Long, long ago, women used to grow beards. Their beards were longer, thicker and more beautiful than those of men. They took great care of their beards. Some became so proud of them that they looked down on men, including their own brothers, fathers and husbands. One of the proudest was Nkemdiche. She and her three sisters were admired for their beauty, but especially for their beards.

Their city was ruled by a wealthy and good king named Enyi Mba. His favourite treasure was a gold ring. One day, one of his daughters saw that the servants were very busy and decided to help them by washing all the plates in the household herself. She picked them all up, not noticeing that one of the plates had the ring on it, and took them down to a stream to wash. She never saw the ring slip off the plate into the stream. The rushing waters carried away the ring and soon a fish swallowed it.

Downstream, a boy was fishing. He caught enough fish that day to sell some and bring the rest home to his family. After he roasted a fish for himself, he cut it open and found the ring. Excited, he took the ring to town the next day and sold it to Nkemdiche, not knowing that the ring belonged to the king. Nkemdiche did, but was too proud and selfish to return it to its rightful owner. Instead she hid the ring inside her long, thick beard.

It was not long before the king discovered that his ring was missing. No one, including his daughter, had any idea what had happened. The news of the missing ring was announced throughout the kingdom. The little fisher-boy heard of it and realised whose ring he had found in the fish. Knowing that the king would not punish him for his ignorance, he ran to the king's servants and told them how he had found the ring and, not knowing whose it was, had sold it to a townswoman named Nkemdiche.

The king's servants searched everywhere for Nkemdiche, but no one knew where she was. Unable to find her, the king's servants suggested that he offer to marry any woman who could bring back his ring. Soon Nkemdiche came walking proudly into the king's presence.

"I know where the ring is," she announced. "I have it." And she pulled it from its hiding place in her beard. All the servants realised what she had done. The men-servants were shocked, but the women-servants, ever proud of their beards, were amused at how Nkemdiche had fooled the searchers.

The king sent all the women, including Nkemdiche, out of sight and hearing, and took counsel with the men-servants. They talked of how much contempt the women were showing them because of their beards, and how Nkemdiche had used hers to steal the ring.

At the end of the meeting, the king declared, "Let the beards of all the women be shaved. Let every bit be scraped from their faces, even the faces of my wife and daughters. For these beards are full of evil. We know of a paste that will arrest the growth of hair - let it be put on the jaws of all women, so that no girl or woman will ever again grow a beard to trouble men with."

Since then, women have not grown beards.