THE COCK

THE COCK

A long time ago, there was a kingdom that lived in fear of an unnamable creature, ugly and huge, it ravaged the land, destroyed farmland and killed anyone on its path.  The king was worried because none was brave enough to tackle the menace.  His army, half destroyed by the creature was crippled to make another venture, so he called out all the great men and women of valour in the land and said:

“it is hard enough that this calamity happens in my time and history will not forgive me if I do nothing about it”.

The people answered in chorus “O! Dear King, we know it is not your fault”. He replied, “No, but it is my duty to protect the land and the people.  I have two options left, one I still believe that one of you can kill the creature and the other is that I will have to fight the creature myself and if I die doing it, I will be happier in death.  I will give a section of this land to who ever is brave enough to kill the creature and I will also give my only daughter in marriage to him:.

With this pronoun cement all the great men set out to kill the creature.  The first was the lion.  To get the ugly creature out, one has to visit an old woman who lived at the outskirt of the city of Udomoidem where it all started.

One morning an old woman woke up to find her farm ravaged by what she couldn’t tell by the marks on the ground. Her Okro, Yam, Cassava and Cocoyam were uprooted and destroyed.  So she shouted “who is doing this at the backyard of an old woman? May the war of wicked kill his father and mother”. On hearing this, the creature came out saying “Old woman stand and look at me, Nkim-aku-kub, if only you can stand, Nkim-aku-kub. The old woman, on sighting the creature, ran for her dear life.  The creature would turn round and destroy what ever stood on it way and return to its hiding place.

So when the lion came, he boasted to the old woman that he was there to kill the creature, being the king of the animal he would tear the creature to pieces. He persuaded the old woman to shout out for her crops, she did. The creature came out, repeated his song Akan wan da nse Nkim-aku-kub, Apodo afo aya da Nkim-aku-kub. When the lion sighted the creature, he ran as far as his legs could take and never came back.

The Elephant also came, cutting trees and putting them on the pathway into the forest where the creature usually comes out to attack.  Again the old woman shouted!, the lifting the trees and throwing them right into the villages around.  Elephant also ran for his dear life.

The Leopard came, the story was the same. All those who considered themselves strong and brave came out one by one the story was the same.

When the stories of each unsuccessful attempt reached the king, he sent for his sword and blessed his family. “It is my turn now to fight and die” He said, let no one weep for me but celebrate my death as a mark of sacrifice for my people”.

The Cock came to the king and said o! Dear king, your love for this nation surpasses anything else, I would rather die before the king, I have not strength like those who have embarked on this mission and I cannot boast on anything that I have but I have an idea, if only you would let me.” The king looked at him and said, “You are a free born of the land, do whatever your mind tells you.” When the people heard this, they laughed because no one imagined the cock killing the creature.

The cock went to the old woman and said “o! Wise old one of the forest of Udomoidem, I have an idea which I think will work, I am a mere cock, yes a fighting cock, but not of strength, not an attempt to get more hens as wives, if only we can agree to the plan. The old woman asked him what his plan was.  He told the old woman to help in gathering all the snails she could to help. So the message went out and all the nails in the forest, farmlands and backyard came out, not out of force but for the desire to rid the forest of the ugly creature because they were also victims of the ravage the creature would trample on them crushed them into the earth.

The cock begged them to pour out their smiles on the pathway into the forest where the creature used to come out.  They did until the pathway was heavily coated with a thick layer of mucus smile.

The cock with nothing in his hand asked the old woman to shout. “Anie ateted nkong akan awan, ekong owot ete ekong owot eka” meaning who is plucking the pumpkin leave of an old woman? War should kill the father, war will kill the mother.  The creature came out singing “old woman stand and look. If only you will stand Nkim-aku-kub.  As he walked up, he sighted the cock at first he laugh and said, a mere cock” shat and insult” then her became very angry because the cock did not ran from him as he advanced.

He charged with fury fixing his gaze on the cock and not looking at the ground.  He walked right into the smile of the snails and slipped. O! What a sight to see this huge and tall ugly creature crashed to the ground and struggled to get up. As he struggled the smile rapped all over him making it difficult for him to get up.  The cock then ran to him and pecked out his eyes and called on the bystanders to bring machete to cut its head.

The people were amazed by the cock’s feat and without delay, put him on their shoulders singing:

Se Nkim akiko kpa-wang-wang. Efenghe ema kpa-wang-wang, -meaning, look at a mere cock –kpa wang-wang. They have all ran away-kpa-wang-wang. For one month, the entire nation was in festivity. The king redeemed his promise and the cock became the son-in-law of the king and a ruler of a section.  Such was the moon light tale of my time. Ekong Nke.