Short story: A mother's challenge
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Auntie Effeh was a firm believer in the adage “spare the rod and spoil the child” and had always caned them anytime they did something wrong. She had always assumed that caning was the best way to correct children. That was why she was baffled that despite all that Kwaku and Kwamina continued to do the things for which they were punished.
“Your sons have beat my children, your sons have stolen my food, they insulted me,” among many others, were the constant complaints from neighbours. Added to these was the fact that they were now insolent to her and disregarded her instructions. The last straw was when one of them attempted to hit her because she chastised him.
Auntie Effeh feared that perhaps somebody had cast a spell on her sons and that was why they behaved so badly. Since she could not wait for the worse to happen, she took the decision to seek help from a sorcerer to help exorcise the spell.
When the sorcerer asked her what her problem was, she replied, “My children are disobedient and give me too many problems.”
The sorcerer asked: “Have you told them how you feel about their behaviour?” She answered in the negative but confidently added that she whipped them anytime they did the wrong thing. The sorcerer thought for a while and finally gave his answer.
“I will help you but first you must bring me three strands of hair from the mane of a living lion.”
Auntie Effeh could not believe her ears and pondered how she could get the mane of a lion. Just then she remembered spotting a lion in a forest close to the chief’’s farm. “But it looks fierce and roars fearfully,” she soliloquised.
She then thought again and decided on what she had to do. Early the next morning, she took a large chunk of meat and went to the place where she had earlier spotted the lion, hid close-by and waited anxiously. At last, she saw the lion approaching. “Whoa, now is the time,” she said to herself. With her heart in her mouth, she quickly threw the meat in the direction of the lion and went home.
She repeated this for some time. Soon the lion came to understand that the woman meant no harm and began to wag its tail each time it saw her coming close.
Gradually, the lion allowed Auntie Effeh to caress it. One day, when the woman realised she had gained the confidence of the lion, she carefully picked three strands of its mane and set out for the sorcerer’s dwelling.
She said triumphantly as she entered, “Here you are” and gave him the hair from the lion’s mane. “How did you manage to get that?” The woman told him how she had succeeded in pulling the lion’s hair.
After narrating the story, the sorcerer said: “You have tamed the lion. Now go back home and tame your children. Sit with your sons, tell them you are not pleased with what they are doing and try to find out why they engaged in those negative activities.
The three of you should reason together. Disciplining children is not about caning them, dialoguing with them is the key. Exercise patience and the change you want will come.”
Sent by: Dorcas Brefaa Hayford,
Bediako Memorial Institute,
8 Tulips,
P.O. Box 233, Kasoa.