beef tongue

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TheBeefTongue.docx

“”La Lengua de Res de Orula” (“Orula’s Beef Tongue”)

Today one can read stories from books and even e-books on computers. There are even audio books that one can listen to in the car or at home. We are fortunate to live at a time when books are so easily accessible. However, it has not always been this way.

Before books could be written, one had to learn to write and read before books could be created. It was extremely important to possess an excellent memory before writing and reading were available. Usually stories were told by one person to another; often details changed as the story was passed around. This method became known as Oral Tradition. No one really knows the origin nor the first person to tell these stories. ”Orula’s Beef Tongue” is a vivid example of Oral Tradition.

Obatalá was a ruler in an Afro-Ecuadorian village. He said one day that his life will end in a few years and he needed to pick the next ruler. He noticed Orula, a young strong man, and he decided to test Orula’s intelligence to see if he would make a great ruler.

Obatalá said to Orula,” Ï want you to go find the best meal in the world and prepare it for me. “Orula went to the market and searched until he found a beef tongue. He then looked for certain herbs and spices to season the tongue as it cooked. Once the tongue was ready for consumption, he gave some to Obatalá. Obatalá enjoyed the meal and asked Orula why did he choose the beef tongue as the best meal. He said he chose it because the tongue is a powerful weapon; it can cause people to get praise; it can give one a great reputation and it can spread love.

Obatalá was impressed with what Orula said and decided to give him another test. Obatalá said to Orula that he wanted him to cook the worst meal in the world and Orula agreed to do so. He again went to the market and looked for a beef tongue. He found the herbs and spices to cook the beef tongue.

When the meal was ready, Obatalá ate it and said it was delicious. He then asked Orula how can the tongue be both the best meal and the worst meal in the world? Orula had already stated the positive aspects of the tongue and now he talked about the negative aspects. A tongue can start wars; it can ruin a person’s reputation and it can spread hate.

Obatalá was highly impressed with the wise words Orula said about the power of the tongue. Obatalá felt confident that Orula will be a wise and just ruler for the Afro-Ecuadorian village.

******** Answer the questions that follow in complete English sentences and submit them to Dr. Morris by 11:59 pm on April 13, 2020.

1.Who wrote this story? 2.Identify Orula. 3. Identify Obatala.4. What was the first test Orula performed? 5.What did he do to the tongue before cooking it? 6.Name 3 positive aspects of the tongue. A. B. C.

7.What was the second test Orula had to pass? 8.Before cooking the tongue, what did Orula do? 9.Name

3 negative characteristics of the tongue. A. B. C. 10. What is the message you get from this story?