KALU AND THE VILLAGE WITCH (A SHORT STORY FOR KIDS)

|Kalu And The Village Witch|

One sunny afternoon, while a young woman named Oma was resting in her hut, a boy crawled out of her womb. The boy’s name was Kalu, and he spoke with the wisdom of a grown man. One day, Kalu followed his uncle, a young man named Ikenna, into the forest to challenge Nwagbara, the village witch. She was a wicked woman who tormented the villagers with her diabolic powers and charms, and Ikenna was determined to put an end to the anguish she was causing them. But when Kalu and his uncle got to the hut of Nwagbara, she commanded her fetishes to seize them. After much pleading with her, she let them go on the condition that all the women in the village must bring their gold and jewelry to her. So Kalu and his uncle returned home and told the women what Nwagbara had said.

When it was time, the women gathered their gold and jewelry and marched to the hut of Nwagbara. Kalu followed along with his mother. When they reached Nwagabra’s hut, she asked the women to swear that the gold and jewelry they had brought to her was everything they had. The women swore that what they had brought was everything. But there was a woman named Anika, who had secretly buried some of her gold and jewelry in the ground of her hut to hide it from Nwagbara. When Nwagbara discovered this through the help of her fetishes, she razed Anika’s hut with fire. Kalu was angry, but there was nothing he could do.

        One afternoon, Kalu went to the stream to play with the children, but he was so small that the children mocked him and refused to play with him. Feeling sad, he sat at the bank of the stream and watched them as they swam and splashed water on themselves. While the children were playing, a fancy looking boat came floating along. The children were so thrilled by the boat that they decided to ride in it. But not long after they had jumped into the boat, did it start to speed towards the hut of Nwagbara, the village witch. Terrified, the children screamed for help. When Kalu noticed what was happening, he took a knife and punctured the ribs of the boat, forcing it to sink to the bottom of the stream. The children escaped, and grateful, they applauded Kalu with this song.

Kalu is small in size

But he is very strong

Kalu is small in size

But he is very wise

Kalu is not tall, but he is courageous

Very courageous!

Now, as the children and Kalu were walking back to the village, they came across a tree with delicious looking fruits. Tired and hungry, the children decided to eat the fruits on the tree and sit on its thick limbs. But Kalu, who was suspicious of the tree, warned them not to touch or climb it. The children ignored him. They climbed the tree, and soon after they had settled on it, it clasped its branches around them and started running in the direction of Nwagbara’s hut. As the children screamed at the top of their voices for help, Kalu took the knife he had used earlier, pursued the tree, and cut it down at its trunk. The children escaped and again, applauded Kalu with the song.

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana o siri ezigbo ike <But he is very strong>

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana ọ ma ihe <But he is very wise>

Kalu adịghị ogologo, mana ọ nwere obi ike <Kalu is not tall, but he is courageous>

Ezigbo obi ike! <Vey courageous!>

When Nwagbara, who had been waiting for the children in her hut, heard their victorious song of praise, she was furious at Kalu.

That evening, Kalu told his mother about his experience with the children at the stream. He wanted to know why the people travelled so far into the forest to fetch water for themselves when there was a fountain just on the outskirt of the village. His mother told him that Nwagbara had cursed the fountain so that it stopped producing water for the villagers.

The next day, Kalu took permission from his mother to visit the fountain. When he got to the fountain, he climbed into its small narrow opening and crawled to the source of the spring. He was baffled at what he saw there. A giant warthog was drinking all the water from the source of the spring. He quickly crawled back out and went in search of a knife, and when he found one, he crawled back into the fountain and stabbed the giant warthog in its belly. Water spilled out of the ruptured belly with great force, and the source of the spring was free to flow again. But before Kalu could get out of the fountain, he drowned in the massive overflow.  

Goutami Mishra, 2016

Anika was the first to notice that the fountain was flowing again. Filled with joy, she alerted the villagers, and they all rushed out to see the flowing fountain for themselves. Everyone was rejoicing at the fountain when Oma came searching for her son. Just then, the water washed Kalu out of the fountain, and when the people realized what had happened, they became sad. Oma took her son into her arms and caressing him softly, she sang to him. 

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana o siri ezigbo ike <But he is very strong>

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana ọ ma ihe <But he is very wise>

Kalu adịghị ogologo, mana ọ nwere obi ike <Kalu is not tall, but he is courageous>

Ezigbo obi ike <Vey courageous>

Then the people joined her, and together, they all sang gently to Kalu.

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana o siri ezigbo ike <But he is very strong>

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana ọ ma ihe <But he is very wise>

Kalu adịghị ogologo, mana ọ nwere obi ike <Kalu is not tall, but he is courageous>

Ezigbo obi ike <Vey courageous>

They were all singing when Kalu regained consciousness. He turned around, and when he saw that water was flowing from the fountain, he leaped with joy. The people were happy again, and together with Kalu and his mother, they sang and danced.

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana o siri ezigbo ike <But he is very strong>

Kalu pere mpe <Kalu is small in size>

Mana ọ ma ihe <But he is very wise>

Kalu adịghị ogologo, mana ọ nwere obi ike <Kalu is not tall, but he is courageous>

Ezigbo obi ike! <Vey courageous!>

When Nwagbara heard the song from her hut, she was furious at Kalu.

One day, as Oma was preparing supper, Kalu asked her where his father and all the men in the village were. 

Nwagbara has eaten all of them, his mother said to him. 

Why? Kalu asked. 

Because she hates men, his mother replied. 

But why? 

Because she is a wicked woman, she said.

But why is she wicked? Kalu asked again. 

Life is so, Oma said to her son. Some people are good, and some people are evil. Nwagbara is one of the evil ones. 

But Kalu was not satisfied with that answer. He told his mother he wanted to know the source of Nwagbara’s strength. So she took him past the hills bordering the village and told him where to meet an old and wise man. When Kalu reached the entrance of the old man’s hut, the gates of the hut opened to let him in. He bowed before the man and asked him all the questions he had ever wanted to ask. The old man was very friendly. He told Kalu everything he wanted to know. That Nwagbara had not put the warthog in the fountain, but that the animal, thirsty and in need of water, had crawled in there by itself. The old man also told Kalu that Nwagbara had not eaten any of the men, but had turned them into the fetishes she used to intimidate the villagers. When Kalu asked the old man why Nwagbara was wicked and evil, the old man told him that she suffered from terrible pain. Many years ago, a group of men had seized her, beaten her and inserted a poison into her spine. Ever since then, Nwagbara had turned to evil forces for powers so that she could avenge the pain those men brought upon her. If anyone could remove the poison from her back, the old man told Kalu, Nwagbara would be free from pain and happy once again.

But why doesn’t Nwagbara ask someone to remove the poison from her back, Kalu asked the old man.

Because the poison carries a curse, the old man replied. Its removal will cause Nwagbara to feel the greatest pain she has ever felt in her life.

Determined to remove the poison from Nwagbara’s back, Kalu left the old man’s hut and snuck into Nwagbara’s hut through the back entrance. She did not notice he was there. He tip-toed towards her, and when he had located the position of the poison on her back, he quickly climbed her back and pulled it out with his teeth. Nwagbara screamed so loud, that the villagers heard her voice from their huts. When Nwagbara looked down, she saw Kalu.

You saved me, she said to him.

Yes, Kalu replied. And now, you must marry me.

Never! Nwagbara retorted.

Why? 

Because you are a child, she said. But even if you weren’t, I would still not marry you because you men are all the same.

I am not like other men, Kalu replied. At least, kiss me, he pleaded.

So Nwagbara bent down and kissed him, and instantly, Kalu grew into a man before her eyes. When she looked up and saw him, she fell in love. 

                Kalu took Nwagbara back to the village, but when the people saw them, they ran away. Kalu tried to explain that it was him and that Nwagbara was no longer evil. But his explanation got the people upset, and they took up their clubs, spears and weapons to set upon the couple. Just then, all the men who Nwagbara had turned into fetishes arrived at the village. When the men explained what had happened to the villagers, the people forgave Nwagbara and accepted her. Hence, peace returned, and everyone lived happily.