In a small village in West Africa, the people were shocked by a new rule made by their chief. He decided that he would be the only one to name all the children in the village, ignoring the traditional ways of naming. But one day, an unexpected hero appeared to challenge this rule.
A mother was on her way to the chief’s house to have her newborn named when, surprisingly, the baby spoke! He asked where they were going, and when the mother explained, he told her they could go back home because he already had a name: Yagangnaa, which means “wiser than the chief.” So, they returned home, and the baby kept his name.
As Yagangnaa grew up, he played near the chief’s house. One day, a friend called out his name, and the chief overheard. The chief was puzzled because he hadn’t named any child Yagangnaa. When he asked the boy who named him, Yagangnaa boldly replied that he named himself. This made the chief very angry, and he decided to prove he was better than Yagangnaa and punish his family.
The chief gave Yagangnaa a basket full of millet and pebbles, telling him to have his mother make “pito,” a type of beer, by the end of the day. This was impossible because it takes weeks to make pito, and separating the millet from the pebbles was a huge task. But Yagangnaa had a clever plan. He sent the chief gourd seeds and asked him to make cups from them by the end of the day. The chief realized he couldn’t do it and had to give up.
Next, the chief told Yagangnaa to take care of his bull until it produced enough cattle to fill his kraal. Yagangnaa agreed without pointing out that bulls can’t have calves. The next day, Yagangnaa started cutting wood near the chief’s house. When asked why, he said he needed it because his father had just delivered a baby. The chief laughed, saying that was impossible. Yagangnaa cleverly replied that if the chief thought a bull could have calves, then his father could have a baby.
Frustrated, the chief tried one last trick. He invited Yagangnaa to accompany his son on an errand, giving Yagangnaa a beautiful horse and clothes while his son got a weak horse and old clothes. Yagangnaa switched with the chief’s son, and when the chief’s men attacked, they accidentally harmed the chief’s son instead of Yagangnaa.
Determined to get rid of Yagangnaa, the chief invited him to a pito drinking event. He set a trap by digging a well and covering it with a seat. But Yagangnaa was prepared. He had dug a tunnel from his house to the well. When he fell into the pit, he escaped through the tunnel, and his mother collected the hot pito the chief’s wives poured in.
The next day, Yagangnaa invited the chief to his house for pito, showing he had outsmarted the chief once again. Realizing he couldn’t win, the chief finally gave up. He canceled his decree and returned the power of naming children back to the villagers, where it belonged.
This story teaches us about the power of cleverness and standing up for what’s right. Yagangnaa used his intelligence to challenge unfair rules and showed that even the smallest voice can make a big difference. It’s a reminder that wisdom and courage can overcome even the toughest challenges.
Illustrate the story of Yagangnaa by creating a comic strip. Use your creativity to depict key scenes, such as the baby naming himself, the impossible tasks, and the final plan. This will help you visualize the story and understand the sequence of events.
With your classmates, act out different parts of the story. Take turns playing Yagangnaa, the chief, and other characters. This will help you explore the characters’ motivations and the story’s themes of cleverness and justice.
Imagine a different conclusion to the story. Write a short paragraph describing how Yagangnaa might have used another clever trick to outsmart the chief. This will encourage you to think creatively and consider different outcomes.
Create a puzzle based on the story, such as a crossword or word search using key terms and characters. Share it with your classmates to solve. This will reinforce your understanding of the story’s vocabulary and main ideas.
Participate in a group discussion about the lessons learned from the story. Talk about how Yagangnaa’s actions demonstrate the importance of standing up for what’s right. This will help you reflect on the story’s moral and its relevance to real-life situations.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Shock seized the West African Dagara village as word traveled of a new decree. Completely disregarding time-honored naming rituals, the chief declared that he alone would name the village’s children. But an unlikely challenger eventually appeared. One day, a mother was taking her newborn to the chief’s house to be named when her baby asked where they were going. She told him, and he responded that they could return home because he already had a name: Yagangnaa, meaning “wiser than the chief.” So, they did just that.
Years later, while playing near the chief’s house, a friend called Yagangnaa’s name, which caught the chief’s attention. He knew he hadn’t given any child a name that challenged his authority. When he asked Yagangnaa who named him, and the boy replied that he named himself, the chief grew furious. He committed himself to proving his superiority—and punishing Yagangnaa’s family.
First, he called on Yagangnaa and gave him a large basket full of millet and pebbles. He told Yagangnaa to have his mother brew “pito,” or millet beer, by the end of the day for the chief’s farm workers. Upon hearing the chief’s orders, Yagangnaa’s mother was distressed. It was impossible to separate the millet from the pebbles, and everyone knew it took weeks to make pito: the millet had to be soaked, dried, ground, boiled, then fermented in stages.
So, Yagangnaa decided to respond with another challenging task. He sent the chief gourd seeds and asked him to prepare calabash cups that same day to hold the pito his mother was making. The chief would have to wait for the seeds to germinate and the plants to bear fruit, then harvest, carve, and dry them—all in one day.
Realizing Yagangnaa was onto him, the chief ordered him to return the millet. Next, he instructed Yagangnaa to look after his bull until it produced enough cattle to fill his kraal and pay his sons’ bridewealths. Without protesting that he’d need a cow, not a bull, to do this, Yagangnaa agreed.
The next day, he began cutting dry wood near the chief’s house. When the chief asked what he was doing, Yagangnaa said he needed wood to cook and warm his house because his father had just delivered a baby. The chief laughed and said that was impossible, to which Yagangnaa asked why it should be impossible for his father to deliver a child if the chief thought his bull was going to produce cattle.
Once again outsmarted, the chief ordered Yagangnaa to return the bull and decided to take extreme measures. He told Yagangnaa to accompany his son on an errand and provided him a beautiful horse and expensive clothes, while the chief’s own son wore tattered clothing and rode a weak horse. Sensing the chief’s trick, Yagangnaa offered to trade with the chief’s son, who agreed. However, the chief had given his men grim orders, and moments later, a poisoned arrow struck and killed the chief’s son while Yagangnaa escaped.
Ever fixated on eliminating Yagangnaa, the chief invited him over for a pito drinking gathering. He dug a well and covered it to create a deceitfully decorative seat. But by now, Yagangnaa knew the chief’s plans and dug a tunnel connecting his house with the chief’s well. Later, when Yagangnaa arrived and took his seat, he fell into the pit. The chief ordered his wives to pour hot pito into the hole. But Yagangnaa swiftly escaped through the tunnel and asked his mother to collect the pito that soon followed.
The chief thought he’d finally succeeded—until receiving a message from Yagangnaa the next day asking to reciprocate the chief’s generosity, inviting him for pito. Realizing that Yagangnaa had outwitted him again, the chief conceded. Finally, he abolished his decree and returned the power of naming back to his people, where it belonged.
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This version maintains the essence of the story while removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content.
Village – A small community or group of houses in a rural area – In the novel, the protagonist grew up in a peaceful village surrounded by lush forests.
Chief – The leader or head of a group, especially in a tribal or traditional society – The chief of the tribe was known for his fairness and bravery in leading his people.
Name – A word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to – The author chose a unique name for the main character to reflect her adventurous spirit.
Cleverness – The quality of being smart, inventive, or quick-witted – The cleverness of the detective in the story helped solve the mystery that baffled everyone else.
Challenge – A task or situation that tests someone’s abilities – The hero faced a great challenge when he had to cross the treacherous mountains to save his friend.
Tasks – Pieces of work to be done or undertaken – The young apprentice was given several tasks to complete before he could become a master craftsman.
Tricks – Actions intended to deceive or outwit someone – The mischievous character in the story was always playing tricks on his friends, making them laugh and sometimes groan.
Defeat – To win a victory over someone in a battle or competition – Despite his best efforts, the knight could not defeat the dragon without the help of his loyal companions.
Power – The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way – The wizard’s power was unmatched, allowing him to control the elements and protect the kingdom.
Wisdom – The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment – The wise old woman shared her wisdom with the villagers, teaching them how to live in harmony with nature.
