Not too long ago all animals in the jungle fed on plants and the hyena was King of the jungle. He lorded over all animals on the ground, insects and birds in the sky and the beasts of the sea. The Hyena king was guarded by a very large pack of loyal angry hyenas. Together they ruled with so much greed and brute force and the other animals feared them. They secluded the most lucrative part of the jungle for themselves with the most succulent fruit and plant varieties. They enjoyed all the fresh clean waters to drink and to bathe in. Their greedy nature made the other animals despise them. One time, there was a great famine in all the land except where the Hyenas lived. All the other animals lacked food and water and despite many futile attempts to access the hyenas’ land, the pack was just too strong and well prepared. Without any options left, the animals began to hunt each other. The jungle became chaotic to the pleasure of the hyena king. It weakened its subjects who were now too frail to launch any meaningful attack. Seeing that the jungle was becoming dangerous for all the animals, the wise brave lion called everyone for a meeting “ Why should we kill and eat one another when there is enough for everyone on the other side?” The lion asked.
There were murmurs amongst the animals but none spoke up. “Big animals I know you have less complaints since you feed on the smaller weaker animals. However, how are you going to quench your thirst after a hearty meal?” He asked the large animals in attendance. “And you beasts of the sea once the muddy sludge you call water finally turns to hard ground how are you going to cool your hard scaly bodies?” “What would you have us do?” Shouted an angry crocodile, “clearly the Hyenas are too strong for us and everything we have tried has been unsuccessful”
“I have a plan,” said the lion. “We all know that the bees are tiny and have a vicious sting. Let us build a large Pinyota made of wax and hide them. We present this as a gift to the King as a peace offering during their weekly festival tomorrow. Every time they smack the Pinyota, sweet honey will come out and they will want more. More and more smacks and the Pinyota will open up releasing an army of bees, a Swam!” the lion concluded amid cheers from the animals. They were extremely elated by the lion’s idea and they elected him to be King if the plan succeeded. So, the animals made a Pinyota out of wax and hid the bees inside.
The next day they took the gift to the Hyenas who were very excited. That evening during the banquet the king ordered that the Pinyota be brought before him. With everyone gathered around, he began hitting the nest. A drop of honey came out and he licked it. It was so sweet and so he hit again even harder and each time more honey oozed from it. Finally, he hit with all his might breaking the nest open and letting out thousands of angry bees who began stinging them. The poor Hyenas scampered for safety running towards the valley with the swarm in pursuit. There, they fell into the valley and broke their hind legs.
To this day the Lion remains king of the jungle. Some animals continue to hunt and eat other animals, the bees construct their Pinyotas where they make sweet honey and our friends the Hyenas, well they with their short hind legs hunt other animals at night hoping to become king once again.
Read – The Spirit of the Land – A Children’s Story by Shaza T. Reads, South Africa
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