Once upon a time in the animal kingdom, there was hunger in the land. The Lion began to kill other animals for food, making the animals unhappy but af
Once upon a time in the animal kingdom, there was hunger in the land. The Lion began to kill other animals for food, making the animals unhappy but afraid to confront him for fear of their lives.
Eventually they got together and devised a means to put the Lion in a cage. Their plan was successful and the Lion stayed in the cage for weeks without food or drink.
One day, a certain young boy, who knew nothing about the situation was passing by the cage. Seeing the boy, the Lion pleaded with him to come to his rescue. At first, the boy refused. The Lion told him so many lies on how he got imprisoned in the cage. Rather than hear the other side of the story and after much persuasion, the boy became compassionate and agreed to free it on one condition: that the Lion will not kill him upon release. Without hesitating, the Lion agreed and the boy opened the cage.
As soon as the Lion came out, he thanked the boy but pleaded with him further to complete the good work he had started. How? The boy should present himself as food for him!
Reminding the lion of their agreement, the boy retorted, “Why do you want to repay a good thing with a bad thing?”
The Lion replied, “In the present world, bad things are used to repay good things. Good deeds are repaid with evil”.
After a very long debate, both of them decided to ask any three animals to confirm whether good is used to repay evil or vice versa (good for good/evil for evil). If all the animals say that bad things were used to repay good things, the Lion would devour the boy but if otherwise, the boy would be free.
The first animal they met was Mr. Goat who said, “It is true that bad things are used to repay good things. I am a living example. My faeces is used as manure for farming but when the crops are harvested, I am NEVER allowed to taste what my faeces produced. Human beings always pursue and prevent me from tasting any part of the product from my dung”
Then, the Lion turned to the boy and said, “1:0.”
So, they went to the second animal, Mr. Dog and he said, “Bad things are used to repay good things. Everybody knows that I go into the bush for hunting. I assist faithfully to kill animals and when it is time for that same animal to be eaten, all I get as reward are bones.”
“Besides, at night while others sleep, I stay awake, keeping watch and even used oftentimes as a sacrificial lamb for the thief’s bullet.”
Again, the Lion turned to the boy and said, “2:0. One more chance.” The boy began to weep! _Aye mi, temi bami!_
The third and last animal they met was Mr. Tortoise. In answering the question, Tortoise said: “Before I give you my response, I need to know how this argument started and, also, we have to go to where it started.”
So the trio went to where the argument began and the boy narrated the whole story and scenario . Then Tortoise asked the boy:
“Where was the Lion the first time you met him?”
“In the cage,” the boy responded”
“Go back into the cage,” Tortoise told the Lion.
So Lion entered the cage.
When the Lion went back into the cage, Tortoise asked the boy:
“Was the cage open or locked at that time?” He answered: “It was locked”
Then Tortoise locked the cage and said to the lucky boy, “Let’s go. There is nothing more to say. No more turenchi!”
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LESSON:
Always seek to hear a story from its start off point before commenting or passing judgement.
The views of the first two people were not wrong, they were grieving based on what happened to them but applied it wrongly in the boy’s case. This boy would have died but for the folkloric wisdom of Mr. Tortoise!
Let’s be careful how we deal with people. If you are not involved, stay out of it. It is the same sun that melts ice, that hardens clay.
Hope you’ve learnt something?
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