The Story of "Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo" by Mike Ejeagha

Let me narrate the story for those who don't understand the Igbo language. Before I start the full story, here is the meaning of "Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo": it represents the sound of an elephant's footsteps.

The title of the song is "Ka Esi Ree Onye Isi Oche" (How the Chairman Was Sold).

The story begins with a king in the animal kingdom who has a daughter. She has been rejecting all suitors who ask for her hand in marriage.

She has turned down more than a hundred handsome men. Her father, the king, became worried and called all his family and cabinet members. He asked them to find out why his daughter kept rejecting the men who wanted to marry her. When they asked the king's daughter, she said that anyone who wanted to marry her must bring an elephant.

The king informed all the young men who wished to marry his daughter that they must bring an elephant to qualify. 

When the tortoise heard the news, he went to the elephant's house and told him that the king wanted him to be the chairman of his upcoming Ofala festival. The elephant was delighted, and the tortoise told him that the festival would be the next day and they should go together.

As the elephant and the tortoise started their journey to the king's Ofala festival, the tortoise was too slow, causing the elephant to complain that they would arrive too late. The tortoise suggested climbing onto the elephant's back so they could walk faster and arrive on time. The elephant agreed and told the tortoise to climb onto his back.

As they continued the journey, the tortoise pretended to be about to fall off. The elephant asked him to hold on tightly. The tortoise said his hands were too small to hold on well and suggested using a rope to tie around the elephant's neck so he could hold onto the rope instead. The elephant agreed, wanting to arrive at the festival on time. The tortoise then tied the elephant with a rope and started singing, "King, I have brought the elephant!"

The elephant immediately asked the tortoise, "Who did you say you have brought?"

The tortoise replied that he had said they had come to the occasion with the elephant, but it sounded as if he had said he had brought the elephant. He assured the elephant to keep going, and that he was with him.

The elephant continued, and his heavy steps sounded like "Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo."

When they arrived at the king's palace, the tortoise told the elephant to wait outside while he went inside to inform the king of their arrival. The elephant agreed.

However, the tortoise, not trusting the elephant, tied him to a tree in front of the king's palace. Then, the tortoise raised his voice again, informing the king that he had brought the elephant and tied it up in front of the palace. The king then handed over his daughter to the tortoise.

This is the story narrated in the lovely song by Mike Ejeagha: "Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo."