2 THE OSTRICH AND THE RABBIT

THE OSTRICH AND THE RABBIT

Long long ago, in the animal kingdom, when all animals lived together in the bush including dogs, there were two friends, the Ostrich and the Rabbit.

These two friends were very rich and as the custom of the land, had many wives and many children.

All these wives and children were the helping hands in crop farming, fish farming and animal hunting, making the Ostrich and the Rabbit richer.

Ostrich and Rabbit were jealous of each other, they pretended to like each other but envied each other even though they were both rich and had equal wives and children.

Ostrich was always cautious with the Rabbit, he runs very fast and can do anything.

"He runs so fast and digs fast. He can cunningly take away my wives swiftly and under my own nose. I can't let that happen." The Ostrich said to himself one day. "I don't know what to do. How can I keep a watch over my wives? The Rabbit is a cunning man."

The Ostrich thought and thought of ideas but none came to his head. After two hours, a servant of the Rabbit came to tell the Ostrich that his master wants The Ostrich, his beloved friend, to come have dinner at his house. The Ostrich was suspicious and went on guard.

When he arrived at Rabbit's house, Rabbit welcomed him warmly and they ate together. After eating, The Rabbit started to boast. "My wife just gave birth to a set of twins, I would have announced it but you know, I always announce it in a grand style. I will announce it tomorrow afternoon with a party, inviting the whole village.

You know that is the way I always do it.

And two more children means more hands in the farms or forest, more money."

"That's great Rabbit, congratulations. Such good news. But, why tell me?"

"You are my best friend, Is it wrong to tell my best friend good news before telling others?"

"Not at all". (Except you just want to boast in my face, you proud fool. I will teach you a lesson) Ostrich vowed in his mind.

The following week, Ostrich was asleep and as Ostrich slept, he buried his head inside the ground. Rabbit came to visit him and saw Ostrich having buried his head on the ground.

"My friend," He said. "Why is your head buried under the ground?"

And Ostrich with his head still in the ground, replied. "I told one of my wives to cut off my head and hang it on the roof of my house, so that I can watch all of them at once. You know, to be safe."

"Not a bad idea. That's good, good." The Rabbit said, nodding away to his house.

The Rabbit got home and met only his first wife at home and told his first wife to cut off his head and hang it on the roof, the wife refused and told Rabbit that it was a foolish idea. The Rabbit beat her and called her unfaithful. With fear, she cut her husband's head with a swift cutlass and hung it on the roof of the house.

The other wives and children came home and wept, seeing their husband and father's head on the roof of their house. The first wife explained what happened and the weeping continued.

Ostrich, being a good friend, came to console the family and after the burial of The Rabbit, made a suggestion to take in the wives and children of Rabbit to take care of them. The village head agreed and all Rabbit wives and children became his. Even Rabbit properties and lands also became his.

When the Ostrich heir asked him how he did all these, Ostrich said to him "Do not cut off your head for a woman, she will go and become another person's wife."

Moral lesson: Do not be proud. Do not be greedy. Do not be foolish.

And most of all, Do not kill yourself for a woman, because as Ostrich said, she will go on to become another person's own.