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November 17, 2006

Giant Tortoises and one Fulani View of Marriage

Meet Maxwell, the giant tortoise that lives at Steve’s compound.

Steve has been getting a bit fed up with him. Not only does he continually escape from his enclosure by knocking the wall over, but he has started biting, and even charging his captors, ramming their shins with his hard shell.

We were discussing the fact that, with Steve’s forthcoming marriage, he was wanting to get rid of Maxwell, the irritating tortoise. The following conversation ensues, started by Aminata, a Fulani woman:

Aminata: Women are also irritating!
Keith: Oh? Which is more irritating, a giant tortoise or a woman?
A: They are as irritating as each other!
K: Are all women irritating? Even you?
A: Of course! A woman is like a deep hole – no matter how much you put into it, it never fills up. Even if you provide for the woman for many years, the day you don’t have enough for her, you’d better watch out!
K: So, is it better for a man not to marry…?
A: Hah! Even a chair is of more worth than an unmarried man!

The three unmarried men in the yard look bemused…

Tags: burkina faso africa burkina djibo tortoise women men marriage

Posted by Keith at November 17, 2006 07:58 PM