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The Story of Pig and Tortoise A long time ago, Ankwunyab-the-Pig was one of the wealthiest members of his community. He owned big farms from which he harvested and sold much of the crop. Rumor had it that Pig was such a successful farmer because he had a big appetite and so he diligently tended his crops. But Pig had a friend, Torokeethe -Tortoise, who was as lazy as Pig was hardworking. Tortoise ’s chronic laziness didn’t thwart a lavish lifestyle; on the contrary. He was the opposite of his friend. Tortoise was as much a spendthrift as Pig was thrifty. He spent most of his life borrowing food and other household needs from his friend Pig. One day, Tortoise asked his friend to lend him a considerable sum of money. “You still owe me the money I lent you last year to celebrate the birth of your child; you haven’t returned the cocoyam seeds I lent you last planting season, or the calabash of palm oil, or the pots, or the cutlass, and here you are again asking me for so much money?” Pig moaned. “My friend, my in-laws are coming for a visit. You know I need to give them a deserving welcome. I’d like you to be one of my honored guests.” Pig salivated at the thought of a big feast. He savored the idea of being an honored guest. Despite his misgivings he consented to give his friend the loan after all. “You have one moon cycle to repay me,” Pig pronounced, handing Tortoise half the amount he had requested. 8 You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. “Thank you,” Tortoise replied and went home to his wife. One moon cycle came and went. Yet another passed. So did another and another and another, but Tortoise would not repay his debt. Pig made trips to Tortoise’s home, but each time he returned empty-handed and irate, for he got virtually the same response from Tortoise: “Why are you bothering me so, oh Friend-of-Mine?” Tortoise protested. “I know I owe you the money . . . and all those other things you enumerate repeatedly. I know I’ll pay you back. But how can I when you won’t give me the time to harvest and sell my crops?” Pig was not moved by Tortoise’s display of pain. This year, while all the animals had gone far into the forest to plant their crops, Tortoise had farmed an area of sallow bushes close to his house. Everyone knew he was in for another poor harvest. “Friend-of-Mine, don’t forget that a person does not slaughter the hen which lays eggs just because there is a feast. You’re behaving like the man who climbed up the tree of life and once there destroyed the ladder his kinsmen had made for that purpose . I’ll come back in eight days. Make sure you have my money then,” a seething, fed-up Pig warned. “If you don’t produce that money you will for the first time see what I’m truly made of.” Even so, Pig could not tell whether he was angrier at himself or this bone-lazy scallywag. On the appointed day, Tortoise patiently awaited his friend’s arrival. When he heard Pig grunting and huffing two compounds away, he lay on his back and asked his wife to use him as a grinding stone. “Don’t say a word to Pig when he comes here,” Tortoise instructed his wife. “Make sure you go about your tasks as if he were not here. Ignore him no matter what he says,” Tortoise reiterated and then pulled his head and legs into his shell. Pig arrived at Tortoise’s house and was welcomed by a sourfaced Mrs. Tortoise. She behaved exactly as her husband had directed. She concentrated on grinding her spices. She’d look The Story of Pig and Tortoise / 9 You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. up only to dip her fingers into a bowl of water. She’d sprinkle a few drops to moisten the spices. Gro...

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