In the quiet village of Ikot Akpan Ndua, where the evening breeze always smelled like fresh ukom (roasted plantain), lived a cheerful boy named Gody Brown.
Gody was known for two things:
1. His bright ginger-brown skin that made villagers tease him lovingly,
2. His sharp curiosity—the type that can make someone open a pot just to confirm if soup is truly boiling.
One sunny morning, as the villagers prepared for the New Yam Festival, Gody wandered near the old oil palm grove. The elders said nobody should cross that path before afternoon because the palm nuts “liked peace” in the morning.
But curiosity gripped Gody like strong fisherman’s net.
He bent down to pick one palm kernel that looked shinier than the rest.
The moment he touched it—
“TAP!” The kernel jumped in his hand.
Gody froze.
Then…
“Young man, why are you disturbing my morning rest?” the palm kernel asked in a tiny voice.
Gody’s eyes became wide like calabashes.
But instead of running, he cleared his throat.
“Em… sorry o. But how can a palm kernel talk?”
“When wisdom wants to teach, anything can talk,” the kernel replied proudly.
Gody sat on a fallen trunk, amazed. He listened as the kernel shared three secrets:
💡 Secret One:
“Never follow the crowd; sometimes the crowd is wrong.”
Just because many children feared the grove didn’t mean the grove was dangerous.
💡 Secret Two:
“Curiosity is good—but guide it with sense.”
Ask questions, but don’t poke a sleeping python.
💡 Secret Three:
“If you want to grow, learn from people older than you.”
Even palm trees rise high because they stand on ancient roots.
Before Gody could ask more questions, the kernel rolled out of his hand, bounced twice, and disappeared into the grass like a mischievous rat.
Gody ran back home excited, shouting:
“Mama! Mama! A palm kernel taught me wisdom!”
His mother looked at him, shook her head gently and said:
“Hmm… Gody Brown, one day you will write book. Your head is full of stories!”
And truly, from that day, Gody became the calmest, wisest boy in Ikot Akpan Ndua.
Whenever children argued or felt confused, they would say:
“Let’s ask Gody Brown. Maybe he has talked to another kernel!”
🌟 Moral of the Story
Wisdom can come from anywhere.
Curiosity is powerful when guided by respect, courage, and good sense.
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