UCHENDU´S STORY: MOTHER KITE

Uchendu´s story: Mother Kite
Uchendu, as we now, is a man with knowledge and someone who knows about life, someone that has lived long and has experienced many things. The town of Abame has disappeared, and he just said: "Never kill a man who says nothing". For that he told a story:

"The Mother Kite sent her daughter for something to eat. She came back with a duckling and her mother asked her if the mother of that animal had said something, the answer of the little kite was that the mother of the duckling said nothing. So Mother Kite sent her back to give the duckling and to get something else to eat, she brought a chick and the mother asked her if the mother of that animal had said something, the kite answer that she yelled and cursed her. So now the Mother Kite said it was good and they could eat."

Uchendu wanted to teach something. First of all, he makes comparisons between the real life with the Abame people and the white men, and the animals in his story. When the duckling is taken, the mother says nothing so they give the duckling back; when the white men arrived and said nothing, the Abame people should make nothing and stay back, thing that they didn´t do. When the chick is taken, the mother complains and so the Kite realized that it is good if they take it; if the white men would have said something, then the Abame people should kill the white man. What Uchendu wants to say is that if somebody says nothing, then do nothing; and if they make something, then do something. By that, you should never judge a book by its cover, maybe it was a good white man or maybe not. First, you have to see what he wants, and then act with his actions.

Achebe, C. (1959), Things fall apart, Anchor Books, New York.

SHAMIR TROCONIS