THERE WAS ONCE a certain woman, and she bore three children. The younger among them was suffering from yaws.
The eldest of the brothers asked their mother to let them have gold dust that they might go trading. The youngest of them said he would like to go too, but they decared that he should not go with them. The mother, however, said that they and he must go together. Then their mother gave the elder sons gold dust to the value of five pounds and the youngest son gold dust to the value of two pounds. When things became visible, they set out.
The elder brothers went in front and left the child to follow behind. The child came along slowly. The elder ones met a certain man who was bringing fish. He said to them, “Buy!”
They answered, “Go on and you will meet a certain child. Make him buy. If he refuses to buy, take him and return with him to his mother.”
The fellow went on and, sure enough, he met the child. He said, “Some elders whom I met said you are to buy this fish.”
The child said, “Must I buy when those who are my elders did not buy?”
The fellow said, “They say if you will not buy I must beat you and must take you back and give you to your mother.”
The child said, “How much is it?”
The fellow said, An osua’s weight of gold dust.” The child paid for it and received it.
He went on and overtook the elder brothers at a certain village. They had cooked vegetables but they did not have any meat to go with them. The child said, “Here is a fish which I bought.” They put it in the soup-stew. When they had finished cooking, the elders gave him the head of the fish. When the child was about to break it, he saw red gold within, and he tied it up in the edge of his cloth.
The next day, when things became visible, the elders set out, and they went along, they met a man, and a rooster rested on the top of things which he was carrying. As soon as he came up with the elders, he said, “Buy this rooster.”
They replied, “Go on, and you will meet a child. Make him buy it and, if he will not buy it, beat him.”
Of a truth he met the child. He said, “Your elder kinsmen said that you are to buy this rooster, and that if you do not buy it, I am to beat you and take you and give you to your mother.”
The child replied, “Here, take what I have.” The fellow, on his part, handed him over the rooster.
After a while they reached a village. In the whole village there were no roosters to crow. The next morning, when things became visible, the rooster, which belonged to the child, crowed. The headman of the village said, “Child, bring the rooster and let me buy it.”
The child said, “The price is an osua-and-suru’s weight of gold dust.”
The headman paid the amount. The next day, when things became clear, they started off again.
As they were going along, the elders met a man carrying a cat. He said, “Buy this cat.”
The elders said, “Take it along, and you will meet a certain child. Make him buy it. Should he say he will not buy, beat him and take him back to his mother.”
The fellow passed on and met the child. He said, “Your elders say that you are to buy this cat and that if you do not buy it, I must beat you and take you back to your mother.”
The child said, “How much?”
The fellow said, “An osua-and-suru’s weight of gold dust.”
The child paid the price. He went on and came up with his elders at another village.
Now the mice used to nibble the feet of the headman there whenever he attempted to sleep. When the child with the cat arrived at this village, he went to the chief’s house and the cat caught the mice which were there. The headman said, “I will buy this cat from the person to whom it belongs.”
The child said, “It is mine.”
The headman said, “How much?”
The child said, “An osua-and-suru’s weight of gold dust.” the headman picked up the gold dust and put it in the child’s hand.
The next day, when things became visible, they again set out. The elders went ahead and on the way they met thieves who had stolen the corpse of a certain chief. The thieves said, “You must buy this corpse.”
The elders said, “Take it, and go on and you will meet a child. Give this corpse to him to buy. If he says he will not buy it, beat him, and take him and give him back to his mother.”
The thieves went on and they met the child. They said, “Your elders say that you are to buy this corpse.”
The child said, “Eh! What should I buy a corpse for? I could not carry it. Whatever i do with it, it will not be of any good use to me.”
The thieves said, “Your elders said that if you do not buy it, we must beat you and take you and give you back to your mother.”
The child said, “How much?”
They said, “An osua-and-suru’s weight of gold dust.”
The child paid the price, took the corpse, and laid it in the bush.
Then he set off and came to a certain village and went to a house to beg for food. The master of the house said, “There is none.”
The child said, “Grandfather, I implore you!”
The master of the house said, “There is none.’
The child said, “Grandfather, I implore you!”
The master of the house said, “Why does this child trouble me like this? Our chief is dead. We are fasting, and this is the eighth day, but, search as we may, we cannot find his corpse.”
Then an old woman sitting nearby said, “Give him some food.”
Thereupon a woman gave the child food and meat. When the child had finished eating, he said, “Master of the house, I have seen the chief’s body yesterday as I was coming, some thieves made me buy it for an osua-and-suru’s weight of gold dust.”
The woman ran off. Yiridi! yiridi! yiridi! was the sound of her running, and she told the village elders the news. They took the child and he went and showed them the body. Then they brought it and buried it properly. They said, “Now you will succeed the chieftaincy.” So the child became chief.
Now when his elder brothers heard about him, they came and claimed blood relationship with him. The child, however, said, “Clear out! I don’t know you! Be off!” And he made his slaves drive them away.
That is why we say, “If you are going anywhere, and if your younger brothers says he will go with you, take him along.”
[ ASHANTI ]