Listen to good advice
Agya Asare and his wife, Eno Aba, were farmers who lived with their three children, namely Joel, Gabriel and Charles.
The couple cultivated crops such as plantain, cocoyam and cassava. Agya Asare loved bush meat so whenever he craved for some, he went into the bush to hunt for animals.
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Tortoise was one of the animals that lived in that part of the bush where the couple cultivated their crops. It depended on the leaves of cocoyam and mushrooms for food. One day, Tortoise’s search for food led him to a small ant hill where he found a lot of mushrooms.
He was very happy and ate a lot to his satisfaction. At the place where the mushrooms were stood a very huge tree with lots of branches. The fruits of that tree were so tasty that some of the flying animals in the community perched on them for food.
On that day that Tortoise had had enough mushrooms to eat, Bird came to perch on top of the huge tree. Tortoise was enjoying the shade under the tree when Bird began singing.
After singing for a while, it flew away. Tortoise, therefore, continued with his rest under the tree. Just when Tortoise was beginning to enjoy his rest, Bird came back to perch on the tree and it began singing again.
This time, Bird’s voice was so irritating that Tortoise became alarmed that a hunter might hear and come and prey on them. Tortoise, therefore, shouted at Bird to keep quiet.
However, because of the distance between them, Bird did not hear him. Tortoise asked the Bush Rope which had grown on the tree to tell Bird to keep quite. Sadly, Bush Rope cared less and its response was: “We are in a free society and everybody is entitled to do what they want to do so I won’t stop Bird.” Tortoise replied, “Yooo, this can bring us trouble”.
Later that day in the house of Agya Asare, Eno Aba had just returned from the market with no fish or meat to prepare their supper for that evening.
She complained to Agya Asare that there was none in the market so he should go to the bush for some meat otherwise there would be nothing to eat that evening.
Agya Asare had had a bad morning that day because he did not get any meat when he went to check on his traps. The thought that because of meat he and his family risked going to bed hungry scared him so much that he went to his room, picked his gun and catapult and headed into the bush for some meat.
He roamed the forest for a long time but still Agya Asare could not get any. Then when out of despair he turned to leave for home, he heard a bird singing. He traced the sound to the huge tree where Bird was perching. Agya Asare aimed his catapult at Bird and shot it. Bird instantly fell from the tree, dead.
Unfortunately, it landed at the exact spot where Tortoise was hiding. He also saw some mushrooms.
He plucked them and took the bird. Just when he turned to go home, he saw the tortoise. Agya Asare’s joy knew no bounds. He had a lot to carry home. He cut the bush rope and used it to tie his load.
As they were being led to Agya Asare’s home, Tortoise reminded his friends of his earlier warning: “I told you so, now we are all going to die”.
When Agya Asare got home with his load, Eno Aba and their children were very happy. They had enough meat that could last them a week. Eno Aba quickly boiled water and when it was hot, he put the bird inside it and began to prepare it for the evening’s meal.
Indeed, she prepared delicious light soup and fufu with it. As for the mushrooms, she put some in the light soup to add to its nutritious nature. Tortoise was put in a well-covered big basket. He was killed four days later and the meat was used to prepare palm-nut soup.
Indeed, had Bird, Bush Rope and Mushroom listened to the advice of Tortoise, that would not have been their fate. Friends, let us listen to good advice and it will help us all.
Sent by Kelvin Ayim Akwah,
Mount Carmel Home School.
New Weija.