The tale of the boy who tricked a tyrant – Paschal Kyiiripuo Kyoore
VIDEOSCRIPT:
Shock seized the West African Dagara village as word traveled of a new decree. Completely disregarding time-honored naming rituals, the tyrannical chief declared that, going forward, he alone would name the village’s children.
But an unlikely challenger eventually appeared… One day, a mother was taking her newborn to the chief’s house to be named when her baby asked where they were going from his crib. She told him, and he responded that they could return home because he already had a name and it was Yagangnaa, meaning “wiser than the chief.” So, they did just that.
Years later, while hunting lizards near the chief’s house, a friend called Yagangnaa’s name, which caught the chief’s attention. He knew he hadn’t given any child a name that insulted his own authority. When he asked Yagangnaa who named him, and the boy replied that he named himself, the chief grew furious. He committed himself to proving his superiority—and punishing Yagangnaa’s family.
First, he called on Yagangnaa and gave him a huge basket full of millet and pebbles. He told Yagangnaa to have his mother brew “pito,” or millet beer, by the end of the day, so the chief could entertain his farm workers. Upon hearing the chief’s orders, Yagangnaa’s mother wept. It was impossible to separate the millet from the pebbles. And everyone knew it took weeks to make pito: the millet had to be soaked, dried, ground, boiled, then fermented in days-long stages.
So, Yagangnaa decided to retaliate with another insurmountable task. He sent the chief gourd seeds and asked him to prepare calabash cups that same day to hold the pito his mother was making. The chief would have to wait for the seeds to germinate and the plants to bear fruit, then harvest, carve, and dry them—the work of an entire farming season all in one day. Realizing Yagangnaa was onto him—and one step ahead—the chief ordered him to return the millet.
Next, he instructed Yagangnaa to look after his bull until it produced enough cattle to fill his kraal and pay his sons’ bridewealth. Without protesting that he’d need a cow, not a bull, to do this, Yagangnaa agreed. The next day, he began cutting dry wood near the chief’s house. When the chief asked what he was doing, Yagangnaa said he needed wood to cook and warm his house because his father had just delivered a baby. The chief laughed and said that was impossible, to which Yagangnaa asked why it should be impossible for his father to deliver a child if the chief thought his bull was going to produce cattle.
One-upped once again, the chief ordered Yagangnaa to return the bull—and decided to take extreme measures. He told Yagangnaa to accompany his son on an errand and provided him a beautiful horse and expensive clothes. Meanwhile, the chief’s own son wore tattered clothing and rode a weak horse. Sensing the chief’s new trick brewing, Yagangnaa offered to trade with the chief’s son, who agreed. But the chief had given his men grisly orders.
And moments later, a poisoned arrow flew towards the well-dressed boy on the beautiful white horse, striking and killing the chief’s son while Yagangnaa escaped. Ever fixated on eliminating Yagangnaa, the defiant boy who named himself, the chief invited him over for a pito drinking spree. He dug a well and covered it with a cowskin to create a deceitfully decorative seat. But, by now, Yagangnaa knew the chief’s plans, and dug a tunnel connecting his house with the chief’s well.
Later, when Yagangnaa arrived and graciously took his seat, he fell into the pit. The chief ordered his wives to pour hot pito into the hole. But Yagangnaa swiftly escaped through the tunnel and asked his mother to collect the pito that soon followed. The chief thought he’d finally succeeded—until receiving a message from Yagangnaa the next day asking to reciprocate the chief’s generosity, inviting him for pito. Realizing that Yagangnaa had outwitted him again, the chief conceded. And finally, he abolished his decree and returned the power of naming back to his people, where it belonged.
VOCABULARY:
- seize /siːz/ (v) – To take hold of something quickly or forcefully. SYN: grab, capture.
- decree /dɪˈkriː/ (n) – An official order issued by an authority. SYN: order, mandate.
- disregard /ˌdɪsrɪˈɡɑːrd/ (v) – To ignore or pay no attention to something. SYN: ignore, neglect.
- time-honored /ˈtaɪm ˌɒnəd/ (adj) – Respected or traditional due to having been used for a long time. SYN: traditional, respected.
- ritual /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ (n) – A series of actions or ceremonies performed regularly. SYN: ceremony, custom.
- tyrannical /tɪˈrænɪkl/ (adj) – Exercising power in a cruel or arbitrary way. SYN: oppressive, dictatorial.
- crib /krɪb/ (n) – A small bed for a baby or young child. SYN: cot, bed.
- chief /tʃiːf/ (n) – A leader or ruler of a group or community. SYN: leader, head.
- authority /ɔːˈθɒrɪti/ (n) – The power or right to give orders and make decisions. SYN: power, control.
- insult /ɪnˈsʌlt/ (v) – To speak to or treat someone with disrespect. SYN: offend, disrespect.
- furious /ˈfjʊəriəs/ (adj) – Extremely angry. SYN: enraged, outraged.
- superiority /suːˌpɪriˈɒrɪti/ (n) – The state of being better or more powerful than others. SYN: dominance, supremacy.
- millet /ˈmɪlɪt/ (n) – A type of small-seeded grass, grown for food.
- pebble /ˈpɛbl/ (n) – A small, rounded stone. SYN: stone, rock.
- brew /bruː/ (v) – To make a beverage, especially by boiling or fermentation. SYN: prepare, ferment.
- weep /wiːp/ (v) – To cry or shed tears. SYN: cry, sob.
- grim /ɡrɪm/ (adj) – Serious or gloomy. SYN: bleak, stern.
- grind /ɡraɪnd/ (v) – To crush something into small pieces or powder. SYN: crush, mill.
- ferment /fərˈmɛnt/ (v) – To cause a chemical change in food or drink through the action of bacteria or yeast. SYN: brew, age.
- retaliate /rɪˈtælɪeɪt/ (v) – To fight back or respond to a wrong. SYN: avenge, counterattack.
- insurmountable /ˌɪnsərˈmaʊntəbl/ (adj) – Too great to overcome. SYN: unbeatable, overwhelming.
- gourd seed /ɡɔːrd siːd/ (n) – Seed of a large fruit with a hard skin, often used to make containers.
- calabash cups /ˈkæləbæʃ kʌps/ (n) – Drinking vessels made from the shell of a gourd.
- germinate /ˈdʒɜːrmɪneɪt/ (v) – To start growing from a seed. SYN: sprout, grow.
- entire farming season (n) – The period during which crops are planted, grown, and harvested.
- bridewealth /ˈbraɪdˌwɛlθ/ (n) – A payment made by the groom’s family to the bride’s family. SYN: dowry.
- deliver a baby (phrase) – To assist in the birth of a child. SYN: help with childbirth.
- take extreme measures (phrase) – To take drastic actions. SYN: go to great lengths, resort to drastic action.
- on an errand (phrase) – Doing a short trip to complete a specific task. SYN: mission, task.
- tattered clothing /ˈtætərd ˈkloʊðɪŋ/ (n) – Clothes that are old and torn. SYN: ragged clothes, worn-out clothes.
- grisly /ˈɡrɪzli/ (adj) – Causing horror or disgust. SYN: ghastly, gruesome.
- poisoned arrow (n) – An arrow coated with poison, used as a weapon.
- striking /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/ (adj) – Very noticeable or impressive. SYN: remarkable, impressive.
- fixated /ˈfɪkseɪtɪd/ (adj) – Strongly focused on something. SYN: obsessed, preoccupied.
- eliminate /ɪˈlɪmɪneɪt/ (v) – To completely remove or get rid of something. SYN: remove, eradicate.
- defiant /dɪˈfaɪənt/ (adj) – Boldly resistant or challenging. SYN: rebellious, disobedient.
- spree /spriː/ (n) – A period of unrestrained activity or behavior. SYN: binge, session.
- deceitfully /dɪˈsiːtfəli/ (adv) – In a way that is intended to deceive. SYN: dishonestly, falsely.
- decorative seat (n) – A seat used for decoration rather than practical use.
- graciously /ˈɡreɪʃəsli/ (adv) – In a kind and polite manner. SYN: courteously, kindly.
- fall into the pit (phrase) – To fall into a trap or literal pit.
- reciprocate /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/ (v) – To give back in return. SYN: repay, return.
- outwit /ˌaʊtˈwɪt/ (v) – To defeat someone by being more clever. SYN: outsmart, trick.
- concede /kənˈsiːd/ (v) – To admit defeat or yield. SYN: yield, admit.
- abolish a decree (phrase) – To officially end or cancel a rule or order. SYN: revoke a law, cancel an order.
A. Summary:
The Power of Names in West African Dagara Village
- • A tyrannical chief declares he will name the village’s children, disregarding traditional naming rituals.
- • A child named Yagangnaa, meaning “wiser than the chief,” is named Yagangnaa, causing the chief to become furious.
- • The chief punishes Yagangnaa’s family by ordering him to brew “pito” or millet beer, a task that takes weeks to complete.
- • Yagangnaa retaliates by preparing calabash cups to hold the pito his mother is making, a task that the chief orders him to return.
- • The chief orders Yagangnaa to look after his bull until it produces enough cattle to fill his kraal and pay his sons’ bridewives.
- • The chief orders Yagangnaa to accompany his son on an errand, providing him with a beautiful horse and expensive clothes.
- • The chief’s son is killed by a poisoned arrow, while Yagangnaa escapes.
- • The chief invites Yagangnaa for a pito drinking spree, but he falls into the pit and is thrown into the pit.
- • Yagangnaa asks to be invited for pito, and the chief concedes, abolishing his decree and returning the power of naming back to his people.
B. Reading Comprehension Exercise
Instructions: Please watch the video carefully and choose the correct answer from the options provided for each question. If possible, also read the accompanying text for better understanding.
| 1. What new decree did the chief announce in the Dagara village? |
| a) Everyone must work for the chief. |
| b) He alone would name the village’s children. |
| c) He would build a new village. |
| d) The villagers could choose their own names. |
| 2. What was Yagangnaa’s name said to mean? |
| a) Stronger than the chief |
| b) Wiser than the chief |
| c) Faster than the chief |
| d) Braver than the chief |
| 3. What was Yagangnaa’s first impossible task from the chief? |
| a) To cook a meal for the village |
| b) To separate millet from pebbles and brew pito |
| c) To plant trees for the chief |
| d) To build a new house |
| 4. How did Yagangnaa retaliate when given the task to make pito? |
| a) He refused to complete the task. |
| b) He destroyed the chief’s farm. |
| c) He asked the chief to make calabash cups from gourd seeds in one day. |
| d) He left the village. |
| 5. What animal did the chief order Yagangnaa to care for? |
| a) A horse |
| b) A cow |
| c) A bull |
| d) A goat |
| 6. What task did Yagangnaa sarcastically mention when cutting wood near the chief’s house? |
| a) His father had just delivered a baby. |
| b) His mother needed the wood for a feast. |
| c) He was building a bridge. |
| d) He was preparing for winter. |
| 7. What extreme measure did the chief take to eliminate Yagangnaa? |
| a) He sent Yagangnaa to war. |
| b) He ordered his men to shoot a poisoned arrow. |
| c) He poisoned Yagangnaa’s food. |
| d) He banished Yagangnaa from the village. |
| 8. How did Yagangnaa avoid falling into the pit during the pito drinking spree? |
| a) He never went to the drinking spree. |
| b) He jumped out of the pit at the last minute. |
| c) He bribed the chief’s men. |
| d) He dug a tunnel connecting his house to the pit. |
| 9. What was the final outcome for the chief after trying to eliminate Yagangnaa? |
| a) He banished Yagangnaa from the village. |
| b) He conceded and abolished his naming decree. |
| c) He imprisoned Yagangnaa’s family. |
| d) He won and kept his decree in place. |
| 10. What does the word “insurmountable” in the text likely mean? |
| a) Impossible to think of |
| b) Easy to achieve |
| c) Difficult to overcome |
| d) Quick to complete |
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