend called Slanderer, and me to immortals. Then they expelled the three of us from the town!’ Pauper explained in brief to the Baale.

  ‘Hun-un! But your explanations confuse my eyes indeed! Because the garment which you wear, your trousers and the cap on your head, all are dirty multi-rags like that of a madman. But you said you are a prince of Laketu town. But however a prince is poor and wretched, he will wear better dresses. And however it is bad for a prince, the royal blood will still remain in his body!’ The Baale was confused and wondered greatly.

  ‘I have told you the truth, Baale. I am the prince of the Oba of Laketu town. But as I am much poor and wretched, then the Oba drove me out of his palace!’ Pauper explained further to the Baale.

  But then when the Baale could no longer endure Brawler’s painful brawls, he and Pauper left the room. They went to the front of the house. But as soon as they sat on the pavement and the Baale just wanted to continue his questions. Brawler came to them again. She continued to brawl to and fro in front of t
hem.

  Soon, the Baale’s neighbours heard Brawler’s brawls. Then they rushed out and gathered in front of the Baale’s house. They began to look at Brawler in amazement.

  But the Baale’s neighbours were still fastening their eyes on Brawler when Slanderer came to the Baale’s house. He greeted the Baale and he responded beautifully, not knowing that Slanderer had known the Baale before. So he asked Slanderer to sit near him.

  Now, as soon as Slanderer had seated he saw Pauper sitting closely to the Baale. Then he greeted Pauper and he responded happily. Slanderer thought that Pauper would not accept his greetings in respect of the wife competition in which both of them took part in Abalabi town, when he used to break the handle of Pauper’s hoe with his magic amulet in order to win the competition. But Pauper did not take Slanderer’s evil deed seriously.

  But when Slanderer told the Baale that he lived at Qfadafa’juro town, he asked him whether he would allow Pauper and his wife to follow him and hve with him in that town. But with happiness. Slanderer agreed to take Pauper and his wife to that town so that the three of them might live together again.

  But it was a pity indeed that Pauper did not think well before he agreed to follow Slanderer to Qfadafa’juro town. He had forgotten that Slanderer was very cunning and that all his characters were evil.

  However, when the Baale stood up, he entered one room. A few minutes later, he brought out two pairs of trousers, two garments and two caps. Then he offered one pair of trousers, one garment and one cap to Pauper and so for Slanderer.

  Then having given them nice food, but Brawler’s hot brawls did not allow her to eat from the food, he bade them goodbye.

  It was like that the Baale or chief of Mokgloki town drove Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer away from his town with a trick because Brawler’s brawls frightened him and his people indeed.

  That was how Pauper and Slanderer united again.

  16

  PAUPER, BRAWLER

  AND SLANDERER IN

  QFADAFA’JURO TOWN

  It was about one-third through the day that Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, Brawler and Slanderer left Mokoloki town and started their journey to the town called Qfadafa’juro.

  But as they were travelling along as fast as they could, after a while. Brawler’s non-stop brawls harmed Slanderer and Pauper so much that instead of walking fast they started to wobble along the road now and in great depression. But of course, they were depressed, and after a while. Slanderer asked Pauper: ‘Although you won Popondoro, you lost her in the end. But do you believe now that it is your bad destiny which had caused that to you?’

  ‘No! No! I don’t believe at all that destiny exists!’ Pauper frowned at Slanderer.

  ‘Well, as time goes on, you will see that deshny exists and that it causes your misfortune every time!’ Slanderer said.

  Late in the evening, however, they arrived at Qfadafa’juro town and the three of them started to live together in one middle-aged man’s house. But as ‘one who travels far eats in a condemned mortar’ is that at the time they came to this town, the food-stuffs were very scarce there. It was even very hard for them to get the lizard’s yams to eat. Even Brawler ate the lizard’s yams more than Slanderer and Pauper for she had nearly died of hunger.

  When it was at night, they slept. But Slanderer and Pauper and the rest of the people in that house were woken suddenly in the morning by Brawler’s harmful brawls. The people feared greatly when they were hearing the brawls. Because that was the first time in their lives that they experienced these sorts of brawls.

  And it was as from that morning that Brawler showed them whom she was.

  But as Pauper was as strong as a giant, though his destiny of misfortune was punishing him severely, it was hardly morning when he went to the blacksmith who made his carving tools for him.

  In the morning of the third day that Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer had arrived in this town. Pauper took his carving tools. He went into the forest and he felled a big tree. Having carved it into several kinds of images and domestic utensils, he carried them to the town. But the people rushed anxiously to them and they bought all within a few minutes because they were very beautiful.

  But as Pauper was an open-handed man, he. Brawler and Slanderer were using the money which he was realizing from his works for buying their food.

  But what kind of work was it which Slanderer was doing whenever he woke up in the morning? He did nothing except to wobble about in the town. He told the women all over the town that he was a money-doubler and that he was able to double their money for them. But having heard this lie from Slanderer, the women gave their money to him, to double it for them. But as ‘one who wants gain wants loss’, is so Slanderer was not a money-doubler at all. But he lavished their money instead. But then they began to hate him.

  In a short time. Pauper began to get rest of mind in this Ofadafa’juro town. But his wife used to give him much problem every day, because she did nothing more than brawl about in the town every day. But soon, the people were so fed up with her brawls that in the end they took her to be the clad madwoman.

  Inasmuch as Slanderer had deceived the women that he was a money-doubler and that he had taken a large sum of money from them, but he failed to double it for them and he did not refund their money to them. But as it is ‘if the trap fails to catch a prey, it should return the bait’, is that when Slanderer failed to refund their money, the women gathered together. They went to the Oba and accused him of taking money from them by false pretence.

  As soon as the Oba had heard this from them, he gave the Staff of Order to one of his Iko or messengers, to go and arrest Slanderer with it. According to the custom of Qfadafa’juro town. This Staff of Order was just like the warrant or summons paper still in existence. Slanderer was very fearful and he was half-conscious immediately the Staff was given to him. But as he held it and he was following the Iko along to the palace. Brawler followed them as she was brawling hotly. And the crowd of people who were making mockery of Slanderer, were following them to the Aafin or palace. But he was so ashamed that morning that he begged the ground to split and let him hide himself inside of it. But Brawler’s brawls which she was brawling continuously along prevented her from shame.

  But what was worse than anything was that when the Oba’s Iko brought Slanderer before the Oba and his chiefs, and as the Oba asked Slanderer whether it was true he had taken money from the women to everyone’s surprise, without hesitation Brawler simply jumped suddenly to the front of the Oba and his chiefs, instead of letting Slanderer defend himself, she began to brawl hotly.

  When the Oba and his chiefs were fed up with her brawls, the Oba asked some of those people: ‘By the way, from where did this madwoman come?’ But those people explained to the Oba that she lived in the same house in which Slanderer lived.

  ‘What is her name?’ the Oba asked in astonishment.

  ‘Her name is Brawler,’ Slanderer hastily replied.

  ‘Brawler or what?’ the Oba and his chiefs were greatly startled because it was strange to them to hear that the son of man bore this kind of name.

  ‘Just so, Kabiyesi,’ Slanderer replied.

  ‘How long ago did she come to this town?’

  ‘About three months ago,’ Slanderer replied.

  ‘Who is her husband?’

  ‘Her husband is a close friend of mine and he is a wood-carver.’

  ‘But what is his name?’

  ‘His name is Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, but sometimes we call him Pauper, Kabiyesi!’ Slanderer explained to the Oba.

  ‘Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, or what did you call his name?’ the Oba and his chiefs were shocked and they sat up in their seats. Then they looked at one another’s eyes in shock when Slanderer confirmed to them that his name was Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness.

  But it was very difficult for the Oba and his chiefs to hear Slanderer’s explanations. Because Brawler was brawling so hotly this time that her
noises filled up the Aafin.

  But after the Oba fastened his eyes on Brawler for about five minutes without even a wink. He raised his head up again and he fastened it on the ceiling, thinking what he should do for these three strange persons, who were Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer. But when he dropped his head down, he gave the order to one of his Ikp that he should expel them out of his town the following morning.

  Fortunately, Brawler’s brawls forced the Oba to forget the accusation which the women made against Slanderer, that he took money from them by false pretence. When the Oba said that he did not want Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer in his town. Brawler and Slanderer returned to the house.

  But before they reached the house. Pauper had returned from the forest to the house before them. However, Slanderer told Pauper that the Oba had given the order to his Iko to expel them from the town the following day. But Slanderer did not tell Pauper the truth of the causes of their banishment.

  When Pauper heard this from Slanderer, in great sorrow, he lamented immediately that: ‘Alas, but how could I avoid Brawler!’ Pauper was despaired for he thought that it was Brawler alone who caused their banishment. He did not understand that Slanderer was the one who had particularly caused it and that Brawler was just a partaker.

  But as soon as Pauper lamented about his wife. Brawler, Slanderer, with his usual wicked cunnings, told him that: ‘Brawler’s problem is a simple matter. But what we are going to do is that while Brawler is still sleeping, in the dead-night, we will pack our belongings. Then we will leave the town. But before she wakes in morning, we shall have travelled far away.’ It was like that Slanderer told Pauper what they should do.

  But then, according to Slanderer’s evil plan, when it was the dead-night and when the hands and feet were at rest. Pauper and Slanderer packed their belongings. They left Brawler in her sleep but they went out cautiously.

  Having travelled for three days, they came to one town called Abanire. But it was not so long after they had started to live in this town that Slanderer, the sluggard, was wobbling about in this town. He heard from the people that there was a town which was surrounded by very rich lands. Slanderer learned as well that the town was at a distance of forty kilometres from Abanire town.