was Ekwefi’s turn to tell a story.

“Once upon a time,” she began, “all the birds were invited to

a feast in the sky. They were very happy and began to prepare

themselves for the great day. They painted their bodies with

“Tortoise saw all these preparations and soon discovered

what it all meant. Nothing that happened in the world of the

animals ever escaped his notice; he was full of cunning. As

soon as he heard of the great feast in the sky his throat began

to itch at the very thought. There was a famine in those days

and Tortoise had not eaten a good meal for two moons. His

body rattled like a piece of dry stick in his empty shell. So he

began to plan how he would go to the sky.”

“But he had no wings,” said Ezinma.

“Be patient,” replied her mother. “That is the story. Tortoise

had no wings, but he went to the birds and asked to be

allowed to go with them.

“ ‘We know you too well,’ said the birds when they had heard

him. ‘You are full of cunning and you are ungrateful. If we

allow you to come with us you will soon begin your mischief.’

“ ‘You do not know me,’ said Tortoise. ‘I am a changed man.

I have learned that a man who makes trouble for others is

also making it for himself.’

“Tortoise had a sweet tongue, and within a short time all the

birds agreed that he was a changed man, and they each gave

him a feather, with which he made two wings.

“At last the great day came and Tortoise was the first to

arrive at the meeting place. When all the birds had gathered

together, they set off in a body. Tortoise was very happy as he

flew among the birds, and he was soon chosen as the man to

speak for the party because he was a great orator.

“‘There is one important thing which we must not forget,’ he

said as they flew on their way. ‘When people are invited to a

great feast like this, they take new names for the occasion. Our

hosts in the sky will expect us to honor this age-old custom.’

“None of the birds had heard of this custom but they knew

that Tortoise, in spite of his failings in other directions, was a

widely traveled man who knew the customs of different peoples.

And so they each took a new name. When they had all

“At last the party arrived in the sky and their hosts were very

happy to see them. Tortoise stood up in his many-colored

plumage and thanked them for their invitation. His speech was

so eloquent that all the birds were glad they had brought him,

and nodded their heads in approval of all he said. Their hosts

took him as the king of the birds, especially as he looked somewhat

different from the others.

“After kola nuts had been presented and eaten, the people of

the sky set before their guests the most delectable dishes Tortoise

had ever seen or dreamed of. The soup was brought out

hot from the fire and in the very pot in which it had been

cooked. It was full of meat and fish. Tortoise began to sniff

with palm oil and fresh fish. There were also pots of palm wine.

When everything had been set before the guests, one of the

people of the sky came forward and tasted a little from each

pot. He then invited the birds to eat. But Tortoise jumped to his

feet and asked: ‘For whom have you prepared this feast?’

“‘For all of you,’ replied the man.

“Tortoise turned to the birds and said: ‘You remember

spokesman first and the others later. They will serve you

when I have eaten.’

“He began to eat and the birds grumbled angrily. The people

of the sky thought it must be their custom to leave all the food

for their king. And so Tortoise ate the best part of the food and

then drank two pots of palm wine, so that he was full of food

and drink and his body grew fat enough to fill out his shell.

“The birds gathered round to eat what was left and to peck

at the bones he had thrown all about the floor. Some of them

were too angry to eat. They chose to fly home on an empty

stomach. But before they left, each took back the feather he

had lent to Tortoise. And there he stood in his hard shell full

of food and wine but without any wings to fly home. He asked

the birds to take a message for his wife, but they all refused.

In the end Parrot, who had felt more angry than the others,

suddenly changed his mind and agreed to take the message.

“‘Tell my wife,’ said Tortoise, ‘to bring out all the soft things

can jump down from the sky without very great danger.’

“Parrot promised to deliver the message, and then flew away.

But when he reached Tortoise’s house he told his wife to bring

out all the hard things in the house. And so she brought out

her husband’s hoes, machetes, spears, guns, and even his cannon.

Tortoise looked down from the sky and saw his wife bringing

things out, but it was too far to see what they were. When

all seemed ready he let himself go. He fell and fell and fell until

he began to fear that he would never stop falling. And then like

the sound of his cannon he crashed on the compound.”

“Did he die?” asked Ezinma.

“No,” replied Ekwefi. “His shell broke into pieces. But there

was a great medicine man in the neighborhood. Tortoise’s wife

sent for him and he gathered all the bits of shell and stuck

them together. That is why Tortoise’s shell is not smooth.”

He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit

by Viginia Hamilton

Click on this Link: Story