Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

68. “osi tule te Nyonga Liva mosango wunya, oma osi koki foni” !

The law is no respecter of persons. If you are not yet able to summon up enough courage to point out to your mother-in-law the mistakes she makes then you are still an infant.

Maito, maito  Kaii !  It’s time to narrate Fables of the Animal World. 

Yasi nanu: Three sons-in-law (mekiya) of Njika Nyame asked Ikula Nyame for advice. Narrating their problem, the eldest son-in-law, explained:

“Mola  Ikulu  kooko !
Our mother-in-law is embroiled in a boundary dispute with the wife of Mbwe-ya  Nyame. We have inspected the boundary and observe that our mother-in- law has encroached on the farm of the wife of Mbwe-ya  Nyame. 

The case will be tried in court on Friday
(e-wunya wo Mesango). Our mother-in-law will certainly loose the case. What should we do to avert embarrassment to our mother in law and to ourselves ?

08. “Vasongo, va-leene i-sango, vasa wulu-wane” !

Persons who have entered into an alliance are not expected to expose the wrongdoings of one another in public.

Maito, maito  kai  !  It’s time to tell Fables of the Animal World.

Yasi nanu:  In a discussion with his mother-in-law, Kangi  Inoni said he was about to consult a local sorcerer to explain the cause of occurrences of frequent illness of inmates of his home. Responding, the mother-in-law said:

"Our local sorcerers are no longer reliable because they have entered into alliances with the local witches/wizards.

71. “Malingo ma Mbaamba Kooova ! owa oma ono lingani, nange o-wo-wa wano koko meyondo” !

You proclaim that you love me, yet you drum the back of your fingers on my head

Note:  e-Mokpwe believes that normal growth and development of a teenager is retarded when his head is drummed with the fingers of an adult.

Maito, maito kaii  !  It’s time to narrate Fables of the Plants and Animals World.

Mwengele is a person who extracts wine from live palm trees.

meyondo (plural) = to drum the back of fingers on the head of a person; singular moondo.

Yasi nanu:  Mwengele used to address his employees “comrade” and tell them that he loved them very much and had their welfare at heart.  Some of the employees particularly Yaa-ngo, Njambi, Mwe-ngo, and Tina Liye, grumbled that Mwengele did not match his words with deeds.  In the course of a meeting the employees enumerated their complaints as follows:

07. Si, o-njoh Nganga, oma seke te vewule vee-ni ndi o-ji.

A patient may succeed to deceive the Doctor and evade paying the Doctor’s bill but the patient may subsequently realize that he may not succeed to avoid the use of the services of the same Doctor and the Doctor’s medicinal leaves

Maito, maito  kai.  Here is a fable from the Animal World.

Yasi nanu:  Ngowa Wanga fell very sick. He had pains on the waist. He was unable to stand.  His family then carried him on a stretcher and had him admitted in Lisonjo's clinic. 

Lisonjo was a specialist on arthritis. Ngowa responded very well to treatment.  After one month Ngowa informed Lisonjo that he Ngowa considered that he should return to his home soon and show himself to members of his family.

Lisonjo replied:
"Yes, but I would like you to settle the hospital bill ('woli  wami wo  yoo-wo') before you leave".

Ngowe responded:
"Oh yes  !  I have to pay that bill. Between you and me, there can be no dispute; and there will be no dispute."

31. “Osi nwe-eya foni luu-nga luji wu-wa” !

Be careful. Don’t be lured to die for a stomach filled with vegetable.

Yasi  nanu.  Ewune was married to a Mosongo-songo (a hunter) while Mojoko a first cousin to Ewune was married to a Traditional Doctor.

At private family discussions in which the mothers of both Ewune, and Mojoko were present, Mojoko said:

"Ewune !
I have learnt that you are arranging to divorce Mosongo-songo and get married to Mwengele.

Ewune !
I have a moral obligation to advise you against a marriage with Mwengele.
You are already used to good quality food with enough meat. 

You will certainly have difficulties with your meals in the house of Mwengele.  ‘Wu-wa, wu-wa’ (vegetable) and kondi  ja  Valongi’ (Balong beans) are the staple food in that house. 

06. Moleli mo nyama fe a-kiyava.

A meat or fish-reach dish too can be rejected.

Yasi nanu: Mola  Naliongo was a wealthy animal farmer.  He used to receive several guests particularly on Muea Market days. Naliongo’s wives entertained guests warmly and lavishly with meat-rich dishes. 

However when it became known that Naliongo’s wives fed guests with meat of animals that had died from disease, Naliongo’s regular friends refrained from eating food in his house.

Note:  Bakweri do not eat meat of an animal that has died as a consequence of an illness.  (“Mokpwe  asa-la  nyama  ya  ee-mbe  e-nweli  motima”).

40. “Wheni Ekale emuka o-Wojuwa oma ema sambowa” !

Any Ekale that arrives in the area known as “Wojuwa” is doomed to disgrace.

Yasi nanu: It became a matter of concern that vekale that performed very well in other parts in the lands of the Bakweri failed to do so within the area known as Wojuwa.  For instance, Vekale collapsed in the course of performance in Wojuwa villages. 

Then, the sorcery of Ngala Ewolo that was renowned for identifying witches and members of Nyongo societies and for referring victims of evil witch craft to appropriate clinics, suffered failure and disgrace in Wojuwa villages.  And, for that reason Wojuwa was labeled as the area in Bakweri land where vekale are doomed to suffer disgrace.

"wheni  Ekale  emuka  o-Wojuwa  oma  ema  sambowa” !
(Any Ekale that arrives in Bakweri land in the area known as Wojuwa is doomed to disgrace).

05. o-Mbenge fe nao-meene !

It's the same in Europe.

Maito, maito  kaii  =  Its time to tell a fable of the Animal World.         

Yasi nanu:  In the month of March (Etoma  Matiya) at a reception that was accorded to Kangi Inoni on his return from Europe (o-Mbenga  a  Vakala), Nganja  Lofofe staring at Kangi Inoni said:

“My Friend Kange Inoni !
I am fascinated by your general appearance.  You look good and healthy and wealthier than when you were here with us in this our country in which it is difficult to live. 

Your appearance gives me the impression without doubt at all that Europe is a country in which there is abundant wealth and no poverty, no intrigues, no bribery and corruption; judgements are passed in the courts of law without fear, without favour. 

I implore you: therefore to take me along with you when you will be returning to Europe so that I too will escape from the prevailing poverty and injustice in this country.

Kangi Inoni smiled, and replied:

62. “Ngoole ama Moliki-liki ae-nga, eno-ke maato kasi, nanu si naso kane-ya fe lingi lae-kise leni, na venge vee-ya vee-ni a-koo” !

Ngoole said: "Cut off my ears instantly so that I will no longer listen to the boastful utterances of Moliki-liki and the lies he tells."
            
Maito, maito kai  !  It’s time to narrate Fables of the Animal World.

Moliki-liki is an insect, about the size of a spider. It trembles continuously and clings all the time at the bottom of trunks of big trees close to the ground.

Yasi nanu:  Ngoole (a millipede) discovered Moliki-liki trembling on the trunk of a Wuuma.  Ngoole not knowing that Moliki-liki was suffering from Parkinson's disease asked Molikiliki:
"My friend, are you sick ?  Can I be of some assistance to you” ?

Retorting Moliki-liki said:
"What reasons have you for suggesting that I am sick ?
I am perfectly well. I am busy rocking this Wuuma.
I will up-root it now and fell it on the ground now.
So, please don't disturb me any more with questions.
Run away from here. Be fast.The Wuuma is already clicking.
It's about to fall down. Let it not fall on you”.

Note:  Wuuma  is one of the largest and tall trees in the forest

46. “Tuuva na Ndonge: Loova li-ke-va nau, seke te Tuuva momwiti meene mondi a-li kevise; Ndonge mofe au-keli o-teni”.

It is not Tuuva alone who causes the sky to thunder; Tuuva in fact works in concert with Ndonge to produce thunder and rainfall.

Tuuva  and  Ndonge are the twin brothers who produce rainfall and thunder.

The father of Tuuva and Ndonge deliberately did not bestow on any one of the twin brothers the full powers that produce rain full and thunder.  He instead decided to share the powers between Tuuva and Ndonge and then anointed Tuuva  and  Ndonge  separately with partial powers only. 

He explained to Tuuva  and  Ndonge that any one of them who attempts alone to produce thunder without working in concert with his brother cannot and will not produce thunder and rainfall.  Furthermore he will be afflicted by a mystery illness. 

To produce thunder the twin brothers must at all times work in concert by putting their respective partial powers together  He warned firmly that each of them must keep his partial powers a secret and not to disclose or surrender the secret of his powers to his brother.  He warned further that the twin brothers should not despise each other. 

04. “ewule e-Nyanga Mboli e-laa, yondi e-Nguma Mboli yofe e-laa”.

The Baby Goat eats precisely the same leaves that the Mother Goat eats

ewule = grass, a leaf/leaves.

Yasi nanu: On his return from the bush where the goats were grazing, Mbake spoke to his father, Mola Naliongo with excitement:

"Taa-ta !
When I was in the bush with the goats, I noticed that every leaf that the Mother goat ate, the Baby Goat ate the leaf also, and that the Baby Goat did not eat the leaves that the Mother Goat did not eat.
Taa-ta  !  It is an interesting experience”.