Anyadwe Children & Family WELFARE Association

A STORY ABOUT A HUNTER

Once upon a time there was a very skillful hunter called Okeny.  He used his skills of smell, the degree in which the trees and grasses are damaged and the directions they are facing to identify and trace where certain animals are hiding.  Whenever he went hunting he comes back with big animals to feed the whole family.  His mother was always very pleased with him, because without him the family would go without meat for days.

One day he went hunting and did not come back, his mother waited and waited in vain.  Suddenly they heard a bird singing from afar, the song was quite unusual, it was between a song and a cry.  The mother said to the people gathered under the mango tree, drinking home made beer people in the shade, "Listen to what the bird is saying".  "It is certainly a message", said one man.

Okeny's mother was frightened, "What could have gone wrong?  "Why has Okeny not returned home up to this late hour?" she asked in sear desperation.

The bird kept on singing, passing all the other homes and approaching Okeny's home.  In the song Okeny's name was mentioned, but the rest of the word were not clear and nobody could make any sense of it.

Riti ti, riti ti, 
              Okeny ber rwok x 2
To muneko Okeny, 
          To lee tim, 
To pi lacene, 
           Okeny ber rwok.   

It came and landed on top of Okeny's mother's house.  Immediately, she knew that the message was for her.

Okeny's father went inside the house and came out with a spear.  Truly, if you have brought an important message for us then come and land on my special spear", he asked the bird.

The bird came and stood on the father's spear and began the song again:-

Riti ti, riti ti, 
              Okeny ber rwok x 2
To muneko Okeny, 
          To lee tim, 
To pi lacene, 
           Okeny ber rwok.