The Ears Never Get Past the Head
Copyright © Anike Foundation
Once upon a time, there lived a family in a village near the large forest. The head of the family is called Tatu (Father) Kabongo. He had a wife called Mamu (Mother) Mianda and they had two sons Tshisuaka (the elder) and Mulumba (the younger).
Tatu Kabongo cared so much about his son’s education. He wanted them to learn with courage hunting, fishing, and gathering. In addition, he wanted them to grow up with good morals.
He always counseled them whenever they were up to mischief.
As time went on, the two children grew up and wanted to become independent.
Therefore, Tshisuaka and Mulumba his brother decided to leave home. Tshisuaka married a beautiful woman called Luena, about 800 km from his village and had children. Mulamba moved to the east near the river where he married Kaja and they also had children.
The two boys became responsible men. They worked hard for the survival of their families, and were the envy of other villagers. This made them to become very proud.
One day Tatu Kabongo their father got up and went to see his eldest son Tshisuaka. After taking his bag and his gun, he set off and traveled a long distance to get to the village where his eldest son lived.
When he got there, he was welcomed with great joy. They prepared a good meal for him and he went to bed and rested.
Two months after Tatu Kabongo had been staying with his son, something very shocking happened.
Tshisuaka returned from hunting and when he got home, he found his father sitting under a mango tree. His wife was late in preparing dinner.
Suddenly Tshisuaka raised the machete and cut off the head of his wife.
Make it stand out
Seized with panic, his father asked him, “Why did you do that?” Tshisuaka looked at his father, and said,”Father do not be afraid, I did not do anything wrong.”
A moment after Tshisuaka cut his wife’s head off, he put it back on her neck and the woman was revived, and continued preparing dinner. The next morning the father returned home after seeing the miracle of his first son.
A few days later the father decided to visit his second son. He set off to the village in which his second son Mulumba lived. When Tatu Kabongo arrived at Mulumba’s home, he was received very warmly. The whole family ate and talked excitedly together.
The next day, he and Mulumba went fishing. They brought back plenty of fish which they gave to his wife to celebrate the arrival of Tatu Kabongo.
After this welcome, while resting, Tatu Kabongo saw his son call his wife and children into his hut and then set the hut on fire. His children, his wife and all his possessions were consumed by fire. His father was very terrified. This reminded him of the events that had occurred in her first son Tshisuaka’s house.
Tatu Kabongo, very confused asked his son, “But… what are you doing?” Why did you do such a thing? Mulumba answered his father, saying,”Father there is nothing. Only the flesh is weak, but do not fear.” A few minutes later, the fire died down and surprisingly, the box that was in the fire did not burn! “What magic!” exclaimed Tatu Kabongo as the wife and children came out of the box safe and sound.
Tatu Kabongo came to his senses and kept his cool. The next day he returned to his village and did not mention what happened in his son’s house to anyone. But he continued to wonder where his children got their power?
A few months after, after much contemplation, he decided to send for his two sons to come and visit him. They decided to honour the invitation and visit their parents since they had not gone back home in a long time.
When they arrived, their mother made them a feast like the old days with great joy because she had not seen the children for a long time.
Tatu Kabongo who was a great hunter asked his children to go hunting with him. They took shotguns and Tatu Kabongo forgot the machete at home.
Halfway to their destination, Tatu Kabongo asked one of his sons Tshisuaka to go back and bring the machete.
When Tshisuaka got close to their house, he met his father lying on the ground, dead, with his mother wailing.
Tshisuaka tried to convince the villagers that his father was back in the forest, in fact he was the one who sent him back to bring the machete but no one listened to him. Tshisuaka quickly ran into the forest and told him all that he saw at home.
His father began to smile
and asked Mulumba his second son to go and fetch the machete from the house. When he got there, he was met with the same situation as his brother.
He also tried to convince the whole village that their father was still alive but everybody also treated him like a sorcerer. He also returned to tell his father the same.
Finally, the father told them to go home. When they arrived at the village, they found that the court was quiet, their mother was in the kitchen, everything was normal. Both sons then remembered the shows they had done to their father and they touched their head. They were so ashamed; and they told their mother what they had done to their father and asked for forgiveness.
So their father concluded by saying to them, “You did all this to scare me, but I showed you that you are children and ears never get past the head. “