Right now I'm reading a book called: The Girl Who Married a Lion
It is a super cute book
I absolutely love reading it
But it is also really weird if you're not accustomed to African culture
This is one of the stories from it that I'd like to share
enjoy :)
Beware Of Friends You Cannot Trust
Hyena was miserable. It was some time since he had eaten, and there was no food to be seen anywhere. He sat by the side of the road and tried to remember his last meal, but all he could think of was the pain that was gnawing away at his stomach.
As Hyena sat in misery, Jackal walked past. He was never miserable, as he always had enough to eat. He looked at hyena and asked him why he was so downcast.
"It is because I have had no food for days," Hyena howled. "Other animals are fat and sleek, but I am just bones. It might be better if I were to die now, rather than to wait."
"Well your troubles are over, Uncle," said Jackal. "It happens that I know a very good place for food."
"Will you show it to me?" asked Hyena. "I only want a little."
"I will do that with pleasure," said Jackal, preening himself as he spoke. "All you have to do is follow me."
The two friends made their way to a place which Jackal knew. It was a place where men lived, and it had a stock pen around which the men had built a high fence.
"This is the place," said Jackal. "That pen is full of sheep and goats. We can eat as much as we like."
"But what about the fence?" asked Hyena. "It is far too high for us to jump over."
Jackal smirked. "I have a way in," he said confidently.
"There is a hole in that fence. It is only a small hole, but we shall be able to squeeze through it."
Hyena followed Jackal to the place where the hole was. As Jackal had said, it was not a big hole, but they both just managed to get through and found themselves standing in the animal pen. And Jackal had been right. There were many sheep and goats standing about, peering at the two unwelcome visitors, waiting to be eaten.
"Do not eat the goats," Jackal whispered. "They make a great noise and will wake the men. Eat only the sheep."
The two friends then chased some sheep into a corner.
"You eat the fat one," said Jackal. "I will eat the small one."
Hyena thought that this was most generous of Jackal, as had he been in Jackal's position he would undoubtedly have chosen to eat the fat sheep.
The sheep tasted good. Hyena ate and ate until he had eventually finished even the bones and skin of the fat sheep. Jackal finished his sheep more quickly, as it was much smaller.
Then they prepared to leave. As he stood up, Hyena felt his belly sag beneath him. It had been a very long time since he had had such a large amount to eat and his skin was stretched thin to accommodate all the delicious meat.
"I will just take one bite out of a goat," Jackal announced. "Goat meat is very delicious and it would help the rest of my meal go down."
No sooner had he said this, than he pounced on a goat and took a bite out of its leg. The goat cried out and made a terrible bleating noise. This awoke the dogs who were sleeping near the huts. They barked furiously and in due course awoke the men.
"We shall have to leave quickly," said Jackal, darting for the hole by which they had entered.
Jackal slipped out of the hole without difficulty, but when it came to Hyena's turn he was so round from eating the fat sheep that he could not get through. He struggled and wriggled, but it was no good. Soon the people were upon him, beating him with their knobkerries and shouting angry words at him. By the time he managed to escape, he was covered with dreadful bruises.
Hyena went off to a quiet place and wept. He had now forgotten the delicious meal which he had enjoyed and all that remained was the burning pain from the blows which the people had inflicted on him. Hyena wept many tears. Some were for the shame of what had been done to him; others were over friends who could not be trusted.
