The Cunning Tortoise
Office of Global Strategies
Author
09/03/2021
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88
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Description
By Chekwube Iheanacho, Nigeria. When the Tortoise gets married to his wife, he chooses a very cunning name but eventually learns why he shouldn’t be greedy. Derived from the popular Nigerian TV show, Tales by Moonlight.
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- [00:00:08.270]Hello children. Welcome to tales by Moonlight.
- [00:00:12.440]Otherwise known as 'Akuko ifo' in Igbo language.
- [00:00:16.580]Igbo is a tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria.
- [00:00:20.720]My name is Iheanacho Chekwube and I am an Igbo lady.
- [00:00:26.390]So once upon a time in the animal kingdom tortoise who
- [00:00:31.340]was cunning animal Wanted to get married.
- [00:00:36.830]He could not afford the traditional wedding items required by his son to
- [00:00:41.600]be in-laws. So he borrowed them from his neighbors.
- [00:00:46.580]He got his kinsman to accompany him to his in-laws for the wedding ceremony.
- [00:00:52.520]Before tortoise and his and his kinsman set out,
- [00:00:56.000]he told them that they should all take on special names to answer.
- [00:01:00.320]When they arrived at the ceremony,
- [00:01:03.500]everyone chose their names and tortoise,
- [00:01:06.250]chose to be called 'all of you'. Now tortoise chose to be called,
- [00:01:10.670]'All of you' for a reason. Listen, when they arrived at the wedding,
- [00:01:16.310]the in-laws had prepared different kinds of foods and drinks.
- [00:01:21.110]The ceremony began first with the serving of kola nuts and Palm wine.
- [00:01:27.080]When the kola nuts were served, Tortoise
- [00:01:29.840]stood up and asked his in-laws who are kola nuts for?
- [00:01:35.540]And the in-laws replied,
- [00:01:37.940]They are for all of you.
- [00:01:40.670]Then Tortoise turned to his kinsman and said my
- [00:01:45.650]people, the kola nuts are for me. Remember his name is 'all of you'.
- [00:01:51.950]So Tortoise put the Kola nuts away in his bag.
- [00:01:56.750]After some time,
- [00:01:58.550]the in-laws came back with other foods and drinks and Tortoise
- [00:02:03.470]would ask again, who are these for?
- [00:02:07.010]And the in-laws would reply. They are for all of you. Again,
- [00:02:12.020]Tortoise took all the foods and drinks that were saved for himself
- [00:02:16.970]and put them away in his bag.
- [00:02:19.970]When the in-laws came back and saw that the kinsmen were not eating and
- [00:02:23.900]drinking,
- [00:02:25.430]they asked Tortoise why and Tortoise replied that it was because
- [00:02:30.230]the in-laws said that the food was what all of you and that his name was 'all of
- [00:02:35.180]you'. After the serving of food and drinks,
- [00:02:39.710]They began to traditional wedding ceremony, Tortoise
- [00:02:43.160]and his kinsmen presented the bride price and wedding gifts to the bride's
- [00:02:47.930]family.
- [00:02:49.400]Some of the gifts were yams, rice and Palm oil.
- [00:02:54.260]The in-laws accepted these gifts and stored them in the house.
- [00:02:59.890]At the end of the ceremony,
- [00:03:01.810]Tortoise and his new bride went home. Tortoise,
- [00:03:05.920]being a greedy and crafty animal.
- [00:03:08.980]Arranged with some thieves to steal the wedding gifts.
- [00:03:12.850]He had just presented to his in-laws. When Tortoise and the
- [00:03:17.530]thieves arrived at night to steal the gifts,
- [00:03:20.920]The in-laws heard the noise and raised an alarm.
- [00:03:24.550]In-laws came running and Caught Tortoise and the thieves,
- [00:03:29.080]In-laws tied Tortoise and thieves to a tree in the public square.
- [00:03:33.520]As punishment. Later,
- [00:03:35.980]members of the community pleaded to have Tortoise and the thieves released
- [00:03:41.770]the in-laws released them and Tortoise went home in
- [00:03:46.150]shame. When Tortoise got home,
- [00:03:49.120]he realized that he's bride had gone back to her
- [00:03:53.740]father's house. Wow. What an awesome story.
- [00:03:58.960]Though,
- [00:03:59.470]we have seen how Tortoise's craftiness and
- [00:04:04.390]being greedy had landed him into a very big trouble.
- [00:04:08.230]The village disgraced him, his wife left him.
- [00:04:12.100]So we should try to be good children. Let's not be crafty.
- [00:04:16.930]Let's not be greedy like Tortoise so that our parents will continue to
- [00:04:21.640]trust us. And nobody will have the guts to disgrace us.
- [00:04:26.260]Bye bye.
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