The King's Magic Drum

Once upon a time, there lived a wise and generous king in a place named Calabar. He possessed a magical drum, which he would strike whenever trouble arose. Instead of inciting war, the drum would magically produce food and drinks before his people. Delicious meals like fish, soups, roasted yams, and even palm wine would instantly appear, transforming any argument into a joyful feast. However, if the king ever stepped over a stick or a fallen tree, the food would spoil, and men bearing sticks and whips would appear to administer a good thrashing!

The king was wealthy, owning many farms, employing numerous workers, and blessed with a large family. Every few months, he'd invite everyone - humans and wild animals alike - to a grand feast. All coveted the king's magical drum, but he never shared it with anyone.

One day, the king's wife, while bathing her little girl at a spring, unintentionally gave a palm nut that belonged to a clever tortoise to her daughter. The tortoise saw this as an opportunity to acquire the magical drum. He took the matter to the king, and after refusing money, cloth, or palm oil, the tortoise finally pointed to the king's drum and said, "That's all I want." Tired of the fuss, the king agreed but forgot to mention the tricky rule about sticks and fallen trees.

Back home, the tortoise was excited. He beat the drum and savored feasts with his family for days. In a generous mood, he invited the entire city to a banquet, surprising everyone with the abundant feast produced by the magical drum.

However, after a while, the tortoise became complacent and arrogant, often indulging in excessive drinking. One day, returning home in a tipsy state, he inadvertently stepped over a stick. Unaware of his blunder, he beat the drum the next morning for food. But instead of a feast, men with sticks and whips appeared, meting out a painful beating to him and his family.

Frustrated and wishing to share his misfortune, the tortoise invited everyone for a grand feast. When all the guests had arrived, he beat the drum and quickly hid. Rather than a feast, the men with sticks and whips appeared, delivering a harsh beating to everyone. After the guests departed, the tortoise, regretting his decision, resolved to return the drum to the king.

The king, feeling sorry for the tortoise, presented him with a magic foo-foo tree instead. The tree would drop food once a day, but only if nobody collected food more than once. However, one of the tortoise's sons was greedy. He followed his father, discovered the tree, and couldn't resist taking extra food. This disobedience broke the magic, and the tree vanished.

The tortoise was disheartened and told his family that they had ruined the magic. From that point onwards, they had to live under a prickly palm tree, and that's where tortoises can be found today.