In the land of Ikaeri lived Awó Ifalodun, bound by Olokun, who had taken him away as a small boy from the house of his godfather Awó Omonire — from Shangó's land, Oddun Layeo — and did not want him to learn to work with Ifá: he divined only with the okpele, and the fishermen paid him in fresh fish. Awó Omonire saw Ika Rete, his godson's sign, and set out to find him with Shangó. Olokun, suspicious, said he was around somewhere; they found him casting okpele under a cotton tree and they embraced in tears. When Ayé quarreled with Olokun and he began losing his wealth, he asked for a reading with adele awerenifa: «He does not know how» — «He does know: it is you who have him bound.» Then Shangó gave him the board and taught him the whole ceremony: taking out the adele saying «Ifá bi bogbo adele Ifá Oddun Ifá seni», passing them behind him right to left and left to right, touching his head («ori abile»), embracing himself («Ifá yowa»), the knees, the belly while blowing the ofo out, the forehead with all the adele, counting them — 5, 5, 3, 2, 1 and the five watchmen — and walking the sixteen lands Ifá walked: the light of the sun, the creation of the world, intelligence, the birth of life, the gourd, the field, paradise, the rooster, man and all the lineages, up to the power Orunmila gives to men. Awó Omonire added the secret Ifaye Owodele — sixteen shells strung on the hide of Elegba's goat — and told him to atefá: Ika Rete came up for Olokun. «Your problem is that this land needs its people to have their own things of Ifá, and not only to worship your stones.» They made the ebbó with the adele the sea threw up and with the sand, and when Olokun got back, Ayé had returned with all the riches — and he sent all his children to receive Awofakan, Ikofá and Untefá.
In the land of Ikaeri lived Awó Ifalodun, who was bound by Olokun, who did not want him telling the people of that land the things Olokun did; for he had not been made Ifá as a small boy, and Olokun had taken him away to his own land, which was Ikaeri.
Awó Ifalodun always divined for everyone by means of the okpele, since he did not know how to work with Ifá, because Olokun did not want him to learn, and that is why he had taken him away as a very small boy from the house of his godfather Awó Omonire, who lived in the land Oddun Layeo, which was Shangó's land.
One day Awó Omonire made osode and saw Ika Rete, which was Awó Ifalodun's sign, and said to himself: «It has been years since I saw my son, and Ika Rete says he is having trouble with Olokun.»
He took two white hens and a rooster and set out for the land of Ikaeri. Halfway along the road he met Shangó and told him where he was going, and Shangó said: «I am going with you, because he will not live in the land of Ikaeri: he was born in the land I govern, which is Oddun Layeo.»
When they reached the land of Ikaeri they went straight to see Olokun, who received them suspiciously; and when they asked him after Awó Ifalodun, Olokun said: «He is around somewhere, since he has no fixed house and goes about with his Ifá on him.»
Awó Omonire said to Shangó: «Let us go and find him.» They went out and found him casting okpele for a great many people under a cotton tree, with many fresh fish at his side, because those people were fishermen and paid him in fish.
When Awó Ifalodun saw Awó Omonire and Shangó — even though he had left the land Oddun Layeo very small —, he recognized them and burst into tears, and they embraced, and he told them how hard it was for him to divine, but that he always did it.
Just then Ayé and Olokun had a quarrel, and Ayé left Olokun's house, and he began to lose wealth. Olokun went out looking for Awó Omonire and Shangó, and found them with Awó Ifalodun. Olokun said to Awó Omonire: «I need you to consult Ifá, because I have problems; but with adele awerenifa.»
Then Awó Omonire said: «I cannot read for you: for that my son Awó Ifalodun is here, the one you asked me for as a small boy so he would be the Awó of your land of Ikaeri.»
Olokun said: «But he does not know how to work with adele awerenifa, and he will not know how to settle the problem I have.» Awó Omonire said: «He does know: it is you who have him bound.»
Then Shangó took the board (oponfa) and gave it to him and said: «Take out the adele tunle awerenifa you have there, and when you do, say: “Ifá bi bogbo adele Ifá Oddun Ifá seni”.»
Awó Ifalodun's hands shook, because he was afraid, and Shangó said: «Take it and adifá so you get free. Take it and pass it behind you, from right to left», and Shangó said as he did it: «Orokan oshoro inle.» Then he said: «Now take it from left to right behind you», and said: «Orokan oshoro agba inle.»
Then Shangó said: «Now put your hands on your head and say: “Ori abile” (shining head). Now embrace yourself and say: “Ifá yowa” (Ifá defends and keeps me). Now touch your knee and say: “Ese kan ikundiona mafarawo kunawa” (may these legs keep me well). Now touch your belly, blow outward and say: “Ona oshoro ona adele ofoloikoshu” (may the ofo go out of me). Now pass your hands over your head and say: “Ifá siwere onayeni” (with the hands of Ifá I clean my road). Now take all the adele tunde awerin Ifá, put them to your forehead and say: “Ni ifaru agba untefa” (the one born his elder slave walks with you), “ofira yeyemi” (may you be given light). Now put them into the gourd, do the same as I taught you, and you are going to count them to know what you have.»
And he counted: five adele in the right hand — «Ifá afun oashe» (five command Ifá); five adele in the left hand — «Ifá ewa osa» (ten consecrated ones give life to Ifá); three adele in the right hand — «Ifá Osa Ogunda» (three roads mark the time of Ifá); two adele in the left hand — «Ifá Eyirete» (two figures point out Ifá); one adele in the right hand — «okan shonshon kinufidan kinubaye» (one alone shares out the power as the slave of the earth). «Take the five adele left in your left hand and say: “Adele marun ninsheku Ifá” (five are always the watchmen of that power).» At each moment, Awó Omonire answered: «Otana ikaku ota oyomu» (from one place to another, adele destroys the enemy).
Shangó said to him: «Clean yourself as I taught you, take the adele again, and let us walk the lands Ifá walked to become what he is. Touch your legs from right to left and say»: Awó Lode — the light of the sun; Awó Loda — the creation of the world; Awó Loma — intelligence; Awó Lokun — the birth of life; Awó Igba — the gourd, the first thing Orunmila had; Awó Oko — the field where Orunmila got his food; Awó Ibayu — paradise, the tree where Orunmila rested; Awó Akukó — the rooster, Orunmila's first companion; Awó Okuni — man, Orunmila's first heir; Awó Anfin — the fair-haired man; Awó Amanfin — the albinos; Awó Oyigbo — the white man; Awó Kukundunkun — the mixed-race man; Awó Filani — the Chinese man; Awó Ashe — the power Orunmila gives to men.
«Now take them and count them all as I taught you, and the five left in your hand, rub them over the ground with your right hand and say: “Awara wara okuni orisha, awara wara oba Ifá weo” (slowly, the male santos clean the king). Take the adele with your left hand and say: “Awara wara obini orisha, awara wara oba Ifá weo” (slowly, the female santos clean the king). Take the five adele, put them under the mat and say: “Adele arun tetenibo aye” (witnesses of heaven look after the earth).»
Then Awó Omonire said to his son Ifalodun: «Wait, because this land carries a secret it is still missing, and it is called Ifaye Owodele.» He took sixteen shells, strung them on the hide of Elegba's goat, tied it, set it in front of the mat and said: «Put one of those adele there.» Then Awó Omonire prayed: «Adele otun kale ashe were Ifá osin Ifá awore Ika Rete layeni Ifá», and sang: «Olorin Ifá adele agba deyogba.»
Then Awó Omonire said to his son: «Moyugba and atefá.» And Ika Rete came up for Olokun, at which Awó Omonire told him: «Your great problem is that this land needs its people to have their own things of Ifá so there is more luck, and not only to worship the stones you have.» And he took adele that the sea threw up, and the sand, and said to Awó Ifalodun: «Take this, add sand, jutía and fish to it, and put it inside the ebbó you are going to make for Olokun, and give him this hen.»
When they began making the ebbó, Awó Omonire, Shangó and Ifalodun each took small fresh fish from those he had in the gourd; and when they finished the ebbó, they put it inside the gourd, and told Olokun to take it to the seashore (onika).
When Olokun got back to his house, Ayé had already come back with all the riches; and Olokun sent all his children to Awó Ifalodun's house so he would give them what they needed: Awofakan, Ikofá, Untefá ni Orunmila.
At which Awó Omonire said to his son Awó Ifalodun: «Always keep your ikines with sand for people.» And from then on, the people of that land came back, and Awó Ifalodun, omo Ika Rete, had the backing of Olokun, of Shangó and of his godfather in Ifá, Awó Omonire.