The Adventures of Nihu

ong. One might be carried away, thinking there are some instrumentalists having a field day with their keyboards a little distance away. Nihu thought this as he sat up and yawned a m

prompted a beautiful excitement to overwhelm him. They had their eyes on hi

nue to observe the antics that lifted his spirits. There was nothing left. Thirst made watching the

the kind of insects that were on the tree. When he was considerably close, he noticed a hollow in the tree gushing out blood, which the insects were happily working on. Nihu's head snapped back. Gradually, he went backwards to find safety before the unknown could ravage him. As he tried to find his way, a big movement under the leaves, set his

last Iroko that had been felled by over fifty able-bodied men with the assistance of some spiritual people whose families and

he Iroko tree that the people realized they had been living in the midst of devils. But this tree was different. The stain was continuous, as if something had been dragged to the spot from

mals are sometimes used to appease the gods. As he fixed his eyes on the sh

*

red village woman keep, ruled the land. As Nihu and his father headed up the hill that lead to the stream to get the water, which was be

ho owns th

she could push you out of her territory. That i

Whom are you

fore our ancestors were born

he do with these hens, cockerel

orefathers can tell why she is

ng them for a thief. Or

to warn you, do not touch anything here. Do you hear, boy? There have been

wicked. Is she tal

s two heads. One is that of a man, the other like a woman. She ha

there. I don't

harm to a j

? Can I meet

e spends too much time farming, she alerts

es she

you out of

ng. Then I have to

e, do not touch anything there. Is that clear? It would be good

will retur

meal out of some grains cleared his throat as if he wanted to say something. Nihu was startled. His eyes flew to every side to see if someone was nearby. When no one met

cleared his throat earlier, said, "Boy, have you seen who

ached his father, "I found

steal her things. That is exactl

ckerel spoke to me. B

determine who would

you mean,

have revealed herself. Let's go." Nihu cl

*

ry had cut through it. Nihu trembled and folded his hands close. Why all this is happening to me, he wondered to himself. If I had known, I would have asked the king to execut

large as a crystal ball came out of the ground behind him. He attempted to crush Nihu with his club. Nihu ran the race of his life, the ugly creature giving hot chase. As they whipped past bushes, trees, limbs, dead woods and shrubs,

to the other side. As the one-eyed creature approached the swamp, he faded from the chase. Gradually, the

ousness and moved to relax in the quiet of the dewy morning. The cool smell of a river met his nose. His eyes peered anxiously, looking for the solution to his thirst. The river was just behind the trees. An observer might be tempted to believe some g

im. Then he got hold of his rucksack with a firm grip and raced on rickety legs towards the river. When he got close, he threw his sack

First old Phil thought the noise was a roar from a wild animal grabbing their usual fun. So he loaded his musket and went quietly to the place to see if he might catch a good meal. But the hope of finding a rhino or hippo was dashed when he got close eno

ts. Soon they were clean and good to look at again. He filled his water bott

Nihu ran smack into a warthog making a meal out of a dead animal. The warthog charged. Nihu took to his heels, heading back to where he came from, th

d to Nihu as if an angel was ministering to him. He threw himself upon the next tree and climbed to the top in a hurry. He was just in time

m at the rampaging devil. The bullet pierced its skull and the warthog roared in agonizing pain. The warthog finally bad

The heavily bearded old man in a coa

he asked the boy, str

ght. Thank you for

re wel

d. "Do you live here?

ght soon be on the look out for this one before us. If they eventually find him here with us, it would spell doom for us. The devil in them might bring us low. Warthogs in this part of the world are brutes that a

Nihu wailed and cried, Phil pulled him one way, while the hand pulled him another. Finally, the old man went for his musket. He quickly buried two bullets into the hand. The wrist that grabbed the boy fell, while the other part retreated into the tree. Nihu was

es he could appear as a dwarf covering himself with a mat and walking on the air. Hunters and farmers who entangle him never return home with good songs on their lips. Instantly, the heads of the boy and the old man

in what happened to my head whe

sets eyes on him. We are very

t see us? But he was s

les. That is the least of what he could do. Even the mo

you s

r. I have plenty of experience running through this baldhead. Anyone he sees wi

p breath. "What

thi

at if he com

prayers, while we book a p

gun-can't you

e handed down to us by our ancestors. I expect you to know the rules. You don't go out late at night, you don't go to

other way. Or

s not out for us. You can see he is not facing t

soo

ether in the farm, forest or on a market day, you can run into Anjonu

them and decided to rush to the river to wash the tubers to take them to the market. Earlier, his father told him not to do this, for it was an abomination for anyone to go to the farm on market

a short creature covered with raffia palms, whose legs were not touching the Earth, and spinni

g, old Phil tapped him, "Boy, he's going awa

years ago. I was dumb for days afterwards. It wasn't until after my father sacrificed a black

e if he went for you, you wo

ents. I went to the f

n offense hanging on your neck, you

r told me

l Anjonu finally walked into the forest.