Creativity Can Also Entail Employing Traditional Wisdom

A folktale of the ram as the symbol of wisdom and discernment:

Once upon a time, a mother ruminant had three children: the ram, the he-goat, and the sheep. Observing how dangerous navigating and surviving the jungle has become, she first decided to test their IQ to know if they were developing the requisite wisdom and survival instincts of their ever-difficult terrain. She then summoned all her offspring and tested them out, asking:
“How many times will something befall you for you to learn a lesson from that particular event?”
The goat said he could only learn after encountering the same situation a hundred times. And the sheep said he would pass through the same problem fifty times before he could ever learn from the experience. And when it reached the turn of the ram, he retorted to his mama proudly, “I will not allow any situation I saw people passing through before me come to me. I will endeavor to learn from what others are facing that I observe around me.”
The mother ruminant nodded in satisfaction, knowing that at least one of her offspring had shown the necessary natural wisdom for survival. She didn't dwell on the misguided answers from her other two children but was content that at least one of her offspring had proven they could adapt to changing times.
In Igbo folklore, experience is not the best teacher. Learning from other people's difficulties is the preferred method. Are you developing the necessary skills to solve unique, recurring, or potential problems you may be facing? In our folktale, the ram is the wise animal known as “Nwaebule ako,” meaning the “wise ram.”
As told by Okechukwu Okugo
For book editing and publishing problems, contact Okechukwu Okugo at okechukwuokugo@gmail.com or call +1 (347) 741-3446.
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