The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town

by Amos Tutuola

When I woke and stood up, I first stretched my body thoroughly. After that I loosened my juju-bag, I took out my powerful juju which had the power to destroy such as strong as this gateman. I wore it on my neck and it fell down heavily on my chest especially when I attached several other kinds to it. After that, I sharpened my heavy matchet very well on a big stone which was near the gate. Having done that, I put my juju-bag and a bag of food on my left shoulder and also my bow and arrows. Then I put the “removable heads” on top of the two sticks as usual. I held both upright with the left hand as well. After this, I held my heavy matchet tightly with the right hand. Having equipped myself throughly like that, I sprang up suddenly with bravery. I walked wildly down on this road then I walked back wildly.

  To my surprise, as I was doing all this, this stalwart cruel gateman stood before his image of the devil, and he was repeating loudly a kind of an incantation which I did not understand, as he was perspiring continuously from head to feet. But he did not care to look at me as I had equipped myself with all these things.

  But as soon as I had equipped myself like that, I did not waste a sixtieth of a twinkling, although I was sure that I could fight fiercely for more than sixty twinklings even if he could conquer me. So as he was still repeating the incantation loudly before the image of the devil, I ran to the barrier of the gate and I began to cross it. But immediately he saw what I was trying to do, he left his image of the devil. He ran to the gate and he stood firmly, like the stump of a mighty tree, with his long sword in hand.

  Then as I was greatly sulky and without fear, I asked him whether he had made up his mind to allow me to pass through the gate without paying the gate-fee. But I had hardly landed my request when he shouted terribly at me that his image had told him in the midnight that he must not allow me to pass through the gate without paying the gate-fee. But he had hardly landed his unfavourable explanation when my first “mind” hastily advised me to jump over the barrier to the other side, where he stood, and then continue my journey to the Roadside Town.

  Of course I first hesitated when my first “mind” advised me to do so. But I hastily thought it over again for a few sixtieths of a twinkling, how without reaching the Roadside Town, I would not be able to continue my journey direct to the Remote Town. And without forcing myself to cross the gate, this gateman would not allow me to pass. So I jumped over the high barrier to the other side. But I had hardly done so when he stretched his long sword high up with all his power to cut me in two. As he was just trying to do so, I too hastily stretched high up my heavy matchet to cut him in two as well.

  At last, after both of us had fought for about fifteen twinklings, his sword could not cut me and my matchet could not cut him as well. Then I had hardly put all my loads down when we dashed against each other. Now, both of us began to wrestle with all our power. As he was trying to lift me up and knock me down and then cut my throat with his sword, it was so I was trying to lift the whole of him off the ground and knock him down and then cut his neck with my matchet. But all efforts of each of us failed to do so. As I was imploring my “Supreme Second” to help me knock him down, it was so I was reciting repeatedly and with a great shout the incantation of my juju: “To fall him down—to help me let his feet slip to the ground and fall down—to blindfold him—to force his eyes to close suddenly—so that I may be able to knock him down to death!” Thus I was imploring my juju and my “Supreme Second”. Meanwhile the gateman too was repeating the incantation of his image of the devil to help him: “Knock him down to death—to take all his power from him suddenly—to let him fall asleep suddenly—so that I may be able to conquer him right out!” It was like this that everyone of us implored his own supernatural power to help him until both of us began to perspire from head to feet. And within a few twinklings, we had scattered everything roughly on the ground. And as he was shouting greatly on me at intervals like a mad man and sometimes bursting into a horrible and cruel laughter, it was so I too was shouting horribly on him at intervals like a wolf, ape, etc. So our terrible shouts were filling up the air like thunder.

  As the fight was still becoming more fierce, my first “mind” whispered to me at this moment to be moving along or toward one small rock with cunning. So without hesitation, I followed my first “mind’s” advice. I began to move with cunning toward one small rock. But when my feet were nearly touching it and as both of us were twisted tightly to each other at this moment, I bent to the left suddenly, and immediately I saw that he turned his back towards the small rock unnoticed. I shook the whole of him heavily and then I pushed him with all my power towards the small rock. As he was trying to stand firmly on the ground with the hope of pushing me down with all his power as well, his right foot fell on the rock instead. But as the small rock or stone was already entirely wet with the blood of the animals and the large quantity of oil which he had sacrificed to his image of the devil, the stone was made very slippery. Without hesitation, he fell onto his image of the devil heavily.

  He fell so heavily on the image that the image itself fell on him, so heavily that it broke into several pieces for it was moulded with mud. But as he was still struggling angrily to stand up, I hastily snatched the long sword from his hand and then I threw it far away into the bush. Then I struck both his arms with my heavy matchet several times. When I was sure that he had become entirely powerless and that he would not be able to stand up to chase me for the next two hundred and forty twinklings, I took all my loads and without wasting a sixtieth of a twinkling, I took to my heels. It was like that I conquered this gateman, the despot and demoniac.

  The Fight on the

  Roadside Shrines

  But when I had left the stalwart cruel gateman in agony and had run far away from the gate, I started to walk along on the road sluggishly, I was so tired and weary for I fought fiercely with all my strength with the gateman, it was hardly possible for me at this time to lift up and down my feet, it was also hardly possible for me to swing my arms. However, I kept going along to the Roadside Town from where I was continuing my journey direct to the Remote Town of the Witch-Herbalist, provided the king of the Roadside Town permitted me to pass through his domain.

  When I had travelled sluggishly along on this wide road of the Roadside Town till sunset, I stopped under a tree which was on the roadside. But of course, the tree was at a little distance from the road. It had plenty of broad leaves on its branches, which were spread far away. Then I put all my loads down. I sat down on the ground and I leaned my back on the foot of the tree. Then I rested for about one hundred and twenty twinklings. Having taken the fresh air to my satisfaction, it came to my “memory” that if I kept on resting more than that the darkness would not allow me to find something to eat. So I stood up, and I began to walk along deeply into the bush with only my matchet in my hand.

  Luckily, I had not walked far when I came to a farm where there were yams which were still in mounds. So I bent down and I dug four big ones out with the matchet. When I returned to the tree, I made fire and I roasted them in it at the same time. Having sliced them in the broad leaves, and as I was terribly hungry for food at this time, I ate the whole four at a time. There was no water for me to drink, but I did not bother so much about that because I believed that, in the morning, I would collect dews from the plants to quench my thirst.

  Having satisfied my hunger, I lay down flatly at the foot of that tree but near my bag of juju, bag of food, and bow and arrows, and I used my heavy matchet like a pillow. But as I was too tired and weary, it did not take more than ten-sixtieths of a twinkling before I fell asleep. When I woke in the morning, I went to the same farm. I dug up four yams again and when I returned, I roasted them and I ate them immediately. Having collected sufficient dew and drunk it to my satisfaction, I continued my journey without wasting a twinkling, for the Roadside Town was still far away. It was about twenty kilometres from that tree. So I began to travel along on the road as fast as I wanted to, for I had gained my usual strength back by this time
.

  But as I was travelling along on that road as hastily as I could till about one-third of the day, and was very happy so that I felt no more tiredness and weariness, my second “mind” hinted me suddenly that I should look at my back and I would see that something terrible was chasing me to slay me for vengeance of the gateman whom I had fought with and wounded. Having heard like that from my second “mind” I hastily looked at my back with embarrassment. To my horror, there I saw at a long distance that a very tall and huge figure, who was just like a man, was coming hurriedly towards me with several strong and terrible followers. As all of them were still at a long distance, I could not see their appearances well, so I stopped and looked at them steadfastly.

  But I suspected at the same time that the ugly, huge and tall figure was the comrade of the gateman. He and his strong followers were chasing me to kill or harm me. Having seen them like that, I hurriedly turned my face to the Roadside Town. I began to run along the road, so that perhaps I might reach a safe place to hide myself from them before they could overtake me. But as they were faster than me, I could not find a safe place when I began to see them more clearly.

  So without hesitation, I took to my heels again, and I had not run very far when I came to the field where the shrines of gods of the people of the Roadside Town were built. Then with great fear, I branched to the field of shrines. And having run helter-skelter to the centre of it, there was a big clean circle, on which the people were celebrating their gods during the celebrating period or during the festival month. And many beautiful shrines surrounded the circle, each of which was painted, while the image of the god which was inside each was drawn on its walls, although most of the paint and most of the parts of the image were nearly washed off by the rains. Yet a person could know the kind of god which was inside each of the shrines.

  So as soon as I ran helter-skelter with fear to this clean circle unexpectedly, I did not hesitate before I ran to the inside of one of the shrines which surrounded the circle. But to my dismay, I met the terrible image of the devil in this shrine instead. Great quantities of oil and blood of animals were poured all over its body and were flowing to the ground from its body. One big lifeless animal was hung on its neck. This image was exactly the figure of the devil and it was equipped with dangerous weapons like those of the devil himself.

  Then willing or not I lay down flatly behind this image of the devil with fear, because if I ran out at that time to find another shelter, the comrade of the gateman and his strong followers who were chasing me to kill would see me. I did not know that he and his followers had seen me when I branched from the road to that field of the shrines. So he and his followers branched out as well to the field when they ran to that area, and then they began to find me immediately. But as they were searching one shrine and then another, my second “mind” started to remind me that in my own town, the devil was the most dreadful of all the other gods, idols, images, spirits of the rivers, etc. So if he and his followers saw me behind the adopted image of the devil, he would kill me and drink my blood instantly, because he and the gateman, his comrade, were strong and cruel devil-worshippers! It was like that my second “mind” reminded me.

  Luckily, as I was still trembling for fear of the bad behaviour of the cruel devil-worshipper who was the comrade of the cruel gateman who was also a cruel devil-worshipper, this my same second “mind” hastily advised me: “You should get ready to fight with the man, the devil-worshipper, and his followers,” and that if I could fight with him as fiercely as I had fought with the strong gateman, his comrade, and as I had defeated him, it was so I should defeat the cruel man and his followers! But as soon as my second “mind” had advised me thus, my fear was dispelled and I became normal and very strong as well at the same time.

  And when I became normal, I asked from my second “mind”: “But I thought there is only one devil on earth and his image was in my town. How could it then be seen as well in as far a land as this?” But my second “mind” explained to me: “The devil is a very strong spirit. He is an omnipresent spirit. Therefore, he is everywhere in the world. His spirit fills up the air always as the air fills up the sky!” But to my surprise, my second “mind” was still explaining to me like that when this huge, ugly tall devil-worshipper and his followers rushed into this shrine. And as he was sweating repeatedly and both his eyes were blazing, he saw the image of the devil which was his god, behind which I lay down flat all the while.

  But as soon as he saw the large quantity of oil and blood of animals which were flowing down the head of the image, he ran there and he began to lick them as quickly as he could, as his followers stood in attention behind him. But as I lay down behind the image with fear, I noticed well that none of his followers tasted or touched the blood and oil at all. Of course I was not sure whether he would kill them if they licked or touched the blood and oil.

  As he was still licking the blood and the oil greedily and was enjoying them to his entire satisfaction, I jumped up unexpectedly and I ran to the outside of the shrine suddenly. Then, without hesitation, I began to run here and there just to hide myself in another shrine so that perhaps I might be safe. Thus my second “mind” advised me to do and I must obey its advice. But I had hardly rushed to the outside of that shrine and begun to run along zigzag and helter-skelter when this hideous devil-worshipper hastily left the blood and oil, and then he and his followers, the raiders, rushed out of the shrine. All of them began to chase me here and there to catch and kill. Although his followers were running faster than him, they were unable to catch me as soon as he wanted them to, because I was then running from one shrine to another with all my full speed. He became so angry at this moment that he began to throw the heavy cudgel of iron in his hand at every one of them as he was following them.

  And it was so he was grumbling and commanding them greatly to catch me and bring me to him. He was telling them as well that if they failed to catch me he would punish them to death in return. But unfortunately for him, though he was aiming at them accurately, his cudgel of iron, two-headed spear, etc. were missing them. None of these weapons hit them, simply because he was so profusely crazy with anger at this moment that he did not know what was right to do again.

  Thus I continued to run zigzag on this shrine-field to save my life until my second “mind”, who was my real prompter, advised me hastily again, to run into one big shrine on the walls of which the image of the god of thunder was drawn. So without wasting any time, I ran into this shrine as my second “mind” had advised me to do. I hastily climbed the image of the god of thunder which I met there and I sat on its head, while I held its thunderbolt which it held with its right hand with my right hand, and I held firmly the heavy axe with my left hand which it held with its left hand. The image of the god of thunder was just like a giant. The length of the handle of the axe was more than two metres.

  But it was not long before this hideous devil-worshipper and his raiders knew that I was hiding in that shrine. When they rushed in with full force and great anger, all of them were perspiring as if they were being beaten repeatedly by a heavy rain. They had hardly rushed in when their master, the devil-worshipper, who scowled and glanced at every part of the shrine, saw me on the head of the image. He and his followers surrounded me at the same time. But as he raised high up the long two-headed spear with greediness in the hope of striking me with it to death, the thunderbolt which was in the hand of the image of the god of thunder, hastily roared like a big gun.

  And the whole of the shrine-field began to shake, the thick smoke which was very strange covered the field as well. This kind of thick smoke was black in a terrible way, so that none of the living creatures of that area nor I, as a living man, knew where to escape to. And as this strange smoke was covering the shrine-field continuously, the heavy and strong lightnings began to come down all over the field like a heavy rain with its strong breeze and noises. So within a few sixtieths of a twinkling, the eyes of every living creature were dim a
nd the ears were deaf and also everything was disordered suddenly. So, willing or not, this hideous devil-worshipper and his raiders were forced to stop all their hostile actions by these horrible happenings.

  The horrible happenings were still on when this image of the god of thunder, on the head of which I sat or crouched, began to shake as if it wanted to fall down. Having seen this, I jumped onto the floor suddenly, with the hope of running to the outside of the shrine and then running away for my life.

  But to my fear, I had hardly jumped down when the hideous devil-worshipper and his followers heard my foot-noise. So without hesitation and mercy, all of them started to scramble to catch me, but all their efforts were in vain because the strange thick smoke did not allow them to see me.

  However, as they had obstructed the entrance of the shrine and as I wanted to force my way out, I started to find another entrance. Unfortunately, as I was staggering about in the shrine which was entirely full up with the thick smoke, I dashed against the hideous devil-worshipper unexpectedly. As he wanted to grip me and tear me to death, I sprang back. And as he failed to grip me, he began to strike every part of the shrine while he was walking slowly here and there blindly, for he could not see the actual spot on which I hid. As he was still staggering here and there, he continued to strike every part of the shrine. And as the thunder was still roaring greatly and the lightnings were flashing down from the sky with thick black smoke continuously, he did not know when he mistakenly struck two of his followers to death with his heavy cudgel of iron.

  As soon as he had mistakenly struck two of his followers to death, he mistakenly struck the image with the same cudgel of iron as well. But he had hardly struck it when the fire flashed out from it, and at the same time the roof of the shrine and other parts of it caught fire. And a few sixtieths of a twinkling later, the whole of the shrine began to flare. But when the shrine caught fire, the hideous devil-worshipper and his raiders had left the entrance to the other part of the shrine. I rushed to the outside. But when they heard my foot-noise, they too rushed to the outside of the shrine.