Tortoise teaches lesson

Tortoise teaches lesson

A long time ago, all the animals periodically gathered to pray to the god of the animals. During the session, all the animals noticed that Chimpanzee did not say amen to any of the prayers said.
When they asked him Chimpanzee told them that he didn’t need their prayers. On the way home, Tortoise and Chimpanzee happened to travel in the same company. The Chimp happily told Tortoise of his future plans. He told Tortoise that he is going to be the next king of the animals.
“Why?” Asked the tortoise surprised.
“Because I look like a man of course”
“You look like a man?” the tortoise exclaimed
Tortoise is now more than surprised. “So this is the source of the earlier naughtiness and arrogance.” The tortoise thought. “I have to deflate his pride.”
Although Tortoise has no strength, it is not afraid of any challenge. What he lack in strength he gained in intelligence, cunning and wiles. Tortoise also has a very powerful weapon in his arsenal- his knowledge of the other animals. Tortoise also has the ability to see well into the future.
He thought and thought. Even after he arrived home his mind was not at rest. He was so occupied with the method to use in deflating the chimp’s pride and make him ashamed. After a week, he arrived at a plan. The plan was that he would pitch Chimpanzee against a more formidable force. Tortoise thought of the animals that could fill this space, he picked the lion. It happens that Lion was also aspiring to be the king of the animals.
Tortoise prepared some akara –fried beans cake and coated them with honey. Then Tortoise went to a well known path which he knew Lion takes frequently. He threw the akara randomly on the path. When Lion passed the path he saw Tortoise eating the akara and smacking his lips.
“Have a taste.” Tortoise said as he offered some akara to the lion. Lion eagerly took the cake and ate it.
“Oh, it is sweet,” said Lion in between bite “where did you get it.”
Picking another akara from the ground, Tortoise said he doesn’t know but he saw Chimpanzee in the area some minutes ago.
After they finished eating the cakes, they searched the area unsuccessfully for more cakes. All, this while Tortoise kept hinting that the possible source of the Akara was the chimp.
Lion sensing that Tortoise knew more about the cakes than he was admitting cajoled the tortoise to reveal its source when that did not work Lion started threatening him.
Tortoise told Lion that he was sworn to secrecy and that he can’t reveal the akara source. After much begging and persuasion, Tortoise lied that the akara was really the faeces of Chimpanzee.
Lion still needing a taste of the sweet faeces quickly charged to the chimp’s hut, there he told the chimp that he needs a taste of the sweet faeces. Chimpanzee not knowing what he meant asked, “Which sweet faeces?”
“The one you gave the tortoise.” Lion replied promptly.
Chimpanzee told Lion that he has no sweet faeces. But Lion not believing him grabbed the chimpanzee from behind and started hitting his behind.
“Give me the sweet faeces.”
The chimpanzee taking the first painful hit on his buttocks spurt out some faeces which the lion eagerly ate but this faeces was bitter and foul smelling. This made Lion angrier and he hit the monkey harder. Soon, the ground was filled with faeces but they were not sweet.
The lion hit Chimpanzee long and hard for several hours. Even the intervention of the other animals could not save the chimp from Lion. Only the intervention of Tortoise saved Chimpanzee from disability. When Lion released the chimp it was late, his buttocks were already swollen, reddish and completely hairless.
Tortoise was very sorry, what began as a trick now ended as a disaster, as for the chimp it could not sleep all night, its sore buttocks was very painful and he was also ashamed of his humiliation.