A Story Handed Down By A Group Of African Hunters.
Once upon a time, there was a very big forest called 'Giligili', which means, 'universe of peace'.
This forest spanning about three million kilometres square has all types of species. What actually makes it very unique is that about twenty percentage of it is made up of waters.
Different types of spiritual creatures live in the waters.
Then humans were not created.
The universe was divided into States and provinces just as we have today. The universe was divided into seven 'Sukus', that is 'kingdoms'.
The seven kingdoms were:
1, Rutete, which was governed by the Gorilla.
2, Rufara, which was governed by the Python.
3, Runin, which was governed by the Squirrel.
4, Burana, which was governed by the Eagle.
5, Gumai, which was governed by the Crocodile.
6, Birinaka, which was governed by the Vulture.
7, Gwedoyeen, which was governed by the Parrot.
The Lion was the president of the universe, Giligili.
Each state has an autonomous power of governance.
When a challenge is beyond them, then, they take it to the President. They lived for millions of years without any major problem, only minor challenges which were settled without much hurdle.
Much later, humans came into existence!
About a million year later after the existence of humans, they began spreading into the world exploring other parts of the world. This brought them to the universe of Giligili.
That was the beginning of their woes!
TO BE CONTINUED.
The humans were surprised to see that this forest of Giligili was filled with different kinds of animals. Every specie of animals on earth was there. They increase daily because no harm comes to them or befalls them.
The humans were very happy to have discovered this animals universe. To them, it was a blessing from above.
But what they didn't know about it was that it was well organized and administrative by the different species which lived in it.
Ordinarily, they knew that going into it casually may prove costly for them. And so, they organized themselves into four hunting bands.
The first band was named,
"The Kumijaghas Group"
The duty of this group was to hunt only the animals that live in the waters.
They were well trained for that.
The second band was named "Kumidydymy Group".
The duty of this group was to hunt only the animals on the surface of the earth, on land.
They were well trained for that.
The third band was named,
"The Kumiyidama Group"
The duty of this group was to hunt only the animals on trees and air.
They were well trained for that.
The fourth band was named,
"The Kumifata Group"
The duty of this group was to hunt only the animals that live in burrows (holes).
They were well trained on that.
They arranged on a day for them to embark on this hunting expedition. And they left with a fun fare. The people knew that the best meal was roasted meat and so they wished the hunters the best.
They travelled for months feeding on fruits, leaves and roots. Finally, they arrived Giligili!
But to their utmost surprised, the animals they saw walking everywhere the first time they discovered it, were no longer there. It seemed no single animal in the forest. Everywhere was silent.
They became afraid to enter into it. They camped for days outside the forest observing it. Yet, no sign of a single living creature in it.
After seven days of waiting and observing, they finally decided to enter. The four groups went their separate ways. But they never returned!
After about a year, it became cleared to the humans that their hunters who went to Giligili were no longer alive!
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The humans have to consult an Oracle. The head of the humans was a man called, "Dunguntundun". The name "Dunguntundun" means, 'Tomorrow is like a pregnancy'. He consulted an Oracle which revealed that the hunters have turned into fairies. It also said that for them to break the jinx of the forest, they have to sacrifice more men. The more men they sacrifice, the more blessings they will get. Beside, there were a lot of blessings and potentials in the forest such as gold, diamonds, crude oil, and spiritual trees which can cure any ailment! If more men are sacrificed, the humans would be blessed with all these things. Because of this, the head of the humans hatched a plan. He wanted all the blessings in Giligili to be controlled by him.
He decided to keep it a secret.
He called a general meeting and told the people that the Oracle said that due to the hunters' greediness, they violated the forest's law hence they were punished.
He told the people that the spirits had assured him that no more danger; and he should send more people down because unlike the first time, this time, they will make the visitors wealthy. He did this so that more people would gladly volunteer to go. And so many people volunteered to go.
Now when they heard that the visitors would be blessed with wealth, everyone tried to be amongst those to be sent. Dunguntundun saw this as an opportunity to gain more fame and so he believed that the more people are sacrificed, the more happy the gods will be to bless the humans and so he told them that as many people as would like to go can do that.
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In not less than twelve hours, scores of people have volunteered themselves to go. But unlike the former hunters who were well organized before they departed, these were disorganized men with their own selfish ambitions. They set off with neither a group nor directive. Each person went on his own.
The worse part of it was that some didn't even know the direction to Giligili but yet they just faced any direction.
Some found themselves in other forests where they died of thirsty and starvation. Some were lucky to have found themselves in Giligili but one thing that was common amongst all of them was that they were ill equipped.
They rushed into the forest carelessly. Now, when those hunters whom had become Fairies saw the humans everywhere in the forest, they decided to punished them for their selfish ambitions. They turned into hundreds of antelopes and made themselves available to the amateur hunters. The humans were very happy to see antelopes so cheap everywhere.
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They rushed forward to catch them barehanded since nearly all of them didn't go with weapons.
But anyone who holds an antelope becomes an antelope himself. Due to both their rush and population, they didn't observe what was taking place. Finally, none of them remained. About a month later, Dunguntundun went and consulted the Oracle. The gods spoke expressing their profound gratitude to him for the huge human sacrificed.
He became satisfied. "Yes, at least, l have given the gods what they wanted from me. The next thing is for me to have a real trained hunters who will go into this forest now that there is no more danger and explore it. I will lead them down", he said.
But there was still another challenge which he must nip in the bud. The families of the departed people began to disturb him to find out from the Oracle what had become the fate of their people in that far away forest. He knew that if the people should go and consult the Oracle behind him, it will reveals all that happened and that would spell doom for him.
TO BE CONTINUED.
He then called a general meeting to which every human on earth was invited. He also made it that attendance was mandatory. Before then, he assembled a group of false seers and paid them to come into the meeting to reveal lies and deceit. And so, when everyone had seated, the false seers came into the arena. They told the people that they had a message and revelation for their leader. They quickly brought them to the high table at the front where Dunguntundun and other dignitaries were sitting.
They stood still for a while and they finally spoke saying, "Listen thou O the leader of the lower beings. Rejoice with all your subjects. Your people who went to Giligili to hunt whom you thought were dead are all alive! They have found a safe dwelling place there and they have decided to remain. They are enjoying roasted meat to their fill.
They are well protected by the gods. These are the words of the gods to you. We are the messengers of the gods.
The gods requested you the leader to lead more hunters down into Giligili to explore it. Very soon, your people will enjoy the most delicious meal on earth which is roasted meat to their satisfaction".
When they had left, the people believed that Dunguntundun was a very truthful and good leader.
This was exactly what he wanted to achieved.
"Yes, l have won the greatest part of the battle and that is to build a confidence and trust on their heart for me.
I will use them as a ladder to climb to the top of the world!"
TO BE CONTINUED.
He began the training of able bodied men. The response was tremendous! He told the young men that they would be given high positions when they returned in an addition to free roasted meat daily.
With these promises, the people fall head over heels for Dunguntundun's plot.
When they have received enough training, they baded their families farewell and they left with Dunguntundun as their leader. Months later they arrived Giligili. Those villagers who became antelopes and other animals were still on the edge of the forest waiting for any human to come anywhere close by. Now, when Dunguntundun saw everywhere filled with animals, his joy knew no bound.
He decided to act as a leader by taking the first step.
He moved forward to grab a very big deer. But the deer towed him up with its horns and hit him on the ground.
As the other hunters rushed forward to help their leader they were attacked by the animals. Many were fatally wounded why others fled for their dear life.
Dunguntundun regained consciousness but he could no longer reason properly. He became mad!
TO BE CONTINUhe
The next agenda was for them to try to go back home. But they have a challenge of taking their leader, Dunguntundun back to the village safely because he became wild and unruly. He threatened to wound anyone who got closer to him. When their efforts to take him home failed, they left him in the jungle.
Sadly, many of them couldn't make the journey back home as they were not found. Those who were lucky to have gotten home, were well celebrated for their heroism. But they have many explanations to give pertained to the whereabouts of their leader and their rest colleagues.
When the outcome of the journey was known, another man named 'Rosolo' took over as a new leader. Rosolo was a herbalist by profession and he has a great knowledge about the jungles and the forests laws. He singlehandedly went to Giligili in search for Dunguntundun and possibly bring him home if he was still alive.
When he got to the forest, he made an enquiry from the trees, leaves and herbs the way forward. Then the representatives of the seven kingdoms that made up Giligili appeared. These were the Gorilla, Python, Squirrel, Eagle, Crocodile, the Vulture and the Parrot..
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He bowed before the powers to be as a sign of his submission and loyalty. They told him that the human race had defiled the natural laws. They told him that in every forest live many different deities with different functions.
He said that some live in the waters, others on land, air and trees. They went further and told him that the most endangered species to walk in any natural forest is the human because there are many spirits which share the same shape and structure with them.
They said that the former leader of the humans used humans sacrifice to appease a section of the gods and not all the gods because not all the gods accept human sacrifice hence he became mad. He didn't do a proper consultation before doing things due to his selfish ambition. They said that as a virgin forest, before entering it, the powers to be needed to be consulted.
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They told him that his former boss, Dunguntundun, will permanently remained a mad man till his death and no going back on that. As for him, he should first go back and tell the world the state of things. What actually happened to the first hunters whom Dunguntundun sent to Giligili and those whom he deliberately sacrificed to appease the gods for his selfish ambition.
They revealed to him all that had happened before his coming. He became speechless and sad because most of those whom lost their lives and turned into animals were his relatives and in-laws.
He returned to the city with sadness written all over him. He was a confused man! He managed to convey a world meeting. At that meeting, he opened up on all that the spirits told him. The people became extremely red with anger and sadness. He told the people that he would go back to Giligili as soon as possible to tell the spirits that he had told the people about all that happened to their people.
The people told him to ask the spirits if the sacrifices they had so far made was not enough for them to come into Giligili. Now, what would the spirits answer be? Positive or negative? These and more were some of the thoughts in the mind of the people. After about two months, Rosolo embarked on the dangerous journey back to Giligili.
He hope to take some men along to accompany him but nobody agreed to follow him. Everybody was afraid.
And so he went all alone! The people prayed for him. His family were sad! They tried to prevent him from going but he told them that someone has to sacrifice him or herself for others to live. His family became more confused and sad when they heard these words of his.
"If someone has to sacrifice his life for others to live, then must it be you? Are there not billions of humans on earth?
Look at Dunguntundun. He ended up being mad just to help the people. His family are now in grief. Your action shows that you don't love us. Had it been you do, you won't do anything that would brings sadness to us", they said.
But he ignored them.
He neither looked at their tears nor their cry. Like a dying man, he looks not back nor have pity for the crying ones!
TO BE CONTINUED
He got there and performed the usual sacrifice which consisted of a coconut, a tuber of yam, palm oil, cowries and a cock.
Then, the gate of Giligili was opened for him and he entered. He had meetings with the rulers of the seven kingdoms which made up Giligili. They asked him what he wanted to do in the forest of Giligili. He told them that he and his fellow humans want to build houses, farm and get fruits to feed themselves if they are granted the permission to stay.
He was so clever in not mentioning hunting of animals and fishes for food. And so the various leaders representing the seven kingdoms of Giligili saw no threat in allowing the humans to stay in Giligili with them. But the Squirrel who was the chief priest of all the creatures which live in the forests warmed the various leaders that he didn't trust the man.
He told them that he had a dream and it was revealed to him that the greatest and the most cruel predator on earth is the human being! And because of this, he shouldn't be allowed into the kingdoms. But they didn't listen to him.
Although the cattle egrets has white plumages but its skin is as black as the charcoal! What a deception!
Now Rosolo having been granted the permission to stay in Giligili with his fellow humans returned home full of happiness! Yes, he had done that which no one could do! He had conquered the mysterious Giligili at last.
He will be known and remembered as one of the greatest men ever lived!
The people were surprised to see him back earlier than expected. They believed he had failed! But his face neither shows happiness nor disappointment to their confusion.
TO BE CONTINUED
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