REWARD & PUNISHMENT

One day, a woman, Ụwọma and her daughter went to a long distance farm. They worked tirelessly for the whole day and left for home. On their way back, the girl realized that she forgot her money which she left under a dead tree. She sought her mother’s permission to go back quickly and get it. Her mother told her that it was unsafe to do that because night was falling. She promised to run as fast as she could and still meet her mother on the way before she got home. The mother consented. 
In the farm the girl went straight to where she kept her money, but the money was gone. As she was looking for her money, night fell. Night time is when fairies go about their own business. It is even significant that she kept her money under a dead tree. Suddenly a spirit appeared in the form of an old woman. The girl greeted her cautiously and sang:

Agadị nwanyị  ịhụrụ nwaego m? zamịrịza

ihụrụ nwaego m? zamịrịza

nwaego m gbọtọrọ n’ ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya.

Old lady did you see my small money? zamịrịza

Did you see my small money? zamịrịza

my small money which I kept under the dead tree.

I have looked for it but could not find it. 

Spirits are believed to be nasal; the Fairy responded through the nose:

Egbe buru gị-o zamịrịza,

ufu buru gị zamịrịza

Buru gị buru gị na nwaego gị zamịrịza

nwaego gị gbọtọrọ n’ ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọ ya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya, Hị-yọ!

May the hawk snatch you away you zamịrịza

May the wolf snatch you away zamịrịza

Snatch you together with your money zamịrịza

Your small money left under the dead tree which you could not find, Hị-yọ!

The girl cried because night had fallen; worse still, she could not find her money. As she was crying, another spirit appeared and she sang:

ịhụrụ nwaego m zamịrịza

ihụrụ nwaego m zamịrịza

nwaego m gbọtọrọ n’ ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọ ya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya.

“Did you see my money which I left under the dead tree? I have looked for it but could not find it.”

This kind fairy showed her many sheds of money including piles of money far bigger than her own and pointed to them one by one asking: “Is it this?” she said “No”. “What about this other one?” she shook her head. “What about that one there?” She said no. At last the kind fairy brought the girl’s little money tied in a piece of cloth and asked “Is it this?” She said yes and thanked the kind fairy. The spirit was highly impressed by her honesty. So the fairy gave her plenty of money and other good things  including a magic food flute. Above all, this kind fairy transported her home by means of a gentle breeze. When she thanked the fairy for the last time, the kind fairy smiled and said “Honesty is highly rewarding. That is why children should remain innocent.”

The girl’s mother was overjoyed. She felt greatly honoured. The villagers gathered to listen to their story and to congratulate them. The girl blew her magic food flute and feted the villagers. Their praise was on everybody’s lips.

As success breeds jealousy, her mother’s co-wife and her son could not avoid being eaten up by envy. They grew restless for they had a bee in their bonnet about how to get their own wealth. The next day they went to work in the farm and purposely left a paltry sum of money there under the dead tree and made for their home. On the way, the son turned back as planned.  He met the old woman and sang:

Agadị nwanyị  ịhụrụ nwego m zamịrịza

 ihụrụ nwego m zamịrịza

 nwego m gbọtọrọ n’ ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọ ya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya

“Old woman, did you see my money which I left under the dead tree? I have looked for it but could not find it.”

The fairy responded:

Egbe buru gị-o zamịrịza,

ufu buru gị zamịrịza

Buru gị  buru gị na nwego gị zamịrịza

nwego gị gbọtọrọ n’ ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọ ya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya, Hị -yọ!

“May the hawk and the wolf snatch away you and your money left under the dead tree, which you could not find!”  He responded “Same to you, old hag!” The kind fairy appeared and showed him different shades of money beginning with his own. He paltered, disowned his own money and claimed a huge sum of money that was not his. The kind Fairy was displeased with him. The fairies took counsel together and decided to punish him for his impoliteness and dishonesty. They gave him exactly his own money. In addition, they gave him a flute and a drum. The elders say that a pot closely watched never boils. As he seemingly delayed in coming home, his over anxious mother went in search of him. She met the old woman and asked: 

Agadị nwanyị  ịhụrụ nwa m zamịrịza

 ihụrụ nwa m zamịrịza

 nwa m gara ịchọ nwego zamịrịza

 nwego  gbọtọrọ n’ ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọ ya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya

“Old woman, did you see my child? My child went in search of money left under the dead tree, which he could not find.” To which the old woman responded:

Egbe buru gị-o zamịrịza,

ufu buru gị zamịrịza

Buru gị buru gị na nwa  gị  zamịrịza

Nwa gị gara ịchọ nwego zamịrịza

nwego gbọtọrọ n’ukwu osisi kpọrọ nkụ

chọ ya afụrọ ya, chọ ya afụrọ ya, Hị -yọ!

“May the hawk and the wolf snatch you away together with your child who went in search of the money laid under the dead tree, which he could not find!”

As she passed the old woman, she met her son and they were sent home by a violent wind which knocked their heads on trees here and there. They were too anxious to test their magic drum and flute. When they beat the drum, whips came out and flogged them thoroughly. Thinking that the flute portended good omen, the son blew it and bees flew out from it and thoroughly stung them.  Because they were wicked, when the villagers assembled to hear their own story mother and son blew the flute and beat the drum. At the sight of the bees the villagers scampered away cursing them as they fled.

Green with envy, this woman accused her co-wife of being a witch, which gave her a head start in her rapport with fairies.  That was why she succeeded while she and her son failed. Her co-wife refused to revile her in return. She only gave her these two proverbs: “Mụ na ebirim gara kpaa nkụ n’ọhia. Nkụ nkem akara nke ya. Ya sị na mụ kpara nkem n’ajọ ọhia - My mate and I went in search of firewood. I fetched more firewood than she did and she said that I fetched mine from the evil forest.”  “Ogiri mara di alụ asị n’ oji ọgwụ - When a good wife wins her husband’s favour it is usually said that she is using charms or philters.” Everyone knew that her colleague accused her falsely out of jealousy. She, her daughter and the villagers happily moved on, while the co-wife and her son sulked.

CRITICAL THINKING

The moral of the fairy tale is that it pays to be good, polite, kind and honest. Dishonesty is abhorred and punished. If a man appreciates other people’s good fortune, what is good will come his way but if he despises other people’s good fortune because of envy he will never attain such. Therefore, it is advisable to sincerely rejoice with those who are lucky. It does not pay to be a copycat. It often backfires. Our elders discouraged it in the maxim “Oke soro Ngwere maa mmiri, mmiri kọọ Ngwere ọgaghị akọ oke - If the Rat should follow the Lizard to play in the rain, when the Lizard will emerge with dry skin, the Rat will not.” Doing things because others do it is not proper because motives differ. Intention matters a lot.

Metaphysically speaking, nothing happens by chance. When two causes cross one another’s part, we call it accident. The reward for honesty in the story was not accidental. The fairies must have watched Ụwọma and her daughter over the years and decided to highlight their sincerity and reward them for it, while they punished the saucy boy and his envious mother who faked the forgetfulness of their money in the farm under the same dead tree. It is said that “Honesty is the best policy?”

Success brings envy and jealousy in its wake. Envy and jealousy impede the truth for they warp the perception of the envious. Some people are quick to hate and calumniate successful persons but despite the vilification, the latter continues to prosper because God has already blessed them. “Criticism does not depreciate the sweetness of honey” Like a drowning man clutching at a reed, Ụwọma’s co-wife accused her of using witchcraft. Our people say, “Elechaa ihe aga agwa nwa mara mma asị ya toro afọ gawa - After vainly contemplating on how to disparage a beautiful child, one says ‘Go away with your protruding stomach!’ ” “Ihe ana-agwa onye ishi bụ na mmanụ adịghị n’ofe, ọbụghị nnu - One can only tell the blind that there is no oil in the soup, but not salt” because he can figure it out with his taste buds. Consequently, the envious co-wife could not convince or garner the support of the villagers. She should have remembered the proverbs: “Onye n’adịghị k’ ibe, anaghị eje ibe ejije - One, who is not like others, should not imitate others.” “If your hair is not as long as your friend's do not plait it like hers.” For “no matter how long a log of wood remains in water it does not become a crocodile.”

Eboh, M. P., Fables, Proverbs & Critical Thinking, Pearl Publishers International Ltd., Port Harcourt, 2015, pp. 19-26.