The Monkey, the Rhino, and The Lions

The Monkey, the Rhino, and The Lions

One day the rhino was making the long and dangerous daily trek to the river. It drank its fill, but it had just barely avoided being seen by the lion pack so it was not content. The monkey came up to it and asked %u201CYou appear to be afraid. What is the problem for a big, strong creature such as you?%u201D

The rhino replied, %u201CI am afraid. Every day I must travel far to graze, then come back here to drink my fill. Each time, the lion pack almost catches me. They wait for me every day. I fear that I may soon be dead.%u201D The monkey considered the rhino too strong to be a safe meal for the lions and believed that the lions knew this as well, but he felt pity for the rhino%u2019s fear and so thought for him. An idea came quickly.

He beamed at the rhino and said, %u201CIf you are willing to wait a week, I will shape a barrel out of clay and bake it in the next grass fire. You can then fill this barrel with water and I will tie it to your back with strips of woven bark. As you graze you can turn your head back at any time to take a drink, and you will carry so much water that you can go a week without returning here. I am not strong enough to gather bark myself, so you must gather it for me.%u201D The rhino considered this, but was still afraid. Having a solution so close only made it worse.

%u201CA week!%u201D He bellowed, stamped his hooves, and tossed his head. %u201CBy that time I may be dead. And more! As I gather the bark the lions may creep up on me! Is there nothing that you can do now?%u201D The monkey was afraid of him and so wracked his brain.

He soon had an idea but was dubious. %u201CI suppose I could make the jar out of mud and a rope of river reeds in an hour, but it may-%u201CThe rhino was ecstatic.

%u201CA hour! Let it be so! I will come back in an hour.%u201D He cried joyfully before wheeling to go graze. The monkey opened his mouth, then shook his head and began to gather reeds.

Soon the rhino came back as the monkey finished his barrel. He tried to reason with the rhino again as he tied the barrel to the rhino%u2019s back. %u201CAs I was going to say, it is made out of rich silt and rotting reeds, it might-%u201D But the rhino would not listen and charged off the moment the barrel was tied and filled.

A several days later the monkey was sitting in the tree eating coconuts when the rhino approached. He shook his head as the rhino staggered towards the river and him. The rhino cried deliriously, %u201CIt worked! I drank whenever I was thirsty for days, and by the time I had to come back the lions were gone! I am safe!%u201D The rhino came to the river to drink and fill his barrel, but weakened by disease he fell onto his side and was unable to right himself.

Realizing his sickness, he began to curse the monkey, to which the monkey only shook his head and nibbled his coconut. The monkey replied, %u201CI tried to tell you. Held in rich silt and rotting reeds, the water went bad. A quick, easy fix may be worse than the problem ever was.%u201D