A fierce animal kept the people of a village and its surroundings terrified. It killed often, and its latest victim was a poor woman who had gone into the jungle to gather firewood.
A relative of the woman, a boy who was almost a child, heard the sad news and began to think: “If nobody defeats that beast, any day my mother could end up in its claws.” He went from thoughts to action. He took a spear and a harp from his land and with those instruments went into the forest to look for the beast.
He was by the river when he saw the terrible animal approaching. The beast looked at him and asked: “What are you doing in my kingdom without trembling?” The child, unafraid, answered: “I am a son of the nearby village and I came to hunt small animals.” The beast kept asking: “And why do you want those small instruments, which look harmless?” The child replied: “To cheer my loneliness with music.” Curious, the beast said to him: “Well, my friend, while I bathe, you play that instrument.”
Having said this, it plunged into the river and the child began to draw melodious sounds from the harp. The animal was fascinated by such delicate music, and the child took advantage of how moved it was to prepare his bow and arrow. He shot, and the arrow wounded the beast to death in the heart.
Happy with his victory, the child returned to the village and told the people that he had defeated the fierce animal, so that they would come to celebrate with him. Nobody believed him, because nobody could imagine that a child had so much courage. The surprise was greater when they reached the river and saw that the dreaded animal lay there, with the arrow stuck in its heart.
Courage does not depend on age. Whoever thinks before acting and uses cleverness can defeat what frightens adults, and even if at first nobody believes him, the truth remains in plain sight.
When the ebbó is finished, the rooster is for Eshu, the doves for Oshosi and the hens for Oshún. The other ingredients are asked of Ifá.