In the early days when animals still retained the power of speech and Lion was the king of the jungle, there were footpaths under the palm and ukwa trees while lizards still moved in twos and threes.
Then the tree tops were the natural abode of the osa and uze, while stories were still told under moonlights.

There was a terrible famine in the animal kingdom. Rains refused to fall at the appropriate time, grasses dried up and the animals could not find food to eat. Following the famine, many animals started dying off while those that survived looked skinny and bony from the hunger effect.

Only Nkita among the animals was looking healthy and most animals thronged his house to find out his secret. Nkita being a shrewd animal refused to divulge the source of his well being.

Mbe being a tricky fellow and full of cunning decided to break through Nkita’s resistance and discover the secret to his food source. He visited a counselor to advise him on how to win Nkita’s favor. The counselor told him that Nkita loves fresh palm wine and advised him to go to him with a calabash of fresh one.

One early morning, Mbe arrived at Nkita’s house and started praising him on his skills as a hunter, trust and speed. The praise singing continued and Mbe brought the calabash of palm wine and presented to Nkita.

After the normal ritual of breaking of kola nuts, Mbe presented his case to Nkita saying that Nkita should help him. Nkita gave him large pieces of meat and Mbe was thrilled and asked him for the source.

Nkita told Mbe that he gets the meat from mkpi (he-goat) he wins at wrestling fairs held weekly at the goats’ village in the neighboring community.
He explained that in the wrestling fair, who ever is thrown down belongs to the victor who is free to sell him or slaughter him for food. Also the victim could be redeemed.

Nkita then asked Mbe whether he is a good wrestler. Mbe replied that his father was the wrestling champion of his own and the skill flows in his system.

He asked Mbe to come back early morning in two days time so they can proceed to the wrestling fair. The wrestling fair holds every two igbo market weeks.
He also drilled it into Mbe’s ears that the rules meant that if he is thrown, he becomes the property of the victor and Mbe accepted agreeing to meet Nkita on the agreed date.

Before the appointed day, Mbe went and got himself a new cutlass which he kept sharpening with salt and grinding stone. Mbe would strut around throwing up the cutlass and catching it. He suddenly dash into the bush and slash at trees demonstrating how he would slash the necks of mkpi he will won at the fair.

He went to Nkita’s house and showed him the knife and did a warrior’s dance saying that his father Aniga was a renowned warrior of note.
Nkita told him to sheath the cutlass until he wins at the wrestling fair saying that you have to hold the egbe(kite) in your hands before asking whether women can partake of the meat.

On the appointed day, Mbe was at Nkita’s house early in the morning. He came with ten ropes and after the morning ritual of nzu and oji, they left together for the wrestling fair. On the way, Mbe was regaling Nkita of his prowess in manly activities such as wars, farming, wrestling and others.

Nkita advised Mbe to save his breath and used it at the arena.

Very soon, the duo arrived at the arena and registered their presence. The organizers of the fair came and read out the rules of the competition saying that while some go home in triumph, others would go home in tethers being led as trophies. Those who did not agree should pack their bags and go home or cheer from the side lines.

Nkita quickly went into action and asked Mbe to watch him do the first wrestling. He touched a big fat mkpi and two of them begin to slug it out. Very soon, Nkita did a special trick and the mkpi was down. He went and tethered it at where defeated animals were kept.

He told Mbe to come and prove his wrestling prowess. Mbe greedily pounced on a big mkpi and in a twinkle of an eye the he-goat had Mbe on the ground. Mbe begin to plead with Nkita not to allow the mkpi take him home. Nkita listened to him and bailed him by sacrificing the goat he won early on.

With that done, Nkita asked Mbe to stay on the side line and not wrestle again. Nkita now swing into action and in short time ten mkpis.
Mbe out of envy went to wrestle again and was defeated. The victor tied him to the stake. When Nkita came to tether another, he saw Mbe tied up at the stake. Mbe again pleaded to be saved. Nkita being the person that brought Mbe to the place again saved him.
As the fair was rounding up, Nkita saw one old mkpi suffering from afo osi-sa grin grin grin(diarrhea) and Mbe to wrestle that one. Alas Mbe could not defeat that one. But as the judges were momentarily distracted, Nkita kicked off the mkpi legs from behind and Mbe pushed him down. He now used all the ropes he brought and tethered the goat.

It was now time to go home, while Nkita took along the twelve he goats he won, Mbe was dragging the only one Nkita helped him to win.
Mbe was busy plotting how to cheat Nkita out of his prizes as they headed home. He was envious of nkita's success and decided to use tricks collect the mkpis.

On their way home, Mbe was scheming how to use tricks to snatch all the Mkpi won by Nkita. His bag is never short of tricks. At the usual place of rest, that is where they break their journey to refresh themselves, tethered all the he-goats he won and went to rest. He took his lunch and lay under the tree shade to have a nap. Mbe used his sharpened cutlass to kill the sickly mkpi he won and roasted the meat. Being a greedy fellow, he had his full, tied up the remaining meat in a parcel and offered the goat’s ear to Nkita. Mbe said the meat is a token of love and appreciation for the mercies Nkita showed him by rescuing him from sure death.


Nkita fully aware of Mbe and his tricks placed the goat’s ear in a corner of his mouth. He kept moving his jaws as if he was chewing the meat. Then, they broke camp and in the company of other animals who went to the competition headed home. Along the way, Mbe demanded that Nkita give him back the goat ear he offered him. Nkita quickly spat out the goat ear and handed over to him. Mbe chided Nkita for not eating the meat saying that he was only joking, that he wasn’t serious with the demand. He laughed and told others that nkita was behaving like a little child.

Nkita agreed to eat the meat but still hid in a corner of his mouth. About half way to the end of the journey, mbe demanded for his meat again. Nkita brought it out again and gave him. Mbe laughed and said nkita is taking it too far. Other animals in their midst pleaded with Nkita to eat the meat, that Mbe was joking. Nkita still placed the meat in a corner of his mouth and they continued their journey.


Now, they reached a small river separating the animal kingdom from the human kingdom. Here, the animals always take a bath to watch off all contamination from interacting with human beings. Mbe told Nkita in the spirit of their new found friendship, they should scoop water and pour in each others mouth. They did this and Mbe used the water to flush the meat down Nkita’s throat. When they finished taking their bath and crossed the river, mbe began to demand for his goat ear again.

Nkita kept quite. As they entered the animal kingdom, Mbe started weeping telling everybody that Nkita has eaten his meat. He insisted on having all Nkita’s Mkpi as a replacement.

The elders after listening to their defense advised Nkita to hand over all the goats to Mbe. Now that he achieved his aim, he began to boast and gloat how he is a champion wrestler, won several goats at the wrestling fair.

Wow! Been a long time gone I read or listened to such folktales. Mbe, always filled with tricks and mischief.. Lol!! Continuation please!!

I swear I love Igbo folktales too! I will post more once I find them in my folder. Thanks for reading!

marostan:
Wow! Been a long time gone I read or listened to such folktales.
Mbe, always filled with tricks and mischief.. Lol!!
Continuation please!!

Krystal28:
I swear I love Igbo folktales too! I will post more once I find them in my folder. Thanks for reading!

Cool! You're welcome. I love them alot too.. None eludes me when i come across any.. Will be expectant.

Krystal28:
In the early days when animals still retained the power of speech and Lion was the king of the jungle, there were footpaths under the palm and ukwa trees while lizards still moved in twos and threes.
Then the tree tops were the natural abode of the osa and uze, while stories were still told under moonlights.

There was a terrible famine in the animal kingdom. Rains refused to fall at the appropriate time, grasses dried up and the animals could not find food to eat. Following the famine, many animals started dying off while those that survived looked skinny and bony from the hunger effect.

Only Nkita among the animals was looking healthy and most animals thronged his house to find out his secret. Nkita being a shrewd animal refused to divulge the source of his well being.

Mbe being a tricky fellow and full of cunning decided to break through Nkita’s resistance and discover the secret to his food source. He visited a counselor to advise him on how to win Nkita’s favor. The counselor told him that Nkita loves fresh palm wine and advised him to go to him with a calabash of fresh one.

One early morning, Mbe arrived at Nkita’s house and started praising him on his skills as a hunter, trust and speed. The praise singing continued and Mbe brought the calabash of palm wine and presented to Nkita.

After the normal ritual of breaking of kola nuts, Mbe presented his case to Nkita saying that Nkita should help him. Nkita gave him large pieces of meat and Mbe was thrilled and asked him for the source.

Nkita told Mbe that he gets the meat from mkpi (he-goat) he wins at wrestling fairs held weekly at the goats’ village in the neighboring community.
He explained that in the wrestling fair, who ever is thrown down belongs to the victor who is free to sell him or slaughter him for food. Also the victim could be redeemed.

Nkita then asked Mbe whether he is a good wrestler. Mbe replied that his father was the wrestling champion of his own and the skill flows in his system.

He asked Mbe to come back early morning in two days time so they can proceed to the wrestling fair. The wrestling fair holds every two igbo market weeks.
He also drilled it into Mbe’s ears that the rules meant that if he is thrown, he becomes the property of the victor and Mbe accepted agreeing to meet Nkita on the agreed date.

Before the appointed day, Mbe went and got himself a new cutlass which he kept sharpening with salt and grinding stone. Mbe would strut around throwing up the cutlass and catching it. He suddenly dash into the bush and slash at trees demonstrating how he would slash the necks of mkpi he will won at the fair.

He went to Nkita’s house and showed him the knife and did a warrior’s dance saying that his father Aniga was a renowned warrior of note.
Nkita told him to sheath the cutlass until he wins at the wrestling fair saying that you have to hold the egbe(kite) in your hands before asking whether women can partake of the meat.

On the appointed day, Mbe was at Nkita’s house early in the morning. He came with ten ropes and after the morning ritual of nzu and oji, they left together for the wrestling fair. On the way, Mbe was regaling Nkita of his prowess in manly activities such as wars, farming, wrestling and others.

Nkita advised Mbe to save his breath and used it at the arena.

Very soon, the duo arrived at the arena and registered their presence. The organizers of the fair came and read out the rules of the competition saying that while some go home in triumph, others would go home in tethers being led as trophies. Those who did not agree should pack their bags and go home or cheer from the side lines.

Nkita quickly went into action and asked Mbe to watch him do the first wrestling. He touched a big fat mkpi and two of them begin to slug it out. Very soon, Nkita did a special trick and the mkpi was down. He went and tethered it at where defeated animals were kept.

He told Mbe to come and prove his wrestling prowess. Mbe greedily pounced on a big mkpi and in a twinkle of an eye the he-goat had Mbe on the ground. Mbe begin to plead with Nkita not to allow the mkpi take him home. Nkita listened to him and bailed him by sacrificing the goat he won early on.

With that done, Nkita asked Mbe to stay on the side line and not wrestle again. Nkita now swing into action and in short time ten mkpis.
Mbe out of envy went to wrestle again and was defeated. The victor tied him to the stake. When Nkita came to tether another, he saw Mbe tied up at the stake. Mbe again pleaded to be saved. Nkita being the person that brought Mbe to the place again saved him.
As the fair was rounding up, Nkita saw one old mkpi suffering from afo osi-sa grin grin grin(diarrhea) and Mbe to wrestle that one. Alas Mbe could not defeat that one. But as the judges were momentarily distracted, Nkita kicked off the mkpi legs from behind and Mbe pushed him down. He now used all the ropes he brought and tethered the goat.

It was now time to go home, while Nkita took along the twelve he goats he won, Mbe was dragging the only one Nkita helped him to win.
Mbe was busy plotting how to cheat Nkita out of his prizes as they headed home. He was envious of nkita's success and decided to use tricks collect the mkpis.

On their way home, Mbe was scheming how to use tricks to snatch all the Mkpi won by Nkita. His bag is never short of tricks. At the usual place of rest, that is where they break their journey to refresh themselves, tethered all the he-goats he won and went to rest. He took his lunch and lay under the tree shade to have a nap. Mbe used his sharpened cutlass to kill the sickly mkpi he won and roasted the meat. Being a greedy fellow, he had his full, tied up the remaining meat in a parcel and offered the goat’s ear to Nkita. Mbe said the meat is a token of love and appreciation for the mercies Nkita showed him by rescuing him from sure death.


Nkita fully aware of Mbe and his tricks placed the goat’s ear in a corner of his mouth. He kept moving his jaws as if he was chewing the meat. Then, they broke camp and in the company of other animals who went to the competition headed home. Along the way, Mbe demanded that Nkita give him back the goat ear he offered him. Nkita quickly spat out the goat ear and handed over to him. Mbe chided Nkita for not eating the meat saying that he was only joking, that he wasn’t serious with the demand. He laughed and told others that nkita was behaving like a little child.

Nkita agreed to eat the meat but still hid in a corner of his mouth. About half way to the end of the journey, mbe demanded for his meat again. Nkita brought it out again and gave him. Mbe laughed and said nkita is taking it too far. Other animals in their midst pleaded with Nkita to eat the meat, that Mbe was joking. Nkita still placed the meat in a corner of his mouth and they continued their journey.


Now, they reached a small river separating the animal kingdom from the human kingdom. Here, the animals always take a bath to watch off all contamination from interacting with human beings. Mbe told Nkita in the spirit of their new found friendship, they should scoop water and pour in each others mouth. They did this and Mbe used the water to flush the meat down Nkita’s throat. When they finished taking their bath and crossed the river, mbe began to demand for his goat ear again.

Nkita kept quite. As they entered the animal kingdom, Mbe started weeping telling everybody that Nkita has eaten his meat. He insisted on having all Nkita’s Mkpi as a replacement.

The elders after listening to their defense advised Nkita to hand over all the goats to Mbe. Now that he achieved his aim, he began to boast and gloat how he is a champion wrestler, won several goats at the wrestling fair.

Love this man. Reminds me of my childhood days.

That why I love Igbo culture, African cultures are well versed with many great folktales. I grew up on goldilocks and the 3 lil pigs for childhood stories lol, but my husband Igbo and he admires how I embrace his culture. I too will raise my children on Igbo/African folktales. Thanks for reading!

matrixmuzi:


Love this man. Reminds me of my childhood days.