The Omanhene Who Liked Riddles

An Omanhene is the chief of a village. A certain Omanhene had three sons who were very eager to see the world. They went to their father and asked permission to travel, which he readily gave.

It was the eldest son's turn to go first. He was provided with a servant and with everything he could possibly need for the journey. After traveling for some time, he arrived at a town where an Omanhene lived who loved riddles. As a stranger, the traveler was brought before the chief according to custom.

The chief explained that in their village, every stranger must beat the Omanhene at answering riddles or be beheaded. The contest would begin the next morning.

The next day, the young man came to the Assembly Place, where the Omanhene sat with all his attendants. The Omanhene asked many riddles, but the young man could answer none. He was judged to have failed and was beheaded.

After some time, the second son set out on his travels. By a strange chance, he arrived at the same town where his brother had died. He too was asked many riddles and failed to answer them. So he also was put to death.

Eventually, the third brother announced his intention to travel. His mother did everything she could to persuade him to stay home, but in vain. She was sure that if he reached the town where his brothers had died, the same fate awaited him. Rather than allow that, she thought she would prefer him to die on the way.

She prepared a food called cankey, which she filled with poison. After packing it in his bag, he set off. Soon he felt hungry. Knowing that his mother had not wanted him to leave and might have poisoned the food, he decided to test it before eating. Seeing a vulture nearby, he threw it half the cake. The bird ate the cankey and immediately fell dead by the roadside.

Three panthers came along and began to eat the vulture. They also fell dead. The young man cut off some of the panthers' flesh, roasted it, and packed it carefully in his bundle.

A little farther on, he was attacked by seven highway robbers. They wanted to kill him at once. He told them he had some good roast meat in his bundle and invited them to eat with him first. They agreed and divided the food into eight portions. While they ate, the young man hid his portion. Soon all seven robbers fell ill and died. The young man continued on his way.

At last, he reached the town where his brothers had died. Like them, he was summoned to the Assembly Place to answer the Omanhene's riddles. For two days, the contest was equal. At the end of that time, the young man said, "I have only one riddle left. If you can answer it, you may put me to death." He gave this riddle:

"Half kills one— One kills three— Three kills seven."

The ruler could not answer it that evening, so it was postponed until the next day.

During the night, the Omanhene disguised himself and went to the house where the stranger was staying. There he found the young man asleep in the hall. Thinking the man before him was the stranger's servant, and never dreaming it was the stranger himself, he woke the sleeper and promised a large reward if he would give him the solution to the riddle.

The young man replied that he would tell the answer if the Omanhene would bring him the costume he always wore at the Assembly. The ruler was only too pleased to fetch it. When the young man had the garments safely, he explained the riddle fully to the crafty Omanhene. He said that as they were leaving home, his master's mother made him cankey. To test if it was good, they gave half to a vulture, which died. Three panthers that tasted the vulture also died. A little of the panthers' roasted flesh killed seven robbers.

The Omanhene was delighted to have learned the answer. He warned the supposed servant not to tell his master what had happened.

In the morning, all the villagers assembled again. The Omanhene proudly gave the answer to the riddle as if he himself had discovered it. But the young man asked him to produce his ceremonial dress, which he ought to be wearing in Assembly. Of course, he could not, for the young man had hidden it carefully away.

The stranger then told what had happened in the night and how the ruler had gotten the answer by cheating.

The Assembly declared that the Omanhene had failed to solve the riddle and must die. So he was beheaded, and the young man was appointed Omanhene in his place.