AGYA KOO AND THE POT OF GOLD
Once there lived a farmer by name Agya Koo. He lived in a farming village called Adadiatem with his wife and son. His wife’s name was Akua Nyamekye and their only son was called Nkakyere Obi. They were poor and lived a simple life.
Nkakyere Obi had a dog called Skippy. One morning, Skippy followed Agya Koo and Nkakyere Obi to the farm. They left Akua Nyamekye alone in the house.
On the farm, while they were busy working, Skippy was also running from one place to the other, barking and sniffing the ground.
Suddenly, and under a palm tree (on the farm) Skippy started hopping from one place to the other. Skippy was also scratching the ground with its paws and sometimes lying down.
“Be quiet, you naughty dog,” said Nkakyere Obi. But the more he shouted, the more Skippy kept barking and running around.
Nkakyere Obi then decided to find out what the matter was with Skippy. He went to the palm tree. There, he found a pot covered beneath the palm tree. He tipped the lid with a stick. To his surprise, he found it to be full of gold.
Amazed, he called out to his father, “papa, papa come, come and see what Skippy has found.”
The father hurriedly rushed to the spot. He was surprised to find the pot of gold there. He therefore stood out of breath with his heart pounding. “We are rich forever”, Nkakyere Obi said. “Let us take it home”, hugging his father.
“No! Leave it. It is not for us,” replied his father. “If it was for us, it would have been sent home and not here”. Nkakyere Obi could not hide his surprise. He asked, “Papa, so we are going to leave this here in spite of our poverty?” “Yes my dear son,” patting his shoulder. “If it is for us, we will surely get it. The father was nervous. “Do not worry, let us go home.” They set for home with Nkakyere Obi very much disturbed.
Back home, Agya Koo uncomfortably sat in his lazy chair looking into the sky whilst his son felt very uneasy. The mother, Akua Nyamekye, was very upset about their early coming home. “What is it that has brought you home so soon?” the mother inquired. “Nothing, it is just that I am not of myself today and cannot work,” Agya Koo replied. Obi who was not happy with his father’s reply, sneaked to the kitchen and told his mother all that had gone on on the farm.
Akua Nyamekye could not believe her ears. “And so you mean you have left that full gold on the farm? You can’t be serious,” stated the mother. Akua Nyamekye sat quietly, thinking of what to do. Suddenly, she got up. “I know what to do. We will surely have it,” she said.
She went to a good friend of Agya Koo, Opanin Mobrowa’s house, and narrated to him all that her son had told her. Akua suggested to Mobrowa to go and bring the pot so that they could share whatever is in it. Mobrowa readily agreed and set off, taking another footpath, so that he would not be seen by Agya Koo, should he go by the actual path.
Mobrowa got to the farm and found another palm tree. Under it too was a pot much bigger than what Akua Nyamekye had described to him. He decided to hide some of the gold before sending the rest home for them to share. He dip his hand into it but realised the pot was rather fully of bees.
He had a severe beating with stings all over his body. He also vowed to teach the old couple a lesson for having tricked him.
On his way home, Mobrowa decided to go by the actual path. Not long did he walk, and on the same farm, than he saw the real palm tree. He walked towards it. Under the palm tree too was a pot. He felt it was also full of bees. Remembering his decision to teach the old couple a lesson, he did not tamper with it.
He waited till darkness fell. He carefully took the pot making sure he did not disturb whatever was in it. He went behind the window of Agya Koo’s family which was always opened to let in fresh air. Mobrowa threw the pot into the room and waited to listen to how they were going to scream.
The sound of the fall of the pot frightened Agya Koo out of bed. He saw some glittering things on the floor. He took the lantern to see what they were. He saw the whole floor glittering with pieces of Gold. His eyes filled with wonder and joy. He woke them up. “Get up, get up. Look! You see what I told you, Nkakyere Obi, that if it belongs to us, we will surely have it. You see it has come to us.”
All this while, Opanin Mobrowa stood at the back of the window biting his finger tips in surprise.
Ever since, Agya Koo and his family remained rich.
Cast and literal meaning of their names:
*Agya Koo *Akua Nyamekye *Nkakyere Obi *Opanin Mobrowa *Skippy
Agya means father, Koo is usually a nickname given to people with particular traits, either good or bad e.g., rich and miser, a drunk or very poor person.(when we refer to one as Koo in Ghana it is more like saying ‘that’s the chap’) Pronounced Koo as in COAL with a question mark and making the l silent, hence coa(l)?
Akua Nyamekye: Akua is a name given to a female who is born on a Wednesday, Nyamekye literally means God’s gift.
Nkakyere Obi means ‘tell nobody’ (secret)
Opanin Mobrowa: Opanin means an elder or very responsible person in society by virtue of position (in this instance it is an elder) and Mobrowa means ‘sorrowful’
Skippy is just a name of a dog (generic)
STORY EXACTLY AS WRITTEN BY AARON OFORI-ATTA, PRESENTED BY KABUKI OCANSEY(KIKI), FROM GHANA, WEST AFRICA.