Dove and Owl met in a forest where birds usually gathered to eat fruits. A friendship was immediately born between them. On some days, when white ants flew out of anthills in the evening, the two friends met to catch the insects.
One day, Dove went to swim in the stream. She found other birds already having fun and joined them. Soon after, Owl also arrived and walked into the water. She admired how the other birds swam in various styles, with so much ease and speed.
“If only my head wasn’t this big and heavy,” Owl thought.
When evening came, the birds started flying home while promising each other another afternoon of swimming. Owl, on the other hand, asked to pay Dove a visit. At the stream, she had noticed that many of the birds had male companions. She needed to strategize on how to get a boyfriend. Owl also didn’t want to return to the stream since she repeatedly lost the swimming races. Plus, all the single male birds had avoided Owl for her wanting swimming skills.
When she arrived at Dove’s home the next afternoon, Owl found her friend stringing waist beads and necklaces. There was a big dance party the following day and Dove was eager to look her best. When she was done with her artwork, Dove prepared white ants and the two ate while chatting and laughing.
“We should go to the dance together,” Owl said.
“Very well, my friend, meet me at my house and we will go to the dance together,” Dove said.
As the sun set over the hill, Dove saw off her friend, both of them excited about the upcoming dance.
“Go well, my friend. See you tomorrow,” Dove said as they parted ways.
***
The next day, Owl arrived when Dove had already adorned herself attractively with a four-layered necklace and beads around her waist. On their way to arena, Owl kept stealing glances at Dove, admiring how her necklace rattled. Dove’s neck moved forward and backward rhythmically as she walked.
Owl was stunned by her friend’s beauty.
“Dove, I want you to be my best friend forever,” Owl said. “I want us to go everywhere together.”
Dove said yes, happy that their friendship was getting even stronger.
On arrival, the arena was teeming with dancers. Dove and Owl quickly joined in. Before long, all the male birds started directing their interest at Dove. Others perched on tree branches to have a clear view of her dance moves. Owl, on the other hand danced for a short time then went and perched on a tree. Her heavy head could not let her dance for long.
The birds danced until the first rooster crowd. Momentarily, Crested Crane beat the drum, signaling the end of the dance. He also announced that the next dance would take place at his home.
Dove and Owl left the arena together. On the way, Owl complimented Dove about her beautiful dance moves.
“All eyes were on you,” Owl said.
Dove was happy.
“The Creator really loves you, that’s why He made you more beautiful than all of us,” Owl said.
Before they parted ways, Owl asked for a big favor from her friend.
“Dove, we have become very close friends. I’m asking that for the next dance party at Crested Crane’s place, please let’s exchange our heads. I will wear your head, and you, mine. I also want boys to notice me so that I can eventually get a handsome partner.”
Dove accepted her friend’s request.
That evening, Owl returned to visit Dove. They chatted about the previous day’s dance party as they ate honey, accompanied by fried, salted simsim. After sometime, Owl brought up the issue of the head again. “Dove, may I try your head and see how it looks on me?”
Dove took her head and gave it to Owl and her friend did the same. They started dancing to see how each looked with the other’s head. Each one was expected to say how their heads looked on the other. However, Owl knew beforehand that her head is big and ugly and Dove would not like it. They swapped back their heads shortly after.
***
It was time for another dance party. Owl arrived at Dove’s home as agreed. Before they left for Crested Crane’s place, Owl asked: “Dove, let’s exchange our heads as we agreed.”
Dove removed her head and gave it to her friend. Owl did the same. On arrival at the arena, hundreds of birds were already enjoying themselves. When the two friends started dancing, all the male birds turned to admire Owl with her borrowed head. Others stood at vantage points to have a good look at Owl.
Dove, on the other hand, was being dodged by the boys. She was exhausted under the weight of Owl’s head and could not dance any longer. She started calling Owl to get back her head. However, Owl kept darting from one corner of the arena to another without stopping to listen to her friend. Dove’s head was so light and gave Owl the opportunity to dance with so much agility. She didn’t want it to change.
When Dove saw that her attempts to get back her head were failing, she started singing:
Owl give me back my head
Owl, I said give me back my head
Owl give me back my head
One more minute, I am still dancing
Two more minutes, I am still, dancing
Three more minutes, I am still dancing
Owl give me back my head
Owl, I said give me back my head
Owl give me back my head
One more minute, I am still dancing
Two more minutes, I am still, dancing
Three more minutes, I am still dancing
Four more minutes, I am still dancing
Owl flew and perched on a tall tree, followed by boys who continued showering her with praise.
Dove was crying with the pain of carrying Owl’s head. She walked towards the drum. The drum was beaten loudly and all the birds stopped dancing. The birds turned and waited, thinking that Dove wanted to sing one last song. Instead, they heard a cry for help.
“My fellow birds, help me. I am in unbearable pain. I exchanged my head with my friend, Owl. She wore my head and I did hers. Owl’s head is so heavy I failed to dance. I told her to give me back my head but she refused. If Owl doesn’t return my head now, I am going to die.”
Dove started singing:
Owl give me back my head
Owl, I said give me back my head
Owl give me back my head
Owl sang back and continued dancing with Partridge, ignoring Dove’s pain:
One more minute, I am still dancing
Two more minutes, I am still, dancing
Three more minutes, I am still dancing
The rest of the birds started speaking among themselves, searching for a solution to the stalemate. “What shall we do to help Dove? Owl must return Dove’s head now,” Crow said.
They called Crested Crane who had organized the dance and asked him to intervene. Created Crane stood next to Owl and ordered her to return Dove’s head. Owl responded: “One more minute, I am still dancing.”
As time went by, Dove fell to the ground. The head was too heavy she couldn’t stand. The sadness on Dove’s face as she sang drew more sympathy. But even when Dove eventually lost her voice from crying too much, Owl didn’t take pity on her.
Eventually, Falcon flew very high and positioned herself above Owl who was dancing with Partridge. She swooped down and snatched Dove’s head from Owl and took it back to the rightful owner. Dove was so relieved she danced in celebration. She was beautiful again.
Falcon cautioned Dove and Owl to carry their own head, saying it is not something to be toyed with. In celebration, Dove danced until sunrise.
On that day, the friendship between Dove and Owl broke beyond repair. To date, whenever Dove sees Owl, she flies away immediately. When Owl finds Dove’s eggs, she eats all of them out of spite.
***
NOTE: The Ododo Series is a project launched in April 2020 to translate, document and share Acoli folktales in English. These folktales were narrated to children by (grand) mothers in a fireplace setting in homesteads of the Acoli of Northern Uganda and elsewhere. Care has been taken to stick to the story-line as originally told in the Acoli language, but small variations are inevitable.
***
Written by Caroline Ayugi
Journeys Within 