Other stories
Once upon a time, there were three orphans, whose names were Otarun, Akope, and Awekun. The brothers had reached such an age that it was time to decide what trade they might undertake. In order to advise them on such an important decision, the brothers went to visit Ijapa the tortoise who had been their trusted guardian for many years.
As soon as they arrived, Ijapa offered the brothers kola nuts and they all sat in his front yard under the acacia tree.
‘Now, I am all ears,’ said Ijapa to his visitors. ‘What brings you here at this time of the day?’
Otarun cleared his throat before speaking. ‘Firstly, my brothers and I wish to say thank you for all you have done for us ever since our parents left this world to join our ancestors in the land beyond. Now we have decided to each learn a trade, and we would like you to advise us in this matter.’
Ijapa listened intently and nodded his head vigorously. Then there was a moment of silence as the tortoise stared up at the acacia tree, apparently lost in his own thoughts. The three brothers sat very still, all wondering what was going on in Ijapa’s mind.
Then the tortoise cleared his throat very loudly and said, ‘I am happy that the three of you are thinking of learning a trade, but my advice to you is that you join me in my business so that we can all work together.’
The brothers looked at one another in amazement.
Akope was the first to speak. ‘We did not know that you had a business.’
The tortoise laughed and said, ‘I do, child. However, my business involves a lot of planning and scheming. I use more of my brain than my physical body. You may have noticed that I do not own a farm, neither do I buy and sell. I hold no position in the King’s court, and neither do I answer to any boss. Nevertheless, I eat well and I do not want for anything.’
Each of the brothers looked very shocked at this news. This made Ijapa very uncomfortable and he became angry at the brothers for judging him. ‘Why are you staring at me like I am holding a machete to your heads?’ he asked. ‘I do not go around forcing people to part with their belongings! I am very cautious in my dealings with people. It is just that I always find a way of getting whatever I want, by hook or by crook.’
There was another long silence among the group. The brothers did not know what to say to Ijapa. Eventually Otarun stood up and said, ‘We will be on our way now, but we will think about your proposal and give you an answer tomorrow before sunset.’
The next day, Otarun was the only one who went to visit Ijapa. ‘My brothers and I have thought seriously about your offer,’ he announced to Ijapa, ‘and we want to thank you for thinking about us, but we cannot work for you. We are honest people and we would like honest trades. We want to work with our hands and we do not wish to take from others.’
Ijapa’s eyes narrowed in fury. ‘Is that what you have to say to me after all I have done to support you since the death of your mother and father?’
Otarun felt like a mouse that had just been trapped by a cat, but he stood his ground and answered, ‘I am sorry, but that is the way we feel.’
‘In that case,’ yelled Ijapa at the top of his voice, ‘you and your brothers have just taken on a vicious enemy!’
A few weeks later, the three brothers started learning their various new trades. They worked very hard and applied themselves diligently to their various tasks. They did as they were told; they listened to their bosses intently and soon became very skilled and very well respected among the villagers.
Otarun became the best Archer the village had ever known. Akope provided the best palm wine the village had ever tasted. And Awekun became the best fisherman, always catching the biggest haul of fish every morning.
But as the brothers’ fame grew, so did Ijapa’s jealousy. And it was in such a mood that Ijapa formed a plan to destroy the brothers.
One day, Ijapa went to the palace and told the King that the three brothers had been boasting of magnificent feats tha
