The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town

by Amos Tutuola

  Having kept quiet and looked at me from feet to head with great surprise for more than five twinklings, their supreme leader jumped high up and then shouted greatly with a horrible kind of voice. This meant to the rest: “A native of a town has come to spy us! So if your hands catch him, kill him without mercy!” Then without hesitation and as the whole of them were then sulky, they started to sing the song of war of their own race. And as soon as they started to sing the song of war, they began to dance the dance of war, to my dismay this night. Within a few twinklings that they had started to dance and sing, the whole of them became mad unexpectedly, they mixed up and they were jumping here and there as if there was a great scuffle.

  They became so wild now, like a wounded tiger, that they began to beat one another so severely that hundreds of them fell on top of the white rock helplessly, but the rest did not bother at all. But alas, I did not know at first that they were doing so because of me. I joined them, I began to dance here and there and I was singing their song of war like a mad man. Because the song and dance were so fascinating, there was not any of the living creatures who might hear this kind of song of war and see the dance who would refuse to join these wild wealthy people and to dance with them that night.

  But as I had lost all my senses this night, and as my first “mind” began to deceive me repeatedly, telling me to continue to dance and sing with these wild people, it was so my second “mind” began to remind me that I should not forget at all that I was going to the Witch-Herbalist in respect of my wife who was barren. But it was a great mistake to me that the warning of my second “mind” did not enter into my ears at all except to continue to dance and sing along with these wild wealthy people. To my sorrow, my second “mind” hardly warned me like that and I did not obey its warning, when these wild wealthy people jumped on me unexpectedly. They began to beat me with sticks and drinking vessels which were in their hands, as they were pushing me here and there.

  As they were still beating me and pushing me here and there mercilessly, they pushed me to that Abnormal Squatting Man of the Jungle, who nearly punished me to death and also paralysed every part of my body with the cold which he was blowing out from his big stomach a few days ago. I did not know that this cruel Squatting Man was among these wealthy people at all. He started to blow cold air onto the bodies of these wild people in order to cool their bodies so that they might regain their strength and then be able to beat me more severely. He saw me through the light of the multi-coloured floodlights. And as soon as he saw me, he stopped blowing the cold onto their bodies, and he faced me. As he could not beat me, he began to blow the cold onto my body as hastily as he could so that the cold might paralyse my body and then the whole of them might beat me to death at once.

  But as I already knew that he was the Squatting Man who was punishing his victims to death with the cold of his stomach, I did not give him time this time before I hastily performed one of my juju which made me invisible and then took me away from them and put me down behind a mighty tree. This mighty tree was far away from them and it was in a corner. I saw them confused when they did not see me again. And my juju had hardly put me down under this mighty tree when I started to shoot at the Abnormal Squatting Man of the Jungle with my bow.

  But, to my fear, as soon as one of the poisoned arrows was shot at his swelled-out belly, it burst. Then the cold air which forced its way out made a great fearful noise which shook the whole of that area, the wild wealthy people, etc. and me, so heavily that we fell down flatly unexpectedly for fear. Not only that, all the living creatures and trees of this wild jungle felt the strong cold which ran out from the large stomach of this cruel squatting man so much that they began to shiver with the cold for more than one hundred and twenty twinklings before they could control themselves. And I too, as a man who lived in the town, was almost paralysed with the cold for about one hundred and twenty twinklings before I could control my body with the help of my juju.

  Furthermore, the cold paralysed also the whole of the wild wealthy people, their wild orchestras and their wild servants so much that they did not know when they fell down flatly on top of this white rock for about one hundred and twenty twinklings before they could stand up. So all of them scattered with great fear into different parts of this wild jungle as soon as they stood up. After a while, this cruel Abnormal Squatting Man crawled away with great pain when all his efforts to trace me out and revenge on me had failed. It was like that I revenged on this Squatting Man who had punished me nearly to death some time ago with the cold of his stomach. But fear did not let me continue my journey immediately, and I remained at the foot of this mighty tree till daybreak.

  The Strange Round Shadow

  It was hardly daybreak when my second “mind” advised me to continue my journey at the same time and not to wait for one more twinkling at the foot of the mighty tree, otherwise the cruel Squatting Man would trace me out very soon and punish me to death at last. “Furthermore, I hint you now that this Cruel Squatting Man will meet you in a court of law and there you will be sentenced to death very soon for harming him,” thus my second “mind” hinted me.

  So as this my second “mind” always told the truth, therefore I followed its advice. Then I continued my journey at the same time without eating anything this morning. But I was not happy at all once my second “mind” had hinted me that I would be sentenced to death very soon for harming the Squatting Man of the Jungle. However, when I had travelled with fear till the eleventh hour of the morning, I left the wild jungle behind and I entered a wild savannah. Having travelled in this savannah till the first hour of the noon, I stopped on one big round cool shadow. My intention was not to stop there at all but just to continue my journey throughout that day, but I was forced to stop there by hunger.

  Of course, I could not hesitate to look well at this strange round shadow and its surroundings, immediately I travelled to it in the hot sun. This thick shadow was so cool that one who sat on it would not like to leave there as soon as he wanted to, especially if it was in the dry season when the sun was very hot like fire.

  After I had roasted one yam and eaten it, and as I sat at a little distance from the fire in which I roasted the yam, then I began to look at this strange thick round shadow and its surroundings very well. But I was afraid because I did not see any hill or mighty tree or anything which was near there and which could form this cool round shadow. Again, with fear, I raised my head to the sky. I began to think with confusion how a cool round thick shadow like this one was formed without an object.

  As I was still wondering about this strange shadow which was formed without an object, there I saw unexpectedly that six strong ropes were descending from the sky very fast to the edge of this round shadow. Then, without hesitation, the six strong ropes hooked the round edge of this shadow. The gap between one rope and the other was so accurate that when all of the six ropes were drawing the shadow along to the sky, it was balanced.

  Having seen this incident again, I hastily packed my belongings and then I was ready to go away from this strange shadow. But it was too late for me to do so. I could not do anything again to save myself from it, for the movement of it along to the sky was too fast.

  Now, as I could not do anything else to save myself from it or to jump down to the ground, then I left myself to what might happen to me at the destination where the six ropes were drawing the strange shadow. As I sat in the centre of the shadow which had already been drawn to a great height in the sky, I looked at each of the six ropes very well, and I saw that each was real thick shadow as well. Having seen this again, a great sadness and depression covered both my “minds”. I was so discouraged at this time that I determined that if I could be free from this incident or destructive happenings, I would discontinue my journey to the town of the Witch-Herbalist, but I would return immediately to my town. I thought to do so with fear and embarrassment, especially as sadness and depression had paralysed my first and second “minds” this time so much
that both could not talk to me or to advise me as usual.

  So as my first “mind” and second “mind” could not tell me what to do to save myself from this fast-moving strange shadow at this time, I began to think of another way to remove the sadness and depression from my “memory”. After a while, as this thick shadow was still taking me to a greater height in the sky, it came to my “memory” unexpectedly to use one of my juju which had the power to make me disappear suddenly. So without hesitation, I used this juju. But I was greatly shocked that when I used it, it had no effect at all. And it was later on I understood that it could not help if my bare feet were not on the ground.

  Now as my juju had failed to render help, I shot several poisonous arrows at the shadow. But all was in vain. The arrows could not stop it from moving along. At last, when all my efforts to free myself from this shadow had failed, it came to my “memory” to start to sing and dance as if I was not in trouble of this sort. Then as soon as this thought came to my “memory”, I remembered a kind of deprecation with which we begged the “god of the state” of my town whenever we needed something from it. Then I changed this deprecation to a long song at once.

  So I began to sing this song with a clear voice as I began to dance cheerfully. After a while, my first and second “minds” which were my partners and advisers regained their powers. They were no more sad or depressed. But as I was still singing and dancing, I saw that the six ropes started to draw the thick shadow across the sky instead of continuing to draw it vertically. When this shadow had moved fast across the sky for about sixty twinklings, I saw a mountain in front, far away. After a while the shadow began to move toward the top of the mountain. However, I continued to sing and dance cheerfully.

  As I was still doing that, there I saw unexpectedly about forty children on this strange shadow. All of them stood before me and when I looked at each of them, they were between eight and ten years of age. Only a few of them were females. Each of them was dressed in multi-coloured garments of their own race or native type or style. The garments ran from their necks down to the ankles with long sleeves which ran from the elbows to the wrists. The stars, sun and moon which were printed on their garments were shining brightly together with the blades of grasses and the leaves of all the kinds of trees which were in this wild savannah. But of course, some of them looked older than their age.

  The colour of their skins and of their heads was the same as the colour of this savannah. Therefore, it was very difficult to find them out or to see them when they stood on the ground of the wild savannah.

  Their mouths were as moderate as those of the wild people of the wild jungle, and it was so for their ears. But their eyelids and eyeballs were swelled out with a very lovely shape. They had normal length of arms and palms. But, to my fear, I never knew where they came from nor did I see them when they walked or flew to the round shadow. So with fear I stopped singing and dancing immediately I saw them in front of me on this shadow. I was still looking at every one of them with surprise and fear, and all of them too were looking at me without talking to me or to one another for a few twinklings. Then one of them walked closely to me and he began to ask questions from me unexpectedly thus: “Who are you? Are you a native of a town?” I answered him: “I am a man from a town and I was a brave hunter of wild animals. I was brave enough that I had fought and conquered many wild people, and even the savage Squatting Man of the Jungle.”

  Again he asked me, as the rest were looking at me sternly: “Where is your town?” I replied: “My town is far away from here.” Further, he asked: “Could you tell us a brief history of your people?” I answered: “Yes, the whole people of my town are heathens. Even my father is the chief priest of idol, god, etc. worshippers. He conducts all worshipping ceremonies. And as for myself, I am a ‘born and die baby’. But I could not return to my folks again since my mother bore me last. As my father is a strong juju man, he had tied me down with juju and by that I could not return to my folks again. But of course, I am eager to return to them sometime.” Furthermore and with much interest, he asked me: “All right, where are you going to now?” I replied: “I am going to the Witch-Herbalist whose Remote Town is far away from my town.” “What are you going to see the Witch-Herbalist for?” he asked with wonder. And I explained to him: “Yes, I am going to see her in respect of my wife who has been barren since when I married her. And I want the Witch-Herbalist to help me to make her pregnant.”

  When I explained to him like this, the whole of them nodded at the same time with surprise. Then the one who was asking the questions from me, asked again: “Do you know where this round thick shadow is taking us to now?” I replied: “I do not know!” Then he said: “Well, it is taking us to our mother who lives with us on the mountain!” As this one was still asking the questions from me, one who was next to him cut in and asked from me unexpectedly: “But do you know or have you heard of the ‘mother with long breasts’?” When I heard this fearful question, I shook my head heavily to left and right and I feared greatly before I replied: “I have never seen the ‘mother with long breasts’, but I had been hearing of her from the old people of my town for a long time before I started my journey.” But when all of them heard so from me, they shouted with one voice: “Is that so? Well, you are going to meet her today!”

  “Will she be kind to me?” I asked from them with fear, especially when it came to my “memory” at this time that my second “mind” had hinted me that I would be sentenced to death sooner or later, for harming the Squatting Man of the Jungle. Then they replied: “Well, none of us can tell. Because she is kind sometimes and unkind sometimes. But of course, she hates especially to see the townspeople!”

  When they explained to me like that and saw on my face the great fear which could not be expressed, they started to sing and dance round me at the same time. I still dropped my head down heavily in sorrow, as they were still dancing and singing loudly with a very cheerful voice. The thick shadow drove us to the top of the mountain when it was about the fourth hour of the evening. Then it stopped on top of the mountain and disappeared unexpectedly.

  As I was still cast down at the spot on which this shadow dropped us, then these children became wild unexpectedly, and without hesitation they pulled my arms up and I stood up with fear. Then they began to drag me along to an unknown place. After a while they dragged me to a place where thousands of crevices of rock were scattered about. Creeping plants almost covered them and this made them seem like old huts which were built in the forests or jungles. Several hundreds of other children who were the same age as them rushed out from the crevices of the rock and invaded me as soon as they dragged me to this rough area. Then they started to beat me with the short sticks which every one of them held above his head. As they were beating me continuously with short sticks, it was so they were shouting greatly on me as if I were a thief. They were following their folks who did not bother to stop them from beating me. After a while, they too joined them to beat and shout on me as well.

  As they dragged me further in these crevices of rocks, they were still beating me mercilessly with the sticks. So when I felt much pain, I clutched myself from those who were dragging me along. Then without hesitation, I began to beat them with my heavy matchet. But to my fear, as I began to beat them, their shouts were then even greater and those who were digging me along joined those who came from the crevices of rock. All were beating me even more bitterly than before as they were pushing me here and there in the rocks. As this time was too critical for me, I tried to transform myself into another form so that I might run away for my life. But my juju which could do so did not work this time, because I had not enough time to recite the incantation which could make it effective. Even I would not be happy to run away for them, but to satisfy my adventure.

  When my juju failed, then I continued to use my matchet with all my power. Again, my matchet could not reduce their power at all. However, I continued to beat them repeatedly as they were then pushing me al
ong zigzag in the scattered crevices of rock which were entirely covered with dead creeping plants. Having pushed me to a distance of about one-third of a kilometre, we came to a part of the rough path on which we were travelling. This part was very clean but was very curved. As soon as they pushed me to this curved part of the path, the strange thick shadow appeared again on the middle of the path. It had hardly appeared when I saw an old man, he sat on an armed chair and leaned his back on it. This armed chair was very huge and old. Then these children ran to him in the crevices of rock, they took him together with the old armed chair and then they put him on the middle of the strange shadow.

  But I was very lucky that as soon as these savage children saw this old man, THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN, they stopped beating me. Now the whole of them began to flatter him with their topmost voices as they were following the shadow along to the east of the top of this mountain as quickly as they could. When they stopped beating me and stopped dragging me, I too stopped beating them with my matchet. Now, I had sufficient time to look at this Old Man of the Mountain and his huge armed chair. He did not talk a single word to the savage children of the mountain, and he did not look at them at all, but he simply fastened his eyes on the path far away as though he was dead.

  He did not even shake any part of his body and none of his eyebrows moved. The smoking pipe which was in his mouth did not produce smoke, although a big fire was in it. The type of this tobacco pipe was long to a distance of two metres. It was very thick and the tobacco holder on top of it was as big as a big bowl. He held the pipe with his left hand very stiffly as if the hand was already nailed there permanently. His beard was very fearful indeed. It was about one metre long and very bushy. It was spread on his breast and both shoulders instead of spreading forward. His moustache was long as well and spread to both sides of his upper lip. He had no hair on his head at all. So his beard, moustache and head showed that he was very old indeed. Furthermore, to my eyes, as one of the people of the town, it seemed that he was more than five hundred years old, because only bones were visible on every part of his body. I did not know whether he was the father of these savage children of the mountain, though they gave him much respect which was due to a good father.