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THE STORY OF OLAJUMOKE

Once upon a time in the village of Aiyegberu, there lived a maiden called Olajumoke. She was the most beautiful woman in all the lands

As news of her great beauty spread, suitors came lining asking for her hand in marriage but she refused them all. None of them was handsome enough to match her beauty she proclaimed

One fateful day as Olajumoke did her business as usual, a very handsome looking young man called Ori entered the market and started to buy things. All the maidens in the market were drawn to his eloquence and physique but Olajumoke was ripped apart by his mere presence. She decided on the spot "this was her man"

She left her stall and started following him around the market.
As the young man was about leaving, he noticed that Olajumoke was following him and he asked her why, she explained that she loved him and was ready to go anywhere with him. The young man  told her he came from the land beyond the read and blue seas then he asked if she was still interested in going anywhere with him, Olajumoke nodded "i will go anywhere with you"
The man bagan to sing..

Arewa deyin leyin mi, deyin o, Arewa deyin
Boba deyin a o kan odo aro, deyin o hey deyin.
Boba deyin a o kan odo eje,deyin Arewa deyin,
Arewa deyin leyin mi,
Deyin Arewa deyin.


Beauty leave me (2ce)
You have to leave because we
Would get to the blue Sea
You have to leave me because we
Would get to the Red Sea
Go back beauty home (2ce)


However, Olajumoke was resolute that she would follow him to the end of the earth. Thus, the man was done making sure she was not forced

On their journey, they crossed the blue and red sea just as the man had described. Then they entered a forest where the man had borrowed his legs and hands. As he returned them, Olajumoke was petrified with fear. The love of her life now had only a chest and a head

Soon they got to a great tree and Ori presented the chest he had borrowed to the emptiness surrounding the tree, now he had just a head

Olajumoke could no longer mask her fear, she begged him that he should allow her to go back home but Ori declined. He then placed a cowrie’s chain on her neck so that anytime she attempts to escape from his home; the chain would alert him with the following song:

Ori ori o Olajumoke lo
Apon mepo re Olajumoke lo
A re bi osun Olajumoke lo
Ori ori o Olajumoke lo (2ce)


O Head (2ce) Olajumoke is going
Damsel as fair as palm oil is going
Damsel as fascinating as cam wood is going
O Head Olajumoke is going


Thus, anytime Olajumoke attempts to run away the strange chain on her neck starts singing so much that wherever Ori is he would come with the speed of lightning and stamp himself to her chest. So she resigned to her fate in the evil forest.

Back home in Olajumoke’s village a man hunt was sent to all the surrounding villages in search of the damsel but no one could find her

One fateful day, a very ugly hunter was in the forest searching for game when he saw Olajumoke roaming around the forest. Olajumoke told him the story of how she got there and the hunter made a deal with her " if he helped her Olajumoke must agree to marry him"

She agreed to his proposal at once and the hunter swung into action. He cut off the cowries’ chain from her neck using special incantations and he was able to lead her successfully through the forest back home into the waiting arms of her parents

On getting home, she was received back by the entire village. Her parents showed their gratitude to the hunter with numerous gifts but the hunter wanted something more. As he winked Olajumoke, she told her parents of her deal with the hunter. They were stunned as the man did not possess good looks or wealth but there was nothing they could do about it, they eventually gave their daughter to the man

The villagers mocked Jumoke for eventually condescending to marrying a man who was not as handsome or as wealthy as most of the men that had earlier sought her hand in marriage

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