Mbe The Clever Tortoise and the Feast in Heaven
Once upon a time in the animal kingdom in Igboland there were lush, green forests filled with an abundance of food of all kinds. Every animal in the forest had more than enough to eat anytime they liked without caution. Then a dark age came upon Igbo land which led to a famine. The forests were no longer lush green, the trees and plants turned barren. Even the soft earth became as dry as stone. Many animals became at risk of extinction because they were dying off so quickly from hunger. It was a terrible situation for every animal in the animal kingdom, each day they prayed to Arobinagu to show mercy and provide them with food to eat again.
Mbenwaniga, known as the cunning tortoise lived in the forest with the rest of the animals. Mbe as he was called for short was known for his cleverness and trickery, because he was always looking for ways to outsmart his fellow creatures. Even Mbe was affected by the famine and hunger that plagued the whole animal kingdom. While Mbe sat outside one day thinking of a cunning way he could use to solve his hunger problem, he noticed that the birds that flew in the sky seemed to be faring just fine. The birds flew around with so much energy and no one knew where they got their food from. So Mbe got an idea to get close to the birds to find out how they got their food.
One day, while Mbe stayed close to some of the birds as they perched on a tree, he heard them talk about a grand feast in heaven which their creator Igwe was hosting. It was supposed to be a celebration of abundance in the sky, and only the animals with the ability to fly were invited. Mbe, being a creature of the earth, had no wings to fly to heaven. Determined not to miss out on the lavish feast, he hatched a plan.
Mbe approached the birds and asked if he could join them at the feast. At first, they were hesitant, knowing Mbe’s reputation for deceit and cunningness. But Mbe assured them that he would behave and contribute to the festivities especially since Igwe the all mighty creator would be present. Reluctantly, the birds agreed and each bird in their benevolence gave Mbe a feather so he could fashion a pair of wings for himself.
On the day of the feast, Mbe proudly wore his feathered wings and flew to heaven with the birds. As they reached the entrance of the celestial banquet, Igwe the host greeted them warmly and asked for their names to prepare their places at the table. Igwe instructed everyone to pick three names because there would be three rounds of servings of food at the table. Igwe also reminded the animals that they were in heaven and whatever names they chose that day was final, they could not change their choice.
Now, Mbe devised a clever trick. He told their host that his name three names were Unudum, Ununiile and Ununcha which meant "All of You" in Igbo. When the host called everyone to sit for the first round and announced that all the food was for Unu Ncha which was "All of You", the birds assumed that the host meant the food was for everyone. But Mbe, knowing the opportunity to take advantage of his plan had come, quickly claimed all the food for himself, saying that it was meant for him since his name was "Ununcha".
The birds were slightly irritated at first but they saw that he was right, and they were in heaven so they could not fight Mbe and they decided to wait for the next round of food to come. For the next round they appealed to Igwe their host to address them in a different way when the food arrived. Igwe agreed to their appeal and annouched that the food was for Unu Niile which was "All of You". Mbe quickly claimed the food all for himself again, he reminded them that his name was also Ununiile. By the third round Igwe took pity to the birds and announced this time that the food was for Unu Dum which was also another way of saying "All of You", and Mbe pleased with himself greedily claimed all the food saying that his name was also Unudum.
The birds were furious when they realized they had been tricked. They felt deceived and humiliated in front of their host. To teach Mbe a lesson, all those who loaned Mbe their feathers decided to reclaim them back, leaving Mbe stranded in heaven. Without his wings, Mbe had no way to return to earth. He pleaded with the birds to have mercy on him, afterall he had been starving and they could come back to heaven anytime to eat, but they refused to help him.
Realizing he had no other choice as time was running out and he could not stay in heaven, Mbe begged the birds to at least help him tell his wife Anim to bring out every soft thing they had in their house so he could land and survive when he threw himself down from heaven. The birds agreed, but out of anger they instead told Anim that Mbe had instructed her to bring out all the hard objects in their house and she obeyed.
When Mbe got the message that his wife had done as he asked, he threw himself down from heaven. Mbe fell and fell until he crashed to the earth and fell on all the hard things his wife had brought outside. His shell broke into pieces from the impact. The tortoise survived, but he broke so many bones that even after he healed his movement became forever affected by the fall and his once smooth shell was now cracked and rough, a lasting reminder of his greed and deceit.
Lessons from this Folktale:
Greed and Deceit Lead to Downfall: Mbe's story teaches that greed and deceit can lead to severe consequences. By trying to take everything for himself through trickery, Mbe ended up losing the trust of his friends and suffering a great fall.
Honesty is the Best Policy: The tale underscores the importance of honesty and integrity. Had Mbe been truthful and shared the food with the birds, he would have enjoyed more opportunities to eat with them and retained his friends’ goodwill.
Think Before You Act: Mbe’s actions were driven by short-term gains without considering the long-term repercussions. This lesson reminds us to think about the consequences of our actions before making decisions.
Community and Sharing: The feast in heaven was meant to be a communal celebration. Mbe’s selfishness ruined what should have been a joyous event for everyone. The story highlights the importance of sharing and working together as a community.
Consequences of Actions: Mbe's broken shell and inability to move fast serves as a physical reminder of the consequences of his actions, teaching that every action has a result, and negative actions often lead to negative outcomes.
This timeless Igbo folktale of Mbe, also known as Mbediogu or Mbenwaniiga, the Tortoise reminds us of the virtues of honesty, sharing, and considering the impact of our actions on others. It is a story passed down through generations, rich with moral teachings that are still relevant today.
