The Peacemakers

The Peacemakers

The leaders of the lions, the boars, and the tortoises met to find a way to insure that their three groups always lived together in peace. They began the meeting by agreeing that the leaders themselves should set the example of friendship with each other.

"To make sure that we do not offend one another," said the lion, "let us tell each other what we dislike, so that we may not offend each other accidentally." The others agreed that this was a good idea.

"Only one thing bothers me, but I hate it," said the tortoise. "I do not want to be talked about when I am away."

The boar said, "Being talked about does not bother me, but I do not like it when anyone steps on my tail."

"None of those things affect me," said the lion, "but I hate it when anyone looks me in the face without respect."

As peacemakers, they agreed to remember what had been said and not to offend each other, as well as teach what they had learned to the animals they represented. The turtle excused himself to run an errand.

When the turtle had left, the lion asked the boar, "I wonder what the tortoise thinks we say about him when he is not with us?"

"Probably how clumsy he is because of that big shell on his back," laughed the boar.

The tortoise had never left, but had hidden in the grass to listen to the others. Pretending to come back from his errand, he gave the lion a dirty look. The lion, angered at the way the tortoise had scowled at him, began to fight with the tortoise. As they fought, the lion stepped on the boar's tail and then the three of them were fighting.

By this time, the rest of the boars, lions, and tortoises had come to see how their leaders were doing. All three groups joined in the fray, and they have been enemies ever since.

The End

originally from the Afro-American Almanac