BY Victor Akhidenor
Back in the days when the animals could talk, there lived old Brer Possum. He was a fine feller. Why, he never liked to see no critters in trouble. He was always helping out, and doing something for others.
Every night, old Brer Possum climbed into a persimmon tree, hung by his tail and slept all night long. And each morning, he climbed out of the tree and walked down the road, sunning himself.
One morning, as he walked, he came to a big hole in the middle of the road. Now, old Brer Possum was kind and gentle, but he was also nosy, so he went over to the hole and looked in. All at once, he stepped back, because lying in the bottom of that hole was old Brer Snake with a brick on his back.
Brer Possum said to himself, “I better get on out of here, because old Brer Snake is mean and evil and lowdown, and if I get to staying around him, he just might get to biting me.”
So Brer Possum went on down the road. But Brer Snake had seen Brer Possum, and he commenced to calling for him.
“Help me, Brer Possum.”
Brer Possum stopped and turned around. He said to himself, “That’s old Brer Snake calling me. What do you reckon he wants?”
When Trouble sleep
Yanga go wake am
Wetin him dey find
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
When cat sleep
Rat go bite him tail
Wetin him dey find
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
Well, old Brer Possum was kind-hearted, so he went back down the road to the hole, stood at the edge, and looked down at Brer Snake.
“Was that you calling me? What do you want?”
Brer Snake looked up and said, “I’ve been down here in this hole for a mighty long time with this brick on my back. Won’t you help get it off me?”
Brer Possum thought.
“Now listen here, Brer Snake. I know you. You are mean and evil and lowdown, and if I was to get down in that hole and get to lift that brick off your back, you wouldn’t do nothing but bite me.”
Old Brer Snake just hissed.
“Maybe not. Maybe not. Maaaaaaaybe not.”
Brer Possum said, “I am not sure about you at all. I just don’t know. You’re going to have to let me think about it.”
So old Brer Possum thought—he thought high, and he thought low—and just as he was thinking, he looked up into a tree and saw a dead limb hanging down. He climbed into the tree, broke off the limb, and with that old stick, pushed that brick off Brer Snake’s back. Then he took off down the road.
Tenant lost him job
Him sit down for house
Him dey think of job
Mr Landord come wake am up
He say, “Mister, pay me your rent”
Wetin him dey find
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
Brer Possum thought he was away from old Brer Snake when all at once he heard something.
“Help me, Brer Possum.”
Brer Possum said, “Oh, no, that’s him again.”
But being so kind-hearted, Brer Possum turned around, went back to the hole, and stood at the edge.
“Brer Snake, was that you calling me? What do you want now?”
Old Brer Snake looked up out of the hole and hissed.
“I’ve been down here for a mighty long time, and I’ve gotten a little weak, and the sides of this old hole are too slick for me to climb. Do you think you can lift me out of here?”
Brer Possum thought.
“Now, you just wait a minute. If I was to get down into that hole and lift you out of there, you wouldn’t do nothing but bite me.”
Brer Snake hissed.
“Maybe not. Maybe not. Maaaaaaaybe not.”
Brer Possum said, “I just don’t know. You’re going to have to give me time to think about this.”
So, old Brer Possum thought.
And as he thought, he just happened to look down there in that hole and see that old dead limb. So he pushed the limb underneath old Brer Snake and he lifted him out of the hole, way up into the air, and threw him into the high grass.
Brer Possum took off running down the road.
My friend just come from prison
Him dey look for work
Waka waka day and night
Police man come stop am for road
He say, “Mister, I charge you for wandering”
Wetin him dey find
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
Well, he thought he was away from old Brer Snake when all at once he heard something.
“Help me, Brer Possum.”
Brer Possum thought, “That’s him again.”
But being so kind-hearted, he turned around, went back to the hole, and stood there looking for Brer Snake. Brer Snake crawled out of the high grass just as slow as he could, stretched himself out across the road, and looked at old Brer Possum.
Then he hissed. “I’ve been down there in that old hole for a mighty long time, and I’ve gotten a little cold because the sun didn’t shine. Do you think you could put me in your pocket and get me warm?”
Brer Possum said, “Now you listen here, Brer Snake. I know you. You are mean and evil and lowdown, and if I put you in my pocket you wouldn’t do nothing but bite me.”
Brer Snake hissed.
“Maybe not. Maybe not. Maaaaaaaybe not.”
“No, sir, Brer Snake. I know you. I am not going to do it.”
But just as Brer Possum was talking to Brer Snake, he happened to get a real good look at him. He was lying there looking so pitiful, and Brer Possum’s great big heart began to feel sorry for old Brer Snake.
“All right,” said Brer Possum. “You must be cold. So just this once I’m going to put you in my pocket.”
So old Brer Snake coiled up just as little as he could, and Brer Possum picked him up and put him in his pocket.
Mr Husband marry for church
He make big party
Then he start to spray
Because him love him wife
Mrs Wife come run away
Bank manager run come
He say, “Mister, pay me your debt”
Wetin him dey find, for Lagos e-o
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
Brer Snake lay quiet and still—so quiet and still that Brer Possum even forgot that he was carrying him around. But all of a sudden, Brer Snake commenced to crawling out, and he turned and faced Brer Possum and hissed.
“I’m going to bite you.”
But Brer Possum said, “Now wait a minute. Why are you going to bite me? I done took that brick off your back, I got you out of that hole, and I put you in my pocket to get you warm. Why are you going to bite me?”
Brer Snake hissed.
“You knew I was a snake before you put me in your pocket.”
And when you’re minding your own business and you spot trouble, don’t never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.
When Trouble sleep
Yanga go wake am
Wetin him dey find
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
When cat sleep
Rat go bite him tail
Wetin him dey find
[Chorus] Palaver, he dey find
Palaver, he go get-i oooo
Palaver, he go get
Palaver
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA
Brer Possum’s Dilemma is one of a group of animal stories that originated in Africa but are now associated with the southern United States.
This version of the story (though ‘slightly’ modified by this writer to accommodate Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s ‘Trouble Sleep’ which is popularly known as ‘Palaver’) was written by Jackie Torrence who first heard the fable from her aunt after being bitterly disappointed by the rejection of a high-school friend.
So, what do you think about the fusion of the text and the track? That is: what is the connection between the fable and Fela’s Palaver?
What is the moral, or lesson, of this story and song? Do you think it is a good lesson to learn in life? Why or why not?
The number three often appears in folk literature (three little pigs, three blind mice, three wishes, etc.) What happens three times in the story and song?
Let us have your own summary of the story and song. To help you marshal your thoughts on paper, look at the internal and external conflicts, the characters in the story and song, the events, the rising action, the climax, the resolution, and symbolism.
Hope all this assignment won’t put you in a dilemma?
Don’t bother if it will because we don’t want your palaver!
When Trouble sleep
Yanga go wake am…
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