Folktale: Why Guere men always follow their mother’s advice

Once upon a time, in the land of the Guere – an ethnic group in Cote d’Ivoire – there lived a famous hunter named Oulai. Oulai was highly respected across the land, and even feared by fellow hunters due to his impressive records as an elephant-hunter. Of course, elephant-hunting in those days was no easy affair. Hunters used arrows because firearms did not exist. There were numerous rumors about Oulai’s magic secrets, but he never discussed his presumed magic power with anyone.

Oulai, who was more than forty years old, was single and lived with his mother. It appeared he was waiting for Mrs. Right. One afternoon, as he was taking a nap on the porch of his mother’s house, he felt a human presence around him and opened his eyes. He then saw a gorgeous woman who literally took his breath away. He rose from his chair, walked toward her and they met. It was not too long before they married. The woman’s name was Zebahi. Oulai’s mother had a large house, and there was plenty of room for the newlyweds, so they had no reason to build their own home.

It was late one evening, long after dinner. The last sparks of the fire that the Oulais had built were slowly vanishing. The sky was blue, filled with a million stars. The night was really peaceful, only disturbed by drumbeats coming from a faraway village and the songs of birds flying overhead. As the Oulais were enjoying this beautiful night, Zebahi asked her husband how he was able to hunt elephants virtually all his life without ever being hurt or killed the huge pachyderms. The veteran hunter smiled, shook his head gently but did not say anything.

Guere hunters never give out their secrets to anyone. But how could Oulai disappoint Zebahi, his newlywed, especially in that romantic setting? “Darling, what you are going to hear is a long-kept family secret. You must never tell anyone,” Oulai said in a low voice. “I have inherited from my father, who inherited from his father, a magic power. After I Iash my first arrow in the side of an elephant and the animal attempts to charge, I turn into an ant and thus become invisible. Then I become a human again and send another arrow in the elephant’s side and immediately turn into a mouse. I turn back into a human being again and send another arrow into the elephant’s side and immediately turn into an ant-house. If the elephant is still alive, I then turn into…” “Cut it off!” shouted Oulai’s mother who had been listening all along. “You never tell a woman all your secrets!” she said. Oulai kept quiet and he and his wife went to sleep.

Zebahi, the gorgeaous woman who came out of nowhere to “conquer” Oulai’s heart, was, in fact, an elephant turned into human. She was sent by her peers to learn Oulai’s secret so they could save their own lives.

The following day, Oulai went hunting. After launching an arrow in the side of an elephant and turning into an ant, he was pursued by the entire herd of elephants who attempted to crush him with their huge paws. He immediately turned into a mouse but was still chased by the elephants. It was no different when he turned into an ant-house. As the elephants kept on attempting to charge him, he finally turned into a needle, the part of the secret he did not tell Zebahi upon his mother’s advice. At that stage, the elephants could no longer see him. He caught his breath for a while, then quickly changed into a human and launched the last arrow in the side of the elephant, thus saving his own life.

Had Oulai not listened to his mother that night, he would not have survived. Since that time, Guere men always follow their mother’s advice.