Long ago, there lived a single mother and his son. Because he was made of clay, everyone called him Lobo. When Lobo was old enough to herd cattle, his mother gave him a stern warning before he went on his first assignment.
“You should not take the cows grazing far from home. If it rains when you are out in the wilderness, you’ll die.”
Lobo listened attentively to his mother’s warning and nodded in agreement.
On the first day, Lobo took the animals to pasture and drink nearby. By afternoon, the clouds were getting dark with impending rain. His mother stood in the courtyard, eyes on the path. She started singing:
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only son, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only child, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
When Lobo heard his mother’s voice, he herded the cows home quickly. He led the animals into the kraal, locked it and ran into the house. Shortly after, it began to rain.
The next day, Lobo woke up early. This time, he took the cows a little further away from home. Later in the day, clouds started forming. His mother got worried when she saw the impending rain. She stood at the edge of the courtyard and started singing:
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only son, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only child, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo heard his mother’s voice and set off for home. He walked and ran, walked and ran until he got home. He securely locked the animals in the Kraal and went into the house. His mother warned him again about defying her advice of grazing the animals close to home.
“You shouldn’t take the cows to graze far away. When you see the rain coming, return home immediately. Don’t wait until I call for you. Am I clear?”
“Yes, mother. I’ll do as you’ve said.”
The next morning, Lobo took the cows out again. He went beyond the previous day’s grazing grounds. Later, when his mother noticed that the rains were about to fall, she started singing:
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only son, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only child, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
She sang for a long time but her son was nowhere to be seen. She sang until she started losing her voice. Eventually, Lobo heard his mother’s voice and began running. Because he had taken the animals so far, it took a while before he got home. As soon as he arrived in the courtyard, the rains started falling.
His mother was furious.
“Lobo, why don’t you listen to me? You are very fragile.I If it rains on you, you’ll die. You must not take the cows far from home again.”
“Okay, mother.”
The next day, Lobo let the animals out of the kraal at sunrise. He herded them to an area where pasture was lush, and water was in plenty. It was the furthest he had gone away from home. It was as though his mother hadn’t even warned him at all. By afternoon, the clouds had started gathering in the sky. But as was the norm, Lobo waited until he heard his mother’s voice before he could set off for home..
This time, the sky was so thick with dark clouds. The afternoon light quickly disappeared and was replaced by darkness. One would think it was night already. Even the monkeys on the trees were restless, hopping from one branch to the next to get a firm branch to cling onto.
Lobo’s mother started calling her son:
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only son, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo my one and only child, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
Lobo ye, Lobo, bring the cows home, Lobo
She sang, raising her voice louder with every passing minute. She paced the courtyard, held the back of her head firmly and continued singing. Still, there was no sign of Lobo. The rains started falling in torrents. She kept singing.
Soon, the cows came running into the courtyard. They had traced their way home on their own.
Lobo had been hit by rain thoroughly. Every grain of sand that made up his body was washed away by running water.
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Image by ThreeMilesPerHour from Pixabay
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NOTE: This story speaks to this Acoli proverb: He who ignores counsel will end up with soiled pants at his in-laws. 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.
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Edited by Caroline Ayugi
Journeys Within 