THURSDAYS FOR TALES - UDO AND THE ANIMAL KINGDOM!

TALES MAMA TOLD ME!

Moonlight illuminating, Children around the compound playing, dancing, singing and screaming to the fright of the creatures of darkness. Mama would sit us down,legs crossed, in smiles and the joys of bearing inquisitive kids she would start with the popular platitude!

Story! Story! Story!

And then the story began!

Udo was the second son of his mother who happened to be a widow. Udo and his mother lived in a dangerous outskirt environment that inhabited all sorts of wide animals. Udo was about 5years old and was barely exposed to the skills of surviving amidst these wild animals who fed on humans. It took experience, maturity and exposure to survive in this environment and for that reason Udo's mother would lock him in the house while going out to source for greener pastures.

On her returning, she would sing a song and Udo would open the door

Udo ooo Udo ooo
Udo ooo Udo ooo
I am your one one
I am your two two
I am your lovely mother
Open the door for me!

Udo out of excitement would open the door and embrace his mother with happiness.

On this day, Udo's mother gave him the usual warnings, "udo do not open this door for anybody. Except you hear my voice singing that song I usually sing. Udo, I repeat, do not open the door". And she left with doors locked properly by Udo.

That day, Udo's mother was delayed at her activities and calamity awakened!

The wild animals noted that she had not returned and came up with a very crazy idea.

Tiger spoke up, " my fellow Carnivores! Udo's mother has not arrived and this has never happened this way before."

Cheetah seconded, " Yes. Maybe she's dead"

"Maybe she's been eaten by a more dangerous animal"

"I bet that woman is very brave and can't be eaten by any animal"

"I believe she's dead"

Crocodile then spoke," there's no need debating over her death. The main thing here is that we are hungry, let's go to the doorstep and try our luck with the poem she sings... let's see if we can trick him into opening the door"

And then they moved in packs down to the doorstep.
The first to utter the song was cheetah...

"Udo ooo Udo ooo..."

His voice was unsteady and not balanced. Udo recognized and screamed from inside, "go away you imposter"

And then the brave Lion takes his turn but Udo recognized it quickly, "Go away Lion!".

Crocodile was worst, his voice apart from being scary was amusing and Udo kept laughing,"who has that weird voice, my mother can never sing like that even in her worst pitch".

Each animal ranging from the big elephant to the wolves to the tiny mosquitoes took turns but couldn't.

Then the animals slowly and depressingly walked away in shame and defeat.

And just then the wise old cunning tortoise arrived..."I must try but we have to give time interval to make it look real. If I do so immediately, he'll know its one of us. If I take a while he'll fall for my voice"

After a while tortoise moved to the door and uttered the song slowly, softly and sweetly, "Udo ooo Udo ooo... "
Before he finished the last line, Udo opened the door and the animals rushed in and fed on him!

The next day Udo's mother returned and as usual her arrival scared all the animals away.
Standing by the door she sang her triumphant entry song but no response. She repeated and repeated but no response...

She pushed the door and found her precious Son's blood spilled all over the floor. She cried bitterly!
THE END

MORALS
Never leave a young child home without anyone to look after.
Never let the world know your secrets so they don't use it against you : Udo's Mother usually sang her song loudly and that made her vulnerable.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS FOLKTALE
STAY TUNED FOR MORE

IT'S YOUR LADY ITORO ARCHIBONG

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