THE TIGER’S DRUM

 

(Nigerian Youruba Tale)

 

Author: Ade Sco © 

 

Talis Project: Tales from Cyprus, Nigeria and Kenya

 

In ancient times, animals had their own kingdom; they had a king, chiefs and community leaders. They knew how to manage the affairs of their kingdom. If there was a conflict between one animal and another, they went to their community leaders to settle it amicably-and if there was any issue that seemed big, problematic and sensitive, such issues were directed to their king. At that time, Lion was the king of the animals. All animals accorded him great honour and respect. In those times, Lion was never an animal that bullied and fed on his subjects; he was a caring and fair king who was very protective of his subjects. His palace was magnificent and beautified with colourful verse painting. He was not just a king but a warrior-king. He often guarded his subjects against any external belligerence.

 

The day came when the king planned to have a festival of feast; the fiesta was usually organized on an annual basis, and many other animals came from different regions of the kingdom to witness the festival of feast. It was a communal festival that usually united all animals of the kingdom. They always bought cloths, and expensive body materials which they used for the celebration of the communal festival. A few weeks prior to the day of the festival, the king invited all animals to have a meeting with him in his palace. They all went to the king’s palace with a great sense of ardour. At the palace, the king instructed them all to make him drums; each person with a drum because he wanted them to be the drummers at the festival of feast. They were all beatific and promised the king to do according to his behest. ”Kabiyesi (King), in fact, if you request that each of us should make ten-ten drums we will be readily happy to do so”, Monkey said. Everyone laughed. ”Monkey, I have always seen you to be a vivacious fellow to the extent that if you are sent on an errand that has to do with tree climbing, you do it with passion”, the king replied, and all other animals laughed.

 

The king entertained them with some provender and dispatched them. They all went home to make the drums. When the festival was seven days away, Tiger had made his own drum, beautifully and craftily bedecked. He put it outside for the sun to shine on it so that it could dry and produce a good, rhythmic and melodious sound. A few hours later, Tiger came out to check on the drum he had put in front of his house. Unfortunately, it had vanished. ”Who has come to take my drum?”, Tiger asked. He checked all the surroundings but the beautiful drum was nowhere to be found. He kept on searching, yet he couldn’t find it. Tiger searched for it everywhere until the sixth day when the festival was only one day away, yet he couldn’t find it. He had tried to search all his neighbours’ houses and asked them if they could help him find his drum but they all denied having seen it. Tiger was bemused and crestfallen. “I will have to invite all my colleagues and have a meeting with them”, Tiger soliloquized.

 

He invited all the animals concerned, he told them to come and have a meeting with him at the market square. The animals were usually having a meeting at the market square anytime there was an urgent and critical issue. He had told them to bring along their drums. Tiger was one of the principal chiefs in the animal kingdom and he was accorded all due respect by all the animals. They all converged at the market square with their drums. Tiger explicated his ordeal and bitter experience; he told them his drum had been stolen after putting it under the sun to dry. They were all gobsmacked. All the drums made by the animals looked alike and the same design was applied for its decoration and beautification for the sake of uniformity. So, it would be difficult for the tiger to identify which of them was his. However,  Tiger was capable of discerning the rhythmic sound of his own drum when it was stricken. He devised a subtle means, and told them that each person would have to strike their drum one after the other so that he could listen and decipher the sound of his drum. He started from Elephant with a song:

 

Oba lodajo Are o——–The king has given the day for festival

Alukiri Jan! ————- Response

Oba lodajo Ayo———–The king has given the day of joy

Alu kirijan! —————-response

Oni kaselu Koo Kan——-He instructed us to make him drums each

Alu kiri Jan! ————–Response

Kemi selu kiwo selu—–That I should make a drum and you should make a drum

Alu kiri Jan! ————–Response

Mose ‘lu temi———-I made my own drum

Alukiri Jan! —————Response

Mogbe’ lu Sagbala—-I placed it in the compound

Alu kiri Jan! ————Response

Ewole Egbee lo——-You entered and stole it

Alu kiri Jan! ————Response

Lulu tire Ki ngbo o—Strike your own drum and let me hear

Alu kiri Jan! ———–Response

Lulu tire Ki nmon o—Strike your own drum and let me know

Alu kiri Jan! ———Response

Kiri Jan-kiri Jan! —-Response

Alu kiri Jan! ——–Response

Kiri jan-jan-jan! —Chorus

 

After the song, the elephant struck his own drum but it did not sound like Tiger’s drum. He instructed all other animals to do the same thing but none of their drums sounded like his. Then tortoise was the last animal to hit his own drum,”Ijapa (tortoise), it’s your turn to hit your own drum”, the Tiger said. Reluctantly, the tortoise hit the drum and surprisingly it sounded exactly like the Tiger’s drum. Tortoise was the thief. All other animals were amazed at such a dubious act exhibited by tortoise. ”For others to learn, I will teach a lesson that will leave a scar on you so that throughout your whole life, you will always remember”, Tiger said. Tiger became extremely enraged, and picked up the tortoise and hit him on the ground. The tortoise’ shell broke in pieces. “Never take advantage of my quiet disposition; the calmness of a tiger is not a sign of cowardice”, Tiger said. This is the reason why the shell of tortoises has never been smooth till today.