In the ancient land of Kurumi, nestled in the heart of southwestern Nigeria, a terrible famine had settled over the villages like a dark shadow. The once-fertile fields lay barren and cracked under the scorching sun, and the mighty rivers had shrunk to mere trickles. Where there had once been abundance, now there was only want.
The people of Kurumi wandered through their villages with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes, their bodies thin as reeds swaying in the harmattan winds. Children cried weakly for food that their parents could not provide, and the elderly sat quietly in the shade of baobab trees, conserving what little strength remained in their frail bodies. Every grain of millet, every root of cassava, every drop of palm oil had become as precious as gold.
In this time of great suffering lived Tortoise, one of the most cunning creatures in all of Kurumi. Like everyone else, Tortoise had grown gaunt and weak, his once-sturdy shell now seeming too large for his shrinking body. His eyes had lost their usual mischievous sparkle, replaced by the dull look of constant hunger that plagued all the land’s inhabitants.
Also read: Hyena and Fox’s False Dispute
But there was something that puzzled Tortoise greatly. His old friend Dog, who lived not far from his own dwelling, appeared remarkably different from everyone else in the village. While others grew thinner by the day, Dog’s cheeks remained full and rosy. His coat gleamed with health, and his belly was pleasantly round, a sight that seemed almost miraculous in these desperate times.
The mystery gnawed at Tortoise’s mind like a persistent ache. How could his friend maintain such robust health when even the strongest men in the village were withering away? Surely there was some secret, some hidden knowledge that Dog possessed but had not shared.
One sweltering afternoon, when the sun blazed mercilessly overhead and the very air seemed to shimmer with heat, Tortoise made his way to Dog’s compound. He found his friend resting comfortably in the shade of a towering iroko tree, looking as content and well-fed as ever.
“My good friend,” Tortoise began, his voice hoarse with hunger and desperation, “you know we have been companions for many, many years. Our friendship has weathered countless seasons and survived many trials. Please, I beg you tell me the secret of your rosy cheeks and your fat stomach, so that I do not die of hunger like so many others in our village.”
Dog looked up at his old friend with kind eyes and replied in his gentle, steady voice, “There is no secret to it, my good friend. It is just hard work and living a peaceful and serene life. I accept what fate brings and do not worry myself with things beyond my control.”
But Tortoise was not satisfied with this answer. His hungry eyes studied Dog’s healthy appearance, and his sharp mind refused to accept such a simple explanation. “My friend,” he pressed, “surely you can see how haggard I’m looking. I know that you have found a way to beat this general hunger that afflicts us all. Please tell me, I can keep a secret. Have we not shared confidences before?”
Dog’s expression remained calm but firm. “Tortoise, my friend, I have told you there is no secret. Do you think I would lie to you after all these years of friendship?”
Though Dog’s words were sincere, Tortoise’s suspicious nature would not let the matter rest. Deep in his heart, he was convinced that somehow, somewhere, Dog had discovered a source of sustenance unknown to anyone else. If such a source existed, Tortoise was determined to find it.
The next morning, as the first pale light of dawn crept across the eastern horizon, Tortoise positioned himself carefully behind a cluster of plantain trees near Dog’s home. He watched with intense focus as Dog emerged from his dwelling, carrying a woven palm-leaf basket, and began walking purposefully toward the path that led to the neighboring village.
Moving as silently as his nature allowed, Tortoise followed at a safe distance, always keeping Dog in sight while remaining hidden among the roadside vegetation. They traveled for what seemed like hours through the dusty pathways that connected the villages of Kurumi, past abandoned farms and dry riverbeds that told the story of the region’s suffering.
Finally, Dog approached a large farm that still showed signs of careful tending. Cassava plants grew in neat rows, and healthy yam vines climbed their wooden stakes despite the drought. Dog paused at the edge of the field, looking carefully in all directions to ensure he was alone. Satisfied that no one was watching, he entered the farm and began harvesting yams, placing them methodically into his basket.
Tortoise’s eyes widened with a mixture of understanding and indignation. So this was the secret! His friend had been stealing food while the rest of the village starved. Unable to contain himself any longer, Tortoise burst from his hiding place.
“So, my friend!” he shouted, his voice carrying across the quiet farm. “This is the secret of your rosy living, and you refused to tell me!”
Dog jumped up in fright, nearly dropping his basket of yams. “Tortoise! Why did you follow me here?” he asked, his voice filled with both surprise and concern. After a moment, he sighed heavily. “Well, now you know my secret. But if you want to come with me, you must promise to come only with me and we must always leave before six o’clock in the evening, when the farmer returns to check his crops.”
“I promise! I promise!” Tortoise declared eagerly, already envisioning the meals that awaited him.
From that day forward, Tortoise accompanied Dog to the farm each morning. Like Dog, he filled his basket with fresh yams and returned home before the farmer’s evening visit. For the first time in months, Tortoise’s belly was full, and his strength began to return.
But as the days passed, Tortoise’s natural greed began to surface. Each day, he harvested a little more than the day before, filling his basket higher and higher with stolen yams. What had once been a manageable load for two creatures to carry quickly became an increasingly heavy burden. Consequently, both animals found themselves leaving the farm later each day, cutting dangerously close to the farmer’s six o’clock return.
Dog grew increasingly worried about their tardiness. One afternoon, as they prepared to leave the farm at 5:45, he could no longer hold his peace.
“My good friend Tortoise,” he said, his voice heavy with concern, “the quantity of yam you take home each day is becoming too much. Yesterday, we left for home at 5:45 in the evening, only fifteen minutes before the farmer arrives. If he catches us, we are both done for.”
Tortoise, struggling under the weight of his overloaded basket, replied dismissively, “Don’t worry, my friend. I’m storing enough yam at home for the rainy day ahead. The farmer will never catch us. We are too clever for that.”
Dog shook his head gravely. “I don’t think you should be so greedy. You could get us both killed if we harvest more yam than we can carry easily enough to escape if we’re discovered by the farmer.”
At these words, Tortoise’s eyes flashed with anger. “You dare call me greedy!” he snapped. “I don’t think it’s any of your business how much yam I choose to carry. Mind your own affairs!”
The next day, tension hung thick in the air between the two friends. At exactly 5:30, Dog placed his reasonably filled basket on his head and announced firmly, “I am leaving for home now, Tortoise. The farmer will arrive soon.”
But Tortoise, whose basket was piled impossibly high with stolen yams, pleaded desperately, “Just a few more minutes, my friend! I need to add just a few more yams to my collection.”
Dog watched with growing anxiety as the minutes ticked by. At ten minutes to six, with the sun beginning to set and shadows growing long across the farm, he could wait no longer. He adjusted his basket on his head and started walking briskly toward home.
When Tortoise noticed Dog leaving, panic seized his heart. His basket was so heavy he could barely lift it, much less carry it on his head for the long journey home.
“Wait for me! Wait for me!” he cried out desperately. “I can’t carry my basket alone, it’s too heavy! I need you to assist me in putting it on my head!”
But Dog, understanding the danger they were both in, refused to listen and quickened his pace to avoid the farmer’s arrival. Fear for his own safety overrode his loyalty to his greedy friend.
Seeing that Dog would not return, Tortoise began to cry and sing loudly, his voice echoing across the farm: “Dog, come back and help me! If you don’t come back to help me lift my basket, I will start such a ruckus that it will attract the farmer’s attention, and then we will both die!”
But Dog was already far away, having learned long ago that sometimes self-preservation must come before friendship, especially when that friendship is abused by greed and poor judgment.
Just as the sun touched the horizon, the farmer arrived for his evening inspection of the crops. To his shock and rage, he discovered Tortoise sitting beside an enormous basket overflowing with his precious yams, crying and singing his sorrowful song.
“THIEF! THIEF!” the farmer shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying across the entire village.
Within moments, a crowd of villagers had gathered around the scene of the crime. They stared in amazement at the stolen yams more food than most of them had seen in months. Their anger at the theft mixed with their desperate hunger created a volatile atmosphere.
Tortoise was immediately seized and brought before the king of Kurumi, who sat in judgment under the great council tree in the village square. The evidence of his crime was undeniable, and the law regarding theft during times of famine was clear and unforgiving.
With a heavy heart but unwavering resolve, the king pronounced his judgment: “For the crime of stealing food during our time of greatest need, when children starve and elders waste away, you shall be hanged in the market square as an example to all who might consider such selfish acts.”
The Moral Lesson
This powerful Nigerian folktale teaches us that greed destroys both friendship and wisdom. Tortoise’s excessive desire for more yams, despite having enough to survive, led him to ignore his friend’s wise counsel and ultimately caused his downfall. The story reminds us that moderation, gratitude, and heeding good advice are essential virtues, while unchecked greed leads to destruction. It also illustrates how betraying trust and taking advantage of others’ kindness will eventually result in isolation and consequences we must face alone.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What was the setting and situation at the beginning of this Nigerian folktale? A1: The story takes place in Kurumi, southwestern Nigeria, during a severe famine where everyone was thin and hungry except for Dog, who remained healthy and well-fed, puzzling his friend Tortoise.
Q2: How did Tortoise discover Dog’s secret source of food? A2: Tortoise followed Dog secretly the next day, keeping at a safe distance, and discovered that Dog was stealing yams from a farmer’s field in the neighboring village.
Q3: What conditions did Dog set for Tortoise to join him at the farm? A3: Dog insisted that Tortoise could only come with him and that they must always leave the farm before 6 PM when the farmer returned to check his crops.
Q4: What character flaw led to Tortoise’s downfall in this Yoruba story? A4: Tortoise’s excessive greed caused his downfall, he harvested more yams each day despite Dog’s warnings, making his basket too heavy to carry and causing them to leave dangerously late.
Q5: Why did Dog abandon Tortoise at the farm? A5: Dog left Tortoise behind because Tortoise’s greed had put them both in danger by harvesting too many yams and refusing to leave on time, forcing Dog to choose self-preservation over helping his greedy friend.
Q6: What does the king’s final judgment represent in this traditional Nigerian tale? A6: The king’s death sentence represents the severe consequences of greed and theft, especially during times of community suffering, emphasizing that selfish actions that harm society will be met with ultimate punishment.
This design was created as a visual echo of the story you just read.If you’d like to explore more story-inspired designs, you can visit our store.
