Obara Ni Laye was a land ruled by an Obá Orun, that is, an Egun, named Obá Ñara Ñara. He lived praying and for that reason controlled everything: the people suffered enormous misery, but in complete peace.
This troubled Obatalá. He thought that the land was rotting, that nothing in it moved or grew, and that evil seemed to rule there. One night, at twelve o'clock, he put on black clothes and went down without telling anyone. The Obá Orun was bewildered and never knew that his observer was Obatalá. After seeing what he saw, Obatalá cursed that land and, at the same time, prayed that it have complete prosperity. At dawn he left, singing.
On his way back Elegba met him. Orunmila, who knew the situation, was sending him with an ebbó already prepared: a mouse, a large rooster, and three chicks, besides the pachones of the rite. But Elegba had put everything in disorder. The mouse escaped along with the ebbó, he had left the chicks to the earth before reaching the place, and he kept only the large rooster and the pachones. In addition he was carrying in his hand a jutía that he had come across on the road. Obatalá handed him a bag with food, fresh fruit, and herbs to scatter. Elegba answered that he would fulfill the task, but also what he had in mind, and he reminded Obatalá, calling him father, that he was the one who had cursed that land.
In Obara Ni Laye nobody had ever seen a mouse or a jutía. Elegba came in singing; the people began to wake up, and so did the dead. When he released the jutía, the confusion was general: some lost their minds, others fell ill in their nerves, and unrest and misfortune arrived. With the large rooster and the pachones, Elegba cleansed the children of the land; he struck the dead and gave them the large rooster, and they left. Government then remained in the hands of the children of the land. After that Elegba emptied the sack, and everything it held began to sprout and grow. From this came prosperity and, after it, ambition.
One day Elegba felt hungry, ate the jutía, and shared its blood with everyone. Since then unrest has passed to that land and to the others, through ambition. Obatalá came to reproach him, holding a sack of crazy ants in his hand. Elegba took it from him and the ants scattered. He told him that the land was that way because Obatalá had cursed it; that it would never have rest, since he would be there to fix and to undo. Obatalá, ashamed, cleansed his head with two coconuts, and Orunmila confirmed to him in the osode that in Obara Ni Laye there would always be more evils than goods. Obatalá thought it over and concluded that he must resign himself, because the curse was his and the land had received it.
A land may seem quiet through the strength of a prayer and still be sick. A curse spoken from above releases unrest, and whatever falls into disorder is left in the care of Elegba, who fixes and undoes.
A large rooster, three chicks, a mouse, and the pachones of the rite.
With two coconuts, Obatalá cleansed his head.
OJUANI BOSASO ADIFAFUN OYUBONA BOSA BARA LA YIKI ELEGBA ARA BEBE LELE ESHU NI A LAROYE INLE OBARA NI LAYE ELEGBA KI ONA KUEKUE OBA ÑARA ÑARA BI AYE OTORO NILE IFA ELEGBA ONA ÑAÑA ORUN ELEGBA OBA INLE OTORO NILE IFA.
ESHU BARALAYIKI ELEGBA ESHU BARALAYIKI ELEGBA MOYARA ALAROYE OBARA NI LAYE ELEGBA TIYO LERI ELEGBA LAROYE.
ELEGBA TI OLONA ELEGBA MAYEKU EGUN AWA NILE SOKU MAYAGUA IKU INLE MAGUAO SOKU MAYAGUA IKU INLE MAGUAO OBARA NI LAYE ELEGBA TI OLONA IKU OBARA NI ILE ELEGBA TI OLONA EGUN MAGUAO