10/11/2025
In the riverside village of Obaama lived a man called Okoro. He was the best palm wine tapster anyone knew. His wine was sweet, clean, and strong enough to make a man laugh away his worries.
But Okoro had a proud heart. He believed no one could match his skill, not even the elders who taught him.
One harmattan morning, the sky changed its color. The wind blew in a strange way that made the palm leaves whisper warnings. The elders called out to Okoro, “Leave the palm for today. The wind is wild.”
But Okoro only laughed from the top of the tree. “I was born for this work,” he shouted. “No wind can throw me down.”
Then the storm came suddenly. It roared across the river like an angry spirit. Palms bent, roofs rattled, and dust filled the air. Still, Okoro refused to climb down.
When the storm ended, the village was quiet. Children g*thered near the fallen tree. Okoro lay beside it dead, his calabash of wine still hanging from the rope, unbroken.
That evening, Nna Eze, the oldest man in the village, poured Okoro’s last wine on the ground. “Even the sweetest wine turns bitter when pride ferments too long,” he said softly.
Moral: When advice is refused, wisdom walks away.
