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Young journalist Tanímò̩la investigates the story of ''they mystery man in the woods'' at Abà Kòsas̩ègbé, rumored to be the notorious moneylender Laiyemo̩ of Agbajó̩ town. Tanímò̩la''s family is intimately tied to the story, as his grandfather, Náyà, was neighbor, childhood friend and rival of Laiyemo̩, and Laiyemo̩''s father, notorious pirate È̩rùjè̩jè̩, had swindled Náyà''s father of his home and land. Tanímò̩la''s investigation takes him to a rundown hut, where an invalid Laiyemo̩ lies, his past sins destroying him from the inside out. Laiyemo̩ tells Tanímò̩la that, though he was jealous of Náyà when they were younger, he remembers him as kind and wishes he had followed his advice to avoid pride. Laiyemo̩ reveals his vision of the three bundles - destiny, fate and karma - and tells Tanímò̩la to learn the rest of his story from his benefactor, T''e̩nibè̩gí. T''e̩nibè̩gí''s tale begins with young Laiyemo̩ as the prideful leader of his e̩gbé̩ (age group). He was the son of the richest man in town. Laiyémò̩''s father, È̩rùjè̩jè̩, gained his wealth from piracy and then took over the town as a moneylender. Greatly feared and hated by all, he was ostracized. He isolated himself on an island farm far from others. He was found dead after a mysterious visitation by seven bats and seven owls. Days after his funeral, his henchman and a crone were seen conducting a ritual over his grave. When Laiyémò̩ took over the moneylending business, he destroyed the town of Agbajó̩. Almost all in town were indebted to him; many sold themselves into slavery to him to save their families. The town faced famine and great poverty. During the town''s Centenary Anniversary celebrations, Laiyémò̩''s e̩gbé̩ led a ''show of shame'', where they fed currency into the cooking fire for the feast. The e̩gbé̩ danced and sang, ''We are fully satisfied. Who cares that some are hungry.''

''Out of the Black Pot'' is a redemption story that follows a devotee of Ès̩ù (the devil) who murders his son and later seeks the forgiveness of his grandson and finally finds peace in Christianity. In ''The Christmas Present'', when young Zac writes a letter to God, he learns that the Almighty will always provide. In ''The Revelation'', a young commissionaire uses the power of prayer to combat the curses of evil. ''Miracle of the Blind Beggar'' tells the story of Toríiálà, an old blind beggar, who regains his sight in a miracle brought on through the chicanery of his son and a tough piece of frog meat. In ''Ké̩mí''s Harvest'', two boys from different backgrounds learn the meaning of the Yorùbá saying, ''As̩esile̩ làbò̩wábá - What one sets aside (or leaves behind) is what one returns to find.'' ''The Good Turn'' tells the story of a young boy who helps a travelling trader who is robbed by a gang and the kindness that is repaid years later. ''The Soulmates'' is the tale of how orphan S̩eun finds success and true love through his commitment to duty, kindness and hard work. In ''The Awry Murder'', a murder plot backfires when a jealous woman, long in love with the O̩ba, attempts to poison him and his new bride but instead poisons herself. ''The "Mystery Man" in the Cemetery'' questions the role of wealth and opulence in the afterlife and tells the story of a curse placed upon the descendants of a pirate who was killed many years before. In ''Glimpses into the Great Beyond'', a committee chosen to translate Yorùbá proverbs contemplates the phrase àdàbi jà ó ju èpè lo̩ (repaying good with evil is worse than a curse) and discusses the existence of God and the afterlife. ''The Presence'' is the author''s own journey alongside a silent presence that reveals to him the beauty of nature and the ways in which God speaks through it.

"The Quest for the Rare Leaf" teaches that breaking tradition can have grave consequences when the Olúwo (town council leader) forces his daughter to marry someone she does not love. "The Legend of the Queen's Basket" tells the story of how the be̩ é̩ rè̩ (first daughter) of the O̩ba (King) becomes the custodian of the Queen's Basket, which offers him untold powers and contains the ìbálé (sheets bearing the proof of virginity) of the village women. "The Legend of O̩rúnmìlà" is the tale Àjànà who dedicates his life to learning and teaching the Word of God and is believed to have become a god himself - O̩ruńmìlà (god of wisdom and divination). "The Ebìrìpò Episode" tells the story of how, when the town's warriors are lured away to help their seeming allies, the women of Ogèrè devise a plot to entice the invaders with èbìrìpò and defeat them all.

SELECTED TALES: GLIMPSES INTO YORÙBÁ CULTURE VOLUME II''The Genesis of O̩lópè̩é̩rè̩'' tells the history of how the four lands and sixteen villages are combined under the rule of one o̩ba (king) and how Núgà, as the only surviving son of the late baálè̩ (chief) of Agbèlé and apparent o̩ba, chooses instead to lead the new band of warriors charged with protecting the new land. In the ''The Skirmish at Rògòdò'', an o̩ba''s obsession with a betrothed woman leads him to break tradition and sully his reign forever.''My Friend and Comrade'' is a story of revenge against a Balógun (commander) that shows that faith and friendship is stronger than malice. In the ''The Trump Card'', two childhood friends with very different ambitions fall in love with the same woman. In the end, true love, honesty and purity win over avarice, lust and vanity. ''What''s in a Name?'' explains the importance of names not only on the child itself but in culture and family.''A Mother''s Dilemma'' tells the story of triplets separated at birth who are caught in a foster father''s plot to wed one of the sisters. In ''The Power of Love'', the beautiful Salima succumbs to loneliness and gluttony. Only love can save her from her ever-expanding waistline. In ''Kúsa: A Tale of the Three Ks'', a retired customs officer moves in next door to the smuggler he has always failed to fully uncover.''Always Remember, Together We Stand'' tells the story of an ailing father and much younger wife and their unconventional request for the son to give the wife something the husband can no longer provide. In ''The Riddle of the Inheritance'', when a son continually runs from his home and father, it''s not until after his father''s death that he realises his destiny is there all along. The ''Sequel to Usì'' tells of the Yorùbá gods'' second coming to earth to introduce the leaders of the sixteen communities to the ways of Èdùmàrè (Creator of the Heavens and Earth).''Much More Than Footprints'' begins as the story of a lonely funeral but in the end proves that we all can have a mark on someone''s life. In ''Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining'', a childhood fight leads to a lifelong friendship that teaches that everyone should be valued despite their station in life. ''Farouk'' is the story of a blind beggar who is neither blind nor a true beggar.''But for the Office Pushpins'' shows that ingenuity and perseverance are the keys to success. ''His Own Greatest Enemy'' not only recounts the devastation of traditional culture and tribal language by foreign oppressors but also highlights the importance of instilling honourable leadership within the new regime.

Distinguished Nigerian businessman Kö¿le¿ has a past full of mysterious heartache and betrayal. Born out of wedlock, young Comfort is a child of low circumstance and few prospects. But their love story is one that hearkens to a more innocent age. Kö¿le¿ at first resists the much younger Comfort's charms, but when it soon becomes clear they are soulmates, he sets out to mould her into his own made-to-measure bride and the most accomplished of young women.Steeped deeply in the Yoru¿bä storytelling tradition, the main narrative, told by Kö¿le¿ himself, is interwoven with the stories of others and African parables to create parallel themes and lessons as the characters move through their own lives and challenges.Kö¿le¿ lifts Comfort from her own circumstances by providing her with an education otherwise unavailable to her. Her own mother, Ale¿rö, whose youthful indiscretion led to Comfort's conception and being forced into a polygamist marriage, is aided by Kö¿le¿ when her husband dies. Upon Comfort's graduation from A Levels, Kö¿le¿ unites Comfort with the father she has never met, and Ale¿rö is able to finally forgive herself and Aki¿n, the man who stole her innocence so many years ago. Ale¿rö and Aki¿n marry, and Ale¿rö is able to cast aside the slavery chains of the title paramour.Kö¿le¿ finally reveals his past to Comfort. When younger, he was engaged to a girl named Tö¿läni¿. The night before their wedding, he discovered she had been having an affair with another man, Bashy. Distraught, he retreated into the woods to stay with the Sage, a wise old mystic. Comfort earns her degrees in Bristol, England, and Kö¿le¿ and Comfort marry, but during her studies, Comfort becomes passionate about the history of the slave trade. One day, she learns the story of a wealthy Bristolian white woman, Dolores, who was the daughter of a slave trader. A devout and religious woman, she was disgusted by the family trade and begged her father to stop. She finally convinced him - only after one more sale. He and her brother met a storm on their return from the Caribbean. The twelve slaves survived; her father and brother did not. Dolores liberated the slaves and found a young black tutor, Boripe¿¿, originally from Nigeria, to teach them English. The former slaves learned trades and gained employment, and Dolores and Boripe¿¿ fell in love. As no church in Bristol would marry them, they travelled to the Caribbean, where the eventually wed in a church in Antigua.Throughout her years teaching high school, Comfort is haunted by Dolores's story and the horrors of slavery. She sees parallels between the slave trade of old and the political and economic slavery of today. She realises that the only way for the people to take back their lives and the economy is to turn their focus from the white-collar sector that has seduced them with empty promises of prosperity to learning trades that can provide them with self-sufficiency and self-employment. She decides she must finally act, and she and Kö¿le¿, with the help of the Sage, set up a trade school.At the trade school, Tö¿läni¿ and Bashy both make an appearance, as they are unknowingly employed there. Comfort and Kö¿le¿, with the Sage's help, work to heal the wounds of the past, and eventually all is forgiven. Bashy realises that Tö¿läni¿ was his soulmate and not a mere conquest, and the two marry.Distinguished Nigerian businessman

Distinguished Nigerian businessman Kó̩lé has a past full of mysterious heartache and betrayal. Born out of wedlock, young Comfort is a child of low circumstance and few prospects. But their love story is one that hearkens to a more innocent age. Kó̩lé at first resists the much younger Comfort's charms, but when it soon becomes clear they are soulmates, he sets out to mould her into his own made-to-measure bride and the most accomplished of young women.Steeped deeply in the Yorùbá storytelling tradition, the main narrative, told by Kó̩lé himself, is interwoven with the stories of others and African parables to create parallel themes and lessons as the characters move through their own lives and challenges.Kó̩lé lifts Comfort from her own circumstances by providing her with an education otherwise unavailable to her. Her own mother, Ale̩ro̩, whose youthful indiscretion led to Comfort's conception and being forced into a polygamist marriage, is aided by Kó̩lé when her husband dies. Upon Comfort's graduation from A Levels, Kó̩lé unites Comfort with the father she has never met, and Ale̩ro̩ is able to finally forgive herself and Akín, the man who stole her innocence so many years ago. Ale̩ro̩ and Akín marry, and Ale̩ro̩ is able to cast aside the slavery chains of the title paramour.Kó̩lé finally reveals his past to Comfort. When younger, he was engaged to a girl named Tó̩lání. The night before their wedding, he discovered she had been having an affair with another man, Bashy. Distraught, he retreated into the woods to stay with the Sage, a wise old mystic. Comfort earns her degrees in Bristol, England, and Kó̩lé and Comfort marry, but during her studies, Comfort becomes passionate about the history of the slave trade. One day, she learns the story of a wealthy Bristolian white woman, Dolores, who was the daughter of a slave trader. A devout and religious woman, she was disgusted by the family trade and begged her father to stop. She finally convinced him - only after one more sale. He and her brother met a storm on their return from the Caribbean. The twelve slaves survived; her father and brother did not. Dolores liberated the slaves and found a young black tutor, Boripé̩, originally from Nigeria, to teach them English. The former slaves learned trades and gained employment, and Dolores and Boripé̩ fell in love. As no church in Bristol would marry them, they travelled to the Caribbean, where the eventually wed in a church in Antigua.Throughout her years teaching high school, Comfort is haunted by Dolores's story and the horrors of slavery. She sees parallels between the slave trade of old and the political and economic slavery of today. She realises that the only way for the people to take back their lives and the economy is to turn their focus from the white-collar sector that has seduced them with empty promises of prosperity to learning trades that can provide them with self-sufficiency and self-employment. She decides she must finally act, and she and Kó̩lé, with the help of the Sage, set up a trade school.At the trade school, Tó̩lání and Bashy both make an appearance, as they are unknowingly employed there. Comfort and Kó̩lé, with the Sage's help, work to heal the wounds of the past, and eventually all is forgiven. Bashy realises that Tó̩lání was his soulmate and not a mere conquest, and the two marry.