By
Obododimma Oha
The rat and the lizard are relatives, but they are different in many ways. At least, they know that one carries scales on the skin. The other carries hair. If the rat joins the lizard in dancing in the rain, when the skin of the lizard gets dry, would that of the rat also get dry? So, the rat knows its limits.
Both the rat and the lizard look for food around the house. But the rat could be more daring, more adventurous. With a highly-developed sense of smell, it locates the fish and nibbles at it until it gets a portion. Then, it runs and hides it in its hole. But the lizard would wait for a piece outside, nodding its head. It gets or fights to get it before it can eat it.
The lizard fell from the top of a palm-tree and nodded its head, saying, "It's not easy. Let any rat come and try it. This one is not stealing fish." You see. Lizard, too, can boast.
But the rat cannot keep quiet. What of its heroic tunneling? Can any lizard try it? Never! The rat would plunge deep and encircle the roots of that giant tree.
Some creatures do rat their noises and some just lizard their silences.
The lizard has a mouth, but it is not for talking. It talks with its body. Watch its head and its tail. When it raises its tail, the other lizard understands.
An Igbo folktale puts the blame on Tortoise, that the trickster pushed a bone down the throat of Lizard as they were eating, causing the latter to be dumb for life.
Why did Tortoise do that? Well, Lizard had seen a lot and might talk and set the house on fire. You see. It was about being a witness and seeing something. It is considered safer to be dumb if a shattered witness.
I hope that that sheep did not see things. It only bleats. I hope it had not seen snakes swallowing millions of dollars!
I can hear the rats dancing and celebrating. One must have come home with a bone, braving the traps. It has not been easy for the house rat to get the bone to the dwelling place below. All the human obstacles! Soldiers here. Police there. Civil defence here. DSS there. So many red junctions. Even along the road to the house!
But the rat knows the road very well. A rat would always find a way, a road in the road.
Rats and lizards are not always victims destroyed. They are great survivors and great adventurers.
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