The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town

by Amos Tutuola

  Having done all this, instead of allowing me to go back to the road of the Remote Town and continue my journey from there, they told me with a lovely smile to follow them to the back of their beautiful little house. When we reached there, they showed me a very narow path on which they told me to ride my horse to my town. So immediately they bade me goodbye and waved their hands to me. I started to ride my horse along on this strange path. It was like that I left these two good little fellows and their beautiful little house.

  I Ate from the Soup on the Way

  But to my fear, when I had travelled far away on the strange narrow path from the house of the two little fellows, I looked back, but there was no path at all. It was only thick bush that I saw behind. Now I observed that the more I travelled on, the more this strange path closed up behind. Therefore, this gave me much embarrassment at last.

  Although I was travelling on this path without any danger or difficulties, and without meeting any obstacles such as the churlish wild jungle people, to my surprise I did not see any village or town in order to stop there, to beg the inhabitants to give me something to eat. And to my disappointment, the edible fruits were very scarce in the bushes and wild jungles through which this strange path went. It was like that I continued to ride my horse along with an almost empty stomach, and with the two-headed spear on top of which the two “removable heads” were pierced, my heavy matchet and the rein of my horse on my right hand, while my juju-bag, food-bag etc. were tied on the back of the horse, and the cruse of soup was fastened onto my head.

  When I had travelled for three days without seeing better things to eat than the little dried fruits which sometimes I found on the path, so at this time, my first “mind” advised me to stop and eat from the soup which was in the cruse. But my second “mind” hastily reminded me at this time that the Witch-Herbalist or the Omniscient Mother had warned me that I must not taste nor even smell the soup, but it was for my barren wife to eat the whole of it at a time. So I was greatly shocked when my second “mind” reminded me like that. However, without following the advice of the first “mind”, I did not stop to eat from the soup, but I continued to ride my horse along with hunger.

  But it was a pity to say that when there remained less than two days to reach my town, which I had left for more than six years, I was so weary, tired and hungry for food that I could not ride along any more. And when I began to feel giddiness, I dismounted from my horse. As soon as I dismounted, I put the cruse down, and without following the advice of my second “mind” I removed the lid of the cruse and I ate from the soup to my entire satisfaction. After that I stretched myself on the ground and slept on that spot till the following morning.

  Then as soon as I woke in the morning, I continued my journey with fear because I never knew what would happen to me because I had eaten from the soup.

  I Returned to My Town At Last

  Having travelled very fast for five hundred and forty twinklings, I came to the outskirts of my Rocky Town. Because the strange path was very short, I was confused whether it belonged to the two little fellows. Again, I wondered greatly that as soon as I had travelled to the outskirts of my town, my first “mind” and second “mind” which were my partners and advisers stopped advising me. However, my “memory” continued to help me. Moreover, I thanked my “Supreme Second” greatly immediately I rode to the outskirts for guiding me throughout my journey, though he was totally invisible to me. Then after a while, I rode my horse from the outskirts to the town when it was exactly one-third of the day.

  I continued to ride the horse along in the town with the two-headed spear on top of which the two “removable heads” were pierced. And I held the spear above my head, the cruse of the soup was fastened on my head, my juju-bag, food-bag and bow and poisoned arrows were on my left shoulder. And my heavy matchet was on my right hand with the rein of the horse. And also I was with but rags on my body. The people of the town saw me and they were following me with great wonder and fear as I was riding the horse to my father’s house. All of them were following me with panic as they were greeting me repeatedly and loudly: “Ha! welcome! welcome! You return to us again like a hero!”

  When there remained about two hundred metres to reach my father’s house, he and my mother and my wife heard the noises which these people were making as if they were in great panic. So the three of them ran with fear to the front of the house just to see what was happening in the town. But they were exceedingly happy when they saw me in front of the crowd of people. And without hesitation, the three of them ran to me and they embraced me with happiness until I rode the horse to the front of the house.

  As soon as I rode to the front of the house, I dismounted, I bowed for the people, my father, mother and my wife. Then I pegged the spear on the ground in front of the house, while the “removable heads” on top of it faced the crowd of people terribly. Having pegged it on the ground, I fastened the horse to it. Then I greeted these people again with great laughter, and then I walked into the house with the rest of my belongings.

  When I walked into the house joyfully, I walked direct to the room of my barren wife and I put all these things there. But I had hardly done so when my father and mother told me to follow them to the shrine of their gods. And I followed them without sitting down, because as it was forbidden for me to sit again when we returned from the shrine the day that I was leaving for the Remote Town, so it was forbidden for me to sit without going back to the shrine and thanking the gods first when I returned. So when all of us together with the crowd of people came to the shrine which was at the bank of the river near the “god of the state”, only my father, mother, wife and I entered the shrine, while the crowd of people stood at the outside. Then my father and mother asked me to kneel down before their gods. When I did so, they sacrificed one cock, one hen, kola-nuts and drinks to the gods and they thanked the gods for letting me return to them safely. They also thanked my “Supreme Second” greatly for guiding me throughout my journey.

  When all of us had danced in front of the gods for a few twinklings, then we returned to the house, but the other people returned to their own houses. As soon as we returned to the house, and in the presence of my father and mother, I told my wife to eat the remaining soup which was inside the cruse. Having eaten it, I told her that the Witch-Herbalist or the Omniscient Mother of the Remote Town told me that she would conceive unfailingly within two months eating it. So she was very happy when I told her that. Having eaten this wonderful soup, she and my mother gave me food and I ate it immediately to my satisfaction.

  Then when it was about the sixth hour of the evening, the people of the town gathered in front of my father’s house. Many of them sat in circles and so many stood round the last outward circle. Then merriment began as soon as my father, mother and my wife supplied them with all kinds of drinks. After a while, they began to beat the drums, sing loudly and dance. Having done so till midnight, they told me to tell them the story of my journey to the Remote Town. So I stood in the centre of the last inward circle. I told them all my difficulties, etc. before I reached there, and I told them as well how the Witch-Mother was very kind to the people who brought their burdens to her.

  When these people asked from me who were my partners or with whom I went to the Remote Town, I explained to them that my first “mind”, second “mind”, my “memory” and also my “Supreme Second” were my partners and advisers. But they were very surprised when they heard that my first “mind”, second “mind” and my “memory” were my partners and advisers. I told the people further that my “Supreme Second”, who was entirely invisible, was my guard throughout my journey.

  As soon as I had told the people the story of my journey to the end, the people were greatly shocked when they heard the difficulties, etc. which I endured. However, after they had kept quiet with grievance for some twinklings, they continued to beat the drums, sing loudly and dance, as they were drinking the palm-wine and many other kinds of drinks continuously.
And they did so till daybreak. But when it was the seventh hour of the morning, the whole of us danced to every part of the Rocky Town and we danced back to my father’s house again. After that the people went back to their houses. Then my father, mother, wife and I entered the house. It was like that I told the people that I had no fellow-travellers but my first “mind”, second “mind”, my “memory” and also my “Supreme Second” who was my guard. But as I was tired I lay down on my bed and then I slept, as soon as we entered the house. And it was my wife’s father who woke me up when it was the sixth hour of the evening.

  When he woke me up, he thanked me greatly for the hardships, punishments, etc. which I endured on my journey in respect of his daughter who was my wife.

  Then the following day, I started to enjoy the normal life with my people and the people of the town, as well as before I went to the Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town. I continued to kill both small and wild bush animals as before. But the people of the town were much surprised and fearful whenever they raised their heads up and looked at the strange “removable heads” which were on top of the two-headed spear. They were also confused greatly, especially as the two heads seemed as if they wanted to talk to them. They were also afraid to see this spear itself because they knew that it belonged to the devil only. And they were much surprised as to how I managed to take it from the devil. But when I told them how I fought with the hideous devil-worshipper and his followers on my way to the Remote Town, they knew that I was brave and strong indeed, and they knew as well that to go and return safely from the Remote Town was not easy at all.

  Wife and Husband Conceived

  In fact, as the Witch-Herbalist or the Omniscient Mother had told me that my barren wife would conceive within two months of eating the soup, I was so much surprised that she conceived unfailingly within two months of eating the wonderful soup. But my great sadness again was that I as her husband conceived as well. As the belly of my wife was swelling up every day, it was so my own belly was swelling out as well.

  As I was extremely happy that my wife to whom I had been married for the past fifteen years had conceived at last, it was so I was extremely sad because it was revealed to me now that I had conceived like a woman. I was so sad and embarrassed at this time that I could not sleep by both day and night, but I was thinking only about this my misfortune. When it was five months after my wife had conceived, the people of my town, as they loved me, my father, mother and my wife’s father, were very happy to see my wife in this state. But they were confused at the same time when they saw my own belly which had swelled out like that of my wife.

  At first they thought that it was sickness which had caused my belly to swell out. But as for myself, I knew quite well that it was pregnancy for I had eaten from the soup which had made my wife pregnant. Although the Witch-Herbalist, her Covenanter, noble men and women and her paramount chiefs had warned me seriously not to eat from that wonderful soup, nor even to smell it at all, alas! hunger and giddiness forced me to eat from it on my way returning to my town.

  But when it was the seventh month that my wife and I had conceived together, the whole people of the town, my father, mother and my wife’s father knew very well that my belly which had swelled out was pregnancy and not sickness. Now my father, mother, my wife and her father became sad, while the rest of the people in the town began to make mockery of me, though they loved me. They were saying with laughter: “This is the first time we see that the wife and her husband have conceived together! But we shall wait and see how the husband will deliver his own pregnancy.”

  Now, at this stage, I could not go out any more because I was ashamed of my pregnancy. But when it was the eighth month since my wife and I had conceived, my belly had swelled out so much that it nearly touched the ground. I could not go to the bush and jungle to hunt as before. Even it was very hard for me at this time to stand up from the seat and walk to a short distance.

  Having seen that I as a man had conceived like a woman, the whole of the oldest people of the town invited my mother, father, and my wife’s father to the state hall. They told my father who was their chief priest and pagan of the gods, etc. and my wife’s father who was the progenitor, that as it was contrary for a man to conceive like a woman and that it was very bad luck for the other people in the town when a man like my father’s son conceived. These oldest people said further that in order to bring peace to the town they would sacrifice me and my wife and all of our property to the god of the river within a few days.

  But when these oldest people told my father, mother and my wife’s father like that, the three of them began to beg from that midnight till daybreak, but the oldest people did not agree at all. All of them insisted that my wife and I together with our property must be sacrificed to the god of the river so that peace might come to the town.

  However, when my father, mother and my wife’s father had failed totally in all their pleadings at the second midnight, then with great anger and sadness they left the oldest people in the hall and they came back to the house before daybreak. So when they returned to the house they told my wife and me with tears that the oldest people were going to sacrifice the two of us to the god of the river because I had conceived like a woman. Having explained to us like that, I simply shrugged with a smile, but my wife began to weep bitterly at the same time. Thus my father, mother and my wife with her father continued to weep bitterly until the day was reached when the oldest people announced round the town that my wife and I together with our property would be sacrificed to the god of the river the following morning so that peace might come to the town.

  But before the day was reached a special big canoe had been made and was put ready at the bank of the river opposite the platform on which the “god of state” stood. Then when the day was reached, it was hardly the seventh hour of the morning when the oldest people came to my father’s house. They knocked at the door heavily and the door had hardly been opened for them by my father when they rushed into the house. Then they packed all my property and my wife’s property as well. After that they told me and my wife to come out. When we did so, they told us that both of us must dance round the town first before we would be sacrificed to the god of the river. Having heard so, with bravery, I took the two-headed spear of the devil on top of which I had pierced the two “removable heads”, I held the spear with the left hand and I put my usual bow and poisoned arrows on the left shoulder and I held my usual heavy matchet with the right hand.

  Then as I held both matchet and the spear in a fearful way, some of them carried the rest of our property while one of them held the rein of my horse. Having done so, the rest of them started to beat the drums and sing the song of the god of the river mournfully. Then they told both of us to dance along their front. It was so both of us began to dance about in the town as my father, mother and my wife’s father, who had become morbid at this time, were following us with tears. After a while uncountable common people gathered and were following us, as they were shouting repeatedly on us as if we were thieves. Though my wife continued to weep bitterly, I continued to smile.

  As soon as we had danced to everywhere in the town, then they led us to the bank of the river when it was about the tenth hour of the morning. Then at the bank of the river they told us to dance round the “god of state” first. Having done that, they first put all our property in the big canoe and also my horse. After that, they put two oars in the canoe. Then they dressed each of us with very costly clothes, they put costly coral beads on our necks, ankles and wrists. After that they made various kinds of terrible ornaments on my face with white and red paint, and they did the same thing on my wife’s face. These ornaments were so hideous that they frightened every kind of living creature. Having done all that for us, then they slaughtered many rams, goats and fowls and they poured their blood on our heads. After this, they put a very huge and ugly cap which had two flaps on my head, while they wound round the head of my wife with a very costly large head-tie.

>   Having done so for both of us before the rest of the people of the town, they cooked all the slaughtered animals. So as they started to eat them the drummers began to beat the drums. Then having eaten the whole animals, they drank the strong drinks to their entire satisfaction. After that they stood up, they began to sing the song of the god of the river as they were deadly intoxicated by the strong drinks. When they had sung and danced for a while, they told both of us to enter the canoe. So willing or not we entered it, as the spear was on my left hand and my matchet on the right hand, while my bow and arrows were on my left shoulder.

  When we entered the canoe, they told me to sit on a high carved chair and they told my wife to sit on another one which was near my own. These carved chairs were not far from my horse and our property. But as they were making this arrangement, I was not afraid at all, I was just smiling to the crowds who crowded the bank of the river and were jeering at us. Although my father, mother, my wife and her father were weeping louder at this time, I assured them that the more I conquered the Crazy Removable-Headed Wild Man, the Abnormal Squatting Man, the Long-Breasted Woman of the Mountain, the Hideous Devil-Worshipper and his followers, etc., when I went to the Remote Town, so it was certain that I would conquer whomsoever I might meet in this my second journey. And I had a strong belief that I would return to the town safely with my wife, though there was none of the people who had been sacrificed to the god of the river who had returned. It was like that I assured my father, mother and my father-in-law this morning.