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Obioma Ekejiuba

The Taunted Tortoise And The Sheep

- Oliver O. Mbamara


   All animals knew that the sheep was a weak animal that could hardly protect himself from other animals, but the sheep was quite sure that he could run faster than the tortoise, and that he even stood taller than the tortoise. So, while other animals teased and made fun of the sheep, he consoled himself by taunting the tortoise in turn. The tortoise and sheep were neighbors, and they lived like this for generations 

One year, there was a great famine in the land of the animals. The leaves fell, plants withered, and new ones never sprouted. The crops did not have the proper water or soil to grow. To make matters worse, the neighboring human beings cleaned the farm of any available crops or leaves, and because the famine affected human beings too, the humans no longer left waste food for the animals. It was so bad that even the patient dog waited in vain for the bones that usually fell from the table of his human friend. It got to a point that the animals resorted to eating each other in order to survive. 

Weak animals were scared to come out while the wild ones roamed the streets devouring the weak ones that they could find. The animal kingdom was fast loosing its population. To stem the tide, the King of the animal kingdom, the Lion, decreed that no animal should eat the other unless they first engage in a wrestling match. The winner of the wrestling match will be allowed to take home the loosing animal as the victory trophy, bounty, and meal.

Weak animals like the sheep and the tortoise could hardly find anyone they could defeat in a wrestling match. So, they stayed home, but kept thinking of a way to survive. The common option was to dig the floor of their living rooms for worms of the earth. However, the famine also affected the earth and made it so dry for the worms to survive. To find any worms, there had to be a very deep digging into the earth where there is still some dampness conducive for the worms. It happened that the tortoise and his taunting neighbor, the sheep, continued to dig the earth for worms until their holes met the other.

At first, the tortoise withdrew in fear thinking that his nemesis, the sheep had caught up with him, and would request for a wrestling match, but that did not happen. After waiting in fear for a while, the tortoise did not get any threats from the sheep. It was unusual, and the tortoise was curious to find out why the sheep did not taunt him or ask for a wrestling match at such a time. Cautiously, the tortoise crawled back through the hole to find out why. Thereafter, the tortoise made up his mind to challenge the sheep to a wrestling match. “My neighbor sheep, for many years now, you have always taunted me and claimed that you are both taller and stronger than I am.” The tortoise said to the sheep. “Well, this is an opportunity for us to settle our score. I challenge you to a wrestling match, and as you know, the winner shall take the other for a meal,” concluded the tortoise.

After the challenge, the tortoise crawled around like a new self-discovered warrior, as he prepared for the wrestling match with the sheep. He took to the streets for the first time since King Lion’s wrestling decree, and told every one who cared to listen, that he had found himself a wrestling match. Skeptically, other animals agreed to come and watch the wrestling match but wondered which animal in the land, the tortoise thought he would be able to beat in a wrestling match. 

The other animals kept their fingers crossed until the wrestling match was about to begin. It was then announced that the tortoise’s opponent was the sheep. The other animals knew that the sheep was not really a strong animal, but they also knew how the sheep had always taunted the tortoise for ages. They simply thought that the tortoise was crazy and may have signed for his death by challenging the sheep to a wrestling match, since the sheep had always given the strong impression that he could dispatch the tortoise at ease in a fighting duel at anytime. So, every animal remaining in the land assumed that the match would be an easy walkover for the sheep. 

However, when the sheep appeared for the wrestling match, he appeared so weak and emaciated, that the other animals were able to imagine why the tortoise chose to challenge him to the match. The sheep had been sick with a running-stomach and had undergone so much emptiness of the bowel that he was so dehydrated. It happened that the day before, when the tortoise crawled back through the hole to find out why the sheep did not taunt him when their holes met, the tortoise had found out about the sheep’s ill heath and weakness, but he kept the fact to himself and gave the challenge. When the match began, the sheep could not put up a fight in his condition. Therefore, the tortoise easily scored a victory over the sheep. The sheep was then offered to the victorious tortoise as the victory trophy, bounty, and meal.

 

©Oliver O. Mbamara, 2003

 


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Mbamara is an Administrative Law Judge with the State of New York. He is also a filmmaker and a Published Poet and playwright. For more on Oliver, please visit
www.olivermbamara.com 

For background/research reference on this piece, click on this link 

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