In the days when friendship could survive the year of the locusts and bonds between creatures seemed unbreakable, Ndafo-the-Tiger and Torokee-the-Tortoise shared a companionship that had weathered many storms. Their friendship had endured through seasons of plenty and scarcity alike, but nothing could have prepared them for the devastating famine that would test the very core of their loyalty to each other.
The catastrophe struck without warning, as natural disasters often do. The life-giving rains that had blessed their land for countless generations suddenly ceased, as if the very heavens had turned their backs on the earth below. The skies remained mercilessly clear, day after scorching day, while the earth cracked and withered beneath the relentless sun. Whispers began to circulate among the desperate animals perhaps inadequate sacrifices had been offered to the gods, or maybe some elders had forsaken the sacred libations due to their ancestors.
Also read: The Hare and Tortoise Race
As the drought dragged on with pitiless persistence, starvation became a constant companion to every living creature. The animals roamed the increasingly barren forest, foraging desperately for whatever meager sustenance they could find. Sometimes their searches stretched on for days without success, and the weaker among them simply collapsed where they stood, their strength finally depleted. The survivors grew progressively leaner, their once-proud frames reduced to little more than skin stretched taut over protruding bones. The terrible truth became undeniable, if the rains did not return soon, the animals would inevitably turn on each other in their desperation to survive.
It was during these darkest nights that Tortoise lay awake, his cunning mind working tirelessly on a horrific plan. Night after night, he toyed with an idea so unthinkable that it took weeks for him to gather the courage to voice it. Finally, he approached his dear friend Tiger with a proposal that would forever change the nature of their relationship.
“We should kill and eat our mothers,” Tortoise announced with chilling matter-of-factness.
Tiger’s reaction was immediate and violent. “That’s an abomination!” he roared, his eyes blazing with righteous fury. “Not even a prolonged drought could warrant the death of our mothers. I would spill my own blood before I would harm a single hair on my mother’s head.”
But Tortoise, master manipulator that he was, had anticipated this resistance. “Think rationally, my friend,” he urged with calculated persistence. “They are both very old women who don’t have much time left anyway. Would you rather we died in our prime? They have lived long, fruitful lives filled with joy and purpose. Why should we leave this world before them when we still have so many years ahead of us?”
Tiger felt his resolve beginning to waver as hunger gnawed at his reasoning. When he looked down at his own emaciated body, the hollow ache in his belly seemed to devour his natural desire to protect his beloved mother. “You… you may have a point,” he ventured reluctantly, the words tasting like poison in his mouth.
Sensing his friend’s weakness, Tortoise pressed his advantage. “I have devised a plan that will make this easier for both of us,” he explained with false compassion. “We will go together to the river. I will take my mother upstream while you take yours downstream. I will kill my mother first, and when you see the water running red with her blood, only then should you kill your mother. Remember this carefully, you must wait until you see the river red with my mother’s blood before you act.”
With heavy hearts and heavier steps, the two friends took the familiar path leading to the river. They arrived at the peaceful pool where, in happier times, animals used to gather to sunbathe and share stories when life was abundant and carefree. Here, with unspoken dread, they parted ways. Tortoise walked slowly upstream while Tiger trudged downstream, each carrying the terrible burden of what they believed they must do.
But Tortoise, cunning as always, had no intention of harming his mother. Instead, he harvested some baanjob leaves those same plants whose red juices women used to dye cloth and whose flowers teenage girls used to paint their lips and color their palms in times of celebration. Working quickly and quietly, he ground the leaves against a smooth stone and squeezed their crimson juices into a bowl. Then, with deliberate ceremony, he carried the bowl to the river’s edge and emptied its contents into the flowing water.
When Tiger saw the water running red with what he believed was Mother Tortoise’s blood, his heart broke even as his survival instincts took control. With trembling hands, he picked up his sharp cutlass and, closing his eyes in anguish, delivered one swift blow that severed his mother’s head from her body. The deed was done, and there could be no turning back.
Tiger whistled mournfully, and Tortoise joined him at the riverbank. Thanks to the drought that had left countless fallen trees and broken branches littering the forest floor, the two friends easily gathered a substantial bundle of firewood. Tortoise graciously offered Tiger the bag of cocoyams he had thoughtfully brought along for their grim meal. With mechanical movements, Tiger peeled and cooked what he believed to be a pot of cocoyam porridge enriched with his mother’s flesh.
“This meat is rather tough,” Tortoise commented casually through mouthfuls as they ate in heavy silence, watching the river flow peacefully toward the distant valley.
“I warned you they were old enough to be difficult to chew,” Tortoise added, breaking the oppressive quiet. Tiger could only nod wordlessly and continue eating, each bite a reminder of his unspeakable act.
The next day brought Tortoise’s turn to provide their meal. Tiger offered him some plantains, which Tortoise used to prepare a rich sese porridge. As they sat together sharing what Tiger believed was another cannibalistic feast, the tiger commented with dark irony, “Your mother tastes quite tender, despite her advanced age.”
“Yes, but I spent considerably more time cooking her than you did with your mother,” Tortoise replied smoothly, hiding his deception behind false camaraderie. What Tiger could never have suspected was that Tortoise had caught several fat squirrels the day before their terrible pact and had kept them carefully hidden in the bush. Even more importantly, he had concealed his very much alive mother in an abandoned ntso palm grove near the river, where she remained safe and unharmed.
As the days passed and their meager meals provided only temporary relief from the gnawing hunger, Tiger began to notice something peculiar about his friend’s behavior. After each meal, Tortoise would adopt the strange habit of excusing himself and disappearing alone into the forest. “I’ll be right back,” he would say with casual nonchalance, always insisting on going unaccompanied. Though puzzled by this mysterious routine, Tiger initially dismissed it as one of his friend’s many eccentricities.
But curiosity eventually overcame discretion. One day, Tiger secretly followed Tortoise through the dense undergrowth to the ntso palm grove and watched in stunned disbelief as his friend delivered food to his very much alive mother. “So that’s what you’ve been doing, my treacherous friend,” Tiger whispered, his heart filling with a rage more fierce than any hunger he had ever experienced.
The revelation struck him like a physical blow. He had known Tortoise was cunning, everyone knew that but how could he have suspected that his closest friend would deceive him in such a monstrous way, tricking him into murdering the very woman who had given him life? Tiger forced himself to remain hidden until he was certain Tortoise suspected nothing, then ran home, making sure to arrive well before his friend returned from his duplicitous errand.
A full week passed before Tiger found his opportunity for revenge. On one bright, sunny Ntobah morning, when Tortoise suggested they go on another food hunt together, Tiger was ready with his response.
“I’m not feeling well today,” Tiger lied with convincing weakness.
“What’s troubling you, my friend?” Tortoise asked with what seemed like genuine concern.
“I’ve been suffering from terrible back pain for the past three days,” Tiger replied, holding his spine as if in agony.
“You should rest then,” Tortoise advised kindly. “At least it’s not a fever. Stay here and recover—I’ll see you when I return from the forest.”
“May your hunt be blessed with abundant success,” Tiger invoked their ancestors with false sincerity.
The moment Tortoise disappeared into the forest, Tiger sprang into action. He raced to the ntso palm grove where he found Tortoise’s elderly mother, peacefully unaware of the deception that had cost Tiger his own mother’s life. Without hesitation or mercy, Tiger killed the innocent old woman, cooked her flesh with some cocoyams, and consumed the entire meal alone, his eyes fixed on the river that flowed eternally toward its destination of no return.
When Tortoise returned home that evening, exhausted from his day in the forest, he went directly to sleep without suspecting anything amiss. But the next day, after their morning meal, he excused himself for another of his regular visits to his mother. Tiger listened carefully and noticed something different when Tortoise usually returned from these trips, he could be heard whistling or singing with contentment. Today, however, Tortoise returned looking deathly ill.
“You’re burning with fever,” Tiger observed with feigned concern, placing a cool hand on his friend’s burning forehead. “Here, lie down immediately. Get some rest while I search for fever-grass to help with your condition.”
For a full fortnight, Tortoise remained bedridden, consumed by grief and guilt. He refused most food, and whatever he managed to swallow, he immediately vomited back up. Tiger, playing the role of devoted friend to perfection, was visibly alarmed by the prospect of losing his companion. He multiplied his fever-grass treatments, forcing Tortoise to sweat away what everyone assumed was merely physical illness. Tiger even offered prayers to the ancestors for his friend’s recovery, all while knowing the true cause of Tortoise’s suffering.
Then, without warning, strong winds began to blow great blankets of dust into the air, and miraculous, life-giving rains finally began to fall again. As the drought broke and life gradually returned to their devastated land, Tortoise slowly began to regain his appetite and his spirits improved with the returning abundance. The two friends resumed their normal lives, carrying the drought and their dark secrets as memories they rarely discussed.
The farming season that followed proved uneventful and productive. Heavy rains came after the harvest, and the land enjoyed its well-deserved rest. Before long, the dry season arrived once again, and all the animals rejoiced at the prospect of a successful hunting season ahead.
One hazy morning, as the mist still clung to the forest floor, Tortoise woke with renewed energy and spoke to his friend about the future. “Have you prepared your hunting ground yet?”
“Not yet,” Tiger replied with apparent casualness, though his heart began to race with anticipation.
“I think we should complete our preparations within the next two weeks,” Tortoise suggested enthusiastically. “You can stake out your area, I’ll stake out mine, and we’ll help each other with the actual hunting.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Tiger agreed, his smile hiding darker intentions. “We’ll certainly catch more game if we work together. Just make sure you choose a particularly good location.”
“I promise I will,” Tortoise replied with the confidence of one who had no idea his fate was already sealed.
The two friends worked diligently to prepare their respective hunting grounds. When everything was ready, they set off one brilliant morning, each carrying a nswa bag and a sharp cutlass. They chatted and laughed with the pure joy of children who had been cooped up indoors all day and suddenly saw their beloved mothers walk through the door. Neither had felt such genuine happiness in longer than they could remember.
“When we reach the hunting area,” Tortoise explained excitedly, “one of us will stand in the center of the hunting plot and light the fire, while the other waits at the perimeter to catch the animals as they flee from the flames.”
“Isn’t that extremely dangerous?” Tiger asked with calculated concern. “Wouldn’t the person who lights the fire risk being burned to death?”
“Not at all,” Tortoise responded with characteristic confidence. “But if you’re worried about the danger, we can start with my plot first.”
Tiger felt reassured by his friend’s cocksure attitude and smiled inwardly at the perfect irony. What did he have to lose if Tortoise perished in his own fire? His mother had often warned him that arrogant people always provide their enemies with the very tools needed to destroy them. “I’m ready whenever you are,” he replied with false enthusiasm.
Tortoise sauntered confidently to the center of his carefully prepared hunting ground and lit the fire with ceremonial flair. The dry grass and accumulated twigs caught flame immediately, burning with fierce intensity. As smoke began to spiral above their heads, Tiger heard the panicked sounds of animals running desperately for their lives. He dashed about energetically, running along the circular path Tortoise had created around the hunting ground, furiously clubbing to death as many fleeing creatures as his strength would allow.
When the chaos subsided, Tiger sat down to inspect their impressive catch, but his thoughts were interrupted by his friend’s calm voice.
“What an excellent catch we’ve made,” Tortoise commented casually, gesturing at the game lying at Tiger’s feet. There were numerous fat rat moles, many of those prized grass-cutters the Beba people called njome, several anteaters, and even a young deer. “This meat will sustain us for at least a week.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Tiger answered, unable to hide his amazement at seeing his friend emerge unharmed from what should have been a deadly inferno. What Tiger didn’t know was that while they had been preparing their hunting grounds, Tortoise had secretly dug a tunnel from the center of his plot to the safety of the forest edge. He had simply slipped down into this hidden escape route the moment he lit the fire, waiting comfortably underground until all the commotion ended.
The two friends loaded all their game into their nswa bags and, after a long but satisfying trek, arrived home with their heavy, precious loads. They spent the following week in luxurious abandon, eating large chunks of perfectly cooked meat, swimming leisurely in the cool pool, and sleeping away the afternoons on warm rocks while basking contentedly in the sun.
But such indulgent weeks have a way of passing all too quickly. Soon the two friends found themselves preparing to return to the hunt, this time using Tiger’s carefully prepared plot of land. With grim determination masked by false friendship, Tiger walked steadily to the center of his hunting ground and lit his fire with the same confidence Tortoise had displayed.
But unlike his friend’s controlled blaze, Tiger’s fire erupted into towering hot flames that leaped hungrily into the air, burning with terrifying ferocity. As the dry grass ignited and animals began their frantic escape, Tiger quickly became hysterical. The flames licked mercilessly at his face and singed his skin with unbearable heat. Soon he could smell the sickening odor of his own flesh beginning to burn.
“This fire is far too hot!” he screamed in desperate panic. “I have to escape from these flames before they kill me!”
“No, you cannot leave,” Tortoise replied with cold finality, and began hurling large stones at his trapped friend with deadly accuracy. “You must remain there until every last blade of grass and twig has burned completely away, exactly as I did in my plot.”
“If I stay here any longer, I will surely die!” Tiger pleaded, his voice breaking with terror and pain.
“If I stay here any longer, I will die,” Tortoise mocked cruelly, imitating Tiger’s cries in the whining voice of a spoiled child. “Die then!” he screamed with years of suppressed rage. “Who gave you the right to decide that my innocent mother deserved to die by your murderous hand, you fool? Die as she died!”
Tortoise continued his relentless attack, throwing even larger stones at the burning Tiger with increasing fury. And so Ndafo-the-Tiger perished at the hands of Torokee-the-Tortoise, consumed by the very flames he had lit with his own hands. Tortoise walked home that evening with deep satisfaction, knowing he had finally avenged his mother’s death and repaid betrayal with perfect justice.
The Moral Lesson
This haunting tale demonstrates that deception and betrayal, no matter how cleverly concealed, ultimately lead to destruction. When we manipulate others into committing terrible acts through lies and false friendship, we set in motion forces of justice that will eventually demand payment. The story warns us that those who exploit trust and cause others to betray their deepest values will face consequences that mirror their own cruelty, often delivered by the very people they have wronged.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who are the main characters in this Beba folktale and what was their relationship? A1: The main characters are Ndafo-the-Tiger and Torokee-the-Tortoise, who were once very close friends whose bond had survived previous hardships including the year of the locusts. Their friendship becomes the vehicle through which themes of betrayal, manipulation, and revenge unfold.
Q2: What natural disaster sets the tragic events of the story in motion? A2: A severe drought and famine struck their land when the rains suddenly ceased, creating desperate starvation among all animals. This crisis becomes the catalyst for Tortoise’s manipulative plan, as animals faced the prospect of turning on each other to survive the prolonged drought.
Q3: How does Tortoise deceive Tiger into killing his own mother? A3: Tortoise proposes they kill their mothers for food, then tricks Tiger by using baanjob leaves (used for dyeing cloth) to turn the river water red, making Tiger believe Tortoise has killed his mother first. In reality, Tortoise hides his mother safely in an ntso palm grove while Tiger kills his own mother.
Q4: What cultural elements from Beba tradition are featured in this story? A4: The story includes traditional foods like cocoyams and plantains, the ntso palms native to the Beba region, hunting practices with nswa bags and cutlasses, references to ancestral worship and libations, and the cultural significance of caring for elderly mothers in African societies.
Q5: How does Tiger discover Tortoise’s deception about his mother? A5: Tiger becomes suspicious when Tortoise develops a habit of excusing himself after meals to go somewhere alone. Tiger secretly follows him and discovers Tortoise delivering food to his very much alive mother hidden in the ntso palm grove, revealing the full extent of the betrayal.
Q6: What is the symbolic meaning of the hunting trap that Tiger falls into? A6: The hunting fire represents poetic justice Tiger becomes trapped by the same type of deception he fell for earlier. Just as Tortoise used false appearances (red water) to trick Tiger, Tiger fails to realize that Tortoise has a secret escape tunnel, making the fire a perfect metaphor for how deception ultimately traps the deceiver.
