Ika Fefe

The bat had no wings and could not take flight. It went along the ground clumsily, and among people's coming and going it always ended up under someone's feet; nobody took it into account, and they even killed it saying: "Look, a mouse."

Fed up with so much abuse, one day it came before Orunmila for divination, and the osode brought out this Ifá, which ordered it ebbó with a rooster, two doves, sheets — which are the ones that now serve it as wings — and the other ingredients. The bat complied.

With the ebbó done, its wings were born and at last it flew. It told itself that with that it had all its problems solved and it did not go back to Orunmila's house. It did not notice that what it had gained was one single virtue, that of flying, and that it was still with no strength, no foundation and no personality: for leaving the work half done it was left with no direction and with no judgment to tell one thing from another.

That is why it does not tell what is put in its mouth: it will bite it, eat it or smoke it all the same.

Note: in this road, as soon as their problems start getting solved, the person stops going back to the Awó's house and stays incomplete, just as happened to the bat.

A dog about to give birth was without a roof. She went then to the quail, her friend and comadre, explained the trouble she was in and begged her to let her spend at her house the time left before the birth.

A few days later the pups were born, and the quail said to her: "You can go now, since you have already given birth." The dog answered by asking for more time, until the pups got strong, and the owner of the house agreed. When she saw that they were already eating and had gotten strong, she repeated that she should leave, because the pups were in shape to follow her anywhere. But she got something very different from what she expected: the dog went at her in great fury and threw her out into the street.

Finding herself like that, the quail went to be looked at by Orunmila. He answered that there was nothing he could do now to give her back her house, because she had not listened to his advice — he had told her not to take anyone in under her roof —; the only thing he would do for her was ebbó so that she would die in poverty.

Note: in this road you cannot take anyone into your house, because you run the risk of losing your own position and ending up homeless in the street. The person, from knowing so much, has to sleep on the floor like the quail.

In this road there was a young man named Yuno who lived with his parents. His life was not moving forward and that went against what he wanted, because what he wanted was to prosper and make himself rich.

One day he gathered his clothes and set out looking for fortune. Out in the country he came across some land that nobody was farming and he started asking whose it was; in those inquiries a man came up to him and advised him not to get involved with it, because he would lose his money: it was not given to anyone.

Even so, the boy looked for the owner, who lived in a big, fancy house. He knocked on the door and the one who came out to greet him was Elegba, who answered: "Come, I am going to take you to the owner" — and the owner was Orunmila. Once in front of him, the boy asked him to hand him that idle land so he could work it. Orunmila wanted to know if he was going to work it alone, and the boy answered yes, that he would do it alone. Then Orunmila told him: "If what you say is true, I will give you the land and everything needed for you to work it."

Soon the boy was working without rest, and in a few months that ground was another thing: all planted, and getting better every day. But when he least expected it a storm broke loose that wiped out everything. Without losing his faith or his drive, he went back to Orunmila to tell him what had happened. He had not even finished speaking when Orunmila says to him: "So it will be; but before leaving your house you have to make ebbó, not without first giving a rooster to Elegba — who was the one who let you into my house — and giving two hens to Ifá."

With the ebbó done, Yuno planted again. In a short time the land gave him rich harvests and his wealth kept growing.

As time went by, Yuno became proud. One day he ran into Elegba and snubbed him; Elegba went on his way, met Shangó and complained to him about Yuno's conduct.

Faced with that, Yuno ran to Orunmila's house and told him everything. Orunmila's answer was: "You have to attend to Elegba before anyone else, and you must ask him what he wants so he will take off that harm he has done you, and beg his pardon for your conduct." That is what he did, and Elegba asked him for a goat and a sack of corn.

Yuno complied with Elegba and all his harvests came right again. He learned that before the one who lends you a hand there is never room for boasting.