The Coronation Of Ezeulu by Chinua Achebe.

Culled from Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God.

‘At that time when lizards were still in ones and twos, the whole people assembled and chose me to carry their deity’.

‘I said to them: “who am I to carry this fire on my bare head? A man who knows that his anus is small does not swallow an udala seed”

‘They said to me: “Fear not. The man who sends a child to catch a shrew will also give him water to wash his hands.”

‘I said: “so be it”

‘And we set to work. That day was Eke: we worked into Oye and then into Afo. As day broke on Nkwo and the sun carried its sacrifice, I carried my Alusi and with all the people behind me, set out on that journey. A man sang with the flute on my right hand and another replied on my left. From behind me the load of all the people gave me strength. And then all of a sudden something spread itself across my face. On one side it was raining, on the other side it was dry. I looked again and saw that it was Eke.

‘I said to him: “Is it you Eke?”

‘He replied: “It is I, Eke, the one that makes a strong man bite the earth with his teeth”.

‘I took a hen's egg and gave him. He took it and ate and gave way to me. We went on, past streams and forests.

Then a smoking thicket crossed my path, and two men were wrestling on their heads. My followers looked once and took to their heels. I looked again and saw that it was Oye.

‘I said to him: “Is it you Oye across my path?”

‘He said: “It is I, Oye, the one that started cooking before another and so have more broken pots.”

‘I took a white cocks and gave him. He took it and made way for me’.

‘I went on past farmland and wilds and then I saw that my head was too heavy for me. I looked steadily and saw that it was Afo’.

‘I said: “Is it you Afo?”

‘He said: “It is I, Afo, the great river that cannot be salted”

‘I replied: “I am Ezeulu, the hunchback more terrible than a leper.”

‘Afo shrugged and said: “Pass, your own is worse than mine.”

‘I passed and the sun came down and beat me and the rain came down and drenched me. Then I met Nkwo. I looked on his left and saw an old woman, tired, dancing strange steps on the hill. I looked to the right and saw a horse and saw a ram. I slew the horse and with the ram I cleansed my matchet, and so removed that evil.’