Latest / Sandman Stories Presents / EP 267: Nigeria- The final six stories of Tortoise (Ogumefu)

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EP 267: Nigeria- The final six stories of Tortoise (Ogumefu) · Sandman Stories Presents

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  Welcome back listeners to Sandman Stories Presents
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  Folklore podcast, where I read you to sleep or until the next
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  story. I'm your host, Dustin.
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  Today in episode 267 we're back in the Book of Yoruba Legends
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  written down by MI Ogumi Fu. We have 6 stories concerning
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  Tortoise and his mischief. Story one sees people trying to
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  kill Tortoise but none are able to.
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  In the next 4 stories we see Tortoise acting a lot like
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  Anansi. And in the final story we see
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  what happens when Tortoise gets greedy.
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  OK, let's begin. Story one The three deaths of
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  Tortoise. Tortoise had many enemies and
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  they plotted together to kill him.
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  One night when Tortoise was asleep in his Hut they set it on
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  fire and as the flames leapt up they said to one another, there
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  is no way for him to get out, surely he will die.
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  But Tortoise tucked himself into his shell and was untouched by
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  the fire. In the morning everyone was
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  astonished to see him walking about like nothing had happened.
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  Soon they came up with another plan and threw Tortoise into a
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  pond. The pool is deep, he cannot
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  swim. Surely he will die, said his
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  enemies. But Tortoise had sealed himself
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  in his shell and was safe. And at noon the sun shone
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  fiercely and dried up the pool. That evening Tortoise walked
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  through the village as if nothing had happened, and his
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  enemies were astonished. The next day they tried to kill
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  him a third time. They dug a deep hole in the
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  ground and buried Tortoise, and this time they were sure that he
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  could not escape. To mark his grave, they put a
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  bamboo stake in the ground. Meanwhile a man who was passing
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  by saw the bamboo stake and thought, X marks the spot.
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  There must be buried treasure here.
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  He began to dig, but all he found was Tortoise.
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  Fast as sleep inside his shell, Tortoise strolled through the
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  village again, looking very happy, and his enemies were
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  filled with astonishment. He must have a charm, and we
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  will never be able to kill him, they said to one another, and
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  from that day on they left him in peace.
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  The end OK and story #2 Tortoise and the
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  cock. One day Tortoise and his wife
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  Nyan Ribo felt very hungry but they could not afford to buy
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  food and while they were discussing what might be done,
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  Tortoise heard a cock crowing and it gave him an idea.
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  He went to the cock and said, I have to warn you, I heard the
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  farmer asking his wife for chicken dinner tomorrow.
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  Hearing this news, the chickens were all trying to guess which
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  one of their number would be the next on a plate.
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  Tortoise replied. The farmer's chicken said the
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  first chicken to cluck or to crow would be put in the pot
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  before lunch was over. Naturally the chickens decided
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  to be absolutely silent. Very early the next morning,
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  Tortoise went creeping among the chickens and stole all the eggs
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  from their nests, taking them to his own house.
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  Well, the cock wanted to sound the alarm, but he was afraid to
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  crow, and the hens were afraid to cluck.
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  And when the farmer's wife came to collect the eggs, she found
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  that they were all gone. At this she flew into a rage and
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  killed every chicken instead of just one.
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  And while the farmer and his wife had a chicken feast,
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  Tortoise and Yan Ribo invited their friends to an egg feast.
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  The End. OK and story #3 Tortoise and
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  crab. Everyone knows that Tortoise and
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  Crab are enemies. They used to be friends, but
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  here is the story of why they never say hello to each other
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  anymore. One morning on the seashore they
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  decided to have a fight to see who was stronger, but as both of
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  them were protected by a hard shell, neither could get the
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  advantage. Finally they came to an
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  agreement that they were equal in strength.
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  Tortoise said. We are so well protected by our
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  armor that no one can harm us, and so we are the strongest
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  creatures in the world. Replied Crab.
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  But just then a boy walked by and put them both into his
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  basket. Tortoise was boiled in a pot and
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  a shell was made into jewelry, while crab was cooked in a Stew
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  for the boy's supper. Since that day, the descendants
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  of the two boasters have always been ashamed to meet, and that
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  is why they always shun one another.
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  The End. OK and story #4 Tortoise and the
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  Pigeon. Tortoise and Pigeon were often
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  seen walking together. They were friends but Tortoise
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  treated his friend rather badly and often play tricks on him.
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  Pigeon never complained and put up with everything in a good
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  humored way. Once Tortoise came to him and
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  said, I'm going on a trip to visit my cousins, will you come
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  with me? Pigeon agreed to accompany him
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  and they set off. When they had gone some
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  distance, they came to a river. Pigeon was obliged to take
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  Tortoise on his back and fly him across the river.
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  Soon afterwards they reached the House of Tortoise's cousins.
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  Tortoise left his friend standing at the door while he
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  went inside and greeted his relatives.
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  They prepared a feast for him and they all began to eat
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  together. Won't you ask your friend to eat
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  with us? Asked the cousins, Tortoise was
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  so greedy that he did not wish Pigeon to share the feed and he
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  replied, My friend is a silly fellow, he will not eat in a
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  stranger's house and he is so shy that he refuses to come in.
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  After some time, Tortoise said farewell to his cousins.
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  Greetings to you on your hospitality and waddled out of
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  the house. Pigeon, who was both tired and
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  hungry, heard his words and decided to trick him for once.
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  When they reached the riverbank, he lifted Tortoise up once
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  again. When he had flown halfway, he
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  allowed Tortoise to fall into the river, but by chance,
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  instead of falling into the water, he landed on the back of
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  a crocodile which was floating on the surface.
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  When the crocodile swam to the bank, Tortoise quickly descended
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  and hurried away. Pigeon saw what had happened,
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  and that Tortoise had safely reached the land, so he flew
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  ahead until he came to a field with a dead horse to trick
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  Tortoise once more. Pigeon buried the horse up to
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  its head in the ground, as if it grew there like a plant.
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  When Tortoise reached the field and saw the horse's head, he
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  went straight away to the king of the country and told him that
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  he knew of a place where the horse's heads grew like plants.
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  If this is true, said the king, I will reward you with a great
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  treasure, but if it is false, you must die.
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  The king and a large crowd of people accompanied Tortoise to
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  the field, but Pigeon had buried the whole animal.
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  Tortoise ran about looking for it, and but in vain, and thus he
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  was condemned to die. A large fire was made, and
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  Tortoise was thrown into it, but Pigeon regretted his trick and
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  quickly called together all the birds.
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  They came like a wind, blowing out the fire with their wings,
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  and Tortoise was saved. When Pigeon explained this
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  trick, the king pardoned Tortoise and allowed the two
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  friends to depart safely. The END.
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  OK, story #5 Tortoise and the whip tree.
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  There was a famine in the land and everyone longed for food.
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  Each day Tortoise went into the forest to see what he could find
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  to eat, but every evening he came home discouraged, with only
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  a few herbs and dried up kernels for his family.
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  His wife, Nyan Ribo, wished that he could bring back more than
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  just a few musty morsels. One day as he walked through a
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  Grove, he saw 2 trees close together, a small stunted tree
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  and a big tree with thick foliage and spreading branches.
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  What kind of a tree are you? He asked.
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  The little tree. I am the chop tree, was the
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  reply. Well, chop tree, what can you
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  do? Tortoise asked.
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  The little tree said nothing, but waved its branches and a
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  shower of food fell to the ground.
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  Tortoise ate until there was nothing left, and then turned to
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  the tall, handsome tree. And what kind of a tree are you?
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  He asked, thinking that such a splendid tree must produce rich
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  fruit. The tree told him that its name
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  was the Whip Tree, to which Tortoise replied.
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  Whip Tree, what can you do? At these words, the Whip Tree
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  bent its branches back and beat Tortoise until he cried for
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  mercy. When the beating ceased,
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  Tortoise went home, but being so greedy, he did not tell his
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  family about the two trees and only brought back a handful of
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  flavourless nuts. After that, every day he went to
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  the chop tree and feasted to its heart's content while his family
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  and everyone else, including the king, became thin and meagre.
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  Tortoise got fatter and more prosperous daily until Nyan Ribo
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  began to suspect that something was wrong.
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  One day Yan Ribbo resolved to follow him into the forest, and
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  she was greatly surprised when she saw her husband stand under
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  the little tree and say, tree, do your duty.
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  The branches waved and the rich feast fell to the ground.
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  Yan Ribbo cried out in astonishment and reproached to
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  her husband for his greediness. She hastened back to town and
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  returned with the whole family of children and cousins.
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  She stood under the chap tree and said, Tree, do your duty.
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  When the food fell down, they all partook in the feast, but
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  Tortoise was displeased and he exclaimed, Why don't you stand
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  under the tall Hansman tree and get your reward?
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  Hearing this, they all went to stand under the whip tree, and
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  Yan Rebo again cried, Tree, do your duty.
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  Alas, the branches began to beat them all soundly until they
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  died. Tortoise was alarmed by this and
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  hastily returned to his house. But soon the neighbors noticed
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  that his wife and family were missing, and the king ordered
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  Tortoise to account for their disappearance.
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  Tortoise led the king and all the nobles and the citizens into
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  the forest, and when they gathered under the chop tree, he
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  cried out. Tree, do your duty.
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  And as before, a feast appeared, which the Hunger people soon
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  devoured. Tortoise then asked them to
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  stand underneath the other tree, and this they were eager to do.
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  The king himself was the one to cry out.
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  Tree, do your duty. And the branches began to beat
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  all those who stood below, until they cried out with pain in a
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  great rage. The people haunted for Tortoise,
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  wanting to kill him, but he hid inside his shell in a secret
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  place and they could not harm him.
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  He stayed hidden until the king died and a new king was found
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  and he thought it was safe to show his face in the town again.
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  But whenever he hears chop and whip, he hides in his shell,
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  thinking he is in danger. The End.
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  OK, the 6th and final story of this book, Tortoise and the
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  Rain. Tortoise and a Cloud once made
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  the following agreement. Whenever Tortoise wanted fine
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  weather, he was to stand outside his house and call pass pass,
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  and then the cloud would roll away and allow the sun to shine.
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  And when Tortoise desired rain, he was to cry.
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  Fall, fall and the rain would pour down.
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  In payment for this service, Tortoise was to place a certain
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  number of calories on the ground each time.
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  Tortoise was delighted with this arrangement, and at first he
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  duly placed the sum of money on the ground every time he asked
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  Cloud for fine or wet weather. One day on the occasion of the
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  chief's wedding, the sky was very cloudy and it seemed like
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  it was going to rain. Tortoise heard the chief
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  complaining. We have hired the drummers for a
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  great deal of money, but if it rains, nobody will come to see
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  the maidens dance at my wedding. Tortoise went to the chief and
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  said, If you give me a few shells, I'll hold the clouds
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  back with my hard shell, and the wedding will be sunny.
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  The chief readily agreed to pay the cowries.
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  Tortoise demanded, and Tortoise stood at the back of his Hut and
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  cried to the cloud. Pass, pass.
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  The cloud gently rolled back and the sun shone brightly, and the
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  wedding took place with much rejoicing.
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  But Tortoise did not lay any money on the ground, and instead
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  he kept the whole amount for himself.
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  The next day a man came to Tortoise house and offered him
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  riches if he could cause the rain to fall.
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  He said, my fish traps are too high on the bank, but if it
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  rains the river will rise and the fish will swim into my
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  baskets. Very well, replied Tortoise, I
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  will throw a spear into the clouds, and the rain will fall.
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  Then he stood back at the back of his house where he could not
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  be seen, and cried to the cloud. Fall, fall, and it began to pour
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  with rain. But again he neglected to lay
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  money on the ground and kept it all for himself.
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  Soon he grew rich and famous, and almost every day someone
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  asked him for fine or rainy weather.
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  He stored many bags of cowries in his house and gave nothing to
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  the cloud. When two people asked him for
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  rain and sunshine on the same day, Tortoise pretended that he
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  had grown tired from holding the clouds on his back and so the
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  rain fell. But after some time, seeing how
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  rich Tortoise became, the hard working cloud was angry and
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  decided to punish him. One day Tortoise wanted to go on
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  vacation with his family, so he stood outside his house and
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  cried. Pass pass let the sunshine on my
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  journey. But as soon as he had set out,
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  the cloud turned black again and rain poured down in Torrance
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  causing a great flood in the town and the whole family was
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  swept out to sea. The end.
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  I absolutely love Tortoise and all of his trickery.
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  I was kind of surprised with all the death and callousness of
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  Tortoise in these stories. It was just wild to see.
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  I wonder if that had to do with dealing with death as a very
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  common thing in the community. We are living a lot longer these
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  days and death is much more pushed to the side.
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  I really enjoyed the cloud story and the tree story, but the
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  other four were also fantastic. And this concludes the book of
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  Yoruba legends written down by MI Ogumifu, born Margaret Irene
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  Bauman in Manchester, England. Didn't see that one coming, did
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  you? She married Michael Ogumifu and
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  wrote two books of Nigerian folklore after his death.
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  One is Margaret Bauman and one as MI Ogumifu.
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  She also published a lot of nurse romance stories as
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  Margaret Lee's. I'll be able to get into her
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  other book starting on January 1st as the 1929 book is not
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  quite yet in the public domain, but it will be after I post this
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  episode, so fingers crossed. And since I've talked so much,
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  I'll give no explanation. Shout out to some of my favorite
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  podcasts, the For Your Reference podcast, the Ratchet Book Club
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  podcast, Away with words, our show Bunny trails, all great
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  shows. Just go and listen to them if
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  you get the chance. And happy 2025 y'all.
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  Thank you and good night.