- Elesin Oba, the late king's horseman, is entering the market with his drummers and praise singers in tow.
- He banters with the Praise-Singer back and forth, and they discuss Elesin's plans to go over to "the other side." It appears that Elesin will soon die. The Praise-Singer mentions being willing to follow, as necessary…
- The Praise-Singer then talks about how super awful it would be if the world got knocked off its course, and Elesin assures him that this won't happen.
- To reassure him, Elesin tells/chants the story of something called the Not-I bird, which flew around to people who were about to die. Elesin describes the way a bunch of people basically told the bird to go away, saying "Not I" when it came to recruit them to the other side. So, that's how the bird got that name: Everyone said "Not I" when he came around.
- Elesin, however, says that he saw the bird that morning, and he sent the bird back to its nest happy, thereby implying that Elesin will not be trying to escape death. Which is supposed to set the Praise-Singer's mind at ease as well, it seems.
- As Elesin has been dancing and chanting, some women have arrived, including someone named Iyaloja.
- When Elesin and the Praise-Singer take a break from their back and forth, the women start talking to Elesin about how honorable he is. For some reason, though, Elesin acts extremely offended by this.
- We're not the only ones confused—the women are, too. They're not sure how they managed to offend Elesin.
- However, they soon realize he's kidding about being mad, and they prepare some suitable clothes for him to wear for whatever is about to happen.
- We then learn some more about Elesin and his career and reputation as the king's horseman… and ladies' man.
- Fittingly, a beautiful girl walks in.
- Elesin asks Iyaloja about her. It turns out she's engaged to Iyaloja's son, but since Elesin wants to, er, get to know her better, he doesn't like this intel.
- Eventually, Iyaloja decides that she'd best give in to Elesin's request and let him have her son's betrothed as a bride—after all, he is about to sacrifice himself so the world doesn't fall off its axis. She sends the women off to tell the girl.
- Like the Praise-Singer, Iyaloja seems a little worried that Elesin is going to bail on going over to the other side, and that his upcoming marriage might distract him from his duty, but he brushes her fears off.
- The women return with the girl, who kneels in front of Elesin.