Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria

by Elphinstone Dayrell

When all the people were working, including the women and children on the farm, Eba always stood with his father in the shade of a tree throughout the heat of the day, and when it was time to go home in the evening, and all the others were carrying heavy loads, some of firewood, and others of food, Eba only carried his father’s bag, containing his snuff and horn. After the bush had been cut and burnt, and the ground prepared for the farm the Chief waited until some heavy rains had fallen, and then proceeded to distribute the yams for planting. Eba carried the yams round for the others to plant. As he was putting the yams into the basket, he took a great fancy to one particular yam-tail which he thought he would like to take home and eat, so he placed the yam-tail behind the tree where his father was standing, and then took the remaining yams out to the people on the farm to plant. When the work for the day was finished, and it was time to go home, Chief Alankor called his people together and started off, Eba carrying his father’s bag as usual, but he entirely forgot his yam-tail which he had left behind the tree until they got half way home. Eba then told his father, that he wished to return to the farm as he had left something behind which he wanted to get.

His father told him that it was most unusual for anyone to return to the farm after the work was over as it was well known that anyone going back might meet some evil thing. But Eba said he was not afraid, and as his father did not like to refuse his favourite son anything he allowed him to go, and told his people to sit down and wait until Eba came back. Eba then hurried back to the place where he had left his yam-tail, but when he got there he found the yam-tail was turning itself into a frog, which grew larger and larger every moment. Eba was very frightened, but continued to look at the frog until suddenly he caught its eye, when he dropped down dead.

Chief Alankor waited for some time for Eba, and as he did not come, sent two of his slaves back to fetch him, and then went on with the rest of his people.

Soon after they reached the house, food was brought for the chief, but he could not eat anything as he was anxious about his favourite son, and was expecting him to return with the two slaves every minute. When it became dark, as they did not return, Alankor sent four more slaves after the other two, and told them to search the farm all over for his son, but they did not return either.

The chief became more anxious as it got later, and there were no signs of any of the people he had sent out, so just before midnight he sent eight more slaves with fire-brands, to help in the search. When the day was about to break, and there was no message from any of his people, Chief Alankor became thoroughly frightened, and called the rest of his slaves together, and having armed them with bows and arrows to protect themselves, he sent them off after the others and warned them to be very careful how they went. As nothing was heard from the last lot, the chief armed himself and his sons, and told his wives that he was going himself to look for Eba and the slaves who were lost.

He then started off. As the chief did not return, the wives and daughters went out to the farm to look for him and try to find out what had happened to everybody, thus leaving the house deserted except for the cattle and the fowls. When the morning came, the cock went to the cow, the sheep and goats, and said, “As our master is missing we should all go and look for him.” So they started off, the cow leading the way, followed by the goats and sheep, and then came the hens and chickens, but the cock stayed some distance behind them all.

When they reached the farm, the cock flew up to the top of a high tree to watch and see what happened to everybody. On looking round the farm he saw the bodies of Chief Alankor and all his family, including the slaves, lying on the ground apparently dead. Some little distance off he saw a creature like a gigantic frog covered with hair, sitting down with its head bent down, as he watched the cow and other animals walked past the monster, and as they looked in its eyes they fell down dead, one after the other.

The cock was very frightened, and flew down from the top of his tree and ran off as fast as he could to his friend the rabbit, and told him what had happened to his master and all his household, including the animals and hens.

The rabbit said that he thought he could bring the Chief and all his people back to life again, but they must be very careful not to let the frog look at them as if he did they would surely die. They then set off together for the farm, but they went by a different path so as to come in at the back of the frog. The rabbit then began burrowing, and the cock went into the bush and cut some strong tie-tie one end of which he made fast to a tree. He then sat down to wait for the rabbit. After a time, the rabbit came out and said that he had burrowed away until he had come just under where the frog was sitting, and that he had made holes so that they could get at both his hind legs without being seen. The rabbit then led the way into the hole, and the cock followed dragging the tie-tie with him. When they got to the place where the evil monster was, they tied both of his legs very securely with the tie-tie, and then went back by the way they had come. When they got to the mouth of the hole, the cock cut a small piece of tie-tie and flew to the top of a tree, taking great care not to look in the direction of the frog.

He then tied his head in such a way that he could not catch the frog’s eye. The rabbit remained in the hole so that he could not see or be seen. The cock then called out to the frog to make all the people come to life again at once or else he and the rabbit would kill him.