Total Pageviews

Welcome

Welcome, welcome! and thanks for stopping by!
You're gonna love me
But if you don't...
see that red X at the top of the page?
The right side...
yep, that one, it's impossible to miss...
Click.

Pages

Monday, September 26, 2011

Tortoise and Yonibo.


Babalawo mo wa bebe
Cerebrallybusy: Story story!
Blogsville: Story!
Cerebrallybusy: Once upon a time!
Blogsville: Time Time!
This is a story about the tortoise and his wife Yonibo, who had been married for several years without any children. This worried them a lot, and so the tortoise decided to see the village priest about the situation.
The priest told the tortoise not to worry, and showed him a kind of special soup he had prepared for Yonibo. He told the tortoise that if Yonibo drank the soup, it would put an end to her barrenness. The tortoise was very happy and he thanked the priest, who severely warned him against drinking the soup. The tortoise assured the priest that he would not drink the soup. However, on his way home, the aroma of the soup made his mouth water so much that he decided to stop and take a sip of the soup. He took a sip and continued on his way.
You know what they say about stolen food. The farther he walked, the more his mouth watered. So the tortoise kept taking little sips from the soup until eventually before he got home, the bowl was empty and his abdomen was severely distended so that he looked pregnant. The tortoise didn’t know what to do, so he went home to Yonibo but didn’t tell her the full story. Yonibo was worried about him, so she suggested going back to the priest to find a cure for her husband’s huge belly. As they left the house, the tortoise started lamenting his fate in this song:
Babalawo mo wa bebe
(Baba I’ve come to beg)

Alugbinrin
(Alugbirin)

Ogun to se fun mi lere kan
(The soup you gave to me earlier)

Alugbinrin
(Alugbirin)

Oni nma ma fowo kenu
(You said not to eat it)

Alugbinrin
(Alugbirin)

Oni nma ma fese kenu
(You said not to eat it)


Alugbinrin
(Alugbirin)

Mo fowo kan obe mo fi kenu
(I put my finger in and tasted it)

Alugbinrin
(Alugbirin)

Mo boju wo kun, ori gbendu
(I looked down at my stomach, and it was huge)

Alugbinrin. 
(Alugbirin)

Babalawo Mo wa bebe, Alugbinrin
...
(Babalawo I’ve come to beg, Alugbirin).

When Yonibo heard this song, she was furious because she realized what her husband had done. The priest had no antidote for the soup, which was supposed to boost Yonibo’s pregnancy was now boosting the tortoise’s glands. The priest was also furious, and kept saying ‘Didn’t I tell you not to drink the soup? Didn’t I tell you?’
The tortoise was in so much pain that he died a few hours later, in Yonibo’s arms.

Moral Lessons:
Greed kills.
Do not covet what does not belong to you.

Lol so guys I hope you enjoyed this. I know some of yall know this story. Leave a comment about a memory of a tortoise story you remember :) 

11 CerebrallyEndowed views:

Unknown said...

loved it..
it reminded me of the tortoise and the lion or dog story in d clouds with food nt sure but cant remember he it goes ( animal kingdom sha
) lol enjoyed ur story
even tho we might be old *wink*
we too need bed tym stories hehe
may b told by parters or friends or mums lol..
www.olaalaba@blogspot.com

Myne said...

This took me way back. The tortoise story I can't forget is how he broke his back by claiming his name was All of you while at a party in the sky with the birds.

Nee Fe Mi said...

Lol, Nigerians had a thing for tortoises though with all the stories. I wonder if i remember them all to tell my children though.

@ilola said...

Immediately I started reading, I knew the story. This is because I really loved this one and it is one of the very few yoruba tortoise stories I can tell and sing the song.

greed isn't good at all. Thanks for taking me way back

CerebrallyBusy said...

@Alaba lol i know right! we need to have stories to tell our children

@Myne lool i remember that one too!

@Neefemi: yeahhhh Nigerians were crazy about tortoises back in the day lol

@ilola Lol. You're always welcome.

Nikkisho said...

i so remember this!!! :D

CerebrallyBusy said...

Lol, i'm happy about that

Yen said...

i just heard about this. thanks!! i like it

CerebrallyBusy said...

you're welcome :)

Ms. 'dufa said...

Awwwww!I liked it but why did the tortoise have to die? First time hearing this one.

Tortoise story that comes to mind is the story of how the tortoise fell from the sky and broke his back, hence the patches...and i think one where he became king...or so

CerebrallyBusy said...

:D lool i remember that one too!