This Yoruba story is about a woman who was willing to do anything to have a child of her own.
Oluronbi and her husband Aremu, were very successful people. Aremu grew food on his farm and Oluronbi sold them at the market. They had almost everything they wanted. Everything except, children.
Oluronbi and Aremu really wanted children but nothing they tried worked. This made Oluronbi sad - especially when some women in the village made fun of her and call her barren.
Just outside the village where Oluronbi and Aremu lived was a large Iroko tree. Everyone knew that a Spirit that granted wishes lived in the tree. The villagers would promise to give gifts of goats, sheep or big fat cows to the Iroko Spirit in exchange for their wishes.
One day as Oluronbi walked home from the market she stopped at the Iroko tree. She was very upset that she didn't have children.
"Please give me a child" she cried. "Whether a boy or a girl, I don't mind, I would be happy to give the child back when they're old enough enough to be married".
The Iroko tree granted Oluronbi's wish and she soon fell pregnant. Nine months later, she gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl, who they called Omorewa. Omorewa grew up into a kind and beautiful young woman who loved to sing. In turn, she was loved by both her parents and the whole village.
As Omorewa grew older and closer to a marriageable age, Oluronbi remembered her promise to Olu Iroko all those years ago. Realising that she had made a great mistake, Oluronbi tried to change her promise.
She went back to the Iroko tree and begged the spirit to take a large goat instead of her precious daughter but Olu Iroko refused her gift.
Oluronbi went to the tree again and begged him to take a flock of sheep instead. Again he refused the gift.
Oluronbi went back to Olu Iroko a third time begging him to take a huge cow but the spirit refused and demanded that she keep her original promise.
Seeing that Olu Iroko wouldn't change his mind, Oluronbi decided to hide Omorewa from him. She thought by keeping her away from the Iroko tree, Omorewa would be safe.
One morning while Omorewa was out getting some water from the stream, she met a handsome stranger. Omorewa really liked this stranger so when he asked her to walk with him to the tree outside the village, she agreed forgetting that her mother had warned her not to go near the Iroko tree.
As they got to the edge of the village, the stranger grabbed Omorewa's hand and turned back into the Iroko tree. Before Arewa could scream, she was turned her into a songbird (www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYbJNpC4Jt8).
The villager who saw what happened ran over to Oluronbi's house singing...
“Onikaluku jeje ewure - ewure, ewure
Onikaluku jeje aguntan - agutan bolojo
Oluronbi jeje omo re
Omo re apon bi epo
Oluronbi O! Jon jon
Iroko jon jon."
[Some people promised goats (goats, goats)
Some people promised sheep (big fat sheep)
Oluronbi promised her child
Her beautifully fair child]
Upon hearing their song, Oluronbi wept because she knew her beautiful daughter was gone, taken by Olu Iroko.
Aremu on the other hand was filled with anger. He grabbed his axe and “gbi”, “gba”, “gbo”, he cut down the Iroko tree.
As the tree hit the ground, Olu Iroko's spell broke and the Omorewa was turned back into a woman. Oluronbi and Aremu were over the moon to have their daughter back and they lived happily without fear of the Iroko tree.
