The Village of Emowe

By Anuoluwapo Okediji

Once upon a time, there was a village called Emowe. Everyone was happy.

It was time for the evening dance until someone gasped, “The talking drum is gone!”

Eweka, Ngozi, Amya, and Alisha heard this and decided to help.

Eweka who is the boldest decided that they should go to the tallest tree in the jungle.

Ngozi who was the second oldest reminded Eweka what had happened to their parents long ago. Eweka decided to go to the other village, Mareke village.

As soon as they started going, they met an old man on their way. Amya and Alisha who were the youngest twins, said, “We don’t follow strangers.”

Then the old man said his name was “Akin Sami.”

The children were delighted to see him and entered his keke. He drove for hours and hours until they reached Mareke village. The four children asked everyone about the missing drum, but there was no hope of finding the missing drum.

As the four children started walking back to the village with bad news, a woman asked “Why do you look so gloomy?”

They explained that the drum was missing and how special it was to their village.

The woman said, “You don’t always need a drum to help you.”

The children thanked the woman for helping them understand that they don’t need a drum; they just need their brain.

The children went to the village and said what the woman had said, and the village lived happily ever after.

By Anuoluwapo Okediji