Once upon a time

There lived a princess call Afrakomah. She was the most beautiful girl on the land of Ankonam. She was the envy of some women and also admired by some. Men in and around Ankonam all wanted to be the husband of Afrakomah, the King's daughter. She was loved by the rich and poor. King Antoa the father of Afrakomah took great pride in her only child. Afrakomah always reminded her of his late wife, Afrakomah's mother. She lost her life whiles giving birth to Afrakomah. Most of the old folks say the late Queen Abrefi, was the best queen in the history of the Kingdom. The late Queen could be seen in the markets and village square, interacting with the common folks.

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Afrakomah was getting more beautiful by the day and delegations started coming to Ankonam to ask for the hand of the Princess in marriage. This caused great distress to King Antoa as he didn't know what to do. He approached the village council and asked for suggestions. Whoever married the Princess would become the next King of Ankonam since King Antoa didn't have a son or brother to succeed him. Some elders said Afrakomah should be given to the most handsome suitor. Others also said he should be married to the wealthiest. All the elders gave their opinions and suggestions except Akora, who had made no comment since the meeting commenced. When King Antoa noticed this, he asked Akora what his thoughts were. Akora replied, "my King, the oldest man in our land is Agya Atta. I suggest we go and see him and ask of his opinion. " The other elders agreed with his decision, so a date was set to go and see Agya Atta, the oldest man in Ankonam.

The set date was here, and all the elders had gathered in the palace, so they accompany the King to Agya Atta's home. Agya Atta was too old to walk to the palace, so couldn't be summoned. Agya Atta lived in the outskirts of the village. His house was the last house out of the village. The village was surrounded by rivers leaving only one path in and out by land. It was said that Agya Atta knew every single person in Ankonam. Even when there's a new baby, Agya Atta seemed to know about it. He was both feared and loved by all. He lived alone and wouldn't accept to have s serving boy to live with him. He never married nor fathered any children. Agya Atta had a twin brother who died mysteriously 7 days after marrying. The chief priest then told Agya Atta not to marry, since he is the child of the land, or else he will face the same fate as his twin brother.

The King was finally ready and so they headed for Agya Atta's abode. They arrived shortly after sunrise to see him working on his garden close to his house. He gave them seats, welcomed them and gave them something to eat. After they had settled down, he then asked their mission. The chief linguist spoke on behalf of the group and told Agya Atta why they were at his residence. He listened to everything with rapt attention. When the chief linguist was done, Agya Atta thanked him and said that Afrakomah should be made to marry a Prince. The King asked, "what if more than one Prince comes forward. What do I do then Agya Atta?" Agya Atta replied, "come and see me again when that happens", and smiled. The delegation thanked Agya Atta and left back to the palace.

The King told his announcers, upon reaching the palace to go around, announcing that, any Prince, interested in Afrakomah should present himself to the king with gifts of his choice in a fortnight.The message went through the wole town. Most men were disappointed as they didn't meet the minimum requirement. It became the top for discussion. Lot's of visitors who had come to Ankonam for business also heard about it and took it to their kingdoms. Afrakomah was being discussed wherever people met, often in admiration and jealousy. Princes from other villages heard about it and decided to bring gifts to King Antoa in order to win his heart for his daughter.

to be continued
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