In the quiet village of Odo-Aro lived a headmaster named Mr. Alamu, a man who believed the sun rose every morning just to greet him. To the pupils, he was a strict disciplinarian; to the teachers, he was a walking trumpet—always blowing praises of himself. Mr. Alamu would often say, “Without me, this school will scatter like papers in the wind!”
Every morning, he arrived with a swagger, holding his cane like a royal staff. He reminded everyone—sometimes ten times a day—that he was the “pillar of education” in the village. Even when a child greeted him “Good morning sir,” he would reply, “Yes, it is good because I am here.”
But trouble began on a certain Thursday.
The village chairman announced that an inspector from the state ministry would visit the school. Mr. Alamu immediately polished his shoes, rehearsed speeches in front of his mirror, and even practiced smiling—something he rarely did because he believed teachers should not smile too much.
When the inspector arrived, Mr. Alamu welcomed him with exaggerated bows and long grammar that even he didn’t fully understand. He pointed at the buildings as if he built them with his bare hands. But when the inspector entered the classrooms, he discovered something shocking: the pupils were behind in every subject!
The teachers had been too afraid to correct Mr. Alamu’s mistakes—he never listened to anyone. And since he spent more time bragging than actually supervising the school, learning had suffered.
The inspector shook his head. “Headmaster,” he said, “education is not about pride. It is about leadership and service.”
The entire staff watched as Mr. Alamu’s pride deflated like a burst balloon. For the first time in many years, he was quiet.
From that day on, the village headmaster changed. He listened. He worked. He learned. And whenever someone praised him, he simply smiled and said, “It is teamwork.”
The villagers later joked that they preferred the new Alamu—the one who didn’t see himself as the sun, but as a candle helping others shine.
And so, Odo-Aro became known not for the proud headmaster, but for the humble one who finally understood that leadership is not about the size of your voice, but the size of your heart.
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