Mbe and the Grain of Maize
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a great famine swept across the village of Mbe. Food was scarce, and only the wealthiest could afford the little that was available. Among the less fortunate was Mbe, the cunning tortoise, who, though crafty and intelligent, was broke and unable to feed his family, including his aged, ailing mother.
Desperate and determined, Mbe embarked on a journey after hearing that food was plentiful in a distant land. Despite the long and arduous journey that took him seven market days to complete, Mbe pressed on with hope. When he finally reached the foreign land, the people brought him to the king, having heard many tales of Mbe's trickery and cleverness.
The king, intrigued by the tortoise’s reputation, decided to test him. "Mbe," the king said, "I have heard of your cunning ways. I will give you a challenge. Here is a single grain of maize. You must use it to obtain a wife for me within seven days. If you succeed, I will make you a chief in my land. But if you fail, you shall be killed."
Mbe, though shocked by the gravity of the task, did not let his fear show. He knew that the challenge was dangerous, but he had outsmarted many in the past, and this time, he would need all his wit.
He took the grain of maize and began his journey. After walking all day, he arrived at a village just as the sun was setting. There, he met a man in the village square and requested shelter for the night. The man, hesitant but moved by the tortoise’s polite request, agreed to let Mbe stay at his home.
As they conversed, Mbe showed the man the grain of maize, explaining that if planted, it would yield enough maize to fill seven sacks. The man was astonished and watched as Mbe placed the grain of maize on the ground in the courtyard, so it could bask in the evening sun.
But before anyone could react, a large cockerel from the man’s poultry yard ran over and swallowed the grain whole. Mbe instantly wailed in despair, claiming that his future and the future of his family were now ruined. The man, feeling guilty, pleaded with Mbe to stop crying, he offered Mbe the cockerel to make amends, so Mbe could retrieve the grain later.
Mbe, seeing an opportunity, accepted the cockerel and set off the next morning, continuing on his journey. In the next village, he again sought shelter for the night. His host, kind-hearted, placed the cockerel in the pen with his goats and sheep.
At midnight, Mbe crept into the pen and strangled the cockerel, quickly returning to his bed. By dawn, when the host discovered the dead bird, Mbe was already lamenting loudly. The host, feeling responsible, agreed to compensate Mbe by giving him a goat in exchange for the loss of the cockerel.
Mbe accepted the goat and continued on his journey. He arrived at another wealthy man’s house with seven cows. Again, he was welcomed, and his goat was led into the cow pen for the night. The cows, however, were not so kind and began to bully the goat with their horns. By the time the sun rose, the goat had perished.
Mbe, as usual, cried out in despair, claiming that his only goat had died. The wealthy man, not wanting to be responsible for Mbe's misfortune, offered him one of his cows to compensate for the loss. Mbe gladly accepted and set off once more.
On his way, Mbe encountered a funeral procession carrying the body of a child. The mourners were deeply grieved, and Mbe, ever the opportunist, joined in, wailing louder than anyone. When the time came to bury the child, Mbe made a surprising proposal. He offered to give the family his cow in exchange for the child’s body. Since the child had already passed, and the cow was a valuable gift, the family agreed.
Mbe dressed the child’s corpse in fine clothes, wrapped it on his back, and continued his journey. He reached another village as night fell and sought refuge in the home of a wealthy man with two grown daughters. He told the man that he was a traveling healer and that he and his child had been on a long journey to administer medicines in distant lands.
Grateful for the company, the man allowed Mbe to stay. That night, Mbe convinced the man to let his “child” sleep between his two daughters, as the cold was harsh. The man agreed, not suspecting any foul play.
At dawn, Mbe began shouting, "Oguoma! Oguoma, wake up!" But, of course, there was no response from the dead child. He then ran to the man, weeping and wailing, accusing the two daughters of having smothered his child in the night. A crowd quickly gathered, and seeing the lifeless body, everyone believed Mbe's tale. The man, desperate to avoid scandal, offered Mbe one of his daughters as compensation.
Mbe, victorious, took the man’s more beautiful daughter as his prize and made his way back to the king.
Upon returning, Mbe presented the young woman to the king and recounted the journey, from the grain of maize to the wife he had procured. The king, impressed by Mbe’s cunning and resourcefulness, honored his promise, making the tortoise one of the chiefs of the land.
And thus, Mbe, with nothing but a grain of maize, had not only survived but thrived to become the wealthiest animal in the kingdom.
The End.
