01

 Scorpion Scare

Ibru was the boy who sold milk and gingerbread by the roadside, and his father, Papa Ibru, as he was fondly called by everyone, repaired torn shoes in a small shop beside him. Ibru’s mother had left them when he was only three years old. People who knew the former couple said the marriage was a catastrophic one.

For Ibru, he had to grow up without knowing his mother or what she looked like. Each time he asked his father about her, he was told she was beautiful but left because he was a poor man.

So Ibru’s father had to raise him on his own, with Ibru helping his father in his shoe repair shop until Ibru learned to make gingerbread and milk, which he decided to sell close to his dad.

One day, Ibru’s father closed up shop early but told Ibru to wait behind and pack up when it was time for him to leave, reminding him not to forget to lock up properly.

Just as Ibru packed up his father’s items for the day, a man walked into the shop.

“My father is not around to repair your shoe. You can come back tomorrow,” Ibru told the supposed customer. The man did not say a word; he only stared straight at Ibru and then began walking closer to him. At this point, Ibru began to wonder about the man’s strange behavior, but being a fifteen-year-old boy, he could not fight the huge-looking man. Ibru became scared and asked the man what he wanted. The streets had already become quiet, and if anything were to happen, Ibru would have been harmed before anyone knew.

In confusion, Ibru began to think about what to do if the man attacked him. Suddenly, as the man got very close, Ibru shifted backward and dodged, following a plan he had made up in his mind – a move he used when playing with his friends.

Surprisingly, the man did not chase Ibru; instead, he quickly grabbed a short piece of wood from the table and used it to hit something. By this time, Ibru had run out of the shop. However, as he ran, he noticed the man was still inside. So Ibru quickly summoned a few people who were also closing up their shops to assist him, as there was a thief in his father’s shop.

As the boys hurriedly came with sticks to confront the thief, they saw the stranger pushing out a big scorpion. It was the reason he had moved closer to Ibru without making a sound when he entered the shop – he had spotted the dangerous creature behind Ibru, ready to attack. According to the stranger, he feared that if Ibru had made any noise, he would have been attacked.

Ibru was speechless and wondered about all that had happened. With others helping the stranger, they burned the scorpion and thanked him for saving Ibru’s life.

“Ibru, thank your God,” they told him.

Ibru walked

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 16.11.2023
ISBN: 978-3-7554-6119-7

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Widmung:
To those who dare to dream, and those who find solace in the written word. This book is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of imagination, to the seekers of knowledge, and the lovers of stories. May these pages be a companion on your journey, inspiring, comforting, and transporting you to worlds yet discovered. With gratitude for the readers who embark on this adventure, thank you for sharing in the magic of storytelling.