The journey into the forgiveness forest.

              LONG -VERSION

Looking at a king's mouth," said an old man, “one would think he never sucked at his mother's breast." He was talking about Adan the wolf, who had risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the fords of the clan. The old man bore no ill will towards
Adan. Indeed he respected him for his industry and success. At an early age he had achieved fame as the greatest wrestler in all the land.
That was why Adan had been chosen by the nine villages to carry a mission of bringing back the crown.

No work was done during the Week of purity. People called on their neighbors and drank palm-wine.
This year they talked of nothing else but the success of previous years and of the sin committed by Edon . It was the first time for many years that a man had broken the sacred purity. Even the oldest men could only remember one or two other occasions
somewhere in the dim past. Ogbu, who was the oldest man in the village, was telling two other men who came to visit him that the punishment for breaking the Purity of the land had become very mild in their clan."It has not always been so,' he said. "My father told me that he
had been told that in the past a man who broke the purity was dragged on the ground through the village until he died. But after a
while this custom was stopped because it spoiled the purity which it
was meant to preserve.""Somebody told me yesterday," said one of the younger men, "that in some clans it is an abomination for a man to die during the Week of Purity."

After the Week of purity every man and his family began to clear the bush to make new farms. The cut bush was left to dry and fire
was then set to it. As the smoke rose into the sky kites appeared from different directions and hovered over the burning field in silent
valediction. The rainy season was approaching when they would go away until the dry season returned.
Before anyone could plant or begin to farm an occasion is always held in the palace where the king bless the Villagers.
Came this occasion,The event started with the right hand chief , he cleared his throat, rising from his chair and speaking of the success of previous and on other matters before calling on the singers and dancers.
When the time come for the king bless the people, on rising from the throne t,a thunderous sound came from the sky and the king's crown disappear from the his head.
The event became disrupt with run various direction out of fear.

The next day, the chief priest was called to consult the oracle. Before the chief priest arrived the palace has been full with crowd,murmuring about the incident with many suggesting the gods are angry because of Edon who sinned during the purity week.
With the arrival of the chief priest every one became quiet. the chief priest, after some minute of incantation and song, said the gods of the land are angry and the crown of the land is in the forest of forgiveness which must returned to the land within seven days or not the land will be destroyed.

The crowd started another round of murmuring expressing displease and discontent with the message delivered by the high priest. The king speak(the palace now was quiet) , facing the high priest, what do we do?.
The high priest replied, the gods said A man with pure heart and strong will should enter the forest and take the crown or the man who sinned should be sacrificed.
On getting to Edon house, he has run away with all his household.

As said by the chief priest Adan was chosen,
Adan was a strong boy who resent poverty from youth has worked hard from his childhood working from farm to farm for little money to feed his household, his father died when he was little and the responsibility of the household falls on him. His mother is also hardworking but s old age taken over only few work could be done.
Adan was known for his sincerity and fairness.

Next day, Adan is prepared to depart for the journey with the mother and wives praying crying for him because of the danger of the journey. He went direct to the palace where he was blessed by the king and other chiefs. He was given some instruction by the chief priest and headed for the journey.

The sun was hot and the leaves dancing to the rhythm of the wind and strange sound coming from different direction. Adan was lying down on a fall tree after wandering half a day searching for path to follow with all path similar to him, after taking one path he return to the starting point over and over again.
As he lying down he remembered the stories his father used to tell about wars he fought how he defeated his enemies,he still preferred the stories that his mother used to tell, and which she no doubt still told to her younger children-stories of the tortoise and his wily ways, and of the bird who challenged the whole world to a wrestling contest and was finally thrown by the cat. He remembered the story she often
told of the quarrel between Earth and Sky long ago, and how Sky withheld rain for seven years, until crops withered and the dead could
not be buried because the hoes broke on the stony Earth. At last Vulture was sent to plead with Sky, and to soften his heart with a
song of the suffering of the sons of men. Whenever his mother sang this song he felt carried away to the distant scene in the sky
where Vulture, Earth's emissary, sang for mercy. At last Sky was moved to pity, and he gave to Vulture rain wrapped in leaves of
coco-yam. But as he flew home his long talon pierced the leaves and the rain fell as it had never fallen before. And so heavily did it rain on Vulture that he did not return to deliver his message but flew to a distant land, from where he had espied a fire. And when he got there
he found it was a man making a sacrifice. Shortly he fell asleep.

When he woke up he saw a young lady passing by, when the lady got to where he was the lady stop and ask; what do you want and where are you going so that i can help you. As Adan was about answering he remembered one the instruction given to him by the priest that he must talk to anyone until he see the crown, he kept quiet and walk away and the lady followed him ,shortly the lady disappear, and a new path open for him, after walking the path for half a day, he came across a cave which a river was flowing at it front. Adan was thirsty but could not drink the water which was among the instruction given by the chief priest, not drink or eat any food or fruit from the forest.

He entered the cave and saw an old woman and the crown.he presented a stone given to him by the priest to the old woman and the woman replied; what will you give in turn for the crown?
Adan was quiet for some moment not knowing what to say and after some moment he said; forgive me ma for i have nothing to offer and neither my soul nor my body but if she allow that the whole harvest of his farm this year will be given to the needy.
The old woman smile and replied; for you are wise and kind therefore take the crown and go back to your village.

It is already the seven day and Adan is yet back everyone in the nine villages have gather in the palace awaiting his return. Fear and panic fill the air. The king and chiefs were speechless. After sunset the fear increased and the people became more afraid of the thought of maybe Adan is dead or eaten by wild animals.
Shortly Adan appear from the dust with the crown his hand,immediately song of joy fill the air.

Adan was rush and his feet was sweep off the ground and lift up and brought to the front of the king. The king with joy blessed Adan with the title of ajagun oke which was the highest title among the war fighter.

The songs began and everyone was dancing as the crown was placed on the king head.
Adan cleared his throat and moved his feet to the beat of the drums as he remember his promise to the old lady he met in the cave.

And so the story was told of a young man who rose the highest rank in the nine villages was regarded as the savior of the village and some calls him the Adan the wolf of all wolves.

            Short version 

The story of a young poor man who embark on a journey to save his village.