Once upon a time," she began, "all the birds were invited to a feast in the sky.
They were very happy and began to prepare themselves for the great day. They painted
their bodies with red cam wood and drew beautiful patterns on them with uli.
"Tortoise saw all these preparations and soon discovered what it all meant.
Nothing that happened in the world of the animals ever escaped his notice,- he was full
of cunning. As soon as he heard of the great feast in the sky his throat began to itch at
the very thought. There was a famine in those days and Tortoise had not eaten a good
meal for two moons. His body rattled like a piece of dry stick in his empty shell. So he
began to plan how he would go to the sky."
"But he had no wings," said Ezinma.
"Be patient," replied her mother. "That is the story. Tortoise had no wings, but
he went to the birds and asked to be allowed to go with them.
"'We know you too well,' said the birds when they had heard him. 'You are full
of cunning and you are ungrateful. If we allow you to come with us you will soon begin
your mischief.'
"'You do not know me,' said Tortoise. '1 am a changed man. I have learned that a
man who makes trouble for others is also making it for himself.'
"Tortoise had a sweet tongue, and within a short time all the birds agreed that he
was a changed man, and they each gave him a feather, with which he made two wings.
"At last the great day came and Tortoise was the first to arrive at the meeting
place. When all the birds had gathered together, they set off in a body. Tortoise was
very happy and voluble as he flew among the birds, and he was soon chosen as the man
to speak for the party because he was a great orator.
"There is one important thing which we must not forget,' he said as they flew on
their way. 'When people are invited to a great feast like this, they take new names for
the occasion. Our hosts in the sky will expect us to honour this age-old custom.'
"None of the birds had heard of this custom but they knew that Tortoise, in spite
of his failings in other directions, was a widely-travelled man who knew the customs of
different peoples. And so they each took a new name. When they had all taken, Tortoise
also took one. He was to be called All oj you.
"At last the party arrived in the sky and their hosts were very happy to see them.
Tortoise stood up in his many-coloured plumage and thanked them for their invitation.
His speech was so eloquent that all the birds were glad they had brought him, and
nodded their heads in approval of all he said. Their hosts took him as the king of the
birds, especially as he looked somewhat different from the others.
"After kola nuts had been presented and eaten, the people of the sky set before
their guests the most delectable dishes Tortoise had even seen or dreamed of. The soup
was brought out hot from the fire and in the very pot in which it had been cooked. It was
full of meat and fish. Tortoise began to sniff aloud. There was pounded yam and also
yam pottage cooked with palm-oil and fresh fish. There were also pots of palm-wine.
When everything had been set before the guests, one of the people of the sky came
forward and tasted a little from each pot. He then invited the birds to eat. But Tortoise
jumped to his feet and asked: Tor whom have you prepared this feast?'
"'For all of you,' replied the man.
"Tortoise turned to the birds and said: 'You remember that my name is All of
you. The custom here is to serve the spokesman first and the others later. They will
serve you when I have eaten.'
"He began to eat and the birds grumbled angrily. The people of the sky thought
it must be their custom to leave all the food for their king. And so Tortoise ate the best
part of the food and then drank two pots of palm-wine, so that he was full of food and
drink and his body filled out in his shell.
"The birds gathered round to eat what was left and to peck at the bones he had
thrown all about the floor. Some of them were too angry to eat. They chose to fly home
on an empty stomach. But before they left each took back the feather he had lent to
Tortoise. And there he stood in his hard shell full of food and wine but without any
wings to fly home. He asked the birds to take a message for his wife, but they all
refused. In the end Parrot, who had felt more angry than the others, suddenly changed
his mind and agreed to take the message.
"Tell my wife,' said Tortoise,'to bring out all the soft things in my house and
cover the compound with them so that I can jump down from the sky without very great
danger.'
"Parrot promised to deliver the message, and then flew away. But when he
reached Tortoise's house he told his wife to bring out all the hard things in the house.
And so she brought out her husband's hoes, machetes, spears, guns and even his cannon.
Tortoise looked down fro