The children have started submitting their stories for editing. The following is one of them written by Samuel Gunny.

 

    MANTE AND TWEAA
                           (BY  SAMUEL GUNNEY)

Once upon a time, there lived in Ata-Ne-Ata , a village near Abetifi in Ghana, a fisherman called Mante and a corn mill operator called Tweaa. They were rascals who refused to abide by the laws of the village.

If the law said, „Don’t wash in a water body or litter in it,“ they would intentionally disobey with disrespect. They regarded laws like, „Don’t converse with a woman who isn’t your close relative when she is bathing; Don’t defecate onto a termite hill; Don’t have sex with your close relative,“ or any law that would bring sanity to the village as something that abused their fundamental human rights.

Mante and Tweaa were difficult to the extent that the entire village shunned them and declared them good-for-nothing men. In order to prevent the spread of polio, typhoid and other communicable diseases that could attack the village, they decided to put up two male and female toilets. When the villagers met to do the work,
Mante and Tweaa decided to sit on the fence – they actually refused to take part in it.

Instead of using the public toilet, Mante decided to ease himself in a lake which was the villagers‘ only source of drinking water. Tweaa also decided to ease himself anywhere.

Nobody could catch Mante in the act, so he continued with his disobedience till one day when he sat at the rim of his canoe doing his own thing, a certain very hungry fish swiftly jumped out of the water and pop, it accidentaly entered his anus.

Mante’s several attempts to remove the fish was to no avail; the fish’s fins prevented it from coming out.

In pain, Mante managed to paddle the canoe ashore. He was carried to the only herbalist in town for treatment.

The herbalist told Mante to strip himself naked and squat. Without complain, he obeyed the command.

„Before the fish can come out I have to whip you. It is the only means by which I can remove the fish out of your body. Do you agree?“ the herbalist asked Mante.

„Yes, I do,“ Mante responded favourably.
That was the fitst day he obeyed a command in his life. By the command of the herbalist, some strong men held Mante firmly and with a strong whip, he whipped Mante mercilessly. The involuntary pushing Mante made due to the pains he sustained from the whipping forced the fish out.

From that day onward, Mante never eased himself in any water body or poluted it.

Instead of taking a leaf out of  Mante’s book, Tweaa persisted in doing what was wrong. One hot afternoon he entered someone’s cassava farm with the intention to ease himself.

Barely had he lowered his pair of shorts to squat than a metal trap released and got hold of his male  organs firmly. The trap had been set up by the owner of the cassava farm to trap some grass-cutters that were destroying his crops. Before Tweaa could be released from the trap, he had suffered much pain and disgrace.

Mante and Tweaa’s experience helped everybody in Ata-Ne-Ata to learn the importance of obedience. Mante and Tweaa changed their rascal attitude and led a humble life henceforth.

THE END

…a new story…

About The Author

Adjoa Beduwa Sekyi is a fifteen-year-old pupil of Gomoaman Preparatory School in Asebu/Pomade near Winneba in Ghana. She is in J.H.S. 3, the final year of her nine-year-basic education.

Beduwa was born on the 28th June, 1999, in Akotsi to Mr. Benjamin Baidoo who hails from Gomoa Abamkwem and Mrs. Georgina Baidoo who hails from Ojobi, all in Ghana.

Her best subjects are English,Religious and Moral Education, and weaving is her hobby. She plans to be a nurse in future.

AJOA

Ajoa, a very beautiful girl, lived with her parents, Kofi Ata, the father, and Yaayaa, the mother. She was only five yrars old when the father kicked the bucket by a snake bite.

Her mother, a peasant famer, decided not to marry again so Ajoa was brought up by a single parent. From infancy, Ajoa’s mother taught her the importance of obedience, the joy in hardworking, the bad effect of teenage pregnancy, neatness, respect for the elderly and above all, the importance of education.

Ajoa could share all her experiences, whether good or bad, with her mother, with her mother, because her mother loved her much. Though naturely they were a daughter and a mother, they seemed an ideal duo.

Before Ajoa was fourteen her mother had taught her everything about menstruation, so when she got her first one that period, it was nothing over her head.

„Mama, I’ve had a nasty dream this night. This isn’t the first time I’ve had this same dream. It has been reoccurring. It disturbs me,“Ajoa told her morher almost in tears one early morning when she was sixteen getting to seventeen.

„Oh, I understand your problem. I’ve often had such dreams. Almost all girls growing-ups and women, especially those who’re chaste experience them. They’re worrisome, but you can’t avoid them. They’re natural.

„When I was a teenager my grandma told me that they mostly occur during the ovulation period. I don’t know how far that’s true. When this happens the victim feels attracted to the opposite sex. I experienced them on regular basis in my youthful age. It stopped when I got married to your father, but they started again some years after his death,“ Ajoa’s mother freely shared her experience with her.

„You’re right, Mama. I feel attracted to a boy in my class. I always want to be closer to him. I’ve a certain feeling for him. I can’t understand it, Mama. I’m disturbed. I don’t know what to do,“ Ajoa said it all.

„You needn’t be disturb. It isn’t your own doing. As I’ve told you before, nature’s taking its own course. The kind of feelings you’ve. for the boy’s what we call infatuation love.

„The only thing you can do about it’s to avoid the boy willingly. It isn’t sassy, but you can if only you’re determined to do it. Never attempt to be with him in isolated places or in darkness. If you don’t try hard, that feeling would lead you into fornication and you’ll lose your virginity,“ mama advised her daughter.

„Mama, is it necessary to be a virgin?“

„Absolutely, but it isn’t easy, Ajoa.“

„How important is it, Mama.“

„This question shows how serious you’re . I’m poud of you.“ Ajoa’s mother gave her a big hug. „Now listen.

„To mention a few, virgins’ve self dignity. They’re able to concentrate well. They’ve focus. They’ve no guilty conscience and they aren’t threatened by unwanted pregnancies. They’re respected by the society. Moreover, they’re free from sexual related diseases,“ her mother answered her.

„Look at how important it is to be a virgin!“ Ajoa exclaimed.

„Yes, it is, but it isn’t easy to be one, my daughter,“ said her mother.

„So were you a virgin, Mama.“

„Have you forgotten I’ve told you on several occasions that I was?“

„Oh, I now remember you’ve told me you were. Excuse me, Mama. Would you mind my asking you another question, Mama?“

„No, you can go ahead with whatever question you’d like to ask me, Sweetie,“ her mother answered positively.

„Mama, you said it isn’t easy to be a virgin. If that is how it is, then how were you able to be one?“ She was intensely curiour about her mother’s previous virginity.

„Ajoa, my darling, it’s as simple as a,b,c. Let me gist you of what you ought to do and what you oughtn’t do. Try to avoid listen to sex related stories. Reading sexual
related conversations. Reading sexy books and watching sexy videos would do you no good. Keep the company of those who share the same thought with you. Avoid being too close to the opposite sex.

„Eventually, I’ll tell you more about what you would do to remain chaste. Meanwhile, in case you fall victim to a rapist, don’t forget to yell for help, also be clever enough to avoid the problem as possible as you can,“ Ajoa’s mother concluded. It was one of Ajoa’s  red-letter days in her life – a day she never forgot.

One day Ajoa’s mother sent her to go and sell some banana so that she would add some few coins to it to buy some panties and a pair of bra for her.

On her way, Ajoa met a nice- looking-young man. I’ll buy the entire banana. Follow me to my house. Happily, Ajoa followed him innocently.

In the man’s house, he opened his door, collected the basket of banana into the room and told Ajoa to get inside to collect her money. „Bring the money to me outside. I don’t sell to strangers in their rooms,“ she refused. The man continued to woo Ajoa, but to no avail.

„If persuasion fails, force must be applied,“ the man said to himself and swiftly seized Ajoa’s arm. He attempted to drag her into the room.

With all her strength, Ajoa bit the young man wickedly to break free from him

As fast as her two legs could carry her, she ran to the house to report the incident to her mother. In turn, her mother reported it to the police. The man was arrested and charged for attempted to rape.

For fear that they would be attested, every man I’n the village, even the most notorious pedophile, gave Ajoa her peace to continue in her chasity.

Interestingly, Ajoa grew to become a well known magistrate in her country.

THE END

…an other one….

A NOVEL BY RUTH AGGREY
Illustrated by …..

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ruth Aggrey is a fourteen-year-old pupil of Gomoaman Preparatory School in Asebu/Pomade near Winneba in Ghana.

Ruth was born on the 5th January, 2000, to Mr. Paul Aggrey who hails from Gomoa Antseadze and Mrs. Dora Aggrey, a native of Larteh Akuapim, all in Ghana.

She is the last born of her patents‘ four children, three females and a male.

Ruth’s best subject is English and reading is her hobby. She wishes to be a lawyer in future.

KONKONSA
Once upon a time, there lived in Kakaso in Ghana, a very poor man called Konkon.

One day when he was disturbed not knowing what to depend on for the day, he decided to enter a certain dense forest to look for whatever game, fruit or tuber he would come across.

He roamed the forest disappointed. When he was about to return home, he caught a glimpse of a very ugly old lady sitting under an oil palm tree.

The palm tree under which the old lady sat had bore a sparkling golden nuts. „My son, you’re very fortunate you’ve seen me. Nobody sees me in this forest and return home a poor person. I’ll make you a very rich man

„Get this nut,“ she plucked one of the nuts for Konkon. „Go home. Sell it to the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and at least  you’d brcome the wealthiest person in Ghana. Before you leave, vow that you’d never under any circumstance revel the source of your riches to any soul,“ she concluded.

After he had vowed, Konkon thanked the old lady and left for home over the moon.

When he did as the old lady instructed him, Konkon did not only become Ghana’s number one richest man, but the richest person the entire south Sahara Sudaan.

Instead of investing money into businesses, Konkon became a spendthrift. It was annoying to see him spent money on unnecessary things.

One day when Konkon with some good-for-nothing men in the village were roaming the village arguing unnecessarily near the chief’s palace under the influence of alcohol, the chief sent for him.

„Mr. Konkon, I admire you. I’m proud of you, but I should think you need to be a bit careful of how you spend money. All days aren’t equal. If you aren’t careful, there’ll be a time you’ll become a poor man again. Remember the past, please,“ the chief cautioned Konkon.

„Forget it, my friend! Poverty? It’ll never cross my way because the old lady and the golden nuts are there for me,“ Konkon interrupted.

„Oh, I now know. You’ve a source of your wealth. Mm, I see. I swear you’ll take me to that place,“ the chief vowed.

At the gunpoint, the chief with his macho men forced Konkon directly to the oil palm tree.

The chief was over excited to the extent that he even forgot to greet the old lady who was sitting right under the palm tree.

No matter how strong the chief’s macho men were, they could not harvest the bunch when they attempted to do so.

„If you don’t show me the way and means to harvest the nuts, you’ll lose your life,“ the chief threatened the old lady.

„Chop the right hand of the man who brought you here and place it on the bunch and it would be very easy for you to harvest,“ the old lady directed.

„Hold him!“ the chief ordered and collected a dagger. Wickedly, he amputated Konkon’s hand and placed it on the bunch of the golden nut. Easily, he havervested
the bunch.

When the bunch of the golding nuts was being carried to the chief’s palace through the principal street of the village, onlookers inquired whose hand was on the bunch and the answer to the question was, „Konkon nsa,“ A Twi word meaning, „Konkon’s hand.“

Since that day, „konkonsa became a Twi word meaning unfaithfulness. Konkon died out of tetanus and left his wealth to no one, because he left neither a spouse nor a child.

From Konkon’s experience, the people of Kakaso and beyond leant the importance of keeping their promises and the taking a good care of the little worth they have.

THE END