Ijapa (Tortoise) and Ehoro (Hare) Childrens

Long, long ago, animals and humans were best friends! They talked, played, and lived together. 🐘🐢🐇 One special animal was a clever tortoise named Ijapa (the tortoise). He was slow but very, very wise.

In a faraway town called Lagoni, an elephant named Erin was the biggest and strongest. A lion named Kiniun was the king (Ọba = king). But sometimes the lion was a little scary to smaller animals! 😬

One sunny day, animals played by the river. “Who is the fastest?” they argued. “Cheetah! Hare!” So they decided to have a big footrace!

Kiniun the king agreed! 🦁👑 The race would have judges, decorations, and palm trees waving in the wind. The forest path was beautiful — tall coconut and pine trees, green grass, and colorful flowers. 🌴🌺

All the animals gathered. They blew a whistle: (FWEEET!) and the race began! The elephant, Erin, won the race! The animals planned a big ceremony to honor him the next day. 🎉🐘

But some animals whispered, “Erin should have been king! He is strong and kind. Kiniun sometimes eats smaller animals — even though he is king!” 😟 The smaller animals were worried. The ceremony was beautiful, with music and cheering.

Everyone clapped for Erin, except one animal: Ehoro the hare! 🐇 He was angry. “I never even knew about the race! If I had run, Erin would NOT have won!”

Ehoro was very proud. “I am the fastest! Faster than Cheetah (Owawa) and Antelope (Ẹgbin/Igala)!” He boasted and boasted. The antelope and cheetah stayed quiet — they were not boastful. 😌

Erin heard Ehoro’s words. “You better stop insulting me!” Erin said, waving his trunk. But Ehoro shouted back: “You’re a bully! I would have won the race easily!” 😤

Then Ijapa the tortoise stepped in. 🐢 “I was also left out of the race. But I don’t complain. You should apologize to Erin, Ehoro!” Ehoro laughed: “Ha! You? You’re the slowest animal, even slower than Snail!” 😂 The other animals giggled, but Ijapa was not happy.

Ijapa thought: “Ehoro is so full of himself. I need to teach him a lesson — not with speed, but with wisdom!” 💡

Ehoro kept boasting: “No one can beat me in a race!” Ijapa looked at him calmly. “I challenge you to a race, Ehoro. A very, very LONG race!” 😲

“You? Challenge ME? You’re crazy!” Ehoro laughed, but Ijapa was serious. “It will be a long distance. We will run alone, and the other animals will wait at the finish line. And whoever arrives first must knock on the barn door to say they won!”

Ehoro snorted: “Name the day! You will lose so badly! (BOING! BOING!)”

Ijapa had a clever plan. That night he gathered all his tortoise cousins and relatives. “I need your help! Ehoro runs with his eyes squeezed shut — he never sees what’s around him! You will hide along the race path, one mile apart, dressed exactly like me.”

The cousins nodded. “When Ehoro passes each post, you jump out and run ahead of him — just for a moment — then disappear back into the bushes! He will think it’s ME running ahead!” 🤫🐢

On race day, the sun was bright. All the animals gathered at the start line. 🎺 King Kiniun blew the whistle: (TWEET-TWEET!) “GO!” Ehoro dashed like lightning, kicking dust! He shut his eyes tight and flattened his ears. He ran faster than ever before! 💨

But Ijapa’s first cousin (dressed like Ijapa) started the race in Ijapa’s place — the animals thought it was really Ijapa! The real Ijapa hid near the finish line.

After a mile, Ehoro stopped to rest. He opened his eyes — and saw a tortoise running ahead! “What?! Ijapa is in front of me?” He panicked and zoomed past the tortoise. Then again at the next stop, another tortoise appeared ahead. Every time Ehoro stopped, he saw “Ijapa” in the lead! 😵

Ehoro ran and ran until he was totally exhausted. His legs wobbled. (PUFF PUFF PUFF!) He collapsed right before the finish line and fell into a deep sleep, snoring loudly: Zzzz… Zzzz… 😴

The real Ijapa crept out from his hiding spot near the barn. He quietly walked to the finish line, knocked on the barn door (KNOCK KNOCK!) and shouted: “I won! Ijapa is the winner!” 🎉

All the animals rushed out of the barn and cheered! “Ijapa! Ijapa!” They gave him flowers and clapped. Then they waited for Ehoro. After a long time, Ehoro stumbled across the finish line — dizzy and confused. 😵‍💫

Ehoro couldn’t believe his eyes. “How… how did you beat me?” he gasped. The other animals laughed: “You lost to Ijapa! The tortoise wins! (DANCE DANCE DANCE!) 💃🕺”

Some animals wondered if Ijapa had used his famous tricks. But no one could prove it. Ehoro felt small and ashamed. He had been so boastful, but now he hung his head low. 😔

Finally, Ehoro asked Ijapa: “Tell me your secret — what gave you such speed and strength?” Ijapa smiled, his wise eyes twinkling. “Ehoro,” he said, “it’s not always about speed or strength. Wisdom and cleverness can win the race! 🐢✨”

Ehoro didn’t understand at first, but he learned a big lesson: Bragging doesn’t make you the best. Being kind and wise matters more.

Some animals later discovered Ijapa’s trick with his tortoise cousins! But they just shook their heads and smiled. “Ijapa is the most cunning in the animal kingdom!” they said. And from that day, whenever a hare races a tortoise, everyone remembers: slow and steady wins the race… but wisdom wins even more! 🌟