Stone-Donor Woman of Ayong Kita

Overview

Ayong Kita’s mother dies at his birth, and his hunter father Inkita raises him to use a small bow. When his father also dies, the ten-year-old boy flees the inherited household because its enslaved people plan to kill him. He lives in the bush on palm nuts and small game. His father appears in a dream and tells him where treasure lies buried, but fear prevents him from seeking it. Later, beside a lake, Ayong hears a hiss and an unseen voice warning him not to drink; he runs away thirsty.

The next morning a long-haired old woman approaches him. He suspects that she may be a witch because of her unfamiliar appearance, but she identifies herself as the speaker at the lake and explains that a harmful water power would have killed him there. She leads him to another stream and lifts a small shining stone from it. Her instructions connect the father’s treasure with a new forest house: Ayong is to recover the money, buy two enslaved people to build the house with several rooms and place the stone in an inner room. Asking the stone for his needs will fulfil them.

Ayong follows the plan and repeatedly requests sufficient rods to buy what he wants. Over ten years he grows wealthy, buys many more enslaved people from Aro traders and develops a large settlement. The woman then visits him in another dream, judges his wealth sufficient and tells him to return the stone to its stream. He pursues power over his father’s household instead. The later ordeal, unrest of the dead, blood-taking accusation and recovery complete the same chapter, but no final return of the stone is described. The donor is a protective guide with knowledge of water danger and treasure, rather than the harmful lake power from which she saves him.

Origins & earliest records

Elphinstone Dayrell, a colonial district commissioner, published this translated collection in 1910, with a comparative introduction by Andrew Lang. The selected chapter does not name an individual narrator. Its historical-looking frame and customary explanations are claims of the printed storytelling witness, not independently verified facts about a community.

Records & interpretation

Dayrell (1910), XXXIII The Orphan Boy and the Magic Stone, complete pp. 121–125; protective donor and stone pp. 122–123, return request and accused dead pp. 123–124, recovery and ordeal explanation pp. 124–125.

In the literature

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa

   Elphinstone Dayrell, collector; Andrew Lang, introduction · 1910

   Dayrell (1910), XXXIII The Orphan Boy and the Magic Stone, complete pp. 121–125; protective donor and stone pp. 122–123, return request and accused dead pp. 123–124, recovery and ordeal explanation pp. 124–125.

2. 02

   Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa — XXXIII The Orphan Boy and the Magic Stone

   Elphinstone Dayrell, collector; Andrew Lang, separate introduction commentary · 1910

   Elphinstone Dayrell, Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa, Longmans, Green and Co., London/New York/Bombay/Calcutta, 1910, with introduction by Andrew Lang; title and chapter text independently read in Gutenberg34655. Selected Lang commentary read, not a full introduction or whole-volume claim.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Collected primary narrative in colonial translationDayrell 1910 - chapter XXXIIIResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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