Monday, 16 August 2021

The story of Mr Alatise, as told by Baba Olowe (man of proverbs) in Ayegbaju-Ekiti

There was once a wealthy man named Alatise who had three wives and children. A few years after he married his third wife, he became blind and impotent.

Everyday, his family would lead him to the front of his house where he would sit and lounge all day, getting up only to relieve himself.

One fateful day, a dove flew straight at him and begged to go under his dress in order to hide from a massive hawk that wanted to devour it. Alatise asked the dove, "what are you going to do for me if I do you this favour?" The dove replied that it would heal a part of his body that had become nonfunctional. The man promptly hid the dove under his dress.

Shortly thereafter, the hawk came down to beg him that he should release the dove to it in order for it (the hawk) not to die of hunger. Alatise asked the hawk, "what are you going to do for me if I do you this favour?" The hawk also replied that it would heal a part of his body that had become nonfunctional. Alatise told the hawk to give him a few moments & return after a few hours.

Both replies caused Alatise a lot of worry on what to do so he called his three wives one after the other and requested their advice. The first and second wives, having consummated sexual relationships with concubines, dismissed the proposition outright and advised him to come to terms with his condition.

The third wife however told him to find out the proposition that would heal his impotence and go with that so she could have children.

So Alatise decided to think deeply. He went into the inner recesses of his mind and came up with the idea that he would gain from both sides.

He called his son to go get some money from his safe, go to the market and buy him a pigeon that was as close to white as possible. The son did as he was instructed and brought the pigeon to his father.

When the hawk came back, Alatise released the pigeon to it and the hawk flew away to devour it's lunch. Sometime later, the hawk came back and declared its intention to redeem its promise. The hawk slapped its wings on Alatise's face and he regained his sight. He thanked the hawk for its kindness and flew away.

Once the hawk was out of sight, Alatise called on the dove to come out and redeem its promise. The dove commenced some shifting around under Alatise's dress and he had an uplifting down under.

Alatise was overjoyed as he regained his sight and conjugal functions from the wisdom with which he handled the entire situation.

And that was the beginning of the saying "Alatise lo nmo atise ara e”.

It is only Alatise that can determine what is good for himself.

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