In the ancient forests of Akanland, where the great trees spread their canopies like the protective hands of ancestors and the rivers flowed clear and cold from the distant mountains, there lived countless creatures both great and small. Among them was Osono the Elephant, whose massive body moved through the forest like a living mountain, whose trumpet could shake leaves from branches, and whose tusks gleamed white as clouds in the morning sun. Osono was the largest, strongest creature in all the land, and he knew it well perhaps too well.
Every morning, Osono would parade through the forest paths, making sure that every animal saw his impressive size. He would uproot small trees just to demonstrate his power, would trumpet loudly to announce his presence, and would speak endlessly about his unmatched strength. “Who among you can challenge me?” he would bellow. “Is there any creature in this forest, in this land, or in all the world who possesses even half my mighty strength? I think not!”
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The other animals had grown weary of Osono’s constant boasting. The antelopes would roll their eyes when he passed. The monkeys would chatter mockingly in the trees above him. Even the birds seemed to fly away when they heard his approach. But no one dared to challenge him directly, for his boasts, however tiresome, were not entirely without foundation. He was indeed remarkably strong.
Among those who listened to Osono’s daily declarations was a small tortoise named Abotiriwa. Unlike the elephant, Abotiriwa moved slowly through the forest, his shell catching the dappled sunlight that filtered through the leaves. He had no great size, no mighty voice, no impressive physical power. What Abotiriwa possessed, however, was something that Osono lacked entirely a mind as sharp as the hunter’s spear and the wisdom to understand that strength takes many forms.
One afternoon, as Osono stood in a clearing surrounded by a reluctant audience of forest creatures, boasting yet again about his unmatched power, Abotiriwa made his way to the front of the crowd. His small voice cut through Osono’s thunderous declarations.
“Osono,” Abotiriwa called out, “I have listened to your claims for many seasons now, and I have grown curious. You say no one can match your strength. I wonder if you would accept a challenge a test to prove once and for all that you are indeed as mighty as you claim.”
The elephant’s enormous ears flapped with surprise, and then with amusement. He looked down at the tiny tortoise, and a rumble of laughter emerged from deep within his massive chest. “You? You wish to challenge me? Abotiriwa, I could crush you beneath one foot without even noticing. What possible test could you offer?”
“A pulling contest,” Abotiriwa replied calmly. “We will each take one end of a strong vine. When the sun rises tomorrow, we will pull against each other. If you can pull me from my position, you will have proven your strength beyond all doubt. But if I can hold my ground against you, then perhaps you will finally admit that might alone does not make one superior.”
The assembled animals gasped and murmured among themselves. Had Abotiriwa lost his mind? How could such a small creature hope to resist the pull of an elephant? Osono himself seemed torn between irritation at the audacity and amusement at the absurdity of the challenge.
“Very well,” Osono finally declared, his voice booming across the clearing. “Tomorrow at sunrise, little tortoise, you will learn a painful lesson about knowing one’s place. I accept your challenge.”
What none of the animals knew what Osono certainly did not suspect was that Abotiriwa had no intention of actually pulling against the elephant himself. As the crowd dispersed and the forest settled into the quiet of evening, Abotiriwa made his way to the great river that wound through the heart of the forest.
There, in the deep pools where the water ran dark and cool, lived Odenkyem the Hippopotamus. Like Osono, Odenkyem was a creature of immense strength and size. His massive body could part the river waters like they were nothing, and his jaws were powerful enough to snap thick branches as if they were twigs. Also like Osono, Odenkyem was quite proud of his strength and often boasted that no land animal could match the power of a river giant.
Abotiriwa found Odenkyem lounging in his favorite pool, half-submerged in the cooling waters. “Greetings, mighty Odenkyem,” Abotiriwa said respectfully. “I have heard your claims of strength, and I believe them to be true. However, I wonder if you would be willing to prove them in a contest tomorrow at sunrise?”
Odenkyem’s small eyes regarded the tortoise with curiosity. “What kind of contest?”
“A simple pulling contest,” Abotiriwa explained. “I will bring a strong vine. You will take one end, and when the sun rises, you will pull. If your strength is as great as you claim, pulling a small tortoise should be no challenge at all.”
Like Osono before him, Odenkyem found the proposal amusing and his pride piqued. “Very well, little tortoise. I accept. Where should we conduct this test?”
“Right here at the river,” Abotiriwa said. “I will bring the vine to you just before sunrise. When you feel three sharp tugs on the vine, begin pulling with all your might. Pull until either the vine breaks or your opponent surrenders.”
That night, while the forest slept, Abotiriwa worked by moonlight. He had found the strongest vine in all the forest thick as a man’s arm, woven from the fibers of ancient trees, tested by time and weather. He tied one end securely to a massive tree near the elephant’s territory, then stretched the vine through the forest, over hills and through valleys, all the way to the river where he secured the other end to another great tree near the hippopotamus’s pool.
When the first light of dawn began to paint the eastern sky with shades of gold and pink, Abotiriwa positioned himself in the middle of the long vine’s length, exactly halfway between the elephant and the hippopotamus. Neither giant could see the other the forest and the distance prevented that. Each believed they would be pulling against only the small tortoise.
Abotiriwa took a deep breath, then gave three sharp tugs on the vine in Osono’s direction. Almost immediately, he felt the vine grow taut as the elephant began to pull. Then Abotiriwa scurried to the other section of vine and gave three sharp tugs toward Odenkyem. The hippopotamus, thinking the signal meant the contest had begun, began pulling from his end.
What followed was a spectacle that the forest had never witnessed before and would never forget.
From his position in the clearing, Osono pulled with all his legendary strength, his massive legs digging into the earth, his muscles straining beneath his thick hide. To his shock and amazement, the vine did not budge. Whatever was on the other end supposedly just a small tortoise was resisting with impossible strength!
“What sorcery is this?” Osono muttered, pulling harder. His feet carved trenches in the forest floor. Sweat began to glisten on his gray skin. Still, the vine held firm, even seemed to pull back with equal force.
At the river, Odenkyem was experiencing the same bewildering phenomenon. He pulled until his massive jaws clenched with effort, until his thick neck bulged with strain, until the river water around him churned with his exertions. Yet the vine remained taut and unyielding, as if he were pulling against something of equal or greater strength.
Word of the contest had spread, and animals from throughout the forest gathered to watch. They saw Osono straining at his end, witnessed the mighty elephant pulled nearly off his feet by the mysterious force on the other end of the vine. Those near the river saw Odenkyem’s impressive struggle, saw the great hippopotamus fighting against an opponent he could not see but could not overcome.
The contest continued for hours. The sun climbed higher in the sky. Both Osono and Odenkyem refused to surrender, their pride keeping them locked in their struggles. But finally, as the day wore on and exhaustion began to take its toll, Abotiriwa made his move.
He took his sharp teeth and severed the vine at its midpoint.
The sudden release of tension sent both giants tumbling backward. Osono crashed into the trees behind him with such force that fruit rained down from the branches. Odenkyem splashed back into his pool, creating a wave that washed over the riverbank.
Before either could fully recover, Abotiriwa began his journey to reveal his trick. First, he went to Osono, who was sitting among the scattered fruits, panting and bewildered.
“Come with me, Osono,” Abotiriwa said. “I have something to show you.”
Despite his exhaustion and confusion, the elephant followed. Abotiriwa led him through the forest, along the path of the vine, gathering the forest animals as they went. When they reached the river, they found Odenkyem still catching his breath in the shallows.
“Odenkyem,” Abotiriwa called out, “come and meet the opponent who matched your strength today.”
As the hippopotamus emerged from the water and the elephant stepped forward from the tree line, recognition slowly dawned on both of them. They looked at each other, then at the severed vine, then at the small tortoise standing between them.
“You…” Osono began, then stopped, unsure whether to be angry or impressed.
“Yes,” Abotiriwa said calmly. “Each of you thought you were pulling against me, a small tortoise. Instead, you were pulling against each other two of the strongest creatures in all the land. Neither of you could defeat the other, though both of you strained with all your might.”
Odenkyem’s laughter was the first to break the tension a deep, rumbling sound that made the river waters ripple. “The little tortoise tricked us! He made us fight each other while he stood safely aside!”
Osono’s initial indignation began to fade as the cleverness of the scheme became clear to him. The assembled animals began to chatter and laugh, not in mockery exactly, but in appreciation of the brilliant trick they had witnessed.
“You have proven your point, Abotiriwa,” Osono finally admitted, lowering his great head in a gesture of respect. “I thought strength meant only physical power, the ability to push and pull and lift. But you have shown me that there are different kinds of strength. Your cleverness defeated both Odenkyem and me without you having to match our physical might.”
“And you did it without harming either of us,” Odenkyem added, “or putting yourself in danger. That takes wisdom indeed.”
From that day forward, Osono’s boasting ceased. When he spoke of strength, he always added that true power comes in many forms in muscles, yes, but also in wit and wisdom. The story of Abotiriwa’s contest spread throughout Akanland and beyond, becoming a tale told by grandmothers to grandchildren, by elders to young warriors, by anyone who needed to remember that the smallest among us can achieve great things through intelligence and creativity.
And Abotiriwa? He returned to his slow, quiet life in the forest, content in the knowledge that he had taught two giants a lesson they would never forget and that the story would teach countless others in the generations to come.
The Moral Lesson
This timeless Akan folktale teaches us that intelligence and strategic thinking can accomplish what raw strength cannot. Abotiriwa demonstrates that cleverness, careful planning, and understanding psychology are powerful tools that can level the playing field between the weak and the strong. The story also warns against arrogance and teaches humility both Osono and Odenkyem learned that boasting about one’s strengths blinds us to other forms of power and makes us vulnerable to those who think differently. Most importantly, the tale celebrates the principle that true wisdom lies not in dominating others through force, but in using intelligence to solve problems creatively. As the Akan proverb teaches, “Ntease na ɛkyere ɔbaa bayaa,” meaning “Wisdom is what teaches the young woman hunting” it is cleverness, not just physical ability, that leads to success.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who is Abotiriwa in Akan folklore and what characteristics define him?
A: Abotiriwa is the tortoise character in Akan folktales from Ghana, representing intelligence, strategic thinking, and the triumph of wit over brute force. Despite his small size and physical weakness, Abotiriwa consistently outsmarts larger, stronger animals through careful planning and psychological insight. He embodies the Akan cultural value that wisdom and cleverness are superior forms of power.
Q2: What motivated Abotiriwa to challenge Osono the Elephant?
A: Abotiriwa was motivated by two factors: first, to humble the arrogant Osono, whose constant boasting had become tiresome to the entire forest community; and second, to prove a larger point about the nature of strength itself. He wanted to demonstrate that physical might, while impressive, is not the only or even the most valuable form of power, and that cleverness can overcome seemingly impossible odds.
Q3: How did Abotiriwa’s trick work and why was it so effective?
A: Abotiriwa tied an extremely strong vine between Osono the Elephant and Odenkyem the Hippopotamus, positioning himself in the middle but never actually participating in the pulling. Each giant thought they were pulling against just the small tortoise, when in reality they were pulling against each other’s equal strength. The trick was effective because it exploited their pride, their assumption that a small opponent posed no real challenge, and their inability to see beyond their immediate situation.
Q4: What is the significance of having two giants (elephant and hippopotamus) in the story?
A: The inclusion of two equally powerful giants reinforces the story’s central message about intelligence versus strength. By matching two creatures of comparable might against each other, Abotiriwa ensured that neither could win through force alone they were perfectly balanced. This created the perfect demonstration that when strength meets equal strength, only intelligence can break the stalemate. It also shows that physical power, no matter how great, has limitations.
Q5: What lesson did Osono and Odenkyem learn from their experience?
A: The two giants learned humility and gained a new understanding of what constitutes true strength. They discovered that physical power alone does not make one superior, that small opponents should never be underestimated, and that cleverness and strategic thinking are legitimate and powerful forms of strength. Most importantly, they learned to respect different kinds of abilities and to temper their pride with wisdom.
Q6: How does this tale reflect Akan cultural values about wisdom and community?
A: The story embodies the Akan principle that “nyansa bɔ” (wisdom weighs) meaning wisdom has weight and value in society. In Akan culture, cleverness and problem-solving abilities are highly prized, often valued above physical strength or material wealth. The tale also reinforces communal values: Osono’s boasting had become a communal problem affecting everyone’s peace, and Abotiriwa’s solution benefited the whole community by restoring balance and teaching an important lesson. This reflects the Akan emphasis on wisdom that serves the collective good.
Source: Adapted from West African Traditional Tales by A. A. Opoku (1975), Akan section, and also referenced in the Institute of African Studies, Legon Folklore Archive, University of Ghana.
Cultural Origin: Akan People, Ghana, West Africa
