MONKEY, LION AND THE ELEPHANT WHO DIDN’T KNOW
Some time is like other time and some time is like no time at all. One day like no other day except maybe perhaps it was exactly like today.
Monkey and his friends were playing games at the base of the big banyan tree. They were a running back and running forth, they were a jumping up and a jumping down, they were a climbing and they were a falling, they were a leading one another around and they were a following one another around. They were a laughing and a giggling and chittering and a chattering.
When right into the middle of their fun, walked Lion. Just as proud as you please, Lion walked right over to monkey and picked monkey up by the skin of his neck. And he asked monkey straight out, “Who is the king of the jungle?”
To which Monkey replied, “I never hear of a king before. What’s a king?“
Well than Lion took Monkey and threw him on the ground and then Lion jumped up and down all over Monkey’s body. And then Lion picked Monkey up and threw him as far as he could. And than Lion ran over to where Monkey had landed and picked him up and then Lion gently brushed the dust and dirt Monkey’s fur and then in a calm, and quiet and almost a royal voice Lion said “That was the wrong answer Would you like to try again. Who is the king of the jungle.”
Monkey replied, “Oh, thank you your highness for giving me a second chance.” And thank you also for your most gentle hints as to the correct answer and most of all thank you for granting to me your lowly and humble and most unworthy servant, this glorious opportunity to proclaim to the world that you oh Lion are great and kind and wonderful in more ways than the spoken word can tell are the king of the jungle. Monkey after saying those words bowed so low that his nose touched the ground.
Lion was so impressed with the accuracy to Monkey’s answer that right there in the shade of the big banyan tree, right there in the middle of monkey’s play yard, he appointed Monkey to the high and important office of public relations animal and then Lion directed Monkey to go forth into the world and spread the word as to who was king of the jungle.
And so Monkey set forth from his home in the big banyan tree and Monkey told everyone that he met that the land now had a king and that the king was Lion. And to anyone that did not accept that Lion was king, Monkey explained the educational process by which he had become enlightened.
And throughout the land Lion followed behind Monkey to the cheers and acclaim of those who choose to accept Monkey’s word that Lion was king of the jungle rather than be subjected to the king’s educational process and where it was necessary to contribute to the education of some of the citizens Lion did so with kingly grace and royal strength.
In one meadow it was necessary for Lion to catch up with a herd of antelope who had been playfully dancing and prancing and ignoring monkey’s attempt to communicate with them but Lion taught their leader a lesson that she will remember as long as she lives. And the rest of the herd joined in the cheering and acclaiming of the fact that they now had a king and that Lion was the best king that they had ever had.
In another meadow Lion paused long enough to instruct a herd of zebras that they now had a king and just who that king was and exactly what it meant to have a king. This was hard work for Lion because Zebra’s are as stubborn as mules. But after catching and eating the head Zebra the rest of the herd proved quite open to learning new things and they joined in the celebration of Lion becoming their king.
There are those who think it is easy work to be cheered and acclaimed but as Lion will tell you it is not easy especially when you add in the extra work of teaching and educating animals into new knowledge. All the this hard work caused Lion to develop a tremendous thirst which caused Lion to head off to the nearest water hole. And when he reached the water he found that Elephant was already there getting a drink of the cool clear water that bubbled up from the ever flowing stream.
Lion thought that King’s should not have to wait for anyone else and tried to push Elephant out of the way. But Lion found out that Elephants don’t push real easy and Elephant just ignored just Lion and continue to drink his drink of cool clear water.
So Lion roared as loudly and as royally that he was the King and that he was thirsty. And the Elephant had better move or that he would be taught a lesson that he would never forget. And Elephant just stood quietly and continued to drink his drink of cool clear water.
So Lion ran to the edge of the clearing and back again and threw himself at Elephants side just as hard as he could and Lion bounced off Elephants side and into a patch of thorn bushes. And Elephant just stood quietly and continued to drink his drink of cool clear water.
As Lion felt the thorns scratching at his skin he became so angry that he tore himself loose from the thorn bushes leaving large patches of fur stuck on the thorn bushes and Lion ran over and jumped onto Elephants back and started to sink his claws into Elephants back.
And then Elephant stopped drinking just long enough to reach up with his trunk and to grab Lion and throw Lion on the ground and then to jump onto Lion with all four elephant feet and to stand on top of Lion until he finished his drink of cool clear water.
And when he had finished his drink Elephant quietly walked off into the jungle looking for some tender leaves to snack on. And from out of the jungle came monkey who had been watching everything that had happened.
And Monkey said to Lion, “But you are the king. How could he do this to the king?”
Lion raised his head out of the mud and said, “He just didn’t know. He just didn’t know.”
And even though we all know that Elephants never laugh there are those who claim that from out of the jungle they heard what sounded like an elephant laughing and laughing and laughing.
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Wayfarer
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