Auntie Mimie Children Series
© 2013 Rotimi Ogunjobi
ISBN: 978-978-49837-3-0
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The story in this book was adapted from several Yoruba folk tales.
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Long ago, there was a very strange-looking and cunning creature which looked like a fox, but also had a shell on its back like a tortoise. The animal was called Galogalo. Even though it was neither strong nor fierce, all other animals avoided Galogalo because it was a very crafty creature. One of its favourite tricks was to make friends with a small animal and thereafter lead it to the lion's den. And when the lion came out, Galogalo would quickly climb up a tree, because it could climb very well, leaving the other animal behind to its sad fate.
Somehow Galogalo and Leopard became good friends, and all that the other animals could do was watch; some in amusement and some with anxiety. When Leopard's wife went out one day, she overheard some animals talking about the strange friendship between her husband and Galogalo, and she decided to find a way to end this friendship. When she got home, she called her husband and said to him:
'My dear husband, mighty one of the jungle, come closer to me for a heart-to-heart discussion. What is it with you and Galogalo? Why does he come here so often? There is really nothing that you both have in common as far as I can see, as you are not related in any way. What is it then that makes you to love this ugly creature so much that you are both seen together in all places as if you are engaged to be married? I am nearly always ashamed to go out anymore for the shame of the other animals saying spiteful things behind you. I want you to stop Galogalo from coming to this house.'
This was what Leopard's wife said to him. But animals will always be animals and instead of Leopard to listen to his wife and to be patient with her, he punched her on the cheeks. In response his wife bit his ears and he again bit her on the nose. A bitter fight was the result. And so were their many years of friendship destroyed because of Galogalo. Leopard's wife was pregnant at this time, and sadly as a result of this fight, when the child was born it was born a hunchback. When leopard's wife saw that her husband would not listen to her advice about Galogalo, she decided not to talk about it anymore.
One day Galogalo came to Leopard for a visit. Leopard has just killed a gazelle, which he shared with Galogalo, and not even a bit of it was given to Leopard's wife to eat. And after they had finished eating, Galogalo said to Leopard: