The King’s Magic Drum

Story, story? Story! 

Once upon a time, a wealthy King named Onwa had a drum that produced tremendous wealth and food each time he beat the magic drum. Onwa the King had a best friend, Ojoor, the crafty tortoise. Onwa always confided in his friend the tortoise and shared all his secrets with him without knowing the tortoise was envious of him and his position as King. The tortoise also wanted to own his magic drum so badly and had done everything to hold it without success.

One day the tortoise set a trap for the King’s wife and hoped she would fall into the web, and the queen did. When this happened, the tortoise demanded the drum from his friend King Ransome to save the queen. The King’s love for his wife was more significant than anything in the world, including the drum, so he willingly gave the drum to his best friend, the tortoise, as ransom to free his queen. The tortoise does not know that the drum detests greed and only produces the luxury he has seen under specific conditions. And because the tortoise was greedy every time he beat the drum, fierce-looking men would emerge and whip him mercilessly.

The whipping from the fierce spirits continued for months anytime the tortoise beat the drum. Soon enough, the tortoise realized the lousy luck was because of his greed and how he obtained the drum from his friend by setting a trap for the queen. He regretted his actions and was genuinely sorry for his behavior. So one day, he went to his friend Onwa the King, apologized for his behavior, confessed he set his queen up out of his greed to own his magic drum, and returned the drum to the King’s rightful owner.

The King forgave his friend, the tortoise. He assured the tortoise that it was okay for him to borrow the drum anytime he needed it. Everyone in the palace danced and celebrated the return of the King’s magic drum, and once again, the tortoise and the King, his friend, lived happily ever after.

Greed is a selfish desire for power, wealth, or anything one seeks to have at all costs.