Mbe and the Singing Contest in the Sky

Mbe the Tortoise heard that the birds were having a singing contest in the sky, with the prize being the hand of the beautiful daughter of the Sun. Mbe, who could not fly or sing, was determined to win. He tricked the birds into lending him feathers, as in the famous "patchwork shell" story. When he arrived in the sky, he did not enter the singing contest. Instead, he went to the Sun's daughter and told her, "I have brought you a secret message from your mother, the Moon. She says you must not marry a singer, but a drummer, for the drum is the heartbeat of the world." The Sun's daughter, who respected her mother, told her father she would only marry the best drummer. All the birds were terrible drummers. Mbe, who had spent his whole life drumming on his own shell, then played a magnificent and complex rhythm. He was declared the winner and won the bride. He had won a singing contest without singing a single note, by changing the rules of the game to fit his own unique talent.