Einleitung

„Once there was a village in Nigeria where the people made their living by farming. The village lay in a large green valley […]. Surrounding the village were fields with crops of yams, cassava, corn, and other vegetables. Just beyond the fields was a deep river […]. The river was a friend and a provider for the people: the men used it for fishing, the women washed clothes on its banks, and the children played in its waters. But in the rainy season, the river overflowed and the people were fearful of its power. So […] they built a strong dam to hold back the water. There was a man in the village named Modupe […]. Modupe was a shy, quiet man whose wife had died and whose children were all married, so he had moved to the top of the mountain overlooking the valley […]. There he had built a small hut and cleared a small piece of land to grow his vegetables.