In the olden days all the animals of the world lived together in
friendship. They had no one to rule over them and judge them. In
consequence, many very wicked deeds were constantly being done, as no
one needed to fear any punishment.
At last they all met together to discuss this bad state of affairs,
and, as a result, they decided to choose a king. The great difficulty
was how to choose him.
Lion was the first animal suggested. But all opposed him because, they
said, he was too fierce. Wolf was next named—but the sheep and goats
refused to have him because he was their foe. They knew they would have
bad treatment if he were chosen.
As it was impossible to please every one by choice, they decided in
another way. Two miles away was a great stool, placed under a very
ancient tree which they believed to be the abode of some of their gods.
They would have a great race. The animal which reached and sat down
first on the stool should be chosen king.
The day of the race arrived. All animals, great and small, prepared to
take part in it. The signal being given, they started off. The
hare—being a very fine runner—speedily outdistanced the others. He
reached the stool quite five hundred yards ahead of the next animal.
You may judge of his annoyance when, just as he was going to sit down,
a voice came from the stool saying, “Take care, Mr Hare, take care. I
was here first.” This was the chameleon. He, being able to change his
colour to suit his surroundings, had seized Mr Hare’s tail just as the
race began. Having made his colour match the hare’s, no one had noticed
him. He had held on very tightly, and when the hare turned round to
take his seat Chameleon dropped off and landed on the stool.
The hare saw how he had been tricked and was very angry. The other
animals, however, arrived before he could harm the chameleon. According
to the agreement they had made, they had no choice but to make
Chameleon king.
But none of the animals were satisfied with the choice. So as soon as
the meeting was over, all scattered in every direction and left
Chameleon quite alone.
He was so ashamed that he went and made his home at the top of a very
high tree on a mountain. In the dead of night you may hear him calling
his attendants to come and stay with him. But he is left quite alone.
“A king without subjects is no king.”
XXXI. TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A VERY FOOLISH
THING TO DO
In the olden times there stood in the King’s town a very great tree.
This tree was so huge that it began to overshadow the neighbouring
fields. The King decided to have it cut down. He caused his servants to
proclaim throughout the country that any one who succeeded in cutting
down the tree with a wooden axe should have an elephant in payment.
People thought it would be impossible to cut down such a great tree
with an axe of wood. Spider, however, decided to try by cunning to gain
the elephant. He accordingly presented himself before the King and
expressed his readiness to get rid of the tree.
A servant was sent with him to keep watch and to see that he only used
the wooden axe given him. Spider, however, had taken care to have
another, made of steel, hidden in his bag.
He now began to fell the tree. In a very few minutes, he said to the
servant, “See, yonder is a fine antelope. If you are quick, you will be
able to hit it with a stone. Run!” The lad did as he was bid, and ran a
long way—but could see no sign of the antelope. In his absence, Spider
seized the sharp axe and hastened to cut as much of the tree as he
could, carefully hiding the axe in his bag before the servant’s return.
This trick he repeated several times, till finally the tree was cut
down. Spider went to the King to get the elephant, and took the servant
to prove that he had used only the wooden axe. He got his promised
reward, and started for home in great glee. On the way, however, he
began to think over the matter. “Shall I take this animal home?”
thought he. “That would be foolish, for then I would be obliged to
share it with my family. No! I will hide it in the forest, and eat it
at my leisure. In that way I can have the whole of it for myself. Now
what can I take home for the children’s dinner?”
Thereupon he looked around, and, a little distance away, saw a tiny
wren sitting on a tree. “Exactly what I want,” he said to himself.
“That will be quite sufficient for them. I will tie my elephant to this
tree while I catch the bird.”
This he did, but when he tried to seize the latter, it flew off. He
chased it for some time, without success. “Well! well!” said he. “My
family will just have to go without dinner. I will now go back and get
my elephant.” He returned to the spot where he had left the animal, but
to his dismay the latter had escaped. Spider was obliged to go home
empty-handed, and he, as well as his family, went dinnerless that day.