Many years ago, in the deep forests of Calabar, there lived a hunter named Effiong. He was known throughout the land for killing many animals and earning plenty of money. He lived well, spending freely on food, drink, and good company. His closest friend was a man named Okun, who lived nearby.
But Effiong spent so much that eventually he became very poor. With nothing left, he returned to the forest to hunt, yet his good fortune had deserted him. He hunted day and night but killed nothing.
One day, hungry and desperate, he went to Okun and borrowed two hundred rods. Effiong told him to come to his house on a certain day to collect the money and instructed him to bring his gun, loaded.
Now, Effiong had made friends during his travels. In the forest he had befriended a leopard and a bush cat, and at a farm where he once rested, he had befriended a goat and a cock. Since he could not repay Okun, he devised a plan.
He went first to the leopard and asked for two hundred rods, promising to repay him on the same day he owed Okun. He told the leopard that if he was not home when the leopard arrived, he could kill and eat anything he found there. The leopard agreed.
Effiong then went to the goat and borrowed two hundred rods. The goat agreed under the same conditions. He repeated this with the bush cat and the cock. Each one lent him two hundred rods, and each one was told that if Effiong was absent they could eat anything they found.
When the appointed day arrived, Effiong spread corn around his deserted house and hid nearby.
Very early in the morning, the cock, remembering the agreement, walked to Effiong’s home. Finding no one there, he began to eat the corn.
Soon the bush cat arrived. Seeing no one, he looked around and spotted the cock eating. The bush cat crept forward and leapt on the cock, killing him instantly. He began to eat.
Next came the goat. Angry at not finding Effiong, he wandered about until he saw the bush cat eating the cock. Without warning, the goat charged at the bush cat and knocked him over. The bush cat, too small to fight, grabbed what remained of the cock and fled into the bush. As he ran away, he lost his claim to the money.
The goat remained in the compound, bleating loudly. His cries reached the ears of the leopard, who was also coming to collect his debt. The smell of goat meat reached the leopard, and being hungry, he crept forward silently. The goat, thinking he was safe in his friend Effiong’s compound, grazed peacefully.
Without warning, the leopard sprang and killed the goat with one bite. He began his meal.
By this time, the sun had risen, and Okun had finished his breakfast. Taking his gun, he walked to Effiong’s house to collect the money. When he reached the fence, he heard crunching sounds. Being a hunter himself, he approached carefully and saw the leopard eating the goat.
Okun took aim and shot the leopard dead.
With the leopard dead, all four of Effiong’s creditors were gone. The bush cat had killed the cock, the goat had driven away the bush cat, the leopard had killed the goat, and now Okun had killed the leopard. Effiong had saved eight hundred rods.
But he wanted even more.
As soon as he heard the gunshot, he rushed out from his hiding place and began shouting at Okun for killing his old friend the leopard. Effiong told him he would report the matter to the king. Okun became frightened and begged Effiong not to say anything. Effiong refused.
At last, in order to save himself, Okun said, If you promise to keep silent, I will give you the two hundred rods you owe me. This was exactly what Effiong wanted. After pretending to hesitate, he agreed and sent Okun away.
As soon as his friend was gone, Effiong dragged the leopard’s body into the house. He skinned it carefully and dried the skin in the sun with wood ash. He ate the meat. When the skin was ready, he took it to a distant market and sold it for a large amount of money.
And from that day, whenever a bush cat sees a cock, he kills it. He does this as payment for the two hundred rods the hunter never returned.