Why Ijapa’s Nose is Very Small (Ijapa, Asin and Okere) Childrens

🐢 Ijapa the Tortoise & His Friends 🌰

(Long, long ago…) A long, long time ago, the world was different! Animals and humans lived side by side. In a town called Ọffala, there lived a tortoise named Ijapa (the trickster tortoise), a squirrel named Ọkere (the hardworking squirrel), and a rat named Asin (the clever rat).

Ijapa was lazy and loved free food. Ọkere was generous and worked hard selling beautiful awo amọ (clay dishes and plates) at the market. Even though they were different, they were best friends! But Ijapa didn’t like to work — he always found excuses.

(🎵 SNORE… SNORE…) “Bah! Selling dishes is too hard,” Ijapa would say. Ọkere shook her head and smiled anyway.

Neighbors whispered, “How can Ọkere be friends with that lazy Ijapa? He just wants her food!” But Ọkere was kind. She kept telling Ijapa, “Come sell awo at the market! The stall next to me is empty!”

Ijapa ignored her. Then a rat named Asin took the empty stall. (SQUEAK! SQUEAK!) Asin worked hard and sold many dishes. Ijapa felt jealous! His tummy twisted with envy. “I could sell even better than Asin!” he huffed.

When Ijapa heard people say, “Asin is doing better than Ijapa ever could!” he got angry. “I’ll show them! I’ll be the best awo seller!” So Ijapa finally decided to sell clay dishes at the market.

But the stall left for him was not as good — it was around the corner. (😤 GRUMBLE…) “It’s not fair! Asin took MY spot,” he grumbled, even though it was his own fault.

Ijapa started being mean to Asin. He ignored her, complained, and tried to steal Ọkere’s customers. He even made Ọkere late for work because he was so slow! (🐢 slow… slow…) Soon Ọkere lost some customers to Asin, and she felt upset.

One market day, Asin brought her baby rat to the stall. The baby started crawling and nearly broke a plate. Ọkere, worried, said, “Asin, be careful! A baby might get hurt here.” But Asin thought Ọkere was jealous because she had many customers. (🗣️ “You’re jealous!” “No, I’m not!”)

Soon they started arguing and — (BOOM! BAM!) — they began fighting! Dishes crashed, dust flew everywhere! Customers gasped.

Ijapa heard the noise and grabbed a big stick. “I’ll stop this fight!” he shouted, even though people warned him: “No, Ijapa, you might make it worse!”

But Ijapa did not listen. He started hitting both of them with the stick — but he hit Asin much, much harder because he was still jealous! (WHACK! WHACK!) Asin grew furious.

Asin realized, “Ijapa is the real enemy! He is unfair!” She turned around and — (CHOMP!) — sank her sharp teeth right into Ijapa’s nose! Blood dripped, and Ijapa screamed in pain. (😭 AAAAAHHH!)

He begged and begged, “Please let go! Please, Asin!” But Asin held on tight. Even Ọkere knelt down and pleaded. Everyone in the market gathered around, shouting, “Let go!”

Ijapa sang a sorrowful song in Yoruba: “Asín t’oùn t’Ọ̀kẹ́rẹ́ joomijó…” meaning “Asin and Ọkere were fighting, I tried to stop them, now she’s biting my nose!” (😢 CRY… CRY…)

But Asin was so angry she wouldn’t stop. Finally, with a terrible (SNAP!) the tip of Ijapa’s nose came off right in Asin’s mouth. Ijapa’s nose became VERY tiny!

Soon, the Ọba (the king) heard about the fight. He called Ijapa, Ọkere, and Asin to his palace. Witnesses told him what happened. The king frowned: “Ijapa, you were unfair! You should never settle a fight by hitting one side harder. Asin, you should not fight in the market, but Ijapa caused this trouble.”

The king declared: “Ijapa’s lost nose is punishment enough. Let this be a lesson: (📖) ‘It takes two to quarrel, but being unfair makes things worse!'”

Ijapa left the palace, ashamed and with a teeny-tiny nose. He hid his face. “Everyone already knows about my cracked shell and my bald head… now they’ll laugh at my tiny nose!” (😔 sigh…)

He was so embarrassed that he never returned to the market. He promised himself: “From now on, I’ll be fair and not cause trouble!”