Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria

by Elphinstone Dayrell

Both the women then went out to look for the boy, but could not find him or any of his companions, as they had all returned to their parents’ houses. They searched everywhere for Ogor, but could not find him, so at last Omegha thought of the porcupine, and made up her mind to ask his advice as to what had happened to Ogor, and what was the best thing to do to get him back again. She then walked to the porcupine’s house and told him that she was in great grief as she had lost her only son Ogor, and could not find out what had become of him. Omegha then asked the porcupine to help her, which he promised to do. He then went into his back room to consult his ju-ju, and, being very clever, it did not take him long to find out what had happened to the boy, so he soon returned to Omegha, and told her that her son had been thrown into the river by his companions, and that the water ju-ju had taken him to his house at the bottom of the deep pool in the river.

Omegha then went down to the beach with the porcupine, and, when they arrived at the water’s edge, the porcupine, who was a very good swimmer, at once dived into the river and swam to the water ju-ju’s house. The porcupine then told the water ju-ju that he had promised to help Omegha, and asked if the boy was there. The water ju-ju replied that he had saved Ogor’s life as he was sorry for Omegha and her mother, who were poor people, and only had this one boy.

He then said that he had no objection to returning Ogor to his mother, and that the porcupine might take him away when he departed, but he insisted that the boys who had thrown Ogor into the river should be punished, and told the porcupine to tell the chiefs of the town that, if they did not punish the boys very severely, he would seize everyone who came into the river and keep them in his house for all time.

The water ju-ju also told the porcupine that he must take Ogor to his mother when it was dark, and hide him in the house until the palaver was heard, so that no one should know that Ogor was alive.

The porcupine waited until the evening came, and then, having thanked the water ju-ju for his kindness, swam off with Ogor, and took him to his mother’s house, taking care to go by the back way so that no one should see them. Omegha was delighted to get her son back again, and hid him away. She then thanked the porcupine, who went off to the chiefs of the town and delivered to them the message from the water ju-ju.

The chiefs at once sent the drummer round the town to tell all the people to attend at the palaver house the next day, that no one was to go to their farms, and that all the small boys of the town were to attend.

In the morning, the chiefs took their seats, and the people sat down all round them. The porcupine was then called upon to tell all the people what had happened. So he stood up and said that Ogor, the son of Omegha, had been thrown into the river by his companions, they having first tied him up and fastened a heavy stone to him to make him sink. They had then left him to drown, but the water ju-ju, being kind-hearted, had saved him.

Ogor was next called, to the great astonishment of the eight boys who thought he was dead. He pointed them all out, and told the chiefs which of the boys had tied him up and those who had carried him and thrown him into the river.

The head chief then said that all the eight boys were guilty of trying to drown their companion, and that they should all be taken to the beach and killed as a warning to other boys not to kill one another. He also pointed out that the water ju-ju had threatened to seize all the people who went into the river if the boys were not properly punished.

All the people agreed that it was a just sentence, but one chief, called Eka, refused to allow his son, who was one of the eight boys, to be killed, and said he would see what the water ju-ju could do.