Ika Fefe

The bat had no wings, so he could not fly; he walked clumsily, and people, on their endless rush, stepped on him; and since nobody took him seriously either, they killed him saying: «Look, a mouse.»

One day, worn out by so much abuse, the bat went to Orunmila for divination, and in the osode this Ifá came up, where he was marked an ebbó with a rooster, two doves, sheets — the very ones that serve him now as wings — and the rest of the ingredients of the ebbó. Which he did.

After Orunmila made the ebbó for the bat, his wings came out, so he could fly; and believing that with that he had settled all his problems, he never went back to Orunmila's house, never realizing that all he had gained was the power of flight, but that he was still missing the strength, the foundation and the personality — so he was left with no direction and no way to tell one thing from another, for not finishing the work.

For this reason he does not know what is put in his mouth, and he will bite it, eat it or smoke it all the same.

Note: on this road, when the problems start getting settled, the person never goes back to the Awó's house, and so is left incomplete, just as happened to the bat.

There was a dog who was in her days to give birth and had no house. So she went to the house of the quail, who was her friend and comadre, told her the state she was in, and asked her to let her stay in her house until she gave birth.

A few days later the dog gave birth, and the quail said to her: «You can go now, since you have already given birth.» But the dog answered her to let her stay until the pups were stronger, and the quail allowed it. Once she saw that the pups were eating and were stronger, she asked the dog again to leave, since the pups could now go with her wherever she went. But what a shock she got when the dog, in a great fury, attacked her and drove her out into the street.

The quail, seeing the state she was in, went to Orunmila's house to look at herself; but Orunmila told her that there was nothing he could do now for her to get her house back, because she had disobeyed his advice — he had told her not to take anyone into her house —, but that he was going to make ebbó for her so she would die destitute.

Note: on this road the person cannot take anyone into their house, because they can lose their position and end up destitute in the street. The person knows so much that they sleep on the floor like the quail.

On this road there was a young man who lived with his parents and was called Yuno. He led a stuck life, against everything he wanted, because he wanted to prosper and have wealth.

One day the boy gathered his clothes and set out walking to seek his fortune. He came to a place in the country where there was uncultivated land; Yuno began asking whose land it was, and in his asking he met a man who told him not to bother with that land, that he would lose his money, since it was given to nobody.

Even so, the boy went to see the owner of that land, who lived in a large and luxurious house. When he knocked at the door, the one who received him was Elegba, who answered: «Come, I will take you to the owner» — who was Orunmila. When the boy saw Orunmila, he asked him to give him the idle land he had seen, to work it. Orunmila asked him whether he was going to work that land on his own, and he answered yes, that he would do it alone. To which Orunmila replied: «If what you say is true, I will give you the land and everything you need to work it.»

In a short time the boy began to work without rest, and after a few months all that land had changed: everything was planted and it prospered more every day. And yet, when he least expected it, bad weather came and wiped everything out. The boy, without losing his faith or his spirit, went back to Orunmila to tell him what had happened. He had not finished when Orunmila said to him: «So it will be; but before leaving your house you have to make ebbó, and not before giving a rooster to Elegba — who was the one who let you into my house — and giving two hens to Ifá.»

Yuno made the ebbó and began planting his land again, and in a short time it gave abundant harvests, and Yuno's wealth began to grow.

In time, Yuno began to feel proud. One day he ran into Elegba and snubbed him; Elegba walked on and met Shangó, and took him his complaint about Yuno's conduct.

Seeing this, Yuno ran to Orunmila's house and told him everything. Orunmila said to him: «You have to attend to Elegba before anyone else, and you will have to ask him what he wants in order to lift that harm he has done you, and beg his pardon for your conduct.» So Yuno did, and Elegba asked him for a goat and a sack of corn.

Yuno paid what he owed Elegba, and all his crops came right. Yuno learned that with those who help you, you can never boast.