"The Oba saw what his servant brought back. He was surprised. He asked, ‘Why did you bring a tongue of beef when there were so many other things to choose from? I instructed you to bring the best of all foods.’
His servant said, ‘Great Oba, the tongue is the finest thing to be found. Is it not true that with a tongue a man can speak? With his tongue he can instruct his servants and advise his sons how to live. With his tongue an Oba commands his city and calls his warriors together for battle. With their tongues two friends can commune with one another. The diviner communicates with his tongue what he reads in his Ifa. With a tongue the bard recites the history of heroes, and with a tongue an exalted personage commends the bard. And does not a counselor influence the ruler of a kingdom with his tongue? Of all distinguished foods a tongue is surely the most remarkable.’"