Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty (16 page)

When the Wizard told us to go back to the village to think well whether we really wanted money by all means, we did not understand what he meant by that. But we told him at the same time that we really wanted money by all means.

But I was afraid when this Wizard told us that our sisters or brothers would certainly die as soon as we had started to get the money. I thought in mind that I was not sure yet whether I would be free from my poverty until I would die because I would never surrender my only sister, Aina, to Devil to kill her in order to get money. I preferred to remain in my poverty rather than to find the money with the life of my only sister.

As soon as the three of us had returned to the village, we put our talking lumps of the iron in the rooms as usual. After, we went to the sitting room. As we sat down we began to think how to get all the things which the Wizard had told us to bring to him in three days’ time before he would take us to Devil. But as we got no money to buy all these things, Ojo suggested that we should go out in the dead-night and steal them. Alabi agreed to his suggestion but I against it. Instead, I reminded the two of them of our sisters or brothers whose lives the Wizard said that should be spared before we could get the money.

I told them that I could not spare the life of my only sister whom I got and on whom I put all my hopes whenever I returned to my own village. But Ojo and Alabi said that they were ready to spare the lives of their two sisters although they had no wives or sons who were the right persons to be spared for Devil. However, when it was dead-night and all the people in the village had slept deeply. Both of them woke me, they told me to
let us go out and steal all the things. But I refused to follow them. I told them that I was not interested in their evil plan. Without hesitation, each of them put his talking lump of the iron on head and then both went out cautiously.

Two hours later, they returned with all the things (ten white cocks, ten white hens, ten white ducks, ten white drakes, ten white rams, ten white she-goats, ten white he-goats and ten yards of white cloth). They kept them in the back-yard ready to be taken to the Wizard. In the dead-night of the third day, everyone of us put his talking lump of the iron on head and then we left the village in the darkness with all these things for the Wizard. We met him in his shrine for he had been waiting for us. When Ojo and Alabi put all these things down before him, he praised them greatly. But when he asked me that why I did not bring my own. I told him at the same time that I could not spare the life of my sister in respect of money. He was greatly annoyed when he heard so from me. But he turned to Ojo and Alabi immediately and said that it was quite sure now that they wanted money by all means and that they would certainly get it. But he reminded them about the shortage of their lives which would be cut down from sixty-six years to six years. He hardly reminded them like that when Ojo and Alabi prostrated before him and made a very strong vow that they would never give up their wishes in respect of the shortage of their lives. He then thanked them for their bravery.

Then without wasting time, he told everyone of us to put his talking lump of the iron back on his head. Having putting it on head, he told Ojo and Alabi to put all of the things which they brought on their shoulders. Having
done so, he then told the three of us to follow him without talking to each other and he warned us as well that we must not talk to him. Then we began to follow him as he was going deeply in the jungle.

When we followed him to a distance of about two miles in the darkness we came to a valley. This valley was so deep that it seemed it had no bottom. But what we saw as bottom of it was a mighty fire, the flame of which was rising up nearly to half a mile into the sky. The width of this valley was more than one mile. When we came to this valley of fire, this Wizard immediately whistled loudly and then there we saw a very big unicorn which was coming out from the fire of this valley. With its one long, twisted horn in the middle of its forehead, it was running up towards the Wizard. The three of us were about to cry out with fear but we became calm when we remembered that this Wizard had warned us seriously before we left his shrine that we must not talk at all.

When this fearful unicorn came out from the valley with the fire all over its body, it stopped in front of the Wizard as it started to gloat at Ojo, Alabi and myself. As soon as it stopped in front of him, he mounted it and then he made a sign to us with hand to mount it behind him. With great fear the three of us did so and then it carried the whole of us across this valley of fire. And it hardly carried us to the other side of the valley when it dropped us down suddenly by itself and then hastily went back into the valley and very soon it disappeared in the fire. Again, we were following this Wizard as he was still going deeply into this jungle in the darkness.

After a while we came to a mountain. This mountain was very high but we climbed it to the top within a few
minutes. The top of it was flat. And within a few minutes we walked to one circle. This circle was about one
thousand
yards circumference. It was very clean and lovely to see. As soon as we came to this circle, the Wizard warned us with hand instead to talk, that we must not enter this clean circle, so the three of us stood at outside of it with our talking lumps of the iron on head. As he walked slowly to one-quarter of this circle he stopped and then he started to recite incantation very loudly.

As soon as he started to incantate, feathers and long hairs started to come out of his body. Within a few seconds he was entirely covered with the hairs and feathers so much that the whole of him was just like a round log of wood except his eyes which were then seeing faintly. As he was still incantating loudly and as soon as he began to shiver, he turned to a lion, from that to a very big
crocodile
, from that to a fearful bull with two long horns on head, from that to a snail which was as big as a house, from that to an ostrich, from that to a boa-constrictor and as it came nearer to us it pretended to swallow us, from that to a very beautiful lady, from that to a boar, from that to a bull-dog and barked loudly at three of us for a few seconds, and from that to an egg which was as big as a round hill and out of this egg there came out suddenly one big cock which began to crow loudly and repeatedly.

As this cock was still crowing loudly, five minutes later there came the thick smoke and then it was spread all over the circle. As soon as the smoke disappeared there we saw a huge fearful man who stood in the middle of the circle and the Wizard stood in front of him. This fearful huge man was in black garments, black slippers, black cap, black bracelets on both wrists and ankles, all
of him was as black as black paint. His disciples were about fifty all were in black dresses and all lined up at his back but a little distance from him. Each of them (
disciples
) hung a very huge bag on left shoulder and held one long spear with left hand as he was in readiness to discharge his duty to his master immediately he was asked to do something.

Ojo, Alabi and myself were extremely feared when we saw all these fearful things but the previous warning of the Wizard hastily kept us calm when we were about to cry and run away for our lives. This fearful huge man was Devil who was going to give us the money. Within a few seconds that he stood astride in the middle of the circle, one man (another one of his disciples) came from the darkness. He walked into the circle, he stood on the right. This disciple was his Augur and he held one big short round bell with left hand and held one short iron rod with the right hand. This big short round bell which he held with left hand was Devil’s bell of augury. His (Devil’s) Augur hardly stood on the right when another man (another one of his disciples) led one black horse to the circle with a long horse-whip in the right hand. The horse drew one big cart to the circle. Without hesitation, the man opened the door of the cart, he brought out one big table and he put it in front of the Devil. After, he took out one big book and one long pen, he put both on that table. Having done so, he led the black horse out of the circle at the same time. This big book contained the names of his followers and the names of the new members were also writing in it each night that they came to him for money and many other matters.

As soon as the big book was put on the table before
him, his Augur struck the bell of augury with the iron rod so suddenly and loudly that even the mighty hills, etc. shook with great fear. As soon as he rang the bell, all of his disciples bowed down and prayed: “Oh Devil, our earthly father, we thank thee for helping us to kill all those we hated to kill. We thank thee also for giving us our daily bread which is the blood of all those died through all kinds of the accidents which thee had brought to them!”

“Oh Devil, our earthly father let us have more blood of the people to drink so that we may not be thirsty any time! Amen!” Having prayed like that the Augur then rang the bell of augury for three times as all of them together with Devil and the Wizard stood in attention and kept quiet. The Wizard led this short prayer.

As soon as the bell of augury was rung for the third time, Devil started to introduce himself to the new members as follows:

“My name is Devil!

The possessor of money and all of the wordly wealths!

The enemy of God!

The friend of fighters, thieves, quarrelsome people!

The friend of idol worshippers!

The friend of murderers!

The enemy of righteous people!

The enemy of God worshippers!

The friend of rascal boys and girls!”

As soon as Devil had introduced himself to all the new members, the Wizard introduced them (new members) one by one to him (Devil) in return. After that he began to mention their names one by one to him and he wrote all the names in the big book which was on the table before
him. This Wizard also mentioned the name of Ojo, Alabi and my own name to him as well and he also wrote them in that big book. When all new members had been enrolled, the Wizard asked us to enter the circle and stand at a little distance from Devil. Then each of the new members was asked by the Wizard to put all of the things (ten white cocks, ten white hens, ten white ducks, ten white drakes, ten white rams, ten white she-goats, ten white he-goats and ten yards of white cloth) which he brought, in front of Devil. And everyone did so as quickly as possible with great fear. But when it was my own turn to put all these things in front of Devil, I had none. Then I was immediately driven out of the circle and my name was cancelled in the big book by Devil at the same time. This meant I was not qualified as a member.

After all of the qualified new members had put all these things before Devil, he welcomed everyone of them warmly. Having welcomed the whole of them, he gave each of them one small covered calabash. This calabash was wrapped with black leather and he told him to swallow it. And each of these new members swallowed it at the same time. As soon as each of them had swallowed this small covered calabash, he had the wonderful powers. He could perform any miracle, he could fly to any place, he could change to any form, he could kill any person without going near him or her, etc. He could travel to ten
thousand
miles and return within a few seconds, he could change a healthy person to a sick person, etc.

After all of these new members had attained the powers to do anything in this world immediately each of them had swallowed the small calabash. The Wizard taught them how each of them would make the vows
which he would keep throughout his life time or until when he would come and live with Devil after his death. Having taught them the vows which they would make, the whole of them then knelt down before Devil and said:

“As from this midnight I promise to follow and serve thee (Devil). I promise to depart from serving God, the Almighty. I promise to be unmerciful to those are not Devil’s followers. I promise to cause accidents to people so that thee (Devil) may get the blood to drink always. I promise to come back to thee and be thy servant after my death. And I promise to serve with thee whatever punishment God Almighty may give thee in the judgment day!”

After each of them had promised like that Devil then started to ask them as follows: