Daniel Chukpadeh Gayedyu

May 2009 Fiction Contest Entry

Niipuwin

Author’s Note: I heard this story years ago when I was a child growing up in Geah-bar Zondo, District Number Four, Grand Bassa County. Niipuwin is a village in District Number Four near a creek whose sand is white, thus giving the name Niipuwin. “Niipu” means “white water” or “white creek”. Win means “at”. “Niipuwin” means “at the white creek”. When I heard the story, no village name was given. I have added and taken away some parts of the original story.

I

There lived a great hunter in the hinterland village of Niipuwin called Sawah. This man had the gift of hunting animals of all kinds, even elephants, but he was an expert hunter of bush hogs –the hairy, thick skinned wild pigs with sharp long teeth and fast, short legs that live deep in the bush.

Sawah hunted so many bush hogs, they became afraid that their whole colony would be killed by him. What terrified the hogs even more than Sawah himself were his two huge hunting dogs, Tooh meaning War, and Zaah meaning Quarrel, who could outrun the fastest running bush hog. Tooh and Zaah were as big as leopards.

Sawah kept Tooh and Zaah locked up. They were let out only when he went hunting and was in trouble. Sawah’s mother, Saikon, a very old but strong and wise woman, kept a small clay pot under her bed. No fire was put under the pot, but when Sawah went hunting and faced any kind of danger, the pot boiled over with red foam the color of blood. If all was well, the pot boiled over with white foam. Whenever the pot boiled over with red foam, the old woman Saikon would let the dogs out. In no time they would run with speed to the rescue of their master.

II

One day, the fierce old king of the bush hogs called a general meeting and ordered that every hog living in the bush must attend. The alarm was sounded throughout the bush. On the day of the meeting, the king of the bush hogs was seated in the middle of a circle surrounded by hogs – old ones, young ones, male and female, even babies that were brought by their mothers to the meeting.

The king of the bush hogs raised his right fore hoof. This was a sign that he was about to speak. With respect for their king, the entire gathering fell silent. The king told them that his reason for calling the meeting was for them to find a way to get rid of the hunter Sawah, who was slaughtering their kind in great numbers. He then asked his subjects to speak their minds. Many suggestions were made. One male hog suggested that the entire community of bush hogs march on Sawah’s village, look for him, attack him and kill him!

The old king carefully thought through each idea that was presented. He was not pleased with any, until finally a young female hog said she could turn into a very beautiful human woman. She said she would visit the hunter’s village and get him to fall in love with her. After staying with him for some time, she would learn all his hunting secrets, and then urge him to follow her to her home. Then she would lead the hunter into their trap, when they could surround him and kill him with the knowledge of his secret powers.

When the young bush hog finished relating her plan, there was loud clapping of hoofs by all the animals, even the king. All of the bush hogs agreed to the plan and thanked her.

One young male hog was so happy that he raised all four hind and fore legs and shook his hoofs, turning around and around on his hunches. The older hogs wondered how did she get such wisdom, being yet so young. The young hog then announced that the human name she chose to use was Konboe.

III

Far off in the forest was an Oracle who performed many wonders. There was a huge cave in a mountain, with an opening at the foot of the mountain where this Powerful Creature lived. Both humans and animals sought to get help from the Oracle, but not during the same seasons. Humans could only visit the Oracle during the new moon, while the animals could go at all other times.

The young female hog went to the Oracle to ask the Powerful Creature for help. She went all by herself. When she arrived at the huge cave, there was no one in sight – no animals, no human beings. She became afraid because of the silence. As she crept closer to the mouth of the cave, a loud voice ordered, “Stop right there small bush hog! What do you want here? What can I do for you?”

Although it was late afternoon and there was no rain or clouds, thunder and lightening flashed around the area. Fear completely overtook the young hog. Her four legs trembled. She opened her mouth wide but not even a grunt came out.

Again the big voice sounded: “Tell me why you have come! If you have a problem, you must tell me! I know that something is on your mind. Speak out now!”

The young bush hog thought about why she was there and took courage. Though she could not see the Oracle, she began explaining how Sawah the hunter was killing off her colony. She talked about the meeting called by the bush hog king. She told the Oracle that she had come up with an idea about how they could win over the hunter. Then she asked the Oracle to turn her into a very beautiful human woman, so that she could go to the hunter’s village to lure him into a trap.

“Now you have told the Powerful Creature what you want! A bush hog is a bush hog and a human is a human! How long do you want to be human?”

Again the young bush hog could hardly speak. Finally, she managed to ask if she could be a human woman for one year.

“One year for a bush hog to be human? That can be done!” The Powerful Creature laughed and the sound was like thunder.

Suddenly, a rod appeared in the air where the young bush hog stood. No one was holding it. It was not attached to any rope, but it was hanging right in front of her.

“Touch this rod and you will become human after one hour, but do not open your eyes until after one hour. You will find yourself near the hunter’s village with new clothes in a suitcase holding animal skin slippers and colorful lappas to show off your woman beauty for one year. If you do not finish your mission in one year, you will turn into a bush hog right in the village or wherever you are.”

A cola nut suddenly floated out of the cave toward the young bush hog. The Oracle instructed, “Take this piece of cola nut. Eat half of it now and eat the other half when you are to turn back into a bush hog. Do not lose the cola nut. Place it where no one will get to it. You must know that a hog is a hog and a human is a human! Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Powerful Creature. I will do as you say,” the hog answered. She lifted her right hoof and touched the rod. She took the white cola nut which was floating before her eyes, ate half and held tight to the other half.

She closed her eyes. For an hour she was in a trance. She could not remember what was happening to her. When she came to herself, she was human! She found herself near the hunter’s village. All this took place within one week after the bush hog meeting. She decided to enter the village.

IV

The sun was shinning over the village of Niipuwin but not too bright, not too hot, and Sawah the hunter was resting in his hammock tied between two mango trees in his compound of this village. He did not feel like going anywhere.

Sawah looked across the village and saw a very well-dressed young woman entering the village. As the young lady walked closer to where he was, he saw how beautiful she was. Her dark smooth skin was without peer in comparison to the loveliest women in Niipuwin. Her brown leather slippers matched her fitted lappa and blouse. She appeared to be the daughter of a rich chief. In the hunter’s mind, he marveled that he has never seen such a beautiful woman before.

The stranger made her way, walking closer to the middle of the village near the hunter’s compound. Sawah quickly got down from his hammock and walked toward her. He greeted her and she answered in a low, cool voice, murmuring her name, Konboe, pretending to be walking on her way through the village of Niipuwin. Sawah walked alongside her. He began urging her to sit and rest a while, but she refused and continued to walk. Sawah was able to look closely at her and he saw that she was truly beyond beautiful, perfect in every way.

Sawah did not give up. He continued urging and pleading with Konboe to sit down in his compound. After much persuasion with sweet words, Konboe acted as though she gave in.

After some talk, the hunter offered his guest room to the lady. The guest room was set off from the main house, opening unto the large, front porch. As a big hunter, Sawah owned a big compound and a large house in the village of Niipuwin.

Just a few days passed and Sawah found himself deeply in love. It appeared that Konboe was beginning to share his feelings. Only one person was unhappy about the growing relationship – Sawah’s aging mother, Saikon.

V

As time went by, every night when Sawah visited Konboe’s room, she tried to get him to talk about the secret of his hunting powers. Finally, he decided to tell his love all of his secrets.

He could turn into a red-headed male lizard when attacked by animals he was hunting. Night after night, the great hunter showed Konboe his hunting secret powers. His mother, whose room was near, would hear him talking and feel very sad. Then she would cry out loud, calling for her son to please come and take her to the pit latrine at the entrance of the village because her stomach was running. She often warned her son not to trust a stranger so completely, but he laughed and did not listen.

VI

Some eleven months had passed since Konboe came to the village. The hog-turned-human thought that she had heard all of the hunter’s hunting secrets, but there were two secrets that Sawah had not told Konboe. One was that he could turn into a rat, and the other was he could become a toad.

She told him that it was time for her to return home and she had no trouble getting the great hunter to agree to go with her to see her people.

The two got ready one sunny morning but before they left, the hunter’s old mother called her son aside and advised him to be careful. Sawah took his doubled-barreled shot gun with him, along with a few fine shots and a few buck shots.

On and on Konboe and Sawah walked until they branched off from the main road. After covering some distance into the heart of the forest, Konboe said she wanted to rest. At this point the hunter was feeling uneasy. He knew the area very well. He knew that there was no town or village in the area.

Konboe pretended she had stomach pains and that she was going a few yards away to serve nature. She ate the other half of the cola nut and became a hog again. Some fifteen minutes went by when the hunter heard some grunting, which he fully knew were those of bush hogs. He began to feel afraid! He drew his gun closer to him, but before he knew it, he was completely surrounded by bush hogs of all sizes and ages, males and females. Realizing the danger, he quickly turned into a bug-a-bug hill, but Konboe exposed his secret. The hogs overran the bug-a-bug hill and leveled it to the ground. Sawah turned from one thing to another, but each time Konboe exposed his secrets. It seemed it was his last day on earth!

VII

Back in Sawah’s village, at that very moment, his aging mother was outside in the yard, worrying about him. She felt low in spirit and decided to go into her room to lie down. When she entered her room, the small clay pot under the bed was boiling over blood red. Saikon ran as fast as her old legs could move and turned the dogs loose. Tooh and Zaah ran out barking, sniffing the air in this direction and that direction, then took to the road their master left by. The bells tied around their necks sounded, “One is Tooh and one is Zaah!”

Sawah had turned himself into a toad and was in danger of being trampled. The hogs had broken his gun into pieces and were searching for him everywhere! At the sight of Tooh and Zaah, the hogs became afraid. The angry dogs attacked the hogs, killed a few and the rest ran off in fear into the bushes.

Sawah was shaking. He returned with his dogs to the village and told his mother and the whole village his story. Everyone thanked God for saving Sawah’s life that day. The villagers all loved him, the great hunter who shared his meat with all. The women played their saasaas and the men played their drums. They all danced for joy that the hunter was not killed. Even the boys and girls played games, sang songs and danced. One boy stood on his head with his feet in the air for five minutes! Everyone clapped! Another boy played loud sweet notes on a flute made from a bamboo reed.

Sawah’s mother was so elated that the next day, she called all the people of the village together for a feast which lasted for three days. There was singing, dancing and eating, but from that time on, Sawah did not hunt any more bush hogs.

Copyright © Daniel Chukpadeh Gayedyu, Sr.