Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer

by Tutuola, Amos

  Having done these terrible things on this tawdry image, he painted it from feet to head with various kinds of paints. Now, the image became hideous and a terror of terrors for both children and adults who might see it. Even if a person was as brave as a chisel which cuts its fellow iron, he would be shocked nearly to death immediately he saw this hideous tawdry image.

  After Pauper had finished the final touches to this image, he hid it in the forest. But then he made one club of iron and having sharpened his very cutlass with which he cut down his maize when Slanderer deceived him that the Oba of Araromi town ordered all farmers in his land to cut their maize down, then he kept both club of iron and that cutlass in his room. That was how Pauper prepared himself for the day of Slanderer’s marriage.

  Well, of course, ‘the hawk in the sky does not know that the people below are seeing him’. It was just so for Slanderer. He was going up and down in the town like the waistband or like the beads which are on the waist. He was preparing joyfully for the day of his marriage. But Pauper was silent, he was looking at him and he pretended to be unaware of Slanderer’s preparations.

  Now, there remained one morning to reach the day of Slanderer’s marriage. But when it was the dead-night and when the hands and feet of everybody were at rest. Pauper carried the hideous tawdry image to the road which went to the town of Slanderer’s in-laws. He hid it behind one big tree, near that road. After, he hashly returned to the house before daybreak.

  When it was daybreak, he began to keep watch when Slanderer, his singers, minstrels, drummers and his friends would leave for his lover’s town.

  In the morning, the singers, minstrels and drummers gathered in front of the house. After Slanderer and his friends had dressed in beautiful dresses. Pauper stood now on the doorway, he was looking at them. But when it was time to leave, the drummers started to beat their drums, the singers were singing and the minstrels were flattering Slanderer ‘in nines and tens’.

  Then Slanderer and his friends walked from the house to outside. He and his friends began to dance merrily along to the town of his in-laws. It was like that Slanderer, his friends, drummers, singers and minstrels, otherwise called as from now Slanderer’s well-wishers, continued to dance from the town to the town of his in-laws.

  When it was about two hours since Slanderer and his well-wishers had left and as the housewives started to cook food for the marriage ceremony. Pauper entered his room. He took his club of iron and his cutlass. He wrapped them up in one rag, he held it and then he left the town, but he went to the big tree behind which he hid the hideous tawdry image. He hid himself under that tree and then he was waiting for the return of Slanderer and his well-wishers, his new wife and her calabash-carriers (bridesmaids) who carried her property.

  But as ‘there is no bypath on top of the palm tree’. Pauper knew well that there was no other road but only this same road on which Slanderer, his well-wishers, his new wife and her family, the calabash-carriers who carried her property, would trek down to Ofadafa’juro town.

  As soon as Slanderer and his friends danced merrily in the house of his in-laws, they began to eat the delicious food of different kinds and they began to drink the palm wine as they wished, without knowing that ill luck was waiting on the road for Slanderer, the bridegroom.

  When it was about four o’clock in the evening and from a long distance. Pauper heard the sounds of the drums and the rude song of the drunkards. Now, Pauper knew that Slanderer, his bride and her calabash-carriers and the rest were coming.

  When he was sure that they were near, he entered his tawdry image of an evil spirit. Having closed its breast up, he held his cutlass with the left hand while he held his club of iron with the right hand. Now, this image became a vivid evil spirit.

  After, he walked to the roadside, he stopped and hid himself there. But soon Slanderer, his bride, the bridesmaids or calabash-carriers with the property of the bride on their heads, friends, singers, drummers and minstrels danced madly to that spot on which the image hid.

  Then the image walked wildly on to the road and blocked the road suddenly. Now, they could not go forward or backward. But when this hideous image walked on to the road suddenly and they saw a long cutlass in its left hand and one club of iron on its right hand, they were so afraid that all of them halted on one spot. They were unable to run forward or backward.

  The heavy rain which keeps the birds of the bush in silence’, it was just so this terrible image was for Slanderer and the rest. The whole of them so much feared it that the drummers were not aware when they stopped beating their drums. The singers and minstrels also closed their mouths immediately. Slanderer and his friends were so much overwhelmed by the terrible and hostile behaviour of this image that they began to breathe with difficulty immediately and did not know how much more to speak out.

  Slanderer’s bride and her calabash-carriers were forced to open their mouths but the fear of this image did not let them remember to close them back. But every one of them was just shivering in fear when the image appeared to all of them suddenly.

  Immediately Pauper (Image) changed his voice to that of the evil spirit or monster. He raised his club of iron high up, he shouted terribly in the voice of a hoshle monster and then he walked wildly to Slanderer. He said: ‘Ho-oo! You, Slanderer! I command you to cut your head away from your neck now! I say now! Now! Because I am extremely thirsty and I want to cool down my thirst with the blood of your head! Now, take this my cutlass!’ the Image stretched his cutlass to Slanderer.

  ‘Haa!’ with sulky eyes, in fear and trembling. Slanderer stammered. This your command is not possible for me at all! I cannot kill myself!’ Slanderer shivered in fear, because he had never seen or come across such as this fearful Image since when he was bom on earth.

  But when he refused to take the cutlass from the Image, then the Image, with all his power, hit his forehead suddenly with his club of iron. After that, he walked wildly up and down on the road. When he walked wildly back to him and the rest of the people, those who feared so much that they were able to move neither their hands nor feet.

  The hideous Image stretched his cutlass to Slanderer again. He shouted greatly to him in a horrible voice, he said: ‘I say, take this my cutlass and cut your head away from your neck with it! I say, I want to drink the blood! Take my cutlass!’

  ‘Nevertheless I shall cut my head off!’ Slanderer shouted in earnest.

  ‘Oh-ho-o! Is that so?’ the Image grinned like a madman. ‘But you ought to know that “one who admits his guilt in time does not keep long in kneeling down”.’ The Image shouted horribly to Slanderer. After, with all his power, he struck at his shoulder with his club of iron.

  But when Slanderer felt severe pain on his shoulder, willing or not, he took the cutlass from the Image at once. He raised it up to cut off his head but he lowered his hand down when he looked at his bride’s face. Instead, to cut his head, he turned his face to the Image. He shook it sorrowfully and then he shouted greatly in pain, he said: ‘I say, I cannot cut my head away from my neck!’

  Having heard this objection from Slanderer, the Image shouted at him in a shrill voice. Then he walked wildly forward and backward. When he returned to Slanderer, he beat both his shoulders heavily again. After, he told him, ‘O-hoo, do you think I am joking with you? Please, cut your head off now, my friend! Make haste! And I close my eyes! But before I open them let me hear the thud of your head on the ground!’ The Image grinned in a voice which was terrifying indeed. After, he barked at him like a bull-dog.

  ‘Haa! Hee! Hoo! Please, have mercy on me!’ Slanderer despaired. ‘The bones of my shoulders have broken!’ Slanderer lamented bitterly.

  ‘Hun-un, “the bad people are more numerous than the trees in the bush, but good people are rarer than the eyes”. But Slanderer, you are one of the most wicked people who are on earth!’ the hideous tawdry Image shouted to Slanderer. Then he clubbed at him again heavily. T say, whether you like it or not, you must cut your head a
way from your neck! Be quick! Otherwise I shall break your head into pieces now! Do you agree to do so or not?’ the Image frowned at Slanderer again. After, he barked at him like a dog: ‘Waa! Wo-o-o! Woo!’

  ‘Haa, please, I appeal to you! It is not easy at all for one to cut off his own head! Please, I beg you!’ Slanderer began to rub his hands at the Image as he was weeping bitterly.

  ‘All right, it isn’t too bad yet! But I command you now to behead your bride “in a wink of monkey”! Do the deed now! And let me hear the thud of her head on the ground now! I close my eyes but before I open them you ought to have cut it off her neck! But after you have cut it then you should cut off your own as well! Be ready! I close my eyes now!’ The Image grinned and barked at Slanderer in a shrill voice.

  ‘Haa, to behead my bride who belongs to another kin?’ Slanderer was greatly startled. But when his bride, the bridesmaids and the rest heard the Image’s command this time, they were so much afraid that every one of them hastily grasped his or her head with both hands as if the head had been already cut off.

  ‘I say I cannot cut off my bride’s head!’ Slanderer lamented.

  ‘What, you Slanderer opened your mouth but you told me that you could not behead your bride or what did you say? He! I don’t think you know who you are talking to! Don’t you know that you are talking to the living creature of the grass-field who is the terror of terrors and who kills and eats the human being? Ha-ah! But as you have belittled me, take more beats of my club of iron just to warm you up!’ The Image then ran at Slanderer suddenly. He clubbed him seven times consecutively.

  But the beats were so severe that they made him unconscious and he was not aware when he raised the cutlass up. But as he was lowering his hand just to cut off the head of his bride, the Image hastily pushed the cutlass away from her neck with his club of iron.

  After, he remarked to Slanderer loudly that: Tt is improper to behead an unsinning person! It was not your bride who had offended me but it was you!’

  Having remarked to Slanderer like that, he struck him again with his club of iron three times consecutively.

  Meanwhile, these punishments were overmuch severe for Slanderer, while the behaviours of the Image were becoming more and more hostile. Slanderer’s well-wishers, his bride and her calabash-carriers who carried her property, so much feared the Image that they were unable to open their mouths and plead for him perhaps the Image might pardon and release him.

  As soon as this hideous tawdry Image took the cutlass back from Slanderer he grinned and made a steady shriek in a strange voice which was very hurtful to the ears of those living creatures who were near that area so that they kept quiet immediately.

  ‘But Slanderer, you should admit that you are just like a tormentor who forces his victim to be cruel!’ Having shouted at Slanderer the Image beat at his nape with his usual club of iron.

  The Image was just trying to make Slanderer understand about his (Pauper’s) maize which he and Slanderer cut down when both of them went and farmed at Araromi town years ago.

  ‘Haa! Ye, ye, ye! But your club pains me so much that my neck is sinking into my shoulders without carrying a load! But with great respect, I beg you, this Spirit (tawdry Image of the evil spirit), even if I had offended you before! Please, forgive me!’ Slanderer pleaded in great agony.

  But then when Slanderer could no longer bear these severe sufferings and as tears were rolling down his cheeks, he looked at the faces of his friends, minstrels, drummers and singers and of his bride and her calabash-carriers and then he hastily winked at them, perhaps they could help him to overpower the Image. But instead of helping him, they dropped their heads down and then they fastened their eyes on the ground in great fear.

  But the monstrous Image did not accept his plea. Instead, as he was jumping fiercely here and there like a hungry tiger, so he was rushing furiously against Slanderer, and threatening him and so he was beating him continuously with his club of iron.

  ‘Slanderer, I want you to understand that, “old age has no remedy”! Hereby, there is no way for you to escape my revenge!’ After, he rushed furiously against him. He pretended to butt him in his stomach to death with the thick coiled horns on his head.

  Indeed, even if Slanderer was a clever, cunning, treacherous and perfidious person who had no rivals on earth, all this could not save him from these severe punishments at all.

  ‘But if you club me for two minutes more, I shall die!’ Slanderer despaired bitterly when the Image clubbed him again.

  ‘You lie! You cannot die because the Oba of Laketu town has changed you from mortal to immortal in the name of Creator before he expelled you!’ the Image reminded Slanderer in a fearful voice and then he rushed furiously against him.

  ‘And “what makes a dog bark is not sufficient to make a sheep gaze”. Do you hear me. Slanderer? These punishments which I am giving you today are not up to ten per cent of what you had done to me years ago, which I hid in my mind without telling it out to anybody!’ the Image roared angrily.

  ‘Please, I beg you in the name of the king of spirits! Whatever I had done to you, forgive me!’ Slanderer pleaded in confusion and in tears.

  ‘Nevertheless I shall forgive you!’ the Image shouted. ‘Haa! You, Slanderer’s bride, I want you to be sure that your husband will cut his head away from his neck today! It is not you who had offended me, so it is not proper to punish innocent person! For this reason, I command you and your calabash-carriers who are carrying your property to go back to your town now! But you should put it in your mind that Slanderer is no more your husband as from today! All right, let you all go away now! Goodbye!’ It was like that Slanderer’s bride and her calabash-carriers or bridesmaids were set free.

  But Slanderer’s bride and her bridesmaids had hardly heard this command from the hideous tawdry Image when the calabash-carriers hastily threw down the property of the bride and then they and the bride took to their heels. As they were running fiercely back to their town it was so they were thanking Creator for delivering them from the Image which they took to be an evil spirit. But as all were running along desperately for their lives, it was so Slanderer began to look at his bride with half an eye until all had disappeared on the road.

  As soon as his bride had disappeared from his sight, he turned his face to the Image, the terror of terrors. Weeping bitterly, he made a vow that: ‘But if you can forgive me my offence, I shall atone you with one big fat he-goat! Please, I beg you!’

  ‘Haaa! “He who pelts another with stones invites metal in return.” Therefore, I refuse your sacrifice! I don’t want your he-goat or any other kind of a sacrifice whatsoever you may offer to me! But the only thing that I want you to do is to cut your head onto the ground now. Otherwise I’ll help you cut it off! Take, this is the cutlass!’ The Image refused Slanderer’s sacrifice but he stretched the cutlass to him instead.

  But when Slanderer feared so much that he could not take the cutlass from the Image, the Image struck at his nape again much with his club of iron three times and then he fell upon the ground, sprawling. But when he struggled and stood up wobbling, he begged the Image to help him call his bride back to carry her property away, which her calabash-carriers threw down before they fled away in fear.

  ‘By the way, what is the name of that your ex-bride?’

  ‘Her name is OMQLERE (meaning, child is reward),’ Slanderer replied bitterly.

  ‘Is that so? All right! “It is only bent but it isn’t yet damaged.” I shall help you call your bride back but that will be after you have cut away your head from your neck!’ The Image gave him some beats of the club again. Then he made a mockery of him.

  ‘But as you refuse to take the cutlass from me, now, all that I want you to do first before you behead yourself is that I want your drummers to start to beat their drums, your singers to start to sing and then you should begin to dance to the drums to and fro in front of me. But in addition, you should be laughing joyfully for me! It is just like that I w
ant you to amuse me first!’

  ‘What? To dance and laugh joyfully for you?’ Slanderer wondered and murmured with sulky eyes. ‘But after you have nearly beaten me to death and moreover you have driven Omolere, my beautiful bride, away! Haaa, no! I cannot do so at all!’ Slanderer murmured sadly. After, he continued to weep bitterly.

  ‘O-ho-o-o! Slanderer, I warn you! Don’t go beyond your boundary! But it will be better for you if you start to do what will amuse me now and that which will make me laugh! Otherwise you will get more beats of the club!’ the Image warned Slanderer angrily.

  ‘Haa, Slanderer, but it will be better for you to dance and laugh for this bad spirit (Image) than for him to continue to beat you!’ Slanderer’s friends, singers, drummers and minstrels or poets, those who had been kept quiet by fear since this disaster had befallen Slanderer became alive now. Then they advised him. But he did not follow their advice.

  But when the Image struck him again several times, willing or not. Slanderer started to dance and laugh reluctantly as the drummers were beating their drums and the singers were singing for him:

  Jo’jo iya k’awo o - Panla se’gun sai - saisai! Dance the dance of suffering and let’s see it! Jo’jo iya k’awo o - Panla se’gun sai - saisai! Dance the dance of suffering and let’s see it! Jo’jo iya k’awo o - Panla se’gun sai - saisai!

  But as Slanderer was dancing sluggishly and was laughing like a madman and as his dance was not conforming to the beats of the drums, the Image became wild suddenly and then in great annoyance, he clubbed his shoulders so heavily that he fell down and then he began to lament for pain.