Oni – kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ – The Horseman & his son

Ni aiyé àtijọ́, ẹsin àti kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ ló dàbi ọkọ̀ igbàlódé ti wọn ńpè ni mọ́tò.  Ẹni ti ó jẹ́ ọlọ́rọ̀, ló lè ni ẹsin tàbi kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́.  Ẹsẹ̀ ni ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ fi ńrin irin àjò.

Ìtàn yi dá ló̀ri Bàbá àti ọmọ rẹ ti wọn ńsin kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́.  Wọn múra lati rin irin àjò.  Gẹ́gẹ́ bi àṣà Yorùbá lati bu ọ̀wọ̀ fún àgbà, Bàbá ló gun kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́, ọmọ rẹ bẹ̀rẹ̀ si rin tẹ̀lé kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́.  Àwọn enia ti o ri wọn ni “Bàbá, iwọ gun kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́, ọmọ ńrin ni ilẹ̀”.  Nitori ọ̀rọ̀ yi, Bàbá bọ́ silẹ̀, ó gbé ọmọ rẹ gun kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́.  Àwọn aiyé tún ri wọn ni “Bàbá ńrin nilẹ̀, ọmọ ńgun kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́”.  kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ wọn ti dàgbà, ṣùgbọ́n tori ẹnu aiyé, Bàbá àti ọmọ bá mú kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ gùn.  Wọn ko ti rin jinà nigbati àwọn ti ó ri wọn tún ni “Ẹ wo Bàbá àti ọmọ tó fẹ́ pa kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́”.  Nitori àti tẹ́ aiyé lọ́run, Bàbá àti ọmọ bọ́ silẹ̀, wọn bẹ̀rẹ̀ si fi ẹsẹ̀ rin tẹ̀lé kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́.  Àwọn arin irin àjò yókù tún ri wọn, wọn ni “Ẹrú aiyé ni àwọn eleyi, bawo ni wọn ṣe lè ni kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́, ki wọn ma fi ẹsẹ̀ rin?”

Nigbati Bàbá ti gbìyànjú titi, ti kò mọ ohun ti ó tún lè ṣe mọ́, lati tẹ́ aiyé lọ́rùn ni ó ránti ọ̀rọ̀ Yorùbá tó ni “Kò si ọgbọ́n ti o lè dá, kò si iwà ti o lè hù, ti o lè fi tẹ́ aiyé lọ́rùn”.

Yorùbá ni “Ẹni à ḿbá ra ọjà là ńwò, a ki wó ariwo ọjà̀”.  Lára nkan ti itàn yi kọ́ wa ni pé: ohun ani là ńlò; ibi ti à ńlọ ni ká dojú kọ lai wo ariwo ọjà àti pé enia ni lati ni ọkàn tirẹ̀ nitori kò si ẹni ti ó lè tẹ́ aiyé lọ́rùn.

Ẹ gbọ bi ògúná gbòngbò ninú àwọn ọ̀gá ninú olórin ilẹ̀ Yorùbá àti ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú – “Chief Ebenezer Fabiyi” ti a mọ si “Olóyè Adarí” ti fi itàn yi kọrin.

Ebenezer Obey – The Horse, The Man and The Son

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

In the olden days, horses and donkeys were like the modern day’s motor vehicles.  It is only the rich that were able to own a horse or a donkey.

This story is based on a Father and Son raising a donkey.  They prepared to embark on a journey. According to Yoruba culture of respecting the elders, it was the Father that mounted the donkey while the son was walking after the donkey.   When people saw them, they said “Father you are riding on a donkey while living your son to walk”.  As a result of this accusation, the father disembarked and asked his son to embark on the donkey.  Passer bye saw the old man walking and his son riding and remarked “Look, the son is riding on a donkey while his father is walking”.   In reaction to this comment the father disembarked and he decided that both of them should mount on the donkey.   They have not gone far on their journey when people saw both of them on the old donkey, and they accused him “Look the father and son that wanted to ride the donkey to death”.  In order to please the people/world, father and son disembarked and began to walk after the donkey.  Again, co-travellers saw them walking after the donkey and berated them saying “These are world slaves, how can they own a donkey and yet be trekking?”

After a continuous attempt to please the world, and he did not know what else to do, he remembered the Yoruba proverb that said “No amount of wisdom or character displayed can please the world.”

Yoruba adage said “One’s concentration should be on the seller, not the noise in the market”. Part of the lessons learnt from this story are: make use of what you have; concentrate on your goal without the distraction of the market noise and one should have a target because there is no one that can please the world.

Listen to the erudite, prominent Musician in Yoruba land and Africa – Chief Ebenezer Fabiyi known as “Chief Commander” as he told this story with song.

Originally posted 2014-04-15 22:41:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter