Friendship is easy to praise when life is peaceful, but its true value often becomes clear during difficult moments. A person may receive kindness from many people and still struggle to know who will stand beside them when trouble arrives. In this Fon folktale from Benin, a married man faces an unusual problem when three important people in his life ask him to work in their fields on the same day.
The requests come from his father-in-law, the man who initiated him into the Oracle, and his closest friend. Each relationship carries its own importance, leaving him uncertain about whom he should help first. After seeking advice from his brothers, he decides to discover how much each man truly values him. His unusual test reveals a sharp difference between those who offer friendship when everything is comfortable and the person who remains supportive when faced with an alarming situation.
The Three Requests
Long ago, there lived a married man who had shared many years of his life with his wife. He had responsibilities, family connections and friendships that mattered deeply to him. Among the people he respected were his father-in-law, the man who had introduced him to the Oracle, and a close friend with whom he shared a strong bond.
Each relationship had played a different part in his life. His father-in-law had welcomed him into his family through marriage. His spiritual mentor had guided him through the process of initiation and helped shape his destiny. His friend, meanwhile, was someone he trusted and enjoyed spending time with.
One day, an unexpected problem arose.
His close friend approached him with a request. He wanted the man to come and help him cultivate his field on the day of the Aja market.
The request seemed ordinary enough. Friends often helped one another with demanding work, especially when preparing farmland required more hands. The man had no reason to refuse immediately, although he would need to consider his other responsibilities.
Before he could settle the matter, another visitor arrived.
This time, it was his father-in-law. He also wanted the man to help cultivate his field. More troubling still, he requested the same day, the very day his friend had already chosen.
The man now had two requests competing for his attention.
Then came the third request.
The person who had initiated him into the Oracle also approached him. He too wanted the man to work in his field on that same day.
The situation had become difficult. Three people whom he respected wanted his assistance, but none had chosen a different date. He could not work in all three fields at once, and refusing any of them might damage an important relationship.
He considered the matter carefully. His friend deserved consideration, but so did his father-in-law. The man who had initiated him into the Oracle also held a special position in his life.
Unsure of what to do, he decided to consult his brothers.
Seeking Advice from His Brothers
When he met his brothers, he explained the situation.
He told them that his father-in-law, his spiritual initiator and his friend had all requested his help on the same day. Each expected him to come and cultivate a field, and he could not decide which request should take priority.
He asked them what they would do if they were in his position.
His brothers listened and considered the three relationships. After discussing the matter, they advised him to help the man who had initiated him into the Oracle.
Their reasoning was straightforward. This was the person who had guided him through his initiation and helped transform his destiny. They believed that he owed him particular respect and should therefore give priority to his field.
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The man listened to their advice and initially accepted it.
However, after thinking about the matter again, he began to reconsider.
He remembered his father-in-law and the importance of his marriage. His father-in-law had given him his daughter as a wife, and she cared for him and prepared his meals after his day’s work. He reasoned that this relationship also deserved special consideration.
He therefore decided that he would go and cultivate his father-in-law’s field instead.
Yet even after reaching that decision, he remained troubled. The problem was not simply choosing between three fields. He wanted to understand the true nature of the relationships he had built with these men.
He wondered whether each person valued him as much as he valued them. He also questioned what would happen if he ever found himself in serious trouble.
An idea began to form in his mind.
A Hunting Trip and an Unusual Plan
The day of the Aja market arrived.
The man was fond of hunting, so he woke early that morning, took his gun and went into the forest. He intended to hunt before proceeding to the field he had chosen.
As he moved through the forest, he watched the surrounding vegetation carefully. At one point, he noticed movement in the grass. He raised his gun, aimed towards the movement and fired.
The shot struck an antelope.
It was a substantial animal, not a small catch. The man approached it, examined his prize and covered it with grass. He then left it concealed and continued towards his father-in-law’s field.
He had a plan.
When he arrived, his father-in-law welcomed him, believing that his son-in-law had come to help with the day’s work.
The man greeted him and then said that he had a problem he needed to share.
He explained that he had gone hunting early that morning because he did not want to arrive at the field empty-handed. While walking through the forest, he had heard movement in the grass. He had fired his gun and, according to his account, killed a man.
He presented the supposed killing as a serious problem and waited for his father-in-law’s reaction.
The older man did not respond with sympathy or an offer to help. Instead, he became furious.
He reminded his son-in-law that he had invited him to cultivate his field, not to go out and kill another person. He called him a murderer and ordered him to leave immediately.
He made it clear that he no longer wanted his help. Someone else would cultivate the field in his place.
The man had expected a difficult conversation, but the reaction was decisive. His father-in-law did not ask for further explanations or attempt to understand the circumstances. He simply rejected him.
The son-in-law left the field.
The Spiritual Initiator’s Reaction
After leaving his father-in-law’s field, the man went directly to the field belonging to the person who had initiated him into the Oracle.
The initiator welcomed him, just as the father-in-law had done. The man greeted him and repeated the same story.
He explained that he had gone hunting early that morning because he did not want to come to the field without bringing something. While walking through the forest, he had heard movement in the grass, fired his gun and killed a man.
Once again, he described the supposed killing as a serious problem.
The initiator’s response was just as harsh as that of the father-in-law.
He became angry and questioned why the man had come to cultivate his field after committing such an act. He ordered him to leave, calling him a murderer and refusing to allow him to continue working there.
He went further by threatening to withdraw the Oracle from him. Rather than helping the man through his supposed difficulty, he wanted to distance himself from the situation.
The man had now approached two people who held important positions in his life. Both had rejected him after hearing that he had killed someone.
He left the initiator’s field and continued towards the final person on his list.
This time, he was going to see his friend.
The Friend Who Offered Help
When the man arrived at his friend’s field, his friend welcomed him warmly.
He asked whether he had come to help with the day’s work. The man replied that he had come, but something troubling had happened and he needed to explain it.
He repeated the same account he had given to the other two men.
He said that he had taken his gun into the forest early that morning because he did not want to arrive empty-handed. While hunting, he had noticed movement in the grass, fired his weapon and killed a man.
His friend listened carefully.
Unlike the father-in-law and the spiritual initiator, he did not immediately condemn him or order him away. Instead, he expressed concern and asked what had happened.
He wondered how such a terrible incident could have occurred and whether anyone else knew about it.
The man explained that he had not told anyone. He had not announced the matter publicly, and he had come directly to his friend because he needed help.
His friend reassured him that they would find a solution together.
He went into his house and brought out a drink, offering it to the visitor. He encouraged him to take some, explaining that a drink could provide comfort in both happy and difficult moments.
He did not abandon his friend simply because the situation sounded frightening. Instead, he began thinking about what they could do.
After a while, he called his servant and told the young man to wait for him. He said he needed to go and collect some roots.
The servant immediately protested. He insisted that he should be the one to go and fetch them.
However, the friend refused. He explained that the young man might not recognise the right kind of roots, so he would go himself.
The servant remained behind to look after the house.
The two friends then left together and went to the place where the supposed victim had been hidden.
Discovering the Truth
When they reached the spot, the friend began digging a hole.
The visitor, however, kept his distance. He was unwilling to approach the place where he claimed to have killed the man.
After making some progress, the friend asked him to come closer and help measure the supposed body so that the hole would be the correct size.
The man refused.
He said that he was too frightened and distressed by what had happened to go near it. He could not bring himself to measure the body.
His friend therefore went alone.
As he approached the place where the grass had been piled, he moved it aside to inspect what lay beneath.
Then he discovered the truth.
There was no dead man.
Under the grass lay the large antelope the hunter had killed earlier that morning.
The friend was surprised. He looked at the animal and called out to his companion, questioning what he had been told.
The man finally explained himself.
He had not killed a person. He had killed an antelope while hunting. The story about killing a man had been a deliberate test.
He wanted to discover how the three people in his life regarded him. His father-in-law had rejected him, and the man who initiated him into the Oracle had also sent him away. But his friend had offered comfort and had even been prepared to help him deal with the supposed consequences.
The friend responded with generosity. He told him to enjoy the antelope or sell it as he wished. He did not demand a share as payment for his assistance or become angry because he had been tested.
The man had found the answer he was seeking.
He now understood the difference between the relationships he had considered equally important. His father-in-law and spiritual initiator had turned away when they believed he was in trouble. His friend, however, had been willing to stand beside him and search for a way forward.
The test had shown him the value of genuine friendship.
The Meaning of the Test
The man had begun the day uncertain about whose field deserved his labour. He had believed that his father-in-law, spiritual initiator and close friend all held important places in his life.
By the end of the day, he had discovered something that no advice from his brothers could have taught him.
The strength of a relationship is not always measured by a person’s position, the benefits they have given or the respect they receive. Sometimes, it becomes visible through the way they respond when another person faces difficulty.
The friend had not known that the story was a test. He had simply believed that someone close to him needed help. His response showed compassion, loyalty and a willingness to share the burden of a frightening situation.
The antelope remained the real prize of the hunting trip, but the man’s greater discovery was the value of the friendship he had tested.
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Moral of the Story
True friendship is revealed through actions, especially during difficult moments. A genuine friend does not immediately abandon someone because trouble arises. The story also reminds us that people who hold respected positions in our lives may respond differently when tested. We should value those who show compassion, loyalty and a willingness to help rather than judging relationships by titles or appearances alone.
Knowledge Check
1. Why was the man confused at the beginning of the story?
He was confused because his father-in-law, spiritual initiator and close friend all asked him to cultivate their fields on the same day.
2. What advice did his brothers initially give him?
They advised him to help the man who had initiated him into the Oracle because of the important role he had played in his life.
3. What animal did the man kill while hunting?
He killed a large antelope.
4. Why did he tell the three men that he had killed a person?
He wanted to discover how each of them would respond if they believed he had committed a serious act and needed help.
5. How did his friend react to the supposed killing?
His friend expressed concern, offered him a drink and agreed to help him deal with the situation.
6. What did the man learn from the test?
He learned that genuine friendship is demonstrated through compassion, loyalty and support during difficult times.
Source
This story is adapted from De l’amitié, a Fon-language narrative published by the Institut Pédagogique d’Étude et de Développement de l’Écrit en Fongbé (IPEDef).
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