Free Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty by Amos Tutuola Page B

tree?” “Oh, this kola-nut tree is my god and I ask from it always to help me to geta baby in time,” Aina pointed finger to the tree and the jar and she explained to Babi calmly.
    But when Babi noticed that the animals of the village had eaten the leaves of the tree. She went back to her room. A few minutes later she brought out the head of her large pitcher, the body of which had broken off. She gave it to Aina and she told her to cover her kola-nut tree with it so that the animals might not be able to eat its leaves again. Aina took the head of the pitcher from her and she thanked her greatly. Then she covered her tree with it at the same time, however as from that morning the animals of the village were unable to eatthe leaves of the tree and at this time it was growing as quickly as possible in the centre of the head of the pitcher.
    After a few years, this kola-nut tree yielded the first kola-nuts. The first nuts that this tree yielded were of the best quality in the village. So in respect of that the kola-nut buyers bought the whole nuts with a considerable amount of money. And when this tree yielded the second and third kola-nuts, the buyers bought them with a large amount of money as before. In selling these nuts, Aina became a wealthy woman within a short period.
    But as “when there is a quarrel the song becomes an allusion” and that “excessive jealousy makes a woman to become a witch”, was that when Babi saw the large amount of money which Aina realized from her kola-nut tree, she was so jealous that one morning she asked: “Aina, will you please return the head of my pitcher to me this morning?” “What? The head of your pitcher?” Aina shouted with a great shock. “Yes! The head of my broken pitcher! I want to take it back from you this morning!” Babi replied with a jealous voice. “Well, the head of your broken pitcher cannot be returned this time unless I break it into pieces before it will be able to come out from the kola-nut tree,” Aina replied with a dead voice.
    â€œThe head of my pitcher must not be broken into pieces nor split in any part before you will return it to me!” Babi shouted with the voice of quarrel. “I say it cannot be taken away from the tree unless the tree is cut down!” Aina explained loudly. “Yes, you may cut the tree down if you wish to do so. But at all costs, I wantthe head of my pitcher back now!” Babi shouted greatly on Aina. “Please, Babi, remember that both of us had become friends since when we were children. Therefore, do not try to take the head of your broken pitcher back this time!” Aina reminded Babi with a cold voice. “Yes, of course, I don’t forget at any time that the two of us have become very close friends since when we were youths. But at any rate, I want the head of my broken pitcher back now!” Babi insisted with great dirty noise.
    At last, when it revealed to Aina that Babi simply wanted to destroy her kola-nut tree so that she might not get the kola-nuts from it to sell again. Then she went to the court of law. She sued Babi for attempting to destroy her kola-nut tree. But at last, when the judge failed to persuade Babi not to take the head of her pitcher back from Aina. He judged the case in her (Babi) favour that Aina must return the head of her broken pitcher to her.
    Then with great sorrow, the kola-nut tree was cut down and the head of the broken pitcher was taken from the stump of the kola-nut tree and was returned to Babi. Babi was now very happy but not in respect of the head of her pitcher but in respect of Aina’s kola-nut tree which was cut down. Because she believed that Aina would not get the kola-nuts to sell any more.
    After Aina’s kola-nut tree was cut down and the head of Babi’s broken pitcher was taken from the stump of the tree and was given back to her. She and Aina entered the house but as “it is the end that