Shadow dove

efuna lived in Okonk

emed to have forgott

dril in the rainy seas

ecome wholly absorbed

brother to Nwoye, a

ed a new fire in the

d they no longer spen

he cooked, but now s

as he tapped his pal

Nwoye now more than

is father's wives to d

n the home, like spli

uch a message throug

feign annoyance an

d their

pleased at his son'

kemefuna. He wanted

le of ruling his fath

gone to join

prosperous man, havi

with regular sacrifice

him grumbling abou

be able to control his

was, if he was unable

e was not really a man.He was like the ma

soup for

the boys to sit with

the land-masculine st

that it was right to

e still preferred the

ich she no doubt sti

e tortoise and his wil

hallenged the whole

lly thrown by the ca

f the quarrel between

rain for seven years,

ot be buried because

Vulture was sent to p

a song of the suffer

her sang this song h

he sky where Vulture,

y was moved to pity,

s of coco-yam. But as

ves and the rain fell

so heavily d

t return to deliver hi

here he had espied a

as a man making a s

e fire and at

story that Nwoye lo

olish women and child

to be a man. And so

's stories. And when h

d, and no longer rebu

would listen to Ok

stalked his victim,overpowered him and

they sat in darkness o

to finish their cookin

of foo-foo and bowl

nd Okonkwo tasted fro

ares to Nwoye

and the seasons passed

ened for many a long

generation, reappeare

ared for another lifet

nt land, where they we

after another lifeti

d the locusts

harmattan season after

up all the wild gr

oys were working on t

one of the lighter ta

of thick palm branch

protect them from th

e outside of the wal

e little holes from on

e wall, and through th

the boys and they pas

to him,- and in th

ened on

the bush to collect fi

ir playmates in the n

he air and seemed to d

Okonkwo and the bo

palm frond was liftedon to the wall or whe

s search

ly a shadow fell on t

a thick cloud. Okon

t was going to rain at

t immediately a shout

fia, which had dozed

o life an

ing," was joyfully c

n left their work or t

ee the unfami

e for many, many ye

d seen th

ll swarm came. They we

And then appeared on

ndless sheet of black

red half the sky, and

of light like shinin

ht, full of po

ut, talking excitedl

Umuofia for the night

ofia for many years

very good to eat. And

on every tree and on

ofs and covered the ba

under them, and the

color of the vas

with baskets trying t

nce till nightfall. An

t and their wings becamewet with dew. Then

e filled his bags and

roasted in clay pots

dry and brittle. And f

ten with so

obi crunching happi

palm-wine copiously,

he oldest man in this

fearless warrior in

in all the clan. He ref

have a word with hi

he old man supporting

ut of earshot, h

father. Do not bear

d, and was about to

n cont

ded to kill him. The O

ced it. They will tak

kill him there. But I

. He calls yo

of elders from all

nkwo's house early

o speak in low tone

did not stay very lo

for a very long time

he day he called Ikem

ome the next day. Nw

reupon his father bea

a loss. His own hom

He still missed his mo

how he knew he was notgoing to see them.

her, and it seemed now

ver a

his mother's hut and

immediately dropped

per, folded her arms

"Poor

returned with a pot

y were going to a big c

village. They passed

ng their goatskin bag

ers. Okonkwo got ready

carrying the pot of w

's compound. Even th

ughout that day Nwoy

ars stood

heir journey the men

custs, about their w

ad refused to come w

kirts of Umuofia sile

o the center of the s

ow up the heat that

e forests around. The

silent. Then from the

It rose and faded wit

om a dis

the men said among t

s coming from. Some

y argued for a short

and fell with the wind.Somewhere a man was

ncing and a

become a narrow line

es and sparse undergr

an to give way to gia

od from the beginning

-fire. The sun breakin

pattern of light an

ot

hisper close behind

had whispered now cal

ers to

way to go," he said. T

emefuna and se

fia pursued their wa

na, carrying a pot of

Although he had felt

nkwo walked behind

was not his real fath

r, and at the end of t

ut his mother and his

ot be three now, but

ve grown quite big.

ank Okonkwo for havi

him back. She would

him in all these ye

tell her about Nwoy

Then quite suddenly a

ad. He tried in vain t

ried to settle the mat