Mother Kite Folktale, Things Fall Apart

Storytelling plays a very important role in the Igbo culture.  Through the book “Things Fall Apart”, the author tells some stories that usually are used to leave a lesson to the listener.

Uchendu told a story to Okonkwo and Oberika when they were discussing about the arrival of the white men to Abame. The story is about Mother Kite and her daughter. Mother Kite sent her daughter for food; she brought her a young duck. Mother Kite asked her what did the duck’s mother do when she took the baby away, she said that the mom didn’t do anything. Mother Kite told her child to leave the duck again with his mom and bring something else to eat. After a while, the daughter returned with a chick, Mother Kite asked her what did the mother do, she answered that the mother shouted and coursed her. Mother Kite decided that they could now eat it.

The lesson that Uchendu wanted to give the men is that there is something ominous behind the silence and that there is nothing to fear from someone that shouts. Uchendu relates this folktale because people in Abame killed the white man without him saying anything. “Never kill a man who says nothing, those men of Abame were fools” –Uchendu.

Achebe, C. (1994) Things Fall Apart . New York: Anchor Books , p. 149-150