‘I will die God’s death’ and ‘I will die the King’s death’
Once upon a time there were two men who were such great friends that
they were almost always together. If one was seen the other was sure to
be near. They had given one another special names, which were to be
used only by themselves. One name, Maku Mawu, meant, ‘I will die God’s
death,’ and the other, Maku Fia, ‘I will die the King’s death.’
By and by, however, the other villagers heard these names and gradually
every one got into the habit of calling the two friends by the
nicknames in preference to the real ones. Finally, the King of the
country heard of them and wished to see the men who had chosen such
strange titles. He sent for them to Court, and they came together. He
was much pleased with the one who had chosen the name of ‘Maku Fia,’
but he was annoyed at the other man’s choice and sought a chance of
punishing him.
When he had talked to them a little while, he invited both to a great
feast which he was to give in three days’ time. As they went away he
gave a fine large yam to Maku Mawu and only a small round stone to his
own favourite. The latter felt somewhat aggrieved at getting only a
stone, while his friend got such a fine yam. Very soon he said, “Oh,
dear! I do not think it is any use carrying this stone home. How I wish
it were a yam! Then I could cook it for dinner.” Maku Mawu—being very
generous—immediately replied, “Then change with me, for I am quite
tired of carrying my great yam.” They exchanged, and each went off to
his own home. Maku Fia cut up his yam and cooked it. Maku Mawu broke
his stone in half and found inside some beautiful ornaments which the
King had hidden there. He thought that he would play a trick on the
King, so told nobody what had been in the stone.
On the third day they dressed to go to the King’s feast. Maku Mawu put
on all the beautiful ornaments out of the stone. Maku Fia dressed
himself just as usual.
When they reached the palace the King was amazed to see the wrong man
wearing his ornaments, and determined to punish him more effectually
next time. He asked Maku Fia what he had done with the stone, and the
man told him he had exchanged it for his friend’s yam.
At first the King could not think of any way to punish Maku Mawu, as,
of course, the latter had not done anything wrong. He soon had an idea,
however. He pretended to be very pleased with the poor man and
presented him with a beautiful ring from his own finger. He then made
him promise to come back in seven days and show the ring to the King
again, to let the latter see that it was not lost. If by any chance he
could not produce the ring—he would lose his head. This the King did,
meaning to get hold of the ring in some way and so get the young man
killed.
Maku Mawu saw what the King’s design was, so determined to hide the
ring. He made a small hole in the wall of his room, put the ring in it,
and carefully plastered over the place again. No one could see that the
wall had been touched.
After two days the King sent for the wife of Maku Mawu and asked her to
find the ring. He promised her a large sum of money for it—not telling
her, of course, what would happen to her husband if the ring were lost.
The woman went home and searched diligently but found nothing. Next day
she tried again—with no better success. Then she asked her husband what
he had done with it. He innocently told her it was in the wall. Next
day, when he was absent, she searched so carefully that at last she
found it.
Delighted, she ran off to the King’s palace and gave the ring to him.
She got the promised money and returned home, never dreaming that she
had really sold her husband’s life.
On the sixth day the King sent a message to Maku Mawu, telling him to
prepare for the next day. The poor man bethought himself of the ring
and went to look if it were still safe. To his despair the hole was
empty. He asked his wife and his neighbours. All denied having seen it.
He made up his mind that he must die.
In the meantime the King had laid the ring in one of the dishes in his
palace and promptly forgot about it. When the seventh morning had
arrived he sent messengers far and wide, to summon the people to come
and see a man punished for disobeying the King’s orders. Then he
commanded his servants to set the palace in order, and to take the
dishes out of his room and wash them.
The careless servants—never looking to see if the dishes were empty or
not—took them all to a pool near by. Among them was the dish containing
the ring. Of course, when the dish was being washed, out fell the ring
into the water—without being noticed by the servants.
The palace being all in readiness, the King went to fetch the ring. It
was nowhere to be found and he was obliged to go to the Assembly
without it.
When every one was ready the poor man, Maku Mawu, was called to come
forward and show the ring. He walked boldly up to the king and knelt
down before him, saying, “The ring is lost and I am prepared to die.
Only grant me a few hours to put my house in order.” At first the king
was unwilling to grant even that small favour, but finally he said,
“Very well, you may have four hours. Then you must return here and be
beheaded before the people.” The innocent man returned to his home and
put everything in order. Then, feeling hungry, he thought, “I may as
well have some food before I die. I will go and catch a fish in the
pool.”
He accordingly took his fish-net and bait, and started off to the very
pool where the King’s dishes had been washed. Very soon he caught a
fine large fish. Cutting it open, to clean it, his delight may be
imagined at finding the lost ring inside it.
At once he ran off to the palace crying: “I have found the ring! I have
found the ring!” When the people heard him, they all shouted in joy:
“He named himself rightly ‘Maku Mawu,’ for see—the death God has chosen
for him, that only will he die.” So the King had no excuse to harm him,
and he went free.