It was a season of famine. All the animals in the forest felt it’s bite. “I am so hungry,” Rabbit complained, “my stomach has turned inside out.” Along with Horse and Monkey, Rabbit had been reluctant to accept the invitation Ijapa, the tortoise had issued. Walking demanded energy he didn’t have. Now, all four animals sat in Ijapa’s parlor, bemoaning their current predicament. That is, until…

“Hmm…” Ijapa sighed. He brought out a clay pot. One by one, he showed his friends. The clay pot was medium-sized. On the body was a pleated design of ridges and valleys. It was empty. “As we’re putting our heads together today to think of ways out of this predicament, why don’t we put our money together to lift ourselves out of this poverty?” He explained to them how the susu will work. Each of the four friends will contribute N1000 into the pot. One friend will take the N4000 contributed and use it to restart his business. Each month, they will rotate who takes the pot until all four have taken the pot.

“When I get the pot, I’ll buy millet to grow on my farm!” Horse said dreaming of possibilities. This was a sound idea. Sure, it wasn’t a lot of money, but it could jumpstart their businesses and by the third or fourth rounds, they will be back in good financial shape.

“When I get the pot, I’ll buy a grain grinder,” Ijapa enthused. “Horse, you may come to me to grind your grain.”

“When I get the pot, I’ll buy sugar and flour…” Excited, they talked at once. Gone was the despair they’d started the meeting with. Now, there were possibilities everywhere they looked.

“Friends!” Ijapa yelled to quiet them down. “Let’s start now. As I brought the idea, I think I should take the pot first.” After much grumbling, the friends agreed Ijapa should take the pot first. The others drew lots for the order.

“Yanibo!” Ijapa called his wife. “Go to the market. Pick out the biggest yams, the freshest greens, and the reddest goat meat. We’re celebrating!”

“Dearest husband, what are we celebrating?” Her face lit up in glee. It wasn’t every day that her stingy husband gave her money.

Ijapa threw up his arms. “We’re celebrating our windfall! The famine is over.” Ijapa twirled his astonished wife round and round.

Soon, it was time for another susu contribution. Monkey, Rabbit, and Horse went to Ijapa’s house to put money in the pot. As soon as he saw them coming, Ijapa began to cough. “Arggggh woo woo woo!” He sounded bad; like whooping cough with a dash of hacking and growling. The friends backed away. They didn’t want to catch whatever Ijapa had.

No one heard from Ijapa the next month either. Yanibo came to Rabbit’s house where the three friends had begun meeting. “My husband is abed with fever. He would have joined you today.” The friends wished him well.

One day, Ijapa was walking through town. He smelled something good. His stomach growled. Following his nose, he thought, ‘I’d grovel for a slice of that bread.’ His pockets were empty. When Ijapa came to the bakery, he got a shock.

“Hi Ijapa, how can I help you?” Rabbit asked, bustling around to help customers in her bakery. She bagged two loaves of millet bread and handed it to Swan.

Ijapa looked around, his mouth open in astonishment. “How…” was all he could manage to say.

“Oh, I used my first susu pot to buy millet from Horse. Then I began baking bread for sale. With the second susu pot, I rented this bakery. Business has been good and I am on my way to buy more grain.

Ijapa was transfixed. Rabbit owned a bakery. Horse owned a millet farm. He guessed their fourth friend, Monkey was owned something too. Gripped by intense jealousy, he rushed out of the door.

“Whoa!” Monkey called as Ijapa slammed into him. “Watch where you’re going if you don’t want to be covered in the freshly ground millet I’m delivering to Rabbit!”

It was not to be borne.