Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer

by Tutuola, Amos

  Having gulped the food and drunk the hot drink faster than necessary to his satisfaction, then the junior Oba-makers led him into the bathroom. Having removed all his dirty rags away from his body and also his bow and the quiver, they scraped the hair of his head and that of his chin which was just like that of a madman. Then they washed all his body thoroughly though it wasted a lot of soap but the junior Oba-makers did not bother about that.

  After, they led him into the royal dressing room. But as the tradition of the Town of Women was, the Oba-makers covered him from head to feet with a very large cover cloth. But now Pauper could not see and he never knew why they were doing all these strange things for him.

  24

  THE GROVE OF

  ENTHRONEMENT

  According to the primitive custom of the Town of Women, there was a sacred grove which they called The Grove of Enthronement. This grove was about a half of a kilometre from the town. It was to this grove the Oba-makers used to take one who was going to be enthroned. There they would put the sacred leaves of enthronement on the head of the man who was to be enthroned.

  After several kinds of sacrifices had been performed for him as an Oba, then they would clothe him in the royal robe and after, they would put the ade or crown on his head.

  This Grove of Enthronement was very very beautiful and clean. Many kinds of very beautiful flower trees which attracted people indeed were there as well. In this same Grove of Enthronement, there was a small house. The length of the house was about twenty metres, its breadth was about fifty metres while its height was up to forty metres. Its walls were gold while its roof was silver. And that was the reason the Oba-makers called this house The House of Gold and Silver. This house had no windows at all but one door which was fastened with the key of gold.

  It was in this House of Gold and Silver that the senior Oba-maker used to keep or hang the clothes and other kinds of property which they took away from the body of the new Oba without knowing where his property was.

  After, they would give him the gold key of the house to keep it in his possession in the Aafin or palace. But they would warn the new Oba seriously not to attempt to open the door or to enter that house. But they would not tell him the reason why he was forbidden to open the door. This means the house is forbidden for the Oba to open or enter it.

  On the other hand, if an Oba died while still on the throne, the Oba-makers would bury with his corpse all of his property which was kept in the House of Gold and Silver. But if the Oba did not die while on the throne but he committed an offence which deserved to dethrone him, then having taken the royal property back from him, the Oba-makers would return to him all his property which they hid in the House of Gold and Silver and then they would expel him from the town. That was how the custom of the Town of Women went.

  Now, when the junior Oba-makers had covered Pauper with a large cover cloth and that he could not see now, the senior Oba-maker who brought him to the town from the wilderness, took his dirty rags, the hair which was scraped from his head and chin, his bow and quiver. She carried all into the House of Gold and Silver. She hung all on the racks which were on the walls.

  Having done so, she fastened the door with the key of gold and then she took it out of the lock. Now, Pauper did not know who took his hair, rags, bow and the quiver and he did not know where they were.

  When Pauper was enthroned after several kinds of sacrifices had been performed for him, then the ade or crown was put on his head and after, all the costly royal property was handed over to him.

  But then the senior Oba-maker pointed with her hand the House of Gold and Silver to Pauper and she told him: ‘Look at that House of Gold and Silver which you are looking far from here. Do you see it?’

  ‘Yes, I see it!’ Pauper replied as he fastened his eyes on the house.

  ‘Take this key of gold! We open the door of the house with it!’ She stretched out the key to Pauper and he took it from her with happiness.

  ‘But as from today, you must not even go near the house, and as from today, when you go to your Aafin, you must not come back to this Grove of Enthronement! It is entirely forbidden for the Oba who is already enthroned to enter this grove again. Do you hear me?’ the senior Oba-maker warned Pauper who was the Oba now, in earnestness.

  ‘I abide with your warning! And I will never go against your order.’ The Oba (Pauper) made the covenant in the hearing of the rest of the Oba-makers.

  After the senior Oba-maker had sworn in Pauper, the new Oba, she announced loudly, she said: ‘Kabiyesi (Your Majesty) the Oba of the Town of Women!’ But then the multitude of women shouted greatly with one voice of joy: ‘Kabiyesi, our Oba! Kabiyesi, our Oba! Let the crown keep long on head and let the shoes keep long on feet! Kabiyesi!’

  These shouts of joy were so much that all the people of the neighbouring towns which surrounded the Town of Women heard the shouts of joy. Without hesitation, these people began to run to this town to see what was happening there. But before they arrived, the Oba-makers had already taken the Oba to the palace.

  But as soon as the Oba sat in the royal seat, the people arrived like the flood of water. Then all of them began to dance in joy.

  Now, the Oba (Pauper) sat on the throne with ease and in great joy. But he was surprised and fearful when he did not see even a single man among this crowd of women. However, he kept silent. He thought in his mind that ‘how long it will be, the stammerer will pronounce out baba (father)’. He thought perhaps in a little time more, the men would show themselves up to him in the end.

  In the evening of the second day that the Oba-makers had worn the ade for the Oba, the multitude of women of the town came to the Aafin. They and the senior Oba-maker (the feeble old woman) and the rest of the junior Oba-makers accompanied the Oba to the assembly ground on which the people used to gather together whenever the Oba was performing an important ceremony.

  When the Oba sat in the pavilion which was lavishly decorated for him, then the senior Oba-maker who was also the Herald for the rest of the Oba-makers began to announce to the gathering, she said: ‘You all old women, you all young women and you all ladies of this Town of Women! It is with happiness to tell all of you that I had found one man from the wilderness, and I had brought him to the town!’ The Herald continued her announcement, she said: The full name of the man is Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness! And it was poverty and wretchedness which drove him out of his father’s town!’ the Herald said.

  But now having heard this, the crowd of women hummed loudly at a ttme - ‘Hun-un-un!’ in great joy as they fastened their eyes on Pauper, the new Oba.

  The Herald went further, she said: ‘As all of you are aware that we had been longing for men and the Oba for years, and that all of you know well that a town without men is an insignificant town and by that it is useless!’ The Herald went on, she said: ‘Hereby, we the Oba-makers have already enthroned him and we have taken him to be our husband as well!’

  But when the gathering of women heard this joyful announcement from the Herald, they shouted greatly in joy and in happiness, they clapped loudly as they were rocking here and there on the same spot that they stood.

  And as the Herald paused just for a while, the minstrels began to flatter the Oba: ‘Haaa! Pauper! Our Oba! But what do we take the Oba to be? None! Haa, the Oba, the ruler! The Oba who wears the crown of money! Oba, the ruler! Oba who walks with the beaded walking stick! Oba, the ruler!’

  But as ‘it is for one who rides the horse goes galloping and arrives galloping’, so Pauper, who was the Oba now, began mincing himself to left and right when the minstrels were flattering him. And his doing so was another cheerfulness which added a sort of merriment to his coronation.

  ‘Today is the end of our suffering for men after these years! The end of our suffering has come!’ the Herald announced cheerfully. ‘For this, we must thank our Creator for providing us Pauper to succeed our men and our Oba, all of whom had lost their lives when they went and fought the p
eople of another town in order to save this our town!’

  But when the Herald announced to the women like that and that she mentioned their men who had lost their lives in the battle, they hummed sorrowfully for a few minutes.

  ‘But do you all accept Pauper as our Oba and husband or not? ‘

  But the gathering of women hastily stretched their hands up and shouted greatly: ‘We accept him as our Oba and husband!’ The drummers beat their drums and showed their happiness too.

  As soon as the drummers and minstrels kept quiet, then the Herald faced the Oba and she explained to him that: ‘Kabiyesi, our new Oba, with humbleness, I explain to Your Highness that for having no men in our town, the people of the towns and villages which surround our town changed the name of this our town from Town of Glory to the Town of Women!’

  The Herald continued, she said: ‘And moreover, as soon as all of our men lost their lives in the battle, the two holy ladies who are called Peace and Joy left our town for another town in which there was no war, rebellion, poverty, brawls or confusion. Because Peace and Joy do not live in the house or town which is not peaceful and joyful!’ The Herald made their Oba understand what had befallen their town.

  ‘But you. Pauper, even though you are alien to us, you must try to take care of all of us who have become your Olori (queens) as from today!’

  The Herald began to warn the Oba, she said: ‘But! But! I warn you again with hot temper that as from today you are entirely forbidden to enter into the Grove of Enthronement and you are also banned from opening and entering the House of Gold and Silver which is in the Grove of Enthronement. In fact, I have given you the key of gold of the house!’

  The Herald went further in her announcement to the gathering of women and the Oba, she said: ‘But soon or later, we shall have the deputy Oba. And I am sure. Creator who had provided Pauper to us will provide another man to us again who will be the Otun Oba or Deputy for our Oba!’

  But after the Herald had concluded her announcement on behalf of the rest of the Oba-makers, she bowed low for the Oba and then she shouted: ‘Kabiyesi, our Oba!’ And then the crowd of women joined her immediately, they said: ‘Kabiyesi, our Oba!’ The drummers also greeted the Oba through their drums. And so the minstrels did not shut up their mouths but they flattered their Oba for a few minutes.

  Now, Pauper (Oba) was certain that there was not a single man in this Town of Women. But he remembered Slanderer when the Herald, or the feeble old woman, menhoned the Qtun Oba. He preferred Slanderer to be his deputy even if he was wicked.

  Pauper’s (Oba) belief was that if Slanderer was under him he would take no advantage of his evil behaviours against him. But up till now Pauper never knew where Slanderer and Brawler, his wife, were. Because he had never seen them or heard any information about them since the day his hired canoe sank in the river near Atepe town.

  After the Herald had announced to the gathering of women about their new Oba then, in return, the Oba thanked her indeed. After, he addressed the gathering, he said: ‘You all people of the Town of Women, I thank the whole of you for accepting a poor and wretched man like me as your Oba. I thank you all indeed!’

  The Oba began to tell about himself to the multitude of women as soon as he had adjusted his voice to that of an Oba. He said: ‘You my people, it is worthy to tell you even if in brief about my manner of living in which I was before I became your Oba today!’

  The Oba continued his life history, he said: ‘I was bom in Laketu town. My father is the Oba of that town. But my poverty and wretchedness had begun since my childhood. As a matter of fact, I am a hard-working one. But the harder I work the more my poverty and wretchedness become worse. Anything that I may lay my hands upon always come to poverty and wretchedness for me in the end!

  ‘But of course, the people are telling me always that my destiny is that of Poverty and W^retchedness.’ The Oba went further, he said: ‘But I don’t believe them. Although they are sure that my poverty and wretchedness are so powerful that they are beyond the knowledge of human begins!’

  The Oba went on, he said: ‘But later, the people started to call me Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, instead of my surname!’ But when the crowd of women heard like this from their Oba, they shouted at a time: ‘Haa!’ And when he told them that the name of his wife was Brawler and that she had no other work which she was doing more than to brawl both day and night, they shouted again: ‘Haa! Brawler or what? Haa, you are unfortunate indeed!’

  When the Oba told the gathering again that the name of the only close friend he had on earth was called Slanderer, the gathering shouted greedily and then they said: ‘Haa, your bad luck is over-much. And your people who had changed your surname to Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, were right and they were to be commended!’

  It was like that Pauper who was now the Oba of the Town of Women told his life history in brief to the crowd of women. But as soon as he had finished his address, the crowd of women scattered suddenly in great laughter. But as they were rushing back to their houses, it was so they were clapping and singing along loudly: ‘We have known it! Pauper is the name of our Qhal We have known it! Pauper is the name of our Oba! We have known it!’

  Immediately the Oba had finished his address, the royal drummers and minstrels started their amusements as the Oba-makers were leading the Oba to his Aafin or palace.

  Now, in the long run. Pauper became an Oba in a faraway town. Although the If a oracle had foresaid so on the third day that he was bom.

  Now, Pauper, the Oba, began to rule the women and he was eating and drinking as he wished. A few days later, he had such rest of mind that he became fat and his poverty and wretchedness had disappeared from his appearance immediately.

  But as Brawler and Slanderer were among those passengers who were carried away by the tides the day Pauper’s hired canoe broke into two and sank near Atepe town, when the rides carried them to the part of the river where the tides were weak. Slanderer, Brawler and the other passengers swam on to the bank of the river.

  But then Slanderer and Brawler started to wander about, looking for Pauper. But after a few days. Brawler and Slanderer quarrelled, so this caused them to part. Slanderer went to the north while Brawler travelled to the southward and she was searching for her husband.

  But when Slanderer had wandered for some months, he came to one village, and he was told there that Pauper had become the Oba of the Town of Women. But then he asked the inhabitants of the village where was the Town of Women and they showed him the road of the Town of Women. But it took Slanderer four months before he came to the Town of Women.

  Slanderer feared greatly when he entered the town and the multitude of women rushed out and embraced him. Then without hesitation, they took him to the Aafin.

  The Oba (Pauper) was extremely happy when he saw Slanderer, his only close friend on earth. They embraced each other and greeted each other in great joy. But after their warm greeting, the first word which they spoke to each other was that: ‘What the If a had foretold has come to pass in the end!’ The meaning of this was that the Ifa said in ‘esent’aye’ or the future life of Pauper that he would become an Oba in his wandering. And so the Ifa foretold in Slanderer’s ‘esent’aye’ that he would be installed the Otun Oba in a faraway town.

  Then the Olori or queens served Slanderer with food and drinks. But as he was eating the food, the Oba asked him whether he saw Brawler. He replied that he saw her. He told the Oba further that they parted with a quarrel. But now, the Oba was certain that his brawling wife. Brawler, was still on earth. Because the overmuch enjoyment of obaship or kingship had forced him to forget that he. Brawler and Slanderer had been changed to immortals by the Oba of Laketu town in the name of Creator, and it was that same day that Creator changed Peace and Joy to immortals as well.

  ‘But, Slanderer, don’t you see me now in this great dignity? Did I not tell you that there was nothing like destiny?’ the Oba reminded Slanderer of his disbelief in destiny.
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  ‘It is just so. I believe now that there is nothing which people called destiny! However, let Creator forgive us our idle talk!’ Slanderer replied confusedly.

  The following day, the Oba, the junior Oba-makers and the senior Oba-maker (the feeble old woman), all were thankful to Creator for providing again one man more for them. After, they started to prepare to install Slanderer as the Qtun Oba. And the Oba was pleased with this preparation. Because it was Slanderer who was in his mind from a long time to be his Deputy or Qtun.

  Then the third day that Slanderer arrived in the town, the junior Oba-makers took him to bath. Having removed all his dirty rags away from his body, they scraped the hair of his head and chin. They scraped also the hair of his upper and lower lips.

  After, they gave him a thorough bath. Then they covered him from head to feet with the large cover cloth. Now, as he could not see, the senior Oba-maker collected his hair and the dirty rags. She went to the House of Gold and Silver, she hung all on the racks and then she locked the door of the sacred house.

  Immediately, the junior Oba-makers brought Slanderer into the Grove of Enthronement, the senior Oba-maker joined them. Then they performed the ceremonial rituals for him. But being he was to be the Qtun Oba, the rituals were less important than those of the Oba. After, the senior Oba-maker pointed her hand to the House of Gold and Silver. She warned him seriously not go there. Then she and the junior Oba-makers led Slanderer to his Aafin or palace. His Aafin was not so far from the Oba’s.

  When it was time to go to the assembly ground, the junior Oba-makers, the senior Oba-maker, the Oba, the royal drummers, the minstrels and the multitude of women followed the Qtun Oba (Slanderer) on to the ground. The senior Oba-maker who was the Herald for the rest of the Oba-makers, told him about the Town of Women and she showed him to the crowd of women.