In the city of Adio lived the awó Biamegbón with his wife Jaga, and they had several sons. The first was named Adio Tootoó (the oldest of Adio); the second, Adamegbón (the one who splits the coconut); the third, Alakenta (the one who handles the coconut most); and the fourth, Alakesí (the one who raises the most doubts in the coconut). Under his roof there also grew up other young men who presented themselves as his sons, although they were only foster sons.
Olodumare had granted this awó the ashé of possessing the secrets of the coconut for divination, and he left in his sons the force of the odus so that divination would have support.
He gathered each son alone and confided to him a secret of the system. To Adio Tootoó, the first, he gave the greatest secret of the coconut, which he named Peace and Happiness, Alafia, backed by Eyiogbe: if four white pieces fall, the answer is affirmed. To the second he gave the secret of the death of the coconut, called Oyekun, the black sign, backed by Oyekun Meyi: if four dark pieces fall, the answer is no. To the third fell the secret of justice, the balance of Meyife: two white pieces and two dark ones confirm what is true with exactness, and six odus sustain it (Iwori, Odi, Iroso, Ojuani, Oshé and Ofun). To the fourth went the vanity of the coconut, which deceives and for that very reason saves or kills; it is called Etawé and, when it comes out, one must ask again to know whether it will save or kill. Four odus back it: Ogunda, Osa, Otura and Irete.
Biamegbón kept the last secret for himself, because he noticed that his sons by blood, except Adio Tootoó, emigrated as soon as they learned. Only to Adio Tootoó did he pass on that secret and all the emblems. It was the one that denies everything, Okana: with three dark pieces and one white, the question is rejected completely.
In time, Adio Tootoó traveled to Ekirun, a nearby city, and there his father died suddenly. With the legitimate sons away, the foster sons began to demand the inheritance, which was surrounded by a wall that Biamegbón had built to protect his property from enemy attacks. He had been buried beside that wall.
Adio Tootoó learned what was happening, gathered his things and set out for Adio. There he asked the Obá to judge the dispute, since he possessed the secret that would show he was the legitimate eldest son. The Obá summoned the claimants to the wall. Adio Tootoó explained that, his father being dead, he had the means to prove his identity and his right, and asked the others what proof they offered. They could not show facts that convinced anyone.
Adio Tootoó then took four coconut pieces from his apó and approached his father's tomb. He asked Biamegbón, if he truly rested there, to answer with the sign of death that he had taught him: four dark ones. When he cast them, the people were amazed: all four pieces fell dark. He gathered them again and asked the dead man whether he recognized the others as his sons; if not, he should answer with Okana, the absolute denial. Okana came out, and the amazement grew, since the false sons were excluded.
He took the pieces again and asked whether he was Adio Tootoó, the beloved son; if so, he should answer with Alafia, the emblem of his identity. When four white pieces fell, a murmur ran through those present, and it was proved who he was. Then he asked whether, with his brothers absent, he was the legitimate heir, and asked for the answer with the sign of justice, Meyife. Two dark pieces and two white ones fell, and the inheritance was handed to Adio Tootoó with full right.
At the end he wanted to know whether his brothers would come back to ask for their share, and demanded a firm answer. Etawé came out; he repeated the question and Etawé came out again, which confirmed that they would return. And so it was: years later they came back to claim the position, each one claiming to be the eldest, but the power of Adio Tootoó remained firm thanks to Alafia, the eldest of all.