49 47. The Woman who Bore a Clay Pot

[From Hausa Superstitions and Customs: An Introduction to the Folk-Lore and the Folk by Arthur J. N. Tremearne, 1913. See item #191 in the Bibliography.]

There was once a certain woman who had no son, and she prayed to God saying, “Let me have a child, even though it be a clay pot.” So God caused her to conceive, and after nine months she brought forth a big clay pot which she took and placed among her crockery.

Now, next morning, when the mother had gone to the forest to look for firewood, the son, who was in the pot, emerged, and also went to the forest to look for firewood. After a time he came upon the place where the beasts of the forest had made a hedge, and he began cutting it.

Then Gazelle said, “Hey, who is cutting this hedge?” for Gazelle had been told to watch the place until the other beasts returned. The boy said, “Let me come in and you will see me,” and, when he had entered it, he said, “Here I am; I have come.” “What is your name?” she asked. “The-Gift-of-God,” he replied, and he continued, “Will you not give me some water to drink?” So she brought him some, and he drank it, and then he said, “Bring me some water to bathe my head.” When he had been given it, he said, “Get up, and let us wrestle.”

So he wrestled with Gazelle and threw her, and he plucked out her hair and tied her up with it. Then he went and cut the wood, and took it home, and re-entered his clay pot.

In the late afternoon, the beasts of the forest returned to their settlement, and when they saw what had happened, they said, “O Gazelle, whatever have you been doing that you are tied up?” And she replied, “A certain boy came and started cutting wood, and when I remonstrated, we wrestled, and he bound me up.” Then Hyena said, “Oh well, tomorrow I shall stay here and keep guard.”

Next morning the boy came again and started to cut the wood, and Hyena said, “Who are you?” He replied, “It is I; who are you?” So Hyena said, “Enter, that I may see you.” When the boy had come into the cleared space inside the hedge, he said, “Give me water to drink.” When she had given it to him, he said, “Get me some water so that I may bathe my head,” and when she had brought it, he said, “Get up, and let us wrestle.” Then Hyena thought, “That boy has no sense; I am big and he is tiny.” So she sprang upon him to seize him, but he caught her and threw her on the ground, and he bound her, and left her, and went back to his clay pot.

In the afternoon when the beasts returned, they loosed Hyena, and said, “Whatever have you been doing that you are bound thus?” And she replied, “A certain boy came and I wrestled with him, but he threw me on the ground and bound me.” Then Elephant said, “Oh! Very well, tomorrow I myself shall stay and keep guard.”

When the morning came, the boy arrived and began cutting the trees — kop-kop-kop — and Elephant said, “Who is that?” He replied, “It is I,” and he entered the clearing. Then he said to Elephant, “Give me water to drink,” and, when she had given it to him, he said, “Get me some water so that I may bathe my head,” and when she had brought it, he said, “Get up, and let us wrestle.” And he threw Elephant also and bound her, and then he went home.

Now when the beasts returned, they said, “This is quite enough; since even Elephant is conquered, we must run away.” So they began tying up their loads that afternoon in order that they might flee.

But the boy, who had guessed their intention, came by night to where they were, and got inside a jar of oil, and hid. When dawn came, the beasts said, “Now, let each take his load and escape, lest he come and catch us.” So off they started, and they entered the depths of the forest far, far away.

After a time Hyena began to lag behind, and she said to the others, “You go on; I will catch you up later,” and then she opened the jar to steal some oil. But the boy dealt her a blow and said, “Lift it up, and go on.” She was so frightened that she took it up again, and ran, and ran, until she had overtaken the others.

So they went on and came to the place which they were going to make habitable, and then they said, “O Hyena, come here and give us some oil.” But she said, “No, no,” for she was afraid of the boy. They said, “For goodness’ sake, come and give it to us,” but she still said, “No.”

Then Elephant grew angry, and seized the jar, and opened it, and at once the boy dealt her a blow — pau! — and sprang out. As he did so, all the animals ran away and left their belongings behind, so he returned to the town and told the people, and they came and seized all the loads and took them to his mother.

After that he left the clay pot, and he never lived in it again.