Shadow dove

Yam was approaching

an occasion for givi

source of all fertilit

he people than any ot

rality and conduct.

on with the departed

had been comm

Yam was held every ye

rth goddess and the an

d not be eaten unti

ers. Men and women,

am Festival because

n the last night befor

disposed of by those w

ith tasty, fresh yams

e previous year. All c

e thoroughly washed,

was pounded. Yam f

ood in the celebrati

ily ate or how manyfriends and relatives t

ntity of food left ove

told of a wealthy m

-foo so high that tho

happening on the othe

t one of them saw for t

the course of the mea

was only then that t

over what was

was thus an occasio

an whose arm was str

invite large numbers

asked his wives' re

his guests would mak

could never become

. He was a good eater

gourds of palm-win

around for days waitin

e very much happier

only three days awa

the huts with red ear

drawn patterns on the

n set about painting

tiful black patterns

ildren were also decor

ed in beautiful patt

the relations who had

e thought of being spo

. Ikemefuna was equ

to him to be a much

a place which was al

nd then the storm burst. Okonk

ound in suppressed an

tl

his banana tr

n the compoun

tree? Or are you

the tree was very

y cut a few leaves of

hout further argumen

t her and her only da

ared to interfere be

ough, Okonkwo," plea

tan

ied, Okonkwo decided

made by a clever blac

ago. But although O

versally acknowledged

led a rat with his gun

is gun, the wife who

out guns that never s

and ran madly into hi

nd aimed at her as s

. He pressed the trigg

y the wail of his wi

nd jumped into the b

aken and frightened

sigh and went a

ent the New Yam Festiv

o's household. Earl

l to his ancestors heasked them to protect

ye

is in-laws arrived f

arty brought with th

s eating and drink

an to leave for their

he day of the great w

d their neighbors. I

yed more, the feastin

ling Contest of the se

doubt whatever in

e Ekwefi, whom he ne

e seasons of the year

ling match. Many year

o had won her heart b

within living memory.

too poor to pay her

way from her husband

appened many years

o had suffered a great

contests was still as

rs

on the second day of

daughter, Ezinma, sa

in the pot to boil. Th

den mortar. The water

lifted the pot from

he fowl. She put bac

orner, and looked at

nma was always surpr

bare hands."Ekwefi," she said, "is it

Ezinma, unlike most

by he

, too busy to argue.

ut she was wise

dropped her pot of h

oke on th

over in the mortar a

the

, who had joined in p

id is tw

e going to cry,"

, "it is this eye

you will see

l I see?"

kwefi wanted her to

t last. "I know what

tc

lucked clean. Ekwefi

too hard. She turned

he fire for a few mom

t cam

alled from one of t

er, Okonkwo'

. "She must have b

uite close and soon t

various sizes of pots

with the biggest po

nger brothers. Obiage

th tears. In her hand

hould have rest

er mother asked, a

other consoled her an

nothe

ers were about to tel

when Ikemefuna looke

. The fact was that O

She had balanced it

and began to sway her

e pot fell down and

egan to weep when th

ide their

beating, persistent

separate thing from th

s heart. It throbbed in

s, and filled the vi

band's share of the p

nma took it to

n a goatskin already

ad brought it from he

him to finish. Ezinma

i."Sit like a woman!" Okonkwo s

and stretched th

to see the wrestling?

le int

nswered. "W

ause she said: "Can

o

job." Okonkwo was spe

like her mother, wh

ness only showed on

e her pot toda

about it," Okonkwo s

eli, "people should

er may go down

o you hear that, Ezin

t she has m

ond wife's dish and

t dish and returned to

bringing the third

Okonkwo's

e the drums co