Here are several tales Yoruba. Oyo State was the most powerful of the Yoruba city-states. Ilé-Ifé is considered the city of origin of all Yorubas. Here, the Yoruba religion is practiced as in all Yoruba states.
TORTOISE had many enemies, and they plotted together to kill him.
One night when Turtle was sleeping in his hut, they set it on fire, and as they saw the flames leap, they said to themselves:
"He can't escape. He will die. »
But Turtle retreated into his shell and was untouched by the fire, and in the morning his enemies were astonished to see him walking as usual.
Soon they made another plan and threw Tortoise into a pool of water.
“The pool is deep. He is going to drown,” his enemies said to themselves.
But Turtle had slipped into her shell and was safe, and at noon the sun was shining fiercely and drying up the pool.
That evening, Turtle walked around the village as if nothing had happened, and his enemies were surprised.
The next day they made a third attempt to kill him. They dug a deep hole in the ground and buried Turtle, and this time they were sure he couldn't escape. To mark the spot, they drove a bamboo stake into the ground.
Meanwhile, a passing man saw the bamboo pole and thought, "Someone buried treasure here!" He called his friends, and they started digging, but all they found was Turtle asleep inside its shell.
Turtle walked around the village again, looking very happy, and her enemies were filled with astonishment.
“He has a charm, and we can never kill him,” they said to themselves, and from that day they left him in peace.
Yoruba Tales: Turtle and the Rooster
ONE day, Turtle and Nyanribo got very hungry, but they couldn't afford to buy food, and while they were discussing what could be done, Turtle heard a rooster crow, and that gave an idea. He approached the rooster and said:
“I come to warn you. I overheard the farmer asking his wife to cook some chicken for dinner tomorrow.
At this, all the fowls were in great distress and wondered which of them should be killed.
turtle replied
“I heard the farmer's wife say she'll kill the first of you she hears singing or giggling in the morning. »
Naturally, the hens decided to be absolutely silent.
Very early in the morning, Turtle went crawling among the fowls and stole all the eggs from the nests, carrying them one by one to her house; but the cock was afraid to crow and the hens were afraid to cluck, and when the farmer's wife came for the eggs she found they had all been stolen.
At this, she got angry and killed all the fowls instead of just one, and while the farmer and his wife were eating chicken, Turtle and Nyanribo invited their friends to an egg feast!
Yoruba Tales: Turtle and the Crab
EVERYONE knows that the turtle and the crab are enemies.
One morning, by the sea, they decided to fight to see who was stronger, but, as both were protected by a hard shell, neither could succeed in hurting the other.
Eventually, they came to an agreement that they were equal in strength.
“We are so well protected by our armor,” Tortoise said, “that no one can hurt us. »
“And so,” said Crab, “we are the strongest creatures in the world. »
But at that moment a boy passed by and picked them both up. The turtle was boiled in a pot and its shell was made into ornaments, while the crab was stewed for the boy's supper. Since that day, the descendants of the two braggarts have always been ashamed to meet, and that is why they have always avoided each other.
Yoruba Tales: Turtle and the Pigeon
TURTLE and Pigeon were often seen walking together, but unfortunately Turtle treated his friend rather badly and often played tricks on him. Pigeon never complained and bore everything with good humor. Once Turtle came to him and said:
“I am going on a trip today to visit my cousins; Do you want to come with me? »
Pigeon agreed to accompany him and they left. When they had traveled some distance, they came to a river, and Pigeon was forced to take Turtle on his back and fly with him.
Soon after, they reached the house of Tortoise's cousins. Turtle left his friend standing in the doorway as he walked inside and greeted his family. They had prepared a feast for him and they all began to eat together.
"Won't you ask your friend to eat with us?" said the cousins; but Turtle was so greedy that he did not want Pigeon to share the feast, and replied:
“My friend is an idiot, he won't eat at a stranger's house, and he's so shy he refuses to come in. »
After a while, Turtle bade farewell to his cousins, saying, "I salute you for your hospitality", and left the house. But Pigeon, who was both tired and hungry, had heard his words and was determined to pay him for once.
When they arrived at the edge of the river, he took Turtle back on his back; when he had crossed halfway, he let Tortoise fall into the river. But, by chance, instead of falling into the water, he landed on the back of a crocodile which was floating on the surface, and when the crocodile arrived on the bank, Turtle quickly descended and quickly moved away.
Pigeon saw what had happened and that Tortoise had reached land safely; so he flew past him until he came to a field where a dead horse lay.
To trick Turtle once more, Pigeon cut off the horse's head and buried it in the ground, as if it was growing there like a plant.
When Turtle reached the field and saw the horse's head, he went straight to the king of the land and told him that he knew a place where horse heads grew like plants.
“If that is true,” said the king, “I will reward you with a great treasure; but if it's wrong, you must die.
The king and a large crowd of people accompanied Turtle to the field, but in the meantime Pigeon had removed his head. Turtle ran for him, but to no avail, and he was condemned to die. A big fire was lit and Tortoise was thrown into it.
But now Pigeon repented of the trick he had done, and quickly gathered all the birds of the sky. They came like a wind, beating the fire with their wings, and thus saved Turtle.
When Pigeon explained this ruse, the king forgave Turtle and allowed the two friends to leave safely.
Yoruba Tales: Turtle and the Whip Tree
THERE was a famine in the land, and everyone yearned for food. Every day Turtle would go into the forest to see if he could find something to eat, but in the evening he would come home discouraged with only a few herbs and dried nuts for his family.
One day, while walking through a grove, he saw two trees close together: a small, stunted tree and a large tree with thick foliage and spreading branches. “What kind of tree are you? he asked the little tree.
"I am the Chop-tree," was the reply.
“Well, Chop-tree, what can you produce? Turtle asked. And at these words, the small tree waved its branches and a rain of food fell on the ground. Turtle ate until there was nothing left, then turned to the big, beautiful tree.
“And what tree are you? he asked, thinking such a magnificent tree must bear rich fruit. The tree told him that his name was Whip-tree, to which Tortoise replied, "Whip-tree, what can you produce?" »
At these words, the Tree Lash bent its branches and beat Turtle until it cried out for mercy. When the beatings ceased, Tortoise went home, but, being of a greedy nature, he said nothing of the two trees, and only showed his wife some poor nuts he had found.
After that he went to the Chop-tree every day and feasted as he pleased. As his family and all the people, down to the king, grew lean and skinny, Turtle appeared fatter and more prosperous every day, until Nyanribo, his wife, began to suspect.
One day, Nyanribo resolved to follow him into the forest, and she was greatly surprised when she saw her husband standing under the small tree and saying, “Tree, do your duty! The branches waved and rich treats fell to the ground.
Nyanribo cried out in astonishment and reproached her husband for his gluttony. She hurried back to the city and returned with the whole family of children and cousins. She stood under the Chop-tree and said, "Tree, do your duty!" When the food fell, they all joined in the feast.
But Mean Turtle was displeased and exclaimed:
"I wish you would stand under the other tree and receive your own reward!" »
Hearing this, they all went to stand under the Whip-tree, and Nyanribo shouted again, "Tree, do your duty!" Alas! The branches started beating them all loudly until they died.
Tortoise was alarmed and hurriedly returned home, but the neighbors soon noticed that his wife and family were missing, and the king ordered Tortoise to report their disappearance.
Tortoise therefore led the king and all the nobles and people into the forest, and when they were assembled under the Chop-tree, he cried, "Tree, do your duty!" and, as before, a feast appeared, which the hungry people soon devoured.
Turtle then asked them to stand under the other tree, and that's what they were eager to do. It was the king himself who shouted: “Tree, do your duty! and the branches began to beat all who stood below until they cried out in pain.
In a great rage, the people chased Tortoise, eager to kill him; but he hid inside his shell, in a secret place, and they could not hurt him.
He remained hidden until the king died and a new king was found, then he thought it was safe to appear in the city. But each time he hears the two words "Chop" and "Whip", he hides in his shell, believing himself to be in danger.
Yoruba Tales: Turtle and Rain
TURTLE and a Cloud once made the following agreement: Whenever Turtle wanted good weather very much, he was to stand in front of his house and shout, "Pass!" Pass! then the Cloud would roll over and allow the sun to shine. And when Turtle wanted rain, he had to shout, “Fall! To fall! and the rain would fall. In payment for this service, Turtle had to place a certain number of cowries on the ground each time.
Turtle was delighted with this arrangement, and at first he duly placed the amount of money on the ground whenever he asked Cloud for good weather or rain.
One day, on the occasion of a chief's wedding, the sky was very cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain. Turtle heard the chef complain, "We promised the drummers a lot of money, but if it rains no one will come to see the ladies dance at my wedding!"
Turtle went to the chief and said, "If you give me a certain sum, I will support the clouds on my hard back and there will be no rain."
The chief gladly agreed to pay for the cowries demanded by Tortoise, and Tortoise stood in the back of his hut and shouted to the Cloud: "Pass!" Pass! The Cloud receded, the sun shone, and the wedding took place with great joy.
But Tortoise didn't put any money on the ground, and instead kept the entire amount for himself.
The next day, a man came to Turtle's house and offered him a lot of money if he made it rain. “Because,” he says, “my fishing stakes are too high, but if it rains the river will get bigger and the fish will come in my baskets. »
"Very well," replied Turtle. “I will throw a spear into the clouds, and the rain will fall. »
So he stood at the back of his house, where he could not be seen, and cried to the Cloud: “Fall! To fall! " It started raining.
But again, he neglected to put money on the floor and kept it all to himself. Soon, in this way, he became rich and famous, and almost every day someone asked if it was sunny or rainy. He stored many bags of cowries in his house and gave nothing to the Cloud.
When two people asked him for rain and sunshine on the same day, Tortoise claimed that he was tired of holding the clouds on his back, and so the rain fell.
But after some time, seeing how rich Tortoise has become, hard-working Cloud got angry and decided to punish him.
One day, Turtle wanted to go on a trip with his family, so he stood in front of his house and shouted, "Go!" Pass! May the sun shine on my journey!
But as soon as he left, the Cloud fell again and the rain fell in torrents, causing a great flood in which Turtle and all his family were drowned.
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