A very long time ago Cat and Dog lived among people as brothers. They shared equally in all things wherever they lived, whether it was a hut, house, or hovel. Each had his own mat to sleep upon, and each had his own dish for dinner. Then how did it come about that Cat eats from a dish while Dog eats from the floor? That Cat and Dog now hardly get along at all?

The answer is a story within a story. It is like Spider Anase's famous box that plays a part in this tale. Open the outer box and within lies another. Each locked box holds a smaller box. Whoever finds a way to the innermost box—and that takes wit— wins the treasure.

The story of Cat and Dog and why they are as they are begins with the story of a woman named Onyema and her son Aku, who was not an ordinary child, not in many ways, But in other ways he was, and because of that, Cat and Dog and the brightly colored pigeon, Okera, came to live with him. All of which led to adventure, riches, and finally enmity between Dog and Cat. But that tale can only be told to those who will follow it through. You need only open the book and read, to find out all that happened in Africa, a very long time ago.

From the dust jacket