MIDWEEK FOLK STORY / [center][/center]WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS

THE TWO RATS AND THE TORTOISE

Once upon a time, two brother-rats went on a stealing expedition. They went into a kitchen in the neibourhood and stole one big dried meat from the fire-place basket (Ngiga) and sneaked away. When they came to a convenient and safe location, they decided to share their loot. When the sharing began, they started having issues about fairness and the evenness of the two portions of the share. One was accusing the other of being greedy and overbearing while the other sees the other fellow as selfish and unnecessarily suspicious. None of the two brothers trusted the other and a serious quarrel developed. At this stage, the sharing was suspended and two-fighting loomed.
Then came Mr Tortoise. He appeared at the scene and sought to resolve that matter for them. When he learnt that it was all about sharing a piece of meat and fairness, he told them that their problem was over. He boasted how everybody in the village used to come to him for conflict resolution and justice and how impartial his judgments have always been.
With this assurance, the brother-rats heaved a sigh of relief, trusted him and surrendered the piece of meat to him. The tortoise quickly broke the piece of meat into two and showed it to them. They looked at it and pointed out the bigger one. The tortoise used his teeth to remove the difference, chewed and swallowed it. He showed it to them again and the one that was smaller portion before now became bigger and they told him so. He repeated his action, chopped off the difference, chewed and swallowed it. He showed them the two portions again. At this point, the bigger became the smaller portion. The tortoise repeated this action again and again until the whole meat got finished.
With this, the brother-rats cried bitterly and started blaming one another. At this point, the tortoise smiled mischievously, excused himself on the ground of being behind schedule to a peace-making meeting and zoomed off.


MORAL LESSONS
1. The brother-rats were naïve and did show common sense at all. They ought not to have allowed the tortoise to finish eating all their meat before realizing that he was up to something. Once beaten, twice shy. After the first and second round, they could have stopped and demanded to have their meat back. By so doing, they would have retrieved something at all. Some people are very timid and fall easy prey to more clever ones. That is how some people are knocked out of business.

2. Like father like sons. Whatever you do has a reflection in the character of your children. We know the rat family as thieves. What would their father say if they had been arrested and lynched? Their father will not disappointed when he hears that his children went to steal. Lay good example for your children and teach them sound morality. They will disappoint when they are on their own.

3. Do not obtain by stealing or by tricks because what does not belong to you belongs to another person. The rats committed an offence by denying the owner of the meat the right ownership to what belongs to him. They, therefore, do not deserve justice or happiness.

4. When two brothers fight dirty, a stranger will inherit their father’s property. The brother-rats did not trust one another but elected to trust a stranger. That is what obtains when two brothers fail to resolve their differences inhouse and take their case to the public court or village meeting, Igwe-in-Council or to the police station. Not only that they will lose control of the matter but will expose themselves to public ridicule.

5. The tortoise has lived up to what we know about him and will never change. A treacherous, shameless and dangerously shrewd individual who is also extremely selfish and greedy. He lives a life without morality and has disappointed in this occasion again. Try to have a good name and integrity in your family, village, place of work, in the church and among friends. There must things you cannot stoop so low to do no matter the attraction. People who know you will be disappointed when they learnt that you actually did after defending you.

6. It is not strategic at all to try to resolve your differences in the street, market or in any open place. Every tom, dick and harry will come to suggest to you or be your counsellor including the devil himself. Your heart, bedroom, family parlour or compound are the best place to sit and resolve differences. It may take more than one round of discussion, fix another date and adjourn. It is worth it.

From the Village Elder,
Okenye
(Rev Fr F.O.F Onwudufor)
Ụkọchukwu Osebụrụwa
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