Lightning Elopes with Black Ant’s Daughter

Trouble broke in a once-peaceful village when Lightning eloped with Black Ant’s daughter. Black Ant was heartbroken. He didn’t know what to do to get back his daughter.

One day, he called all the animals for a meeting. He asked them to share ideas on how to reclaim his daughter from the mighty Lightning.

“My brothers, Lightning disappeared with my daughter. I’m here seeking your wisdom on how to bring her home,” he said.

“If that is the only reason you called us here then don’t worry. That is a small issue to solve,” the animals said.

“Whoever among you can bring my daughter home will receive half the cattle I own,” Black Ant said.

When Hare heard the offer of cows, he ran out of the meeting and returned dressed in war regalia— a shield and spear in his hands, and ankle jingles on both legs.

The animals laughed at the spectacle and rejected Hare’s self-appointment. They instead nominated Buffalo for the task owing to his size and strength. Hare protested Buffalo’s selection and insisted that he was up to the task of confronting Lightning. The animals grudgingly relented.

Hare set off immediately, charging and retreating along the way like he was confronting an actual enemy. He sang.

Lightning, Lightning, kirikijing

Black Ant sent me, kirikijing

What for, kirikijing?

To get back his daughter, kirikijing.

If you can’t give his daughter back, then give him cows, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cows, kirikijing, then give him goats, kirikijing

If you can’t afford goats, kirikijing, then give him cowries, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cowries, then give his daughter back, kirikijing

Loud thunder broke in the sky. Hare ducked and hid behind a tree. A few minutes later, he continued towards Lightning’s home while singing:

Lightning, Lightning, kirikijing

Black Ant sent me, kirikijing

What for, kirikijing?

To get back his daughter, kirikijing.

If you can’t give his daughter back, then give him cows, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cows, kirikijing, then give him goats, kirikijing

If you can’t afford goats, kirikijing, then give him cowries, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cowries, then give his daughter back, kirikijing

This time, bright lightning lit the sky. Hare hid, his ears folded in fear but only for a few seconds. Soon, he was up, and on his way again:

Lightning, Lightning, kirikijing

Black Ant sent me, kirikijing

What for, kirikijing?

To get back his daughter, kirikijing.

If you can’t give his daughter back, then give him cows, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cows, kirikijing, then give him goats, kirikijing

If you can’t afford goats, kirikijing, then give him cowries, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cowries, then give his daughter back, kirikijing

For the third time, there was bright lightning and thunder in quick succession. The ground shook and Hare took off, leaving behind his shield and spear. He reported back to the rest of the animals.

“The mission is impossible. Lightning is indescribably dangerous,” he said, panting.

The animals taunted him. “Didn’t we tell you that you wouldn’t manage?”

Eventually, the animals chose Buffalo for the task. He set off and sang along the way:

Lightning, Lightning, kirikijing

Black Ant sent me, kirikijing

What for, kirikijing?

To get back his daughter, kirikijing.

If you can’t give his daughter back, then give him cows, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cows, kirikijing, then give him goats, kirikijing

If you can’t afford goats, kirikijing, then give him cowries, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cowries, then give his daughter back, kirikijing

Lightning roared once. Buffalo span and fell with a thud. He got up and fled and didn’t bother to report back to the other animals. When they waited for him in vain, the animals dispatched Elephant.

“I’ll bring back Black Ant’s daughter.  I’m not afraid of anything. I don’t even need a shield and spear because I’m big. I will return with both Lightning and the girl here. Wait and see.”

The animals looked confident in him. Elephant set off, singing:

Lightning, Lightning, kirikijing

Black Ant sent me, kirikijing

What for, kirikijing?

To get back his daughter, kirikijing.

If you can’t give his daughter back, then give him cows, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cows, kirikijing, then give him goats, kirikijing

If you can’t afford goats, kirikijing, then give him cowries, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cowries, then give his daughter back, kirikijing

Lightning lit the sky with a brief sharp spark and Elephant ducked, knocking down a tree in the process. He ran back to the other animals. When they saw him empty handed, they didn’t bother to ask what happened.

When Tortoise saw that none of the big animals and even the witty Hare had managed to bring back Black Ant’s daughter, he offered himself up for the challenge.

“I’ll deliver your daughter home, Black Ant. You’ll see,” he said.

The animals broke out in loud laughter. “You won’t manage, Tortoise. If Buffalo and Elephant failed to confront Lightning, what makes you think you will succeed, you and your small self?”

Hare even laughed loudest. “Tortoise, you shouldn’t even joke about going to confront Lightning. What can you do?” he mocked.

Tortoise listened quietly as each animal mocked and laughed at the absurdity of his decision. When they were done, he picked his walking stick and set off.

“I’m going to bring Black Ant’s daughter home,” he said, calmly before singing:

Lightning, Lightning, kirikijing

Black Ant sent me, kirikijing

What for, kirikijing?

To get back his daughter, kirikijing.

If you can’t give his daughter back, then give him cows, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cows, kirikijing, then give him goats, kirikijing

If you can’t afford goats, kirikijing, then give him cowries, kirikijing

If you can’t afford cowries, then give his daughter back, kirikijing

The sky roared with thunder. Tortoise ignored it and continued walking and singing like he was deaf. It thundered again, louder this time, but Tortoise had already arrived at the entrance to Lightning’s home. He entered the house, found Black Ant’s daughter and led her to her father.

All the animals were excited when they saw Tortoise returning with the girl. Black Ant picked one cow, slaughtered it for all the animals to eat since they had all tried to rescue his daughter. Later, he shared his stock of cattle equally with Tortoise.

***

Image by Comfreak from Pixabay 

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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. After 10 folktales, we now take a break to regroup. Stay tuned. 

***

Edited by Caroline Ayugi

 

 

 

 

A mother and his clay son

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.

***

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.

***

Edited by Caroline Ayugi

Okeny’s Mother and the Ugly Dog

Okeny’s mother and the ugly bitch

Long ago, a small hilly village gained fame for its girls. Tall. Beautiful. White teeth. Thick black hair. Five of the girls were close friends and went everywhere together. Ayaa was the most beautiful of them all.

Everywhere the girls went, people commented that Ayaa was the most beautiful. The more the praise poured, the more envious the girls became of Ayaa. They plotted to make Ayaa non-human.

One day, as the girls took a walk around the village, they turned Ayaa into a walking stick. After a short walk, they met a group of boys.

“Who is the most beautiful of us all?” the girls asked.

“You are all beautiful but that walking stick is more beautiful,” the boys said.

This did not sit well with the girls.

The girls then turned Ayaa into a head pad. They continued their journey. Shortly, the girls met three men.

“Who among us is the most beautiful girl?” they asked.

“You are all beautiful but that head pad is more beautiful,” the men said.

The girls were speechless.

They decided to turn Ayaa into a very ugly dog. They hoped anyone who saw the dog would despise it since it was an ugly animal. On the way, they saw four women seated in a courtyard. Each of them had their eyes set on the village path, waiting to book beautiful girls for their sons as wives. When the women saw the girls, they ran and each of them held the hand of the girl they thought suitable for their son. One of the women, whose son was called Okeny, arrived shortly after her colleagues had booked all the girls. Only the dog was unclaimed.

She said: “Let me take this dog to my home even if it’s ugly. I’ll serve it any leftover food instead of throwing it away.”

When Okeny got home that day, he learned that all the women had got beautiful girls for their sons, except his mother. He was angry and heartbroken that all his mother brought home was a dog. His mother explained that she arrived a little too late when all the girls were already claimed. Still, Okeny was inconsolable.

Early the next day, people in the village went to their farms. Okeny and his mother left Aputa and the dog home. Aputa was crippled and couldn’t engage in farm work. As soon as everyone was gone, the dog slipped out of its skin and became the beautiful Ayaa again. She started doing house chores immediately. Aya began by sweeping the house, then she went to the stream to fetch water. Later, Ayaa picked dry millet fingers from the granary, pounded and winnowed it. She ground the millet into flour. Next, Ayaa prepared sauce and mingled millet bread. She served some food and ate together with Aputa. Ayaa also put aside food for Okeny and his mother. She covered it with calabashes. She warned Aputa not to tell anyone that she was human. Aputa agreed. She wore back her dog skin and lay on the veranda.

Okeny and his mother finished farm work late in the afternoon. On their way home, Okeny’s mother kept lamenting how tired she was. “I’m exhausted. Who will fetch water from the stream for me today? There’s also food to be prepared. Unlike me, my fellow women have their daughters-in-law to quickly prepare food for the family.”

When they arrived home, Okeny’s mother noticed that the house was clean, all pots were filled with water and food was ready for them to eat. She was incredibly happy and showered Aputa with praise for his hard work.

“Aputa, you have just proved that you can take care of the home and do all domestic chores,” she said.

Aputa smiled but said nothing.

They took a bath and went to bed.

The next day, everyone went to the farm again. When the dog was sure it was alone with Aputa, it peeled off its skin and Ayaa emerged. She went through the same routine as she did the previous day. When Okeny’s mother got home from the farm, she found food had been served. Water pots were full, the house and courtyard swept clean. She thanked Aputa for the great work. This continued for another two days.

Aputa kept Ayaa’s secret until he couldn’t anymore.

“You see that dog over there? It’s human,” he whispered to Okeny’s mother one day. “Whenever you two go to the farm, the dog turns into a beautiful girl; beautiful than all the girls in this village.”

Okeny’s mother was in shock.

Aputa continued: “If you want to confirm my words, tomorrow, Okeny should hide on the tree and watch everything that will happen here.”

Okeny and his mother thought about all the housework and admitted that Aputa couldn’t have performed those tasks owing to his physical disabilities.

The next morning, everyone went to the farm as usual. Okeny and his mother also set off to the farm but along the way, Okeny stopped and climbed the tree on the edge of the homestead. He waited. When the dog was sure everyone had left, it took off its skin and became Ayaa, the beautiful one. She did all the house chores and served Aputa food. Thereafter, Ayaa picked a pot and headed to the stream. Okeny watched quietly as she walked past the tree. Once Ayaa had disappeared down the valley, Okeny climbed down, ran back home, picked the dog’s skin and burned it. When Ayaa finished fetching water, she served food for Okeny and his mother and covered it nicely. When she went to pick her skin, it was gone. Ayaa started crying. Okeny, who had hidden on the wood rack in the house now jumped down. He held Ayaa as she cried and pleaded to be allowed to wear her dog skin.

Okeny was swept away by Ayaa’s beauty. He was excited that a beautiful girl had been hiding behind a dog’s skin all along. He thanked his mother for bringing it home even when he didn’t want it.

Okeny and Ayaa fell in love, got married and became the most enviable couple in the village.

***

Photo Credit: Pixabay

***

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.

***

Edited by Caroline Ayugi

 

 

 

 

 

Dove and Owl fight over heads

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

Kite & Falcon fight over baby

Kite and Falcon were once great friends. They got married during the same period and their wives conceived and gave birth on the same day. Falcon’s baby was very beautiful and healthy. Kite’s on the other hand, was frail and ugly.

The babies’ looks soon became a thorn in the friendship of the two birds. Kite got envious every time he visited and saw Falcon’s baby.

One day, Kite sneaked into his Falcon’s home and stole the baby. When Falcon got home from hunting and his wife from the stream, they found Kite’s ugly baby instead, asleep in their house.

Will the chief cut the child in two or find the rightful parent?

Falcon set off, pursuing Kite. He came across a group of men clearing a farm and asked if they’d seen Kite with a beautiful baby.

He sang:

Farmers, farmers, farmers tilo

Have you seen Kite, tilo?

What did he do, tilo?

He snatched my baby, tilo.

He left his ugly one behind, tilo.

I hit it on the ground but it won’t die, tilo.

I hit it again, it wouldn’t die.

The stupid, stupid, stupid baby won’t die

Its head is shaky shaky but it won’t die.

The farmers repeatedly said that they hadn’t seen Kite. Falcon continued with his pursuit and came across women weeding their millet and he asked them for help. They too had no clue about Kite’s whereabouts. Falcon then walked into an arena where people were dancing. The dancers paused when they heard him sing:

Dancers, dancers, dancers, tilo

Have you seen Kite, tilo?

What did he do, tilo?

He snatched my baby, tilo.

He left his ugly one behind, tilo.

I hit it on the ground but it won’t die, tilo.

I hit it again, it wouldn’t die.

The stupid, stupid, stupid baby won’t die

Its head is shaky shaky, it won’t die.

After getting another disappointing answer, Falcon continued on his journey until he arrived at the chief’s palace. He presented his grievance to the chief and a meeting was called. The chief gave each of the birds three pots with one challenge.

“Cry until your tears fill all the pots.”

Falcon went first:

Farmers, farmers, farmers, tilo

Have you seen Kite, tilo?

What did he do, tilo?

He snatched my baby, tilo.

He left his ugly one behind, tilo.

I hit it on the ground but it won’t die, tilo.

I hit it again, it wouldn’t die.

The stupid, stupid, stupid baby won’t die

Its head is shaky shaky, it won’t die.

His tears filled one pot. He stopped and gave way for Kite. He sang while crying:

Kok kok kiliro kok

Kok kok kiliro kok

Kok kok kiliro kok

No single tear dropped in the first pot. Falcon took over again and sang. His tears filled the second pot. When Kite stepped in front of the second pot, he even cried louder but no tear drop left his eyes.

In the end, there were three pots filled with Falcon’s tears. The chief declared that the beautiful baby belonged to Falcon.

“Only a true parent can shed tears for their lost child,” the ruled.

From that day, Kite and Falcon became sworn enemies.

*****

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.

***

Edited by Caroline Ayugi

Hare and Bread in fighting match

It was cool and bright that morning, many years ago. Hare was strolling along the village path when he saw Bread in the distant hill. Bread was pulling a goat by a sisal rope tied loosely around its neck. In his right hand, was a short, thick walking stick.

As soon as Hare saw Bread, his mouth filled up with saliva. He wanted to eat Bread as soon as he could lay hands on him. He picked up the pace and was soon walking next to Bread.

“Where are you going, Bread?” he asked, a wide smile on his face.

“I’m delivering this goat to my mother-in-law.”

Hare’s craving for Bread kept growing by the minute. He jumped and grabbed Bread, opening his mouth wide to take a bite. But Bread was too strong for his attacker. He hit Hare with the walking stick, sending him running.

Hare sang as he fled:

Bread is yummy, yummy, yummy

Sweet bread deserves to be eaten

Even children eat Bread

Sweet Bread deserves to be eaten

He only stopped running when he met Bushbuck. Hare begged his new ally to help him wrestle Bread. “If you kill him, you can have the goat,” he offered.

Bushbuck agreed. They walked quickly and caught up with Bread. Hare stood away from the two, watching and swallowing thick saliva.

“Where are you headed this early morning, Bread?” Bushbuck asked, faking friendliness.

“I’m going to visit my mother-in-law.”

Hare’s body began shaking with excitement, certain that Bushbuck would soon make his dream come true. He broke out in song:

Bread is yummy, yummy, yummy

Sweet bread deserves to be eaten

Even children eat Bread

Sweet Bread deserves to be eaten

Hare had earlier ignored Tortoise, saying he was small, slow and ugly. But having run out of options, he approached Tortoise for help.

Bushbuck suddenly grabbed Bread and began fighting him. Bread held his walking stick tight and whipped Bushbuck’s on the stomach just once and he ran off, wailing. Hare also took off but continued to look for other animals to help him kill Bread. He tried Hartebeest, Buffalo and Waterbuck but each time, Bread beat them until they cried and fled.

Hare had earlier ignored Tortoise, saying he was small, slow and ugly. But having run out of options, he approached Tortoise for help. “If you kill Bread then the goat he is taking to his mother-in-law will be yours,” he said. “I will only take Bread whom I’m dying to eat.”

Tortoise agreed. They hurried after Bread and caught up with him sloping down the hill.

“Bread, where you going?” Tortoise asked.

“I’m going to visit my mother-in-law.”

By the time Bread was uttering the last word, Tortoise was already pouncing on him. They fought for a long time. Tortoise kept hiding his head under his shell every time Bread raised his stick to strike. Bread got exhausted and Tortoise eventually killed him. Hare picked Bread and hurriedly ate every piece of him.

Tortoise took his goat by the rope and started leading it home. Hare thought he looked so small besides such a big goat. He ran after Tortoise and started fighting him. He carried Tortoise and threatened to throw him into a raging fire.

“If you throw me into the fire, you would have taken me right home,” Tortoise said.

“In that case, I’ll throw you into the river.”

“If you throw me into the water, you would have killed me,” Tortoise said.

Hare threw Tortoise into the river and his body sank. He swam under water and emerged with a huge fish in his hands.

“Look at what l got!” he said, holding the fish high up for Hare to see. His body began trembling again, craving for the big catch.

“Please give me that fish,” Hare begged.

“If you want it, come closer.”

Hare walked cautiously towards Tortoise until his feet touched the water. Just then, Tortoise grabbed Hare and dragged him in. Hare drowned.

Tortoise got out of the water and took his goat home.

END

***

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.

***

Edited by Caroline Ayugi

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl Who Killed her Father’s Rooster

There once lived a wealthy farmer called Otit. He had ten girls and a wife called Layado. Otit reared dozens of chickens but prohibited his family from eating any. He cultivated a garden of sorghum solely for feeding the birds and built beautiful coops for them to sleep in.

Whenever he returned from the garden, the first thing Otit did was to call the chickens. They flocked around him. He fed them and gave them water to drink. The chickens never left his side whenever Otit was home. They were his friends.

Otit’s favorite was a big rooster that he fondly called Kilero. He loved the rooster so much that he made a separate eating spot for it. Otit couldn’t go to bed unless he had seen and fed Kilero.

***

Otit lined up his children along the river bank at sunrise. Each of them was supposed to take an oath: “I didn’t kill Kilero. If I’m telling a lie, may water return to this river and drown me.”

***

One day, Otit and Layado went to the farm, leaving their daughters threshing millet in the courtyard. When Kilero saw millet grains, it ran to eat. Accidentally, one of the girls called Apiny, hit Kilero with her threshing stick.

Otit’s favorite rooster dropped dead.

The girls dug a small hole and buried Kilero.

When Otit returned from the garden, he called the chickens and they gathered around him. As usual, he fed and gave them water. After a while, Otit noticed that Kilero was missing.

He called Kilero’s name in vain.

In the evening, as the family prepared to sit around the fireplace for a meal and folktales, Otit took his wife aside to inquire about Kilero. “Layado, today I came back from the garden but didn’t see Kilero. I thought it had wandered away from home but even when I called, it did not return. Later, I thought it could have been eaten by a predator, but even when I looked around the home, I did not see any feathers.”

“You should ask the girls. If any of them knows the whereabouts of Kilero, they should say so,” Layado said.

Otit reminisced how Kilero protected the other chickens from danger. “Kilero used to scare away any prey that came lurking, including kites and eagles that targeted the chicks.”

When the family finished having a meal, Otit asked why Kilero was nowhere to be seen. “Why didn’t it come to eat today like it does every day?”

The girls answered in chorus: “We don’t know where Kilero is.”

But Otit insisted: “Show me where my rooster is. Kilero never goes anywhere.”

When the girls stuck to their response, Otit said they should wake up early the next morning for a trip to Lamin Olel, a river that dried up long ago.

“I’ll take all of you to the river to swear an oath of innocence,” Otit said.

“Father, it is okay, take us,” the girls responded.

Apiny remained quiet, her body shaking with guilt and fear.

***

Otit lined up his children along the river bank at sunrise. Each of them was supposed to take an oath: “I didn’t kill Kilero. If I’m telling a lie, may water return to this river and drown me.”

The first girl stepped into the river and started dancing and singing:

 Who killed father’s rooster called kilero?

Who killed father’s rooster called kilero?

At sunrise, Kilero, at sunrise, Kilero

She danced for a long time but only a cloud of dust rose. She stopped when her father declared her innocent. The second girl repeated the oath, stepped into the river and began dancing. She sang:

Who killed father’s rooster called kilero?

Who killed father’s rooster called kilero?

At sunrise, Kilero, at sunrise, Kilero

She danced but only dust rose. This happened to all the girls until it was Apiny’s turn. She took the oath slowly, her voice shaking. As she stepped into the river, her body trembled. Eventually, Apiny gathered courage and began dancing as she sang:

Who killed father’s rooster called kilero?

Who killed father’s rooster called kilero?

At sunrise, Kilero, at sunrise, Kilero

The spot where Apiny was dancing started getting damp. Dust settled and the area soon turned muddy. Apiny continued dancing and singing, tears flowing down her cheeks.  The water level started rising and covered her ankles, then her knees and her waist. Apiny sobbed. Her voice rose even higher when the water level reached her neck.

Eventually, Apiny drowned.

Otit said since his daughter killed his rooster and refused to confess, she deserved to die. He cut the branch of an Acacia and placed it on the water, at the spot where Apiny’s head disappeared.

As Otit subjected his children to the test, a young man was seated on a nearby tree, watching in silence. As soon as the girls and their father left, the young man climbed down. He removed the thorny branch from the water and dived in.

He soon emerged with Apiny in his arms, her stomach filled with water. He resuscitated her and took her to his home. He took care of Apiny and later married her. Apiny and her husband embarked on farming. For years, their crops yielded bumper harvests. They filled their granaries will a variety of foodstuff.

***

When famine struck the land, several households struggled to get what to eat. Only Apiny and her husband had foodstuff in plenty. Soon, word reached Otit that her daughter was alive after all and enjoying a life of plenty with her husband. Otit was filled with both guilt and joy at the news. As famine continued to ravage his family, Otit decided to go visit Apiny.

“My daughter won’t refuse to give me food. I’m still her father. I won’t die of hunger here,” he said as he set off on the journey.

Apiny was excited to see her father. She welcomed him warmly, cooked for him and attended to him for all the days he stayed at her home. Several days later, Otit said: “My daughter, you have taken very good care of me but I have to go back home now.”

“That’s okay, father. It was great having you here.”

Apiny picked a big reed basket to pack foodstuff for her father. She poured dry millet fingers at the bottom of the basket. On top of the millet, she placed several hot coals. She added another layer of millet and handed the basket to her father.

“Please deliver my regards to my sisters,” Apiny said as she placed the basket on her father’s head.

Otit was overwhelmed with joy at that fact his daughter was alive and doing well. She had even forgiven him. Along the way, the millet started catching fire but the big head pad on which the basket rested, shielded Otit’s head from the heat.

The first man who walked past Otit warned him about the smoke billowing on his head. “Mzee, there is fire in your luggage.”

“I know you have seen the millet my daughter gave me and you are indirectly asking for some,” Otit retorted as he balanced the basket proudly on his head.

Soon Otit met a woman. “Ah! Old man, there’s fire in the luggage on your head,” she said.

“Liar! I know you have seen the millet my daughter gave me and you want me to give you some,” Otit said.

By the time Otit reached his doorstep, fire had spread all over the millet. As he lifted the luggage off his head, the basket caved in and its contents poured on him.

Flames engulfed him. Otit burned to death.

When she heard about her father’s death, Apiny was unmoved. “Back then, he wanted me dead; why did he come looking for me?”

END

***

From this folktale, comes the proverbs: A greedy person ends up eating poison and a stingy man’s rooster has become mere tendon (meaning, miserliness can make one lose their most prized possession)

***

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

Okeny and the Grasshopper

Face to face with loss & a special kind of resurrection 

There once lived a young man called Okeny. All his six sisters had been married off, leaving Okeny with only his parents. Occasionally, he showed interest in some girls but Okeny had no desire in a long-term relationship.

One morning, Okeny’s mother went to the garden. She spent hours weeding her food crops until late afternoon. Before she left for home, she harvested green leafy vegetables and caught two grasshoppers. At home, she placed the vegetables in the sun to dry. As soon as Okeny saw the grasshoppers, he picked them, roasted and ate them. His mother, after realizing what his son had done, demanded for the insects back.

“Okeny, you don’t provide me any kind of help here but had the guts to eat my grasshoppers!” she complained. “I’m fed up with you. You should get married so that your wife can help me around the house. I’m dying of fatigue, cooking food for you every day. I want my grasshoppers back.”

Everyone tried to convince Okeny’s mother to forgive her son for eating the insects without her permission but she wouldn’t relent. For several days, she kept asking her son for the insects. Okeny went into the bushes and caught grasshoppers but on all the three attempts, she refused them. His mother insisted she wanted the very ones that Okeny ate.

***

The rescue team split into two groups. One group carried Okeny and set off with him to his aunt’s home…Despite his aunt’s care, Okeny died a few days later…

One day, Okeny came up with a plan: “Mother, since you have refused the grasshoppers I have brought for you, I will bring you a special gift,” he said.

He went into the house, picked his spears and shield and left for the jungle. He walked for a long time, hunting for animals. Eventually, Okeny came upon a herd of buffalos. He spotted the biggest one and aimed his spear at it. The buffalo wrestled Okeny before it dropped dead.

With a big wound in his chest, Okeny crawled until he reached a shade, sat and leaned against the tree trunk. For two days, he endured immense pain from his bleeding wound. Okeny got worried that he would die. Then, a thought occurred to him that a bird could actually deliver a message home.

He started calling different kinds of birds to see if any could sing and become his messenger. First, came the Babbler. It sang: I drop everything down, I drop everything down. The song made no sense. Okeny called the Dove: kuri ki dudu, kuri ki dudu. Next came the Owl and it sang utu tu tu, utu tu tu. The Woodpecker also came by: tel tel tel tel. Okeny was frustrated. He had called all the birds he knew and none of them could compose a song about his pain. Eventually, a special bird flew by and began singing:

Rititi rititi Okeny is a good man

Rititi rititi Okeny is a good man

The death that killed Okeny

is death from a wild animal

Rititi rititi all because of a grasshopper

Okeny was excited.

“You are the bird I have been looking for. Please fly to the homestead where people are dancing. Once there, sing the exact song you just sang to me.”

The bird flew and before long, it arrived at an arena filled with people. It sat on the drum anchor and began singing. When Okeny’s nephew heard the bird sing, he stopped, turned and saw it. He called for silence.

“Stop beating the drum,” he ordered. The bird continued singing:

Rititi rititi Okeny is a good man

Rititi rititi Okeny is a good man

The death that killed Okeny

is death from a wild animal

Rititi rititi all because of a grasshopper

When everyone heard the bird, they stopped dancing. Majority broke out in wails and started running to their homes, thinking that the bird had delivered a death announcement.

A few others picked up spears and set off for the jungle. The bird led the way, singing and hopping from one tree to the next until they saw Okeny slumped against the tree trunk. His pulse was weak and was close to losing consciousness. When Okeny saw his people, he made a wish: “Don’t take me back to my parents. I want to go live with my aunt.”

The rescue team split into two groups. One group carried Okeny and set off with him to his aunt’s home. The second group began slaughtering the slain buffalo before carrying the meat home.

Despite his aunt’s care, Okeny died a few days later.

***

Okeny was buried in his aunt’s courtyard. According to custom, a mound of sand, encircled by stones, was piled on his grave. Months later, grass started growing on Okeny’s grave, followed by African Spider Herb—the popular Akeyo vegetables. Okeny’s aunt was happy when she saw her favorite vegetables.

“Let me harvest these Akeyo from my son’s grave and cook it,” she said.

She plucked the greens, spread them on the sun and later cut them into small bits. Once she had washed them, she put the greens in a pot. However, when she poured water onto the greens, the water immediately turned bloody. She left the greens on the hearth to cook anyway, and continued with other chores. When she returned later to check the food, even the green vegetables had turned red. She carried the pot off the hearth and placed it in a corner. The next day, the bloody soup had clotted. She covered the pot and left it for two more days. On checking, the food had turned into a fetus. It kept growing and growing until it was a young man.

Okeny had come back to life.

***

Okeny began asking his aunt about all the people he once knew. “How is so and so?” His aunt would give him all the updates. After some days, Okeny asked his aunt to invite his best friend home. His aunt obliged but Okeny’s friend was hesitant.

“Why are you inviting me to your home? Don’t you know that seeing Okeny’s grave will make me start grieving him afresh?”

The aunt tried all possible ways to convince Okeny’s friend to say yes. Eventually, he grudgingly accepted. When he entered the house, Okeny emerged from the inner room. His friend couldn’t believe his eyes. But once his initial shock had faded, the two reunited with a long embrace. There was so much joy and laughter. His friend stayed with Okeny for a few days.

“Is the girl I used to like still unmarried?” Okeny asked one day.

“Very much so,” his friend said.

Okeny asked his friend to convince the girl to come and see him. But when she was told about going to the home of Okeny’s aunt, she said no. “I cannot come with you. If I see Okeny’s grave, my heart will break all over again.”

With time, Okeny’s friend convinced the girl. When she saw Okeny, she nearly lost her mind. But once she had accepted that Okeny was truly alive, she cut the cloth she had tied around her waist and head as she mourned him. She took a long shower and dressed up nicely. The joy of knowing that the man she loved was back, overwhelmed her.

***

Okeny and his friend brainstormed about the next step to take. After days of deliberation, they decided to organize a dance ceremony. They sent invitations far and wide. When the day arrived, Okeny and his friend wore similar attire—a big head gear made of long white feathers. They each held a spear and on their arms, armlets shone and rattled.

They waited until the arena was full before coming out of the house. Everyone who saw Okeny froze in shock. The dance came to a stop, but once realization had sank in, even those who were just standing by, began dancing. Joy was visible on every face. Joy was palpable in every footstep. With his animal gems horn, Okeny sang the song that the special bird delivered for his rescue:

Rititi rititi Okeny is a good man

Rititi rititi Okeny is a good man

The death that killed Okeny

is death from a wild animal

Rititi rititi all because of a grasshopper

News about Okeny’s resurrection travelled quickly across hills. His mother on getting the news ran to the arena. But upon seeing her son, she ran mad. Okeny disowned her, saying he didn’t want anything to do with her.

“Even if I meet her, I will not acknowledge her as my mother,” he said, as his mother was helped back to her home.

Okeny’s father and sisters slaughtered a cow, invited everyone to celebrate his resurrection. Not long after, Okeny got married to the girl who was the first to see him back to life.

***

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.

***

Edited by Caroline Ayugi

 

 

 

 

 

The Hare and his Wife in a Time of Drought

On display: greed, wit and a drive for survival  

Long ago, drought befell the land. The Ogre began eating humans and animals. He would descend on one group of animals, eat them and move onto the next.

The Hare was horrified at how fast animals were getting wiped out. He spent most of the day in hiding worried that soon, it would be his turn to die. When he could not hide anymore, he came up with an idea.

“Min Obuce, let’s go and live with the Ogre,” he told the wife. “He won’t eat us because we shall be working for him. Besides, hunger is ravaging every homestead. At the Ogre’s home, we’ll eat what he eats.”

***

The Hare woke up at cock’s crow. On arrival, he found the Ogre taking porridge. He was gulping it loudly, raaap, raaap, raaap, followed by a joyful moan uuuuuuu!

The Hare’s body trembled kwaaak kwaaak kwaaak as he moved closer to the veranda where the Ogre was seated. The Ogre saw the Hare’s shadow first and immediately shouted:

“Who is that?”

“Uncle, it’s me, the Hare. I have come to ask for a favor; Min Obuce wants to come and cook for you. My children will fetch water and collect firewood for you. You work too hard,” he said, his voice trembling.

“Very well, dear nephew! You should all come, even the children. They will help me exactly like you have explained.” The Ogre said this because he knew that food had come to him on a silver platter.

The Hare relayed the good news to his family: “Very early tomorrow morning, we shall go to live with my uncle, the Ogre. He won’t eat us.”

***

The sun was still mild when the family arrived at their new home, but the Ogre had already gone hunting. The homestead was built in the middle of a dense forest with trees such as the African Mahogany (Beyo), the Big Leaf Mahogany (Tidu), the Red-Hot Poker (Lucoro) and Tamarind (Cwaa).

The family settled in the hut built under the big Kijing tree. Min Obuce got a large pot, filled it to the brim with food and placed it on the hearth. The Ogre usually ate a potful of food. The children also got down to work immediately. They collected water in pots and poured some in gourds. They fetched firewood, piled bundles on the platform and placed others on the Nak—a wooden shelf built above the hearth.

The Ogre returned from hunting with meat that could fill up Dero Lakodo—a small granary for storing simsim. He had already smoked the meat from the bush. Min Obuce had cooked plenty of food just the way the Ogre liked it.

The Ogre always ate until his stomach rivaled the size of a mother drum. His meal consisted of a pot of millet bread and beef stew. He topped it by drinking a large calabash of water until he belched. Once satisfied, the Ogre slept and snored kruuu, kruuu! and farted loudly, duuuuuu dut dut dut, duuuuuu.

***

The Hare kept admiring the granaries built around the Ogre’s courtyard, each filled with different kinds of food—bananas, lentils, smoked meat, sun-dried white ants and cucumber, honey, sesame, roselle seeds, among others.

“Life is going to be sweet here,” he thought.

At night, the Hare would get out of the house on the pretext of going to defecate. He headed straight to the granaries. He poked a hole at the bottom of the granaries with sesame and white ants. Then he went to the one with smoked meat, pulled out a big piece and ate it. He continued to the next granary, picked up a pole and used it to lift the roof. He climbed in and ate plenty of honey.

The Ogre was deep asleep when the Hare tiptoed back into the house. The Ogre had gone to bed when he was so full he snored loudly, kruuu! kruuu! He farted loudly, duuuuuu dut dut dut, duuuuuu.

The Hare kept stealing food every night until the granaries were empty. The Ogre had also hunted all the animals in the jungle. His fame was soon confronted by shortage of food.

Min Obuce went to talk to the Ogre about the food situation: “My husband’s uncle, there’s no food to cook today.”

“You should cook one of your children for me to eat since there’s nothing else to cook. I want to return from hunting and find when you have cooked one child,” the Ogre said.

Min Obuce was in shock. She couldn’t imagine cooking her own child. The Hare on the other hand, was worried about food for his own stomach. “Min Obuce, since there’s no more food here, what shall we do? Let’s leave and look for another place that still has food,” he suggested.

Min Obuce scratched her head and a brilliant thought occurred. She told herself: “The Ogre thinks he’s very intelligent. He has eaten every human and animal on this land but I’m going to outwit him.”

She went to the rubbish pit and collected bones, hides and skin that the Ogre had thrown away. She shaved the head of one of her children. Min Obuce put the hair, bones, hides and skin in a pot, prepared and set it aside for the Ogre. She collected leafy vegetables and cooked it for her family.

Min Obuce took the child whose head she had shaved and walked with him to the Mahogany tree. She prayed to the tree: “Mahogany, if you belong to my mother and father, please bend.”

The Mahogany bent and Min Obuce placed the child on the tree. She prayed again: “Mahogany, if you belong to my mother and father, please straighten up.”

The tree did as beseeched, taking with it the first child.

The next day, the Ogre said: “You should cook another child today. The one you cooked yesterday was very delicious.”

The Hare’s wife again collected bones, hides and skin from the rubbish pit, added the ball of hair shaved off the second child’s head and prepared a meal for the Ogre. She prepared a separate meal for her husband and children. Once they had eaten, she took the child up the Mahogany tree and warned them not to talk, lest the Ogre heard their voice.

The Hare was busy roaming about looking for extra things to eat and clueless about what his wife was doing. Soon, all the four children were hidden up on the tree.

Min Obuce spoke to the Ogre: “My husband’s uncle, all the children have been cooked and eaten; what will I prepare today?”

“You should cook yourself. I should return from hunting and find when you’ve served yourself in a bowl. Start by mingling bread so that I don’t bother doing it myself when I return. I’ll just get home and eat.”

Min Obuce nodded in agreement. When the Ogre left to hunt, she went through the same routine, shaved her own head and made a meal with her hair, in addition to the bones, hides and skin she had collected.

Since they arrived, Min Obuce had been hiding some foodstuff whenever the Ogre went hunting. She carried the food with her to the Mahogany tree and joined her children in hiding.

***

You should cook one of your children for me to eat since there’s nothing else to cook,” the Ogre said.

The Hare returned from his escapades and found the homestead eerily quiet. “Min Obuce, where are you? My children’s mother, where are you? Have you gone to fetch firewood or to collect water?” He screamed but got no response.

The Hare later told the Ogre about his missing wife. “I came back and it was very quiet. There was no one at home.” There was no response.

The next morning, the Ogre read instructions to the Hare: “Hare, I have eaten all your children and their mother. Yesterday, the children’s mother cooked herself. Today is your turn. I’m going to hunt. I want to come back and find when you are food in a pot ready for me to eat. Just like your wife did, start by mingling bread so that I don’t bother making it when I return. Have you understood me?”

The Hare was confused. He started shivering yet it was very hot. The drought had intensified and there were no thickets for one to hide. The Hare didn’t know what to do. He sat down, thinking to himself for a long time. “If my wife and my children are gone, I should cook myself so that I rest from all the troubles of this world.”

He poured water in a pot and placed it on the hearth. When he dipped the tip of his finger in the water moments later, it was boiling, guuny guuny guuny. He pulled his hand out quickly.

“How did that woman cook herself?” he wondered, tears rolling down his face.

Suspecting that her husband is in trouble, the Hare’s wife prayed to the Mahogany again: “Mahogany, if you belong to my mother and father, please bend.” The Mahogany bent and Min Obuce climbed down. She stood by the door and watched the Hare who was now trying to dip his leg into the boiling water. He yanked it out before it could even touch the water, screaming: “Dear Mother, I’m dead! How shall I cook myself today?”

He sat down and continued talking to himself: “I’m going to walk far away from the pot, run back and dive into the water. I’d rather kill myself than get eaten by the Ogre.”

As the Hare ran to jump into the water, Min Obuce grabbed his waist, held him tightly. “Hare, is this what I did to myself? Sit down!” She shaved his head and cut his nails. She then went out and collected bones, hides and skin from the pit and made a meal like she had done for the past five days.

“The children and I are hiding up on the Mahogany. Let’s go quickly; when the Ogre finds us, we’ll face it rough.”

The Ogre returned from hunting, ate his food which be believed was the Hare.

***

The next morning, the Ogre scratched his head about what he would eat. Silence was palpable. There were no birds singing. No crickets chirping. No tiny crawling creatures in sight.

The Ogre opened one of his granaries and found leftover foodstuff—dry white ants, a little milk in a guard and tiny pieces of smoked meat.

“My anus, what should I eat today?” The Ogre’s anus replied, “Get a calabash of milk, go sit under the Mahogany shade and drink it.”

The Ogre had just taken one sip of milk when the Hare scraped bark from the Mahogany and dropped it in the calabash. The Ogre cursed, removed the dirt and continued drinking his milk. The Hare’s body kept trembling kwak kwak kwak with craving.

His wife begged him to sit still and quiet but the Hare was possessed with a craving. Suddenly, he shouted: “My uncle, we are up here. This woman hid all of us here. Give me white ants, give me honey, give me meat, give me milk, give me what you are drinking.”

The Ogre looked up, saw the Hare and said: “Climb down my nephew. Come down so that we can live together. I love you very much.”

Seeing that the Hare had jeopardized their safety, Min Obuce told the Ogre: “You should join us. It’s very comfortable up here. There’s a lot to eat. We shall throw down a rope; tie it around your testicles, and we shall pull you up.”

The Ogre grabbed the rope, tied it around his balls as instructed. The Hare, his wife and their children held onto the other end and began pulling the Ogre up. When he was about to reach the branch on which the family was seated, Min Obuce pulled out a sharp knife from her waist and cut the rope, tup! The Ogre fell and broke to pieces. Before his last breath, he said: “Get a knife and cut my pinky finger and use it to beat a drum while swearing: ‘may the human race rise, may the Ogre’s tribe perish’.”

The Hare did as he was told. As soon as he hit the drum kili-kili-kili-kili, all animals and humans that the Ogre had eaten began emerging, one by one from his stomach. Once all the people and animals had trooped from his stomach, rain began to fall. People began farming food crops, vegetation grew and animals had plenty to eat. The wells got filled with water and life returned to normal.

The Hare and his wife took over the Ogre’s home.

***

[Min Obuce = Mother of Obuce]

From this folktale springs the Acoli proverb, the female dog (bitch) can also catch an animal, in reference to how the Hare’s wife applied wit to save her family.

***

NOTE: The Ododo Series is a project launched in April 2020 to 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

The Hare and the Rooster

...in a test of friendship

The Hare and the Rooster were great friends. Their friendship was so strong that they shared everything, even something as tiny as the waist of a white ant. One day, the Rooster invited the Hare to his home.

“Come visit me tomorrow, my friend,” he said.

The Hare was excited. When he told his wife about the invitation, she too was delighted. The next morning, the Hare set off to visit his friend. The Rooster welcomed him with immense joy.

“You are a true friend; true friends visit each other,” the Rooster said.

They sat in the courtyard and chatted about many things. The Rooster told his friend about all the challenges his family was facing, including shortage of food. After a while, he got up.

“Let me go and figure out what we can prepare for you to eat,” he told the Hare.

In the kitchen, the Rooster pulled his wife towards the inner room. He spoke in a whisper.

“That friend of mine is a big copycat. I want you to find a rooster and kill it, cut it into perfect pieces and cook it for him eat. I’m eager to see what he will do thereafter.”

His wife did as instructed. The Rooster stayed in the kitchen for the entire time his wife was preparing food. When it was ready, he got out of the kitchen to join his friend in the courtyard. But this time, the Rooster was hopping on one leg. He had carefully folded one leg under his wing.

Pain was visible on his face. His leg echoed a rhythm sound, tuk tuk tuk as he hopped. When he sat by the Hare, he said: “My dear friend, I took very long in the kitchen looking for what to prepare for you.”

He avoided talking about his missing leg.

The Rooster’s wife soon brought out the meal and they all sat down to eat. The Hare was served the lone drumstick in the big dish. The Rooster was curious to see if he would make a connection to his missing leg. When they had all finished eating, the Hare waited a few minutes before rising up.

“My friend, I have to go now,” he said, thanking the Rooster immensely for the hospitality.

The Rooster saw his off friend and along the way, expressed gratitude for their bond. “Friendship is very important, that’s why I did everything possible to find and prepare for you a wonderful meal,” he said.

The Hare nodded profusely in agreement.

“I think you should stop here,” he said, concerned about the Rooster’s evident pain. “I’m grateful for the delicious meal you and your wife prepared for me.”

When he arrived home, the Hare pulled his wife aside: “Friendship is really important. Because of the strong friendship between me and the Rooster, he cut his own leg and prepared it for me to eat.”

Several weeks later, the Hare also invited his friend home. The Rooster set off the following day. From his home, he walked properly on both legs. As the roof of the Hare’s hut appeared in the distance, he folded his left leg under his wing and began hopping, tuk tuk tuk until he entered the Hare’s home.

The Hare was delighted to see his friend and joyfully welcomed him. After chatting for a short while, he got up: “Let me join my wife in the kitchen and see what we can prepare for you to eat.”

In the kitchen, the Hare told his wife about his plan: “Min Obuce, bring a sharp knife and cut off my leg so that we can cook it.”

Min Obuce dutifully brought out a knife but whenever she attempted to cut off the Hare’s leg, he would burst out in a wail. His body shook with fright. His wife would pause and try again and every time, the Hare would jump up and scream at the impending pain. Eventually, he summoned courage, grit his teeth and allowed his wife to chop off his leg, all the way to the upper thigh.

“Go and prepare it very nicely so that my friend can eat. I’m in so much pain and I can’t walk,” he said and dragged himself to the corner of the hut. He lay down.

Soon, the meal was ready.

“Take the food to my friend to eat. Tell him I have a very bad fever and cannot join him,” the Hare said.

When she placed the steaming meal before the Rooster, Min Obuce said: “Your friend has a terrible fever that just started this afternoon.”

The Rooster enjoyed every bit of the meal. Later, he told Min Obuce that he needed to leave. “I have to go back to my home before night falls.”

She saw off his husband’s friend but along the way, the Rooster unveiled his leg that was all along hidden under his wing. He walked with pride while crowing kok kok kiliro kok; kok kok kiliro kok.

The Hare’s wife was shocked. “Ah! Rooster, so you didn’t cut off your leg? You mean you cooked another rooster for your friend to eat?”

She ran back home and informed her husband about the Rooster’s trickery. “The Rooster didn’t cut off his leg.  You went ahead and cut your leg without first establishing the truth.”

The Hare suffered with his wound until he died.

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[Min Obuce = Mother of Obuce].

From this folktale, the Acoli coined the proverb, servile imitation killed the hare.

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NOTE: The Ododo Series is a project launched in April 2020 to 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. 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