The beautiful girls and the egg

 A long time ago the queen of ologbi ducdom in Benin gave birth to an Egg, and this was the first child of the king. The king was surprised and summoned the high Priest to know what to do with the egg.

When the high Priest came, he stood away from the entrance of the king's palace and started dancing. After a while he walked straight to the king and was silent for a while," My King, this egg will be fed by the gods till maturity as chosen by the gods for incubation. Meaning this egg should be kept in a cool bed well furnished in one of your apartment. You mean I should treat this Egg like a being?"asked the king.

"Yes my lord, a time shall come when you will conduct a marriage for the egg, because this egg is now your Prince".

The king was silent, as he looked to the sky with empty speeches. " Life is full of misery, my first child came as an egg, my fear disappeared when the Chief Prist came up with a child's care for what came out of my womb. I was thinking that tradition would terminate it, but it preserve it for the future. May the gods be blessed" The queen spoke.

The king held his wife back into the Palace, while the priest took up heels to his shrine

TWENTY YEARS LATER

The Chief Priest walked hurriedly into the Palace with his staff of authority, shaking his head and smiling as he  gets closer.

"My king the Oracle has finally declared that the Prince should find a bride" Praise be to him who made us to see this day" The chief Priest added.

" May the gods be praised! Time comes and gone., but the egg till retain it beauty. How do the gods want it to be?" The king asked.

"You shall invite all the beautiful girls into that secret room. The Prince will make his choice by shifting from its position to the side of the bed, if he likes the bride" the Chief Priest added.

The king fixed a date inviting the beautiful girls in the community to come and visit the Prince, and the rule of this visit would be "Go into the secret room and remain silent for few minutes, if you notice anything, come out to tell the Priest.

All the girls in the community were informed of the visit to the Prince. Although, they were all awere that the Prince was an egg.

They were all ready, for the beautiful once it was a big challenge, considering their beauty if being chosen by the Egg Prince. All arrangements was made, purchasing beautiful clothes, buying expensive perfumes, all to be selected by the Prince.

The beautiful day came, the first girl entered, she was well dressed with all the fragrance of beauty. After a while she came out, then the Chief Priest entered to observe, he came out and asked the girl if she noticed anything. The girl answered no.

So, was the same with the second and the twenty girls, but the second to the last girl who  not beautiful entered hoping to be selected yet the Egg remained the same, confirmed by the Chief Priest. Everyone was tired.

Then came Itohan, the most beautiful girl as she entered the secret room, the egg change position and was confirmed by the Chief Priest, but when the Chief Priest was appraising Itohan, she felt disappointed. How can she be married to an Egg? She refused the many claims attached to this acceptance even from the mouth of the king.

The king said "I will not force anybody to accept my Prince. Whoever he chooses and the other freely accept, it is what I am looking for"

The day searching was ended as the Prince was disappointed over Itohan rejection. The Chief Priest reschedule a date for another search.

As days passed by, it was obvious that the eyes of  the Palace was in the palms of the populace, because the Prince must get married.

However, some ripped fruits were hidden inside the trees because of the branches that were covered with leaves.

It was Osato who decided to go into this trial after she heard of what Itohan did to the Prince . Although, she felt sad but also considered the feelings of Itohan. Her mum, mrs Gladys who advised her take  a trial, that if the Prince accepts her, she should not worry but follow suit to make the king happy, because the king was a good man.

Although Itohan added that she wanted to think about it , even after her public refusal, she was asked by her friends.

Now , the town crier called out for the next meeting with the Prince. That all the beautiful girls should show up with all their beautiful attire to allure the Prince. Having heard that , the whole community was jubilating for the success of the Prince and the lucky ones.

Osato became double minded , after hearing that the Prince was an Egg, but she motivated by the words of her mother, who said just to make the king happy.

All the beautiful girls came out to show their beauty. The Chief Priest welcomed them and gave them the rules of the selection.  They all thank the priest and promised to be rules abiding. 

Five beautiful girls had gone in, but the Prince did not accept them. Osato was the last girl to go inside the secret room. The whole community was in silent. As she went in, the Prince change position. Then she came out crying.

The high Priest welcomed and congratulate her for being the chosen one. She wiped her tears with her clothes and knelt before the high Priest as a sign of acceptance for being the wife of the Prince.

She was taken into the Palace and the king was very happy that at last, the Prince has gotten a wife. It was in the tradition of the land that, when a Prince choose a girl, it is that same day the marriage would be conducted and all the necessary things will be related to the family of the girl, which includes the dowry and other items as tradition demand. Everything was done, musician were invited as they made the environment joyous. Drinks and food were shared enough to make the occasion memorable one.

At night, their  first night. Osato was lying beside the Prince. She was stearing at the Egg wondering what her future would become with an Egg as her husband. In her deep thoughts she fell into a deep sleep and started playing with a handsome young boy. When she opened her eyes beyond she found a young boy she was surprised. And the Egg disappeared.

That was how the Egg became a young Prince and the king was so happy, to see his son after many years now with a bride. There was excitement in the lànd, the high Priest was happy too because the gods stood by their words.

                              THE End

Moral lesson 

1.Beimg beautiful is good but having a good heart is the best 

2.Dont look down on any one because some nonsense, can become useful 

3.Go out there with a good heart not because you are beautiful.

4 life is a teacher. You keep learning forever.