Honorable MinūA West African Folktale1It happened one day that a poor Akim-man had to travel from his own little village to Accra—one of the big towns on the coast. This man could only speak the language of his own village—which was not understood by the men of the town. As he approached Accra he met a great herd of cows. He was surprised at the number of them, and wondered to whom they could belong. Seeing a man with them he asked him, “To whom do these cows belong?” The man did not know the language of the Akim-man, so he replied, “Minū” (I do not understand). The traveler, however, thought that Minū was the name of the owner of the cows and exclaimed, “Mr. Minū must be very rich.”2He then entered the town. Very soon he saw a fine large building, and wondered to whom it might belong. The man he asked could not understand his question so he also answered, “Minū.” “Dear me! What a rich fellow Mr. Minū must be!” cried the Akim-man.3Coming to a still finer building with beautiful gardens round it, he again asked the owner’s name. Again came the answer, “Minū.” “How wealthy Mr. Minū is,” said our wondering traveler.4Next he came to the beach. There he saw a magnificent steamer being loaded in the harbor. He was surprised at the great cargo which was being put on board and inquired of a bystander, “To whom does this fine vessel belong?” “Minū,” replied the man. “To the Honourable Minū also! He is the richest man I ever heard of!” cried the Akim-man.5Having finished his business, the Akim-man set out for home. As he passed down one of the streets of the town he met men carrying a coffin, and followed by a long procession, all dressed in black. He asked the name of the dead person, and received the usual reply, “Minū.” “Poor Mr. Minū!” cried the Akim-man. “So he has had to leave all his wealth and beautiful houses and die just as a poor person would do! Well, well—in future I will be content with my tiny house and little money.” And the Akim-man went home quite pleased to his own hut.From West African Folk Tales (1917), Collected and arranged by W. H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair. In the public domain.
This folktale from West Africa teaches a valuable lesson about contentment and not always assuming that wealth equals happiness. It shows that true wealth and happiness come from within, not from material possessions. The Akim-man's realization at the end of the story serves as a reminder to be grateful for what we have and to focus on the important things in life, rather than being envious of others' material wealth.
