THE MAN WHO WAS PREGNANT IN THE KNEE
(Place of Origin: Kikuyu Collected by: K.P. Ndendero)
A long time ago, there was a man who was pregnant in the knee. People in his neighbourhood often told him that his knee was growing big. As time went on, the knee grew bigger and bigger. A time came when it was discovered that he would give birth. He went into a house and gave birth to three children. This man then took his three children somewhere in a cave. He gave them names, calling one girl Wanjiru.
After locking the cave from the outside, the man went to look for food so that he could feed the children. On coming back to the cave with the food, he usually sang a song so that the children could open the door for him to enter the cave. He had ordered them to close the entrance from inside, and not to open to anybody else other than himself.
He sang:
Knee, Knee, Knee that has made me rich,
Gave birth for me to three children
Who I named Nyamathiriti, Nyamathangania, Nyamatuathanga
Njiru open for me I give you food
Which you know and which you don’t know.
Upon hearing that song, the children opened the door for him since they had recognised his voice. He entered the cave and gave them food to eat.
This routine was repeated every time the man went to look for food to feed his children. After quite some time had passed, the father of the children went to look for food as usual. He first locked the children from outside and they locked from the inside. Coming back to the cave with the food the man sang his usual song.
But Irimu had been eavesdropping and heard the song the man sang. He therefore decided to eat those children in the cave when their father was absent. So when the father of the children, after some days, went again to look for food, Irimu approached the door to the cave and sang with a hoarse voice.
Knee, knee, that has made me poor, has made me rich,
Gave birth for me to three children
Who I named Nyamathiriti, Nyamathangania , Maturiathanga,
Njiru open for me, I give you food
Which you know and which you don't know.
After listening to that voice, the children knew that the voice was not their father`s. Wanjiru then told the ogre Go away you fool; you are not my father. The ogre went away realizing that the children would not open the door, since they had recognized that his voice was not that of their father.
After the ogre had gone away the father of the children came back with food for the children to eat. He then sang his usual song and the children recognized his voice and opened for him.
Irimu then went to a witch doctor and said there are some children I want to eat, how will I know how to get them? The witch doctor answered, Go to the path of ants; lay your tongue there and let them bite you. Get bitten, bitten and bitten. When the tongue oozes blood it will then be able to sing like the father of those children.
Irimu then went to do as directed. He laid his tongue on the path of ants. But when he was bitten by some ants, he rose up quickly and exclaimed, Phew, phew it hurts. He went back to the witch doctor and lied that he had really been bitten by the ants.
He then proceeded to the cave where the children were and sang with a voice that was still hoarse.
After listening to that voice the children realized that it was not their fathers, Wanjiru told him, Go away you fool, you are not our father.
Irimu had not softened his voice properly as he had been directed by the witch doctor because he was afraid of pain. He went back to consult the witch doctor again. The witch doctor firmly directed him and said, Go and be bitten properly by the ants. So he went to the path of the ants and laid his tongue there. He was bitten, bitten and bitten till his tongue oozed blood and softened.
Now the father of the children sensing danger might befall his children, had advised and warned them When you’ll be taken from here while I am absent, take with you this castor oil seeds. They are kept in a pot. So when you will be removed from here, you drop the castor oil seeds, as you go, and I will follow you up to where you have been taken and I will rescue you. Have heard that Wanjiru? Yes, replied Wanjiru.
After some days had gone by, the father of the children went again to look for something to eat. The ogre having been bitten properly by the ants; came back to the cave. He softened his mouth and then sang that song;
Knee, knee that made me poor, has made me rich.
Gave birth for me to three children
Who I named Nyamathiriti, Nyamathangania, Maturiathanga.
Njiru, open for me, I give you food
Which you know and which you don't know.
Wanjiru after listening to that voice and thinking it’s her father who opened the door. Irimu pushed the door open and entered the cave. He rudely ordered the children. Out we go, But Wanjiru at that moment remembered the castor oil seeds pot. She snatched it before she was forcibly pushed outside. Wanjiru then started dropping the seeds from the doorsteps. She went on dropping and dropping, until the house to which they were taken. The father of those children came back to the cave with food for the children to eat. But when he sang his usual song, the door was not opened. But at that moment he saw the seeds at the doorstep of the cave. He got alarmed and immediately knew that his children had been taken away. He followed the castor oil seeds until he reached a house where the seeds ended. Pretending to be a messenger sent on a mission he was welcomed into the house. He found that his children had been brought there by Irimu. But after staying there for some days, he organized a successful plan and stole his children back. They ran away and went back home to their cave. My story comes to an end.
Questions and Answers on the Monster/ogre narrative The Man Who Was Pregnant in the Knee
(a) Place the above oral narrative in its correct subgenre. (2marks)
Monster / Ogre narrative (1mark)
Reason: The main character is an ogre / a fabulous creature. (1mark)
(b) Identify and illustrate one socio-economic activity of the society depicted in this oral narrative (2marks)
They were gatherers (1mark)
Illustration: Their father went to work for food daily. (1mark)
They were farmers (farming as an economic activity) Total marks (2marks)
Illustration: The presence of castor oil seeds. (1mark)
(Accept any one activity) Total (2marks)
(c) How has the oral artist portrayed the character of the father? (4marks)
The father is responsible/caring/concerned (1mark)
Illustration.:He strives to make sure they have food and are safe (1 mark)
He is cautious (1 mark)
Illustration: Uses a song to ensure that the children don't open the door for strangers
and advises Wanjiru to use castor oil seed if ever they leave home. (1mark)
He is courageous/brave (1 mark)
Illustration: On realising that he was at Ogre`s home, he did not run away but planned to escape.
He is sly/cunning (1mark)
Illustration: He pretended that he was a messenger sent on a mission and finally planned for escape (1 mark)
(Accept any two traits )
(d) The witch doctor’s advice to Irimu can be summed up in a general proverb.
(i) Write down one such proverb from any community. (1mark)
Proverb
-There is no sweet cure
-There is nothing good that comes easily.
(Accept any two traits)
(ii) Explain its relevance to the witch doctor’s advice. (2marks)
Explanation.
The ogre could not withstand the pain of an ant bite and hence his voice remained hoarse / did not get the children (1mark)
After he was bitten and bitten . his voice was soft and was able to sing like the children's father / got them (1mark)
(e) What feature in this story shows that it is a traditional oral narrative? (4marks)
Opening formula - A long time ago
Closing formula My story comes to an end
Song - The Father's Song.
Moral lesson The story has a teaching
Accept any TWO features
(f) Imagine you are telling this story to a group of young children. How would you make the story more interesting? (4marks)
Dramatising e.g. how the ogre was bitten by the ants / how Wanjiru dropped the castor oil seeds .
Voice variation: Use a horse voice for the ogre / soft voice for the father when singing .
Singing/dancing - The father's story
Vary facial expression - To show the ogres disappointment on failing to get into the cave .
(Accept any two)
(h)Which method do you think would be most suitable when collecting this narrative from the field? (1mark)
Using a videotape. (1mark