Series:
Once Upon A Bush Rat….
By Oyedotun Oyejide
Long time ago, there was a bush rat that lived inside a big hole not too far from the bush very closed to the student hostel of a popular college.
Obviously, the bush rat was a female. A wonderful mother of four healthy offspring. All the little ones resembled her very well both in body shape and color of the skin.
The agile mother bush-rat have stayed, lived and enjoyed her life from the remnants and food wastes provided by both the students at the hostel and other neighbors living around the school premises.
The mother bush-rat was agile, strong, brave and hard working. She was clever and endowed with the ability to fish out food where ever it may be placed. Every food items suits the month of a bush rat!
Also, the mother bush-rat have lived and survived all the serious and deadly attacks from men for the past five year of her existence inside the bush and forest of life.
However, the mother bush-rat stays mostly in a gritty deep hole underneath an Iroko tree that was few meters away from the football pitch where the student of the hostel do come out to play football in the evenings or during the week-end.
Protection is paramount in the life of an animal. Therefore, the mother bush-rat does ensure her shield all the time. She served as the vigilant protector of her children as well.
The mother bush rat thought herself and the little ones were safe and secured by living inside the bush not far from the student’s hostel at that time. As a nice mother, she constantly thinks about her children safely and well-being.
Living inside the bush or forest for the bush rats demand some carefulness and perfect guard against serious and deadly attacks from human beings that stayed around.
Meanwhile, the hole where mother bush rat lived was very deep and decent with a long channel like a tunnel. The hole had two major entrances with a wider base at the center.
Also, inside the tunnel were different apartments perfectly crafted to accommodate the mother bush rat family with ease? There were visitors space inside should in case of guests or visitors from other bush rats in the forest.
The hole was hidden. Hardly could anybody suspect the activities going on inside. The two entrances leading to the hole appeared busy and unkempt.
The conservative mother bush rat and her family wanted a fugitive from human being. She had compassion for her offspring’s and hate human beings for their troubles and attacks who are usually after smiting and killing of bush-rats for food. The meat of a well-fed bush have a good taste and highly delicious to the body.
Whenever a bush rat is sighted, men would run after it simply to have it killed and eaten. Sometimes the bush could be set-on fire just to have a bush rat killed. As a result, most bush rats do not stay too long inside the bush before being killed.
Sometimes, the sheer group of boys do go for hunting expedition so as to get bush-rats to kill and eat. The meat of a well fed bush rat cannot be resisted when eating pounded yam with Egusi soup!
The preparation of sweet soup with bush-meat is delicious with aroma and flavor that are too nourishing to ignore for launch or curtail party.
Due to the existence of bush-rats inside the forest, the mother bush rat yearns well and confined her moments around the school where her spot was sited.
Caution is a product of long living! Her movement was restricted. The only time or period when she enjoyed her life freely was during the holidays when students would have left the school premises for home.
Aside from that period, the mother bush rat usually calculate and resist her schedules as a wise and clever animal with sense.
The mother bush rat goes out only in the evening or mid-night when the students inside the hostel would have gone to sleep.
Whenever she was out, her point of visit usually was the dining hall, hostel, kitchen and few dust-bins to search for food, ruminants and other items that can be useful to her and the children.
The mother bush rat lost her husband few months after she gave birth to the little rats. It was sad and unfortunate. It was heart breaking!
She began mourning and brooding over the loss, after realizing that she would never see him again.
The father bush rat met his untimely death on the unscrupulous day that he went out to fetch food for mother bush rat and her children with the hope of return in few minutes.
Unfortunately, he ran into a metal trap unknowingly by the entrance of the hostel kitchen behind the door as a prey and got hooked.
The sudden death of father bush rat came due to the intense bleeding by the sharp metal trap that led to severe traumatic injuries.
The father bush rat died inside a pool of blood at the corner of the kitchen. He left behind the mother bush rat and her four children without enough room to wave goodbye or have any fun-fair.
If a driver known the day of motor accident, he would refused to drive on such a marked day. The father bush rat never thought or sensed any threat until the unfortunate incident.
The bird had flew away to the invisible world, only the feathers could be seen. What a great pity, sorrow and bitterness!
Tears rolled out of the eyes of mother bush rat for several days due to the untimely lost. She later consoled herself and summon courage to live on.
The father bush rat was very supportive during his days. The bereavement of father bush rat was painful and unbearable. But the ruin was done already.
Since the demise of father bush rat, the agile mother bush rat became more vigilant and security conscious. She tremendously did all things possible to escape the traps of men.
When a bush rat is due for the soup pot of men, it will run into the awaiting hands of men unknowingly and got killed for roasted dinner.
The bush rats are created to be swallow as solid food. The rats are the best diet for the cats as food. Nothing would prevent hawks from eating chicks during the day!
On a more serious note, human beings never spare the rod to strike and kill the bush rat anytime. Yes, ‘’ the bush rats are nice meat to be eaten’’ –that’s the general chorus of the people all the time.
Whereas, the bush rats too are created to steal and eat out of man’s labor.
The mother bush rat could recollect the day she escaped an attack from two students in the hostel! She can never forget the strange experience in her life time!
Unknowingly, those two students stayed awake at the mid-night. They were busy with the phone browsing when they sighted the strange movement of the mother bush rat desperately in search for food.
Instantly, on sighting the mother bush rat, one of them voice out saying:
‘’ Hey, there comes a big meat for a free launch’’
The two desperate students ran after her with club and a slat and threw with furiously at the mother bush rat to get rid of it but narrowly escape the target.
The mother bush rat was filled with panic like a woman in travail. She was terribly frightened and humiliated.
She ran like a mad dog into the hole in haste like an asthma patient with noisy and heavy breathing. She was badly shaken by the merciless attack.
In fact, the mother bush rat thought within herself that the end had come on that bleak day. The merciless boys almost got her killed but was lucky to have escape death that locked and strike.
The mother bush rat could not even imagine how she managed to escape the serious death attach. May be her time was not up!
Since that ugly experience, the mother bush rat hardly goes out until dead mid-night. Instead, she sleeps inside the hole with her children during the day except when it was holiday time when the school compound and the hostel premises would be danger free.
‘’ The tortoise that goes gently do meet her untimely death in life; talk less of the careless toad that flings itself against the earth all the time ‘’ says a Yoruba proverb.
Death is the shepherd of all mankind. Every living is prompt to the attack of the enemy at any time. Death do come without knocking the door or give a notice or signal. You can sight a man now, and in few minutes later found him drop death.
The gap or step between life and death is so thin. Every living soul or live animal must be extremely careful and cautioned.
We all loved to go to heaven, none or only few prayed to die. What an irony of life. It is rampantly visible in our current world. Both human beings and animals have life span naturally. Only few of the animals inside the forest lived up the appointed time due to the deadly attacks from men of the world.
Whenever an animal stays out of the hole, such would not definitely be sure of return to the same hole at the end of the day. This may be due to the fact that animals are created for human consumption. Indeed, animals inside the bush or the forest are prey to dangers from the hands of men. The busy rats are also victims all the time.
The existence in life demands a lot of efforts, mercy and protection. A wise individual would run away or keep distance from the dangers of life so as to live longer and safe.
All the bush rats hate completely having anything to do with dogs. Dogs have the hunting skills in the killings of bush rats. The chance of escape from the attack of a dog is slim and rare. The dogs too are desperate killers of the bush rats in those days! The bush rats do refrained from meeting the dogs anywhere due to the risks of being pounced on.
As nice as the mother bush rat was, with passionate love for her offspring’s. She often expressed apprehension and do relate deferent experiences inside the bush or forest to her egocentric younger bush rats who do not understand life much as a fresher to learn lessons and borrow a leave from.
Doing that was usually a period of demonstrations, illustrations and references that were accurate.
Experience they say is the best teacher.
It is the best ever to learn lessons from the experience of others than to be a victim or the experience itself in most cases in life.
Otherwise, one could be made to bite fingers or gnash the teeth. It is hash and hard with a terrible experience to be a victim in life and not a victor!
The beloved mother bush rat was like a good and well trained teacher delivered her sermon or episodes to her children with extremely fantastic presentations and tunes all the time and for a while.
When the younger generations have privilege of learning such teaches; they should see themselves to be extremely lucky and quiet fortunate. Also, it would be wiser to abide with such instructions promptly.
‘’ When a good mother speaks, she is worth listening to; but the words of fools are a dime a dozen. Disobedience brings constant troubles all the time! ‘’
The mother bush rat tried by all means to enshrine in the heart of her children the commonsense for safety:
‘’ Do not go out in search of anything during the day light as a bush rat. It will be dangerous and highly risky’’
The mother bush rat could solemnly implored her beloved children under her care and tutelage.
‘’ Despise my words and find yourself in troubles. Obey it and succeed ‘’
– the mother bush rat declared and perfectly suit!
Nature is balance. Everything made to time for the time slated as well. There is time for everything under the earth. A time to sleep. A time to work. A time to dance and a time to stand without dancing. Everything works with time and for the time as well. But time and tides waits for nobody!
Therefore, if you do not work against time, your troubles would be minimal in life.
The mother bush rat made her children realized that:
‘’during the day light, both the students living in the hostel and the adults would be awaked and vigilant. If they should sight any animal within their premises most especially the bush rat. They are ever ready to get rid of such by all means possible.’’
-was her prompt reply to one of the stubborn little bush rat that questioned their mother for not permitting them to go out and witness the day light outside the hole. They grumbled!
‘’ The day is for men while the nights are for animals!’’- The mother bush rat would always instruct her children all the time.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
She kept without ceasing advocating to her younger ones to be mindful of the dangers attached to staying near a student hostel. If you must stay longer inside the bush as a rat; you must learn vividly well how to escape the traps of men.
‘’ When men are working and fending their daily bread during the day; animals would take the time to sleep inside the holes. And during the night when men would be at rest, animal would steal and eat out of their foods and the breads. Everything made to be that way. Anything contrary can bring disaster if care is not taken !’’
-Explained the mother bush rat to her children in one evening before she left the hole.
The mother bush rat did all to groom her children like a guru. All were done to share for her children to learn by watching, listening and doing.
She infused in her children:
‘’ The fear of hostel students is the beginning of wisdom and safety!’’
The mother bush rat have much to offer her children in terms of prevention, comfort, compassion and good care. She was used to heighten awareness and reflection of dangers outside the hole of protection where they reside.
Virtually, all the four little bush rats were so lucky to have a mother with vast experience and exposure of the animal life inside the bush or forest.
The able mother bush rat wished and hope that her children would exceedingly listen attentively to all her teachings about safety living inside the bush as an animal. If a book were to be written, it would have been titled:
‘’How to live inside the Bush without Dangers as a Bush Rat: 101 Lessons from the Mother Bush Rat’’
Like the statement of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ inside the Holy Bible: ‘’ what so ever he asked you to do, do it.’’
Likewise, it was hoped that all the four little bush rats would listen attentively and abide by to all the timely instructions given them from the immaculate and highly exposed mother bush rat.
‘’ Obedience is more than the sacrifice of ram fat.’’ –says a common adage.
‘’The laws are meant to be obeyed all the time; if not the wrath of law would display itself furiously without any caution!’’
Yes, whenever a child obeys the instructions of her parents, such a child stands to gain a lot in life.
Unfortunately, to the little bush rats, all the sayings and warnings of their mother was a mere saying. They never hearken or took her serious nor appreciate the great privilege.
Her words are a flashlight to the path ahead of the little ones inside the bush. Really, do not roll boulder down on someone, it will roll back and crash you!
The little bush rats were so lucky to have a mother inside the bush that too care of them passionately. They were made to enjoy seriously wonderful and amazing things.
As simple as the road signs are, when obeyed by drivers on the road accidents and mishaps could be prevented in most cases.
Likewise, to live longer, one should learn by all means possible to be an obedient servant to instructions and warning signals.
Those who violate the principles of life and nature do not live to enjoy life as expected. To live well and better, every individual including the animals should learn to obey blindly the guiding principles of nature all the time. There are no better life outside obeying the laws and principles of nature. Those who are patiently obeying the rules are no fools; but wiser sooner or later!
The lessons of life are never limited to the four walls of the classroom alone. We can learn good lessons from almost everything everywhere if we care enough to have our eyes widely opened to grab the impetus being displayed.
Really, life is an experience, with the experience! We are all stories that can be told elsewhere. We are both surrounded with varieties of lessons to learn from in either a simple or hard ways. It all depends on our approach and the readiness all the time.
There are two major routes to learning the lessons of life. Either in a ‘’simple way or hard way!’’ However, one way is better than the other and most preferable.
The mother bush rat was agile and energetic. She was the only one solely responsible for the wellbeing of the little bush rats since the demise of her partner. She flourished inside the bush like weeds without any destruction ahead.
Since the sensible and highly sensitive mother bush rat would not stay with her four children forever, she continuously gave them the right and needed care with good instructions to living a better and safe lives inside the bush or forest.
The mother bush louse demonstrated and display her passion, affection and deeper concern for the total wellbeing of her gallant broods as a single mother inside the forest.
For a moment, all the little bush rats never suffered anything that could make the wilderness life difficult or unbearable by scolding and sparking them to learn!
They were over pampered and free from hassles and any hectic involvement. She set and staged for them a smooth mood for a better life.
Indeed, when a lad is lucky to have a good mother care, living becomes a bed of roses.
As a super mother, come rain or sun shine, the young bush rats never felt the difference at all. Everything needed for an ideal comfortable life were made available from time to time without any failure or delay. She made the busy life to be pleasant any full of merry for her progenies.
Amazingly, these little bush rats were so lucky to have a mother like the mother bush rat. Whenever she goes out and returned inside the hole, ’all full of smiles and joy’’ because of the delicious fat food stuff she usually bring to them from the school hostel.
The bush rats are used to scooping food and drinks from the school hostel without any warning signals.
Delightedly, all the little bush rats appeared robust with swelling belly, well opulence all the time. The reflections of good living among their peers inside the forest.
The four little bush rats stayed comfortably inside the roomy hole with the mother bush rat.
To be candid, it was not as if the little rats were not allowed to come out of the hole to enjoy fresh air. No, far from that!
Whenever the need to be out of the hole arose, the young bush rats does such with their mother alone. They were not ripe enough and yet to have the freedom.
‘’There is time for everything; when you’re old enough you’ll be doing things yourself without any interruption.’’- The mother bush rat would always conveyed.
Each time they were out together, every trip was successful and hitch free.
What is worth doing at all is worth doing well! The mother bush rat endeavor to make the best of her motherhood inside the busy. No other rat around does it better!
Sad and pathetic, the instructions given by the mother bush rat like an edict was not palatable or acceptable. All the four little bush rats were clamoring for freedom. They desired and wanted to live a free life as offspring’s.
It was as if their mother caged them all the while. They were completely ignorant of the dangers outside the hole.
‘’We are preventing a chick from death, it kept saying we do not allow her to visit the dungeon for food search.’’ -says a Yoruba adage.
Absolutely, the younger bush rats became overzealous to play outside but like a chanting parity, the mother bush rat kept imploring them to stay-in-door until they would be matured enough to handle effectively the hazards of life outside the hole in the bush or forest.
But to them, the mother bush rat was too strict and unfair. Who will make them to understand and reason along?
Well, the breeze of harmattan will soon teach the man without a thick cover cloth. It is a matter of time. Sooner or later, the fool will start behaving foolishly. With the passage of time, the truth shall surface!
Meanwhile, the impatient children of mother bush rat kept digging their own grave. They seems to be singing silently inside their minds:
‘’ All we are saying, Give us freedom!’’
But the revolution song was not loud enough to be heard at all by the mother bush rat.
However, the kept the chorus on and were reciting the rhythms like a poem:
Freedom, freedom, Give us our freedom!!!
They forgot that there is an appropriate time for everything under heaven.
Thereafter, anything the mother bush rat was away from the hole, the four little bush rats would sneak out to enjoy the fresh air outside and return into their apartments unknown to the mother.
Yes, for several time they were used to doing that. Even when the mother was at home sleeping, they would manage to sneak out and play. They were all clever at doing that without any suspicion.
All the four little bush rats acted like a team with the compromise. They would vacate the hole at random anytime their mother was away or sleeping. They thought to be so clever at the wrong acts. They deed the act several times without any monitor or guidance. They kept doing the malady without any caution. It was perfectly done without any back-fire!
They completely outsmart their good mother rat who never suspected anything. All the four little bush rats acted like a team. They left the hole at random whenever their mother stays away or slept off. The little bush rats thought to be so clever at the wrong acts.
One day, not too long. The students in the hostel were having good time within the premises of their hostel. They have just finished the term examinations.
In a relaxed mood, they were playing a small ball at the little space located behind the hostel, not too far from the small bush where the notorious bush rats have their residence. The prevailing whether on that fateful day was cool and pleasant for them to jubilate, demonstrate and competitive while playing the football among themselves in a big way.
At a stage, one of the agile boys who mistakenly had a strong shooting of the ball and missed the goal-post and went over the bar and entered straight into the bush.
On seen what happened, all the boys went amass into the bush to trace and retrieve the bouncing ball back from the bush.
Everywhere was bleating and lowing as the hostel boys massively bombard the bush in desperate search for the missing small bouncing ball.
Meanwhile, the bouncing ball landed like a bang at spot not too far from the hole where the bush rats are staying and harbor inside the wilderness.
As at that time, the mother bush rat was quietly inside the hole busy sleeping at noon! She was engaged in a sound sleep like a baby. She was stillness and carried away. Imagine, the little bush rats could hear the snoring and coughs from her sleeping mat in the cave harrow.
In a frenzy to try and satisfy completely their canal desires, the four little rats rushed out of the hole to play outside and have funs!
Out rightly, they shun the instructions of mother bush rat not minding the implication involved on that silly day. The four little bust rats took to playing at the space not too far from the entrance of the hole where they reside.
Meanwhile, on sighting the strange bouncing ball that flew from the hostel far away and landed with a bang at the spot where they rally.
The four naughty little bush rats became highly excited when the sighted the bouncing ball that rolled down the entrance of the hole.
The little bush rats have never seen such an object in the past and never sensed any danger in pitching with it.
In the high spirit to play and make pleasures, the little bush rats foolishly started tossing the bouncing ball among themselves joyfully without any cautiousness or restrictions. The little bush rats were carelessly yelling at each other as they attempted to raise the brisk bouncing ball like a footballer on the football field.
But it was a great pity, animals are never trained to play football like men. The back of the water pot is not the actual spot for snail to reside.
All the funny little bush rats were totally engulf in having funs with the bouncing ball without any sense of danger. They never saw it as frolicking with gun-powder.
Surprisingly, unknown to the bush-rats, the students from the hostel were able to trace their missing ball to the arena.
Strange and usual, the four bush rats were extremely bush and sweating, playing seriously with the acute bouncing ball like a rat games competition. They were deeply involved and totally carried away by the excitement without any caution or warning signs.
The little bush rats leap and skip with the staunching ball like a young calves
Suddenly, the school boys from the hostel came for the missing ball to pick and returned. They were highly amazed to found the bouncing ball with the four well robust little bush rats ripe enough to be roasted and eaten for launch.
The impatient of children of mother bush rat began to dig their own grave inside the bush unknowingly and unbelievable
Almost immediately, the hostel students launched a terrible attack at the bush rats. The boys whooped and got down instantly two of the bust rats. The remaining two of little bush rats that narrowly escaped the flouncing; rushed speedily into the hole like a mad dog for safety and refuge to escape been killed by the mob! The worst came and they were not spared at all. There was none to rescue them. There was a turmoil!
The angry students rose up to kill the bush rats as though awakening from sleep and like a mighty man aroused by wine. They were made to face multiple and interlocking dilemma via the hands of the hostel students that besiege the hole.
They fatally traced two escapees right inside the hole where the entered so as to fish them out eventually by all means possible. No mercy, no pardon!
‘’It is the day you sighted evil that must be quenched or cleared.’’ says a Yoruba adage.
The zeal to get rid of the remaining bush rats burns hot within the boys as they started to dig the hole.
However, it was discovered that the hole was so deep and long; the arranged setting it on fire with the hope that the intense smoke would be strong enough to drive out the bush rats that ran inside. What a heap of ruin!
It was unknown to the boys that the mother bush rat was also inside the same hole terribly facing the unexpected from the angry and hungry hostel students who rant and rave in anger and highly desperate to kill. They behaved and acted like the king’s fury.
At that moment, the streams of life was about carrying away the family of mother bush rat. The silly dog that would be lost inside the forest of life will refused to harken to the whistle of the hunter. Those who listen and obey instructions never get lost in the stream of life!
All the sermons, instructions and warnings of the mother bush rat to her children fell on the deaf ears.
The possibility of eating fresh bush rats by the hostel students ginger the serious attack without mercy or going back.
Before long, the hole was set ablaze and thick smoky haze occupied everywhere inside the hole and all the surroundings cringe in terror within a few minutes. It was like the scene of bandits in action.
When the mother bush rat did everything possible to prevent the hazard and escape the dangers failed woefully to work as expected. She gropes and stumbles in darkness.
Finally, she decided to vacate the tensed hole, maneuver her way and faced the troubles squarely. There was no fortress or defender. Nowhere again to hide from the eternity of terror at sight! She was doomed to die.
On getting out forcefully and crackled, the mother bush rat landed at the ready hands of the mob who strike her to death. She was too weak to run away again. Her health failed, the spirit droop, remorse and penitence with broken heart full of blames to the naughty children who dragged her into troubles.
Likewise, the other two remaining little bush rats were killed after the mother bush rat gave up ghost. What a great pity?
The stubborn children of mother bush rat invited troubles inside the decent hole of residence where their beloved mother was peacefully sleeping on that painful day like troubles in paradise.
Before she died, the mother bush rat seems to be saying out of regrets:
‘’And I warned you against this danger!’’
The head of bush rat is usually pleasant inside the plate of soup; when a child is warned against dangers should listen and obey!
It was a bad day for the family of mother bush rat that got killed and eaten by the school hostel boys on a fateful Monday afternoon. The hole that housed the family of mother bush rat was totally destroyed beyond repairs.
With the unquenchable joy, the hostel boys were glad to trump and got the four little bush rats and the mother bush rat as roasted meat for launch on that day.
They rejoice gallantly and jubilate while returning to the hostel with their ball and the deflated five family members of the bush rat who reaped bumper like manna from heaven.
What a great pity? The sound warnings of mother bush rat were refuted by her children. The final outcome was very costly and deadly to bear. None of them ever lived to witness the next Christmas or participate in the Venetian. Instead, they were roasted for snacks by the students inside the hostel.
As a result of what happened, the meadows and Squirrels in the forest far away sensed the danger and darted across the path and climbed the trees!
Every advice from the parents are like a double edge sword. It has both the gains and the pains attached. Therefore, keep those thoughts ever in mind, let them penetrate deep within your heart for they will mean real life for you and radiant health.
If you endure to hearken to warnings, you stand to gain it bountifully sooner or later. It will make you to be very strong and courageous, fearless and highly enthusiastic!
Also, if you decided like the prodigal son to turn deaf ears to such golden advice, then the consequences of such an act could be disastrous, painful with bundle of regrets.
‘’ Had I known’’ is usually the bitter voice of a dis-obedient child in life.
These was the exactly the painful experiences of the four little bush rats at the brink of death in the hands of the hostel students who launched a merciless operation’’ No Room For Escape’’ on them. They were badly wounded and ruined.
At the point of death, the four little bush rats regretted and caused their days of birth in hurry and disgrace for failing to yield to the instructions and warnings of mother bush rat. It was sevenfold vengeance that befall them for scorning the mother bush rat warnings and instructions.
They all regretted their acts of disobedient but it was too late to reverse the situation as they were struck death in the severe battle with the hostel students.
All the four bush rats were killed on that day with the mother bush rat that was not allowed to rest in peace but pieces.
It could not have been that way. The best route to prevent troubles is by harkening to the right instructions. Anything sort of that would bring untold hardship with regrets.
‘’ It is good to be obedient. Calamity will surely overtake the disobedient and wicked individuals. In fact, in the society, heavy penalties are meted out to those who hate the good and truth!’’
‘’Prevention is far better than cure!
Obedience is far better than sacrifice!’’
Every warning signals or symbols should not be ignored; if you desire to live in peace and harmony!
May we be good children to our parents in life!
To be a happy child, is to be an obedient child!
Really, obedience is far better than sacrifice!