The Fable Continues

     Quite refreshed, the Lion thanked the Monkey sincerely and renewed his journey within the hour. Although the lesson of the Monkey taxed his mind heavily, he decided to continue on towards the mountain to seek the advice of the sage. The sage would, of course, have some advice on the path that the Lion must now take. Perhaps dominion over all the creatures was outlandish, but surely he could learn how to fulfill his destiny, whatever that was.  The sun rose and set five times more before the Lion encountered a wide rushing river. Having been born on the plains and having lived there all his life, the Lion had never bothered to learn how to swim. The river was far too wide and powerful to walk across, and this continued for miles, it appeared. A little farther south, the river widened into sort of lake before quickening again. The Lion wandered down to this area and laid down beside the bank to think for a while. He drank from the river, quenching his thirst until he could drink no more. Resting on the bank of the water, the Lion began to wonder how he would possibly be able to cross this obstacle.

     As the moon rose and illuminated the looming mountain with a silky glow, ripples began to appear in the pool. They grew in size and intensity until a curious Fish’s head poked out of the water. With round blue eyes, the huge silver-scaled Fish, nearly the size of the Lion, regarded the beast who lay before him.

     “What is it that you seek, Lion?” queried the Fish.

     “I seek to gain an audience with the sage who lives on the mountaintop! But I have no way to cross this mighty river.” After his experience with the Monkey, the Lion was careful not to make the same mistake twice. He asked with utmost politeness, “Have you any ideas of how I am to cross?”

     “I’m afraid I haven’t any idea!” the Fish replied. “What is it that you hope to learn from this sage?”

     “I wish to learn from him what my destiny must be.” A hint of arrogance intruded upon the Lion’s voice. “Surely, a creature such as myself must have a destiny!”

     “What about myself, Lion? Must a Fish have a destiny?”

     “I don’t suppose that it must. A Fish is only a Fish. A Fish is not a Lion. Certainly, a Lion must have a destiny.”

     “And why is that? What is it that a Lion has that a Fish does not?” burbled the Fish.

     “A Lion has power! A Lion is grand, a King of whatever he chooses! A Lion is a mighty beast.”

     “Tell me, Lion, why is it that you cannot continue your journey?”

     “I’ve already told you: I cannot swim!”

     “A Fish can swim. A Fish, such as myself, has no trouble crossing this river.”

     The Lion sputtered at this. He tried to make an argument, but nothing came to his mind.

     “Here is a lesson for you, Lion. Do not regard yourself as mightier than another, for not all powers are equal. Perhaps you are bigger than I, and stronger than I. But your power has no weight in my world. Should you try to enter my world, you would surely drown.  Lion, you must learn to live in harmony with the creatures around you. Do not regard yourself as mightier, but neither should you regard yourself as weaker. There is no more or less to be seen in Nature. Each of us creatures is simply a piece in the puzzle. Without any one of the pieces, the puzzle is a ruin.”

     With this, the Fish disappeared into the depths of the water, leaving the Lion to ponder in his own mind. Morning came eventually, although it seemed to the Lion that ages passed before the sun peered down with its singular fiery eye. With the rise of the sun, the Lion staggered to his feet and dipped his face once more into the cool refreshing water. The Fish poked his head up from the depths again.

     “Do you still intend to continue seeking the sage, Lion?” asked the Fish.

     “No, Fish. I believe I will return home to my plain. A Lion is meant to do what a Lion is meant to do, and that is what I have been doing since I was a cub. Thank you, Fish.”

     “Never forget what you have learned on this journey. Remember that the journey is almost always more important than any destination. Be content to be a Lion and live a happy life.”

     The Lion began the journey back to the plains that he called home. With every step, the voices of the wise Monkey and Fish echoed in his fuzzy ears. They were right; the peace that comes with knowledge filled the Lion. As he wandered back towards his life and family, night began to fall, and he moved to the side of the path to take shelter for the night. Beneath the cover of a vine-covered tree, the Lion settled down and rested his giant head upon his paws. His eyes fluttered shut but only for a half second. A stealthy noise whispered a few feet away and woke the sleepy Lion. He rose again and looked around, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

     “Who goes there?” grunted the Lion.

     “It is me, the Fox,” came the answer.

     “What is it that you want, Fox? It is late, and I am trying to sleep.”

     “I hear you are seeking dominion over the earth, Lion. I wish to align myself with you. Too long have creatures such as us submitted to equality. We were meant to rule. With my cleverness and your strength, Lion, we could be mighty.”

     “No, Fox, I am no longer on that path. I have seen the error of that way of life; it is no longer for me.”

     The Fox smiled gently and took another dainty step towards the Lion. “Listen to me, friend. We are two of a kind. Together, think of what we could achieve.”

     The Lion roared angrily. “Leave me, Fox. I will not join you. Leave me to sleep.” He roared again and leapt at the Fox.

     With a yelp, the Fox scurried away into the night, and the Lion settled down to sleep again.

     With the morning, the Lion rose. He resumed his journey back home and walked for several days before finding himself among his fellow Lions once again.

     One of his fellows asked him: “Did you find what you were seeking?”

     The Lion smiled. “Yes,” he said. “I did.”

     

A Lion and a Monkey

     Once upon a time, when the earth was young and the animals were still forming themselves, the lands were wild, free and unrestrained. There was nothing and nobody to reign over the animals, who existed mostly as friends and fellows. They wandered the countryside and the meadows and the forests, searching for meaning to their lives. As none of them had found this elusive meaning, there was no way for them to conflict. Harmony was the ruling principle. Peace was the goddess of this earth, watching over the children of nature with a watchful eye and a forgiving heart. Life was good. That was the unanimous feeling among those who lived.

     However, as is wont to happen, this was not to be forever. This peace could not continue, for it is not the way of the world to exist on one plane. Change is the spirit of nature, and never can nature turn its back on its spirit. It so happened that living as equals was not satisfying for each other the animals. The mighty Lion wondered why he should lower himself to the level of the antelope. He was large and strong. His claws were sharp, and his teeth glistened. Whereas he was worthy of kingdom, the antelope was worthy only to be his servant. To lie in the dust at his paws and submit to his rule. This was the mindset of the Lion, and as he was lying lazily, basking in the glory of himself and of the sunlight, he began to wonder how to put this plan into action.

     Now, far into the distance, there was a mountain. This mountain was many many miles away, barely visible from the plain that the Lion called home. Shrouded in fog, this mountain was home to a very wise sage, who was rumored to know the secrets of life and the universe. This sage had not been seen for many a decade; he was retired, it was said. No longer did he concern himself with the dealings of the lowly animals, who wandered the plains and the forests and the meadows, looking for meaning to their lives. It was unknown why this grand sage had quit the world and left behind the mortals who dwelt below. All that was known was that he had not been even glimpsed in many generations. Every so often, on the top of that tallest mountain, the whispering smoke of a campfire could be spotted by only those with the most keen eyes. It was by that way that it was known that the sage lived on, although he lived apart from the creatures he had once walked among.

     “No matter,” thought the great Lion. “I am a notch above the rest. If only I journey to the sage, he will grant me an audience and tell me how to gain dominion over the animals.” And so it was that the Lion began to hatch his plan. King of the Beasts? That was not title enough. He sought more, much more. He would not stop until he had it. The very next day, the Lion rose from his slumber, stretched his paws to welcome the day, and began his journey.

     The mountain loomed ahead, terrible and forbidding, but the Lion paid no mind to this. He was on his way to his destiny. Many days passed as he plodded ever forwards towards the retired sage. He walked the plains, the forests, and the jungles. Every step took him closer, but still he was far away and he was becoming tired. He stepped off the path and settled down into the soft grass on the side of the road. A big tree, covered in thorns, offered shelter against the scolding sunlight. Before long, the Lion was asleep, curled up like a kitten and gently snoring. After a while, the Lion awoke and found himself consumed with an unbearable thirst. He looked around, and there was no stream, no lake, no river as far as his sharp eyes could see. The thirst was burning his throat; he was absolutely parched. Gazing up at the thorn covered tree, the Lion saw that the branches were heavily laden with fat juicy papayas. His mouth watered with longing. If only he could climb the thorny tree, his thirst would be quenched. However, if he attempted the climb, he’d be plucking thorns from the soft pads of his paws for weeks! The Lion paced back and forth, in and out of the shade, trembling with the weight of his decision.

     Suddenly, a flash of movement, half-hidden in the multitude of branches, caught the Lion’s eye. A furry little creature with a long tail and a laughing smile gazed fearlessly down at the Lion with big brown eyes.

     “What is it you seek, mighty Lion?” chuckled the Monkey.

     “I want one of your papayas,” roared the Lion. “Throw one down to me, at once!”

     The Monkey simply regarded the Lion, standing arrogantly at the foot of the tree, completely unaware that he had no power in this situation. “And what if I refuse?”

     “Then you shall face my fury!” With this, the Lion reared up on his back paws and let forth a growl that shook the tree from the tips of the leaves to the ends of the roots. He put his forepaws on the bark of the tree, intending to push it over or die trying. Surprised, he yelped in pain as the thorns of the tree struck at the flesh of his vulnerable paws.

     “You will have to try another tactic, Lion, if you wish to receive one of my papayas!”

     Sulking, the Lion replied, “What did you have in mind, Monkey?”

     “What if you tried asking nicely?”

      The Lion scoffed and began to wander away in search of another source of water. With every step he took, the monster in his throat screamed louder for water. His body began to tremble, and spots began to dance in his eyes. His paws were aching. His body prayed for rest. He took a final step before collapsing in the dirt, merely feet away from the thorny tree and its mischievous occupant. The last sight to grace his eyes was a glimpse of the Monkey, scurrying towards him with a worried look weighting his brow.

     When the Lion finally regained consciousness, the Monkey was standing over him, even though it was obvious by the sun that many hours had passed. The Monkey offered him the juice of a papaya, and the Lion gracelessly slurped it down as quickly as he could.

     “Monkey, I disrespected you terribly. Why do you help me now?”

     “Because, Lion, I have the opportunity to teach you a lesson today. Remember this, even if you remember nothing else of this experience. We were never meant to lord dominion over each other, because none of us has absolute power. You may have been King upon the plains that you call home, but see how your power was useless when you desired my papayas? Remember this, Lion. Live at one with your fellow creatures, or do not live at all. The creatures of the world must either stand together or they will be doomed to die alone.”