MOONLIGHT STORIES IS A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES BY MARVIN UGORJI.

1. MOONLIGHT STORIES
BY MARVIN UGORJI
THE KINGS HORSEMEN
In a certain village in Imo State,There lived a king who was very
kind,generous and gentle.He ruled without discrimination but with
equality.
The king ruled with the help of this wives and elders servant of his
community.The king was so rich and so was the land also.Their land
were very fertile and plants do well on their land.This made crops to
blossom and grow healthy on their land.This land were very fertile
and plants do well on their land.
This made crops to blossom and grow healthy on their land.
The neighbouring village envied them and planned to destroy their
land with their evil powers so that young ones will die mysteriously
and their land will refuse to yield.
They turned the village upside down by creating a chaos in their
environment.Young ones started dying and lands stopped to
yield.The king was grieved by what he saw so he consulted a
soothsayer and the soothsayer said to him that his enemies in the
neighbouring village rage war against him and his entire kingdom.So
the king sent for his four horsemen.
One has power over fire,the other has power over water,the other has
power over the soil.So the King’s horsemen came and he ordered
them to the neighbouring village to make war against his
enemies.The first horsemen evoked fire and it burnt their farmland.
The second horseman evoked water on the land and it carried all
lining creatures away from the village,though some survived it.the
villagers were left with no home.they wept with pain and begged the
gods for forgiveness of their land,Thus causing one-third of their
community members to die as a result of cold and diseases they
suffer.

2. The fourth horseman made the seas on the land to dry up and the
ground became infertile.This made some of the community members
to die remaining few villagers,some of the villagers were dying in
arithemetic progression.
The king first son died,the wife followed and some of the elders died
also.The king cried out to the god of their land because of the
plagues were unbearable.So later their village priest revealed to them
after series of enchantations that the problem came from a certain
village.
The priest told him that for his sins to be forgiven he should go to
village he cursed and plead for forgiveness. By the king will withdraw
his present and future wraths upon the land.
Agumanu heard their plea and forgave them.Their was once again
tranquility on the land.
WHY LEOPARD HAS STRIPES
In the years when man was living with animals in the same
household.Animals tend to learn from the man and even behave like
man.But sometimes they still behave like man.
But sometimes they still behave stupid like an albino or black
monkey.
On a certain village their lived a man called “Dinta”.Who lives alone
on a mountain around the middle belt in Nigeria.
Around him was all sorts of living creatures such as Wilds
Dogs,Birds,Horses and Leopards.
Leopards was one of the animals closest to man because of it’s
hunting abilities. But the leopards was one of the animals closest to
man because of it’s hunting abilities.
But the leopard is very cunning, sometimes he will catch food and eat
it alone inside the bush and come back without any food.
This kept on happening till one day the man was angry with him.He
tried to find a means to make leopard unhappy.The thought of
discolouring leopard’s skin came.One day leopard skin came on.

3. One day leopard came home telling the man that he is hungry and
have not eaten since that day and the man grieved in his heart
rushed a nearby container he prepared that was full of black dye and
poured it on the leopard.
IJEOMA
Once Upon a time in a village in Anambra State Their lived a very
beautiful girl born by a famous palm wine tapper and hunter.The Girl
was born through a native doctor because the parents have been
married for years without an issue of a child.So the native doctor
mixed a portion for the mother to be taken so as to enable her give
birth,That was how Ijeoma came into existence.
Ijeoma grew up to become the girl in which every young man’s eye in
the village was focused on because of her outstanding beauty.But
ijeoma was possessed by a mermaid spirit even when she was in her
mothers womb.
The native doctor invoked a mermaid spirit into the portion by calling
on the god he worshipped.This made Ijeoma to be very beautiful and
possess powers.
Ijeoma used her beauty to lure men to bed,after making love with
them she will either kill the victim or render the person useless all the
rest of his life.
One of her victim was Obinna the king’s first son who was to become
the king of their land after the death of his father “Aguafurukwe”
Obinna fell in love with Ijeoma and wanted to marry her,Though the
Villagers and some of the elders countered his idea but he refused to
hear their word.He went and paid for Ijeoma’s bride price and took
her in as a wife,from that day Nneka started displaying her demonic
characters on Obinna and the community as a whole.She refused
giving birth for obinna and made obinna to be impotent.The village on
the other hand was been killed on after the other.
This nemesis happened until a preacher sent by the neighbouring
village came to the community’s rescue.When Ijeoma saw the
preacher she was troubled and told Obinna to banish him,but Obinna
told peacher will only stay for three nights and then leave for his
Village.

4. One time the preacher was praying in his closet when Ijeoma
appeared and shouted at him and told him to move out from their
village because he was disturbing them.The preacher kept on praying
and Ijeoma fell on the ground and turned to a snake and died.The
Villagers seeing this was happy and the preacher told Obinna that
ijeoma was the once behind the misfortune that befell him and his
community from that day Obinna lived happily again with community.
ANIMAL WITH TWELVE TAILS
In the olden days when men struggle within themselves to become
king either by wrestling or embarking in any other type of journey
or sport,There lived a king who was about to die but because he
had no son he called on his brothers so as to select a king.But
anyone to be a king must embark on a task.
The task was for his brothers to go into a wild forest and catch an
animal with twelve tail.The name of the wild forest is iheorji and no
one enters there and comes out alive.
Among the King’s brothers where Emeka,Ugochukwu and
Chidi.Emeka was a man of patience but lacked understanding and
Chidi was a gentle and cunning man but was not brave.
On there way,Chidi saw a buffalo and hid it by the horn and
Emeka used his sword and pierced it’s stomach and it died.So
they left the place and arrived on a Bridge,under the swamp was
inhabited by a deadly crocodiles.
When they arrived there,Emeka being courageous was about to
pass when the crocodiles leaped and dragged Emeka inside the
swamp and ate him up.Ugochukwu and Chidi was surprised at the
sudden death of chinedu.
They later crossed the river(Swamp).On their way they saw a
lion,Ugochukwu killed the lion with an arrow that came out from
the bow.They came across a python and the python fought with
them and Killed Ugochukwu as he was trying to bring out his
Charm.Chidi was left all alone in the bush inhabited by the animal
with twelve tail.When he saw the animal he ran to it and catch the
animal,though he was afraid at first.

5. The animal did not harm him because it is not harmful.He brought
the animal home and showed it to the king and elders of the land.
They were very happy because they have never seen the animal
before but was told by their great-grand parents as a story.Chidi
was later crowned king and he ruled the community well.
LIZARD
Long time ago in a certain village called Nwangele.There lived a
certain lizard who was very meek,kind and have an inferiority
complex syndrome.
The village of which lizard live was ruled by the lion.One day lion
called a meeting for the council of elders in the community is made
up of the bear,the kangaroo and lizard.The meeting began with the
recitement of their anthem and pledges.
Later the bird rendered a melodious song to open the
meeting.After the song,the bird pirched down and the lion told the
animals that their sole agenda was to eliminate disunity on their
land.He went further to tell the animals that they should stop
quarrelling with one another.
The lizard stood up to make a comment but was intercepted by the
other animals.They told lizard to sit down since he is a stammerer
and cannot express well in the public.
The lion later took up the podium, He told the animals that the
gorilla will be in charge of peace keeping in the community and
that any animal that fight with one another will pay a fine in form of
money.
All the animals agreed with the suggestion and kangaroo being
secretary to lion endorsed and signed the new law passed.
Lizard was embarrassed by the dilemma that fell upon him,so he
walked to his house sluggishly all alone.
The tortoise was a very close friend of lizard since he is jovial in
nature and do not underestimate anybody. Lizard asked tortoise
what to do so as to be huge as he is.

6. Lizard has always dreamt to be huge as tortoise or gorilla.
Tortoise deceived lizard to be taking some mixture of native drugs
he mixed together and assured lizard that he will grow huge and
muscular after taking the native drugs.
Lizard grew thinner day by day after taking the drugs. The lizard
later quarreled with tortoise over the mixture of drugs he gave him
and later went to gorilla to ask him how to grow huge and
muscular as him.Gorilla told lizard to always be doing press up or
push up all the time,that is why Lizard always do press up with his
head nodding.
THE MAN WITH BACK EYE
On a certain village,there lived a man called “Duru”.He is a hunter
and lived around the outskirt of the village known as Ohabiam.Duru
was a very successful hunter and was envied by his fellow
hunters.He predicted future events and destinies of people in their
community and beyond.
He sees evil that is about to befall him.One day one of his fellow
hunter by name “Sam” planned to shoot him while they were hunting
but duru noticed his action and shot him first.
Duru grew very famous in his community and beyond.On one
occasion duru predicted his mother’s future illness that suppose to kill
her.He took his mother to a native doctor who healed his mother.
Duru’s friend tried all means to kill him but all was to no avail.They
were one day planning on how to move to the next move so as to pull
him down.Duru stormed into the room and shot all of them.Duru
thanked his creator for giving him that kind of gift.
HOW ANT LOST IT’S VOICE
Once Upon a time there lived an ant called sting,She is very greedy
and arrogant.A time came in ant’s life when there was no friend to
lean on because all her friends has disappeared because of his
greediness and arrogance.Absence of friend in sting’s life disturbed

7. him so well that she decided to visit a native doctor in search of it’s
solution.
The native doctor told sting to bring a live cockroach.But sting told the
native doctor that she has no friend to help her drag the cockroach to
him.
The native doctor then told ant to choose between getting the
cockroach or loosing her voice.After sting thought of what the native
doctor told her she decided to loose her voice in other to draw friend
close to herself.
That is why ant always walk in line with thousands and chose to give
signs to one another rather than talking.Since then stings children
has remain dumb.
HOW COW HAVE A HUMP BACK
Once Upon a time there lived a cow by name Chinggy owned by a
very rich man by name Babangida.Babangida always provide food for
chinggy each time he is not around.
Chinggy’s food is always a bundle of grasses and sometimes a
grounded cereal and legumes(Example rice and beans).
One day,Babangida left chinggy alone in the house and went for a
very crucial meeting with the village council and did not return on
time,That made chinggy very hungry so chinggy wandered into
Babangida’s compound and ate all the food in his kitchen pot.
Chinggy was eating the last pot of soup prepared by Babanagida
when Babangida came in and saw chinggy eating his soup,feeling
helplessly,He dragged a heavy rod by his side and flogged it on
chinggy’s back.Chinggy ran away from Babangida’s compound.Till
today cows always have a hump back because of the rod flogged on
him by Babangida.
WHY HYENA SEES ONLY AT NIGHT
Once Upon a time in the animal kingdom.There lived a hyena called
Swifty.Swifty lived with his parents in the outskirt of the forest.
One day swifty went out with his mother in search of food in their
nearby forest when he saw a helpless cobra,Swifty wanted to eat the
cobra but his mother told him not to because cobra normally spit out

8. a poisonous saliva that have the ability to blind or cause a change in
the eye.
Swifty not listening to his mother’s advice decided to eat the
cobra,But as he stretches his mouth to eat the cobra,the cobra spitted
out the poisonous saliva into swift eyes.Swifty struggled for his sight
but could not reverse it, so swift mother decided to mix a drug for him
that can make him see only in the night,from that day swift children
and generation got affected by the poison from the cobra due to it
contaminated swift sperm.
TORTOISE AND LEOPARD
Tortoise and leopard went for a marathon race,tortoise being so
cunny and slow runner decided to bring out a trick.The trick was that
tortoise will always plan to be resting each time leopard sees him on
the way.
Leopard was very early to the marathon ground before tortoise
because he is a fast runner and a very ambitious to excel.
At 12:00 O’clock in the afternoon,The race started.Leopard ran over
tortoise as tortoise was busy crawing on the ground.But after leopard
ran a sympathy came over him and he waited for tortoise tortoise to
reach him.Leopard waited for tortoise to reach for him until he fell
asleep.
Tortoise got to where leopard was sleeping,laughed at him and
passed.When leopard woke up he discovered that tortoise has
passed him,before he could run off the whistle blew and
championship was given to tortoise.
ELEPHANT AND ANT
Once Upon a time.there lived an arrogant,greedy and wicked
elephant who terrorize the forest because of his hugeness.
He fought with many animal in the forest and defeated them while
some were killed in the process.
One day he met an ant and the ant told him that he will defeat
him.The elephant laughed sonorously at the ant because ant is very
small animal or creature.

9. After much dialogue between elephant and ant,elephant agreed to
embark on a fight with the ant.
The news between elephant and ant’s fight gradually began to spread
through out the whole village and any animal that heard out their fight
began to laugh at ant.
The fight was scheduled at twelve noon when the intensity of the light
from the sun is very high.
When the time for the fight came,all the animals gathered to witness
the downfall of ant.
Elephant being boastful began to hail himself.As he was hailing
himself,the ant came out from the ground,climbed the elephant body
and entered the elephant’s nose.
The elephant tried to sneeze but couldn’t.
The ant stayed inside the elephant nose till the elephant slumped and
died.
Other animals couldn’t believe what just happened in their midst.They
rejoiced happily with the ant for bringing a close to their nightmare.
THE HUNTER AND THE PRETTY MERMAID
The pretty mermaid gave birth to a new baby girl mermaid named
“Angelica” but the fellow mermaid call her “Uzodinma” which means
“The road is good”.
One day the pretty mermaid left the daughter to a very deep part of
the ocean,The daughter mermaid was left so lonely,So they decided
to drift close to the entrance or shore of the river.
Udodinma crawled to the shore rocks and refused to return to the
ocean again since she found the ocean shore warm.
Udodinma’s life got negative when she was shot dead by a see
hunter called “Fela”.
News later spreaded to the pretty mermaid about her daughter’s
death by the in dwellers of the ocean that sighted the death of
Udodinma.
The wrath of the pretty mermaid came upon the hunter as she seek
revenge for her daughter’s death.

10. One day Fela the hunter friend and went to the sea shore to take their
bath since the season is dry with no or little rain.The tide of the ocean
was very high so the pretty mermaid sighted the hunter and
commanded ocean waves to swallow the hunter.
HANDSOME AND THE SEVEN SEAS
Once Upon a time a king named “Agu or Tiger” seeked to find a good
wife for him,but to find the wife for him.The capable women in the
village must pass seven seas before they marry the king.
Anyone that survived through the seas will marry him.
So all the capable women in the village both black and white
embarked on the journey.
The first woman was killed by a hippotamus.The second woman was
killed by a crocodile on passing through a shallow but swampy part of
the sea.The third woman was killed by a poisonous snake.
The fourth woman was killed by a porcurpine on resting on the sea
island.Finally a single woman and married the king.