Susquehanna Meditations: Lexical Fables - Melek

MELEK

All the animals trembled, from grasslands to savanna, even too the distant woodlands, when he roared.  And he roared often.  He liked to roar.  Mostly, he enjoyed the reaction of the other animals when he roared.  His amber eyes would glisten at how they would cower and tremble.  He was, after all, king of distant woodland, savannah, and grassland.  When he wasn’t roaring, he’d turn toward those around him and order them to do what he demanded.  They did what he demanded.  They obeyed.  Those who delayed became his next meal.  Giraffe would bend forward and comb his mane, of which he was enormously proud.  Aardvark with his long tongue would be ordered to clean his paws and claws.  During the harsh dry seasons, ostrich would be forced to use her eggs to bring water to slack his great thirst.  The lionesses, of course, would do his hunting while he basked in the sun and roared. 

A memory was shared by the ancient bull elephant of one terrible time some years ago.  A troop of baboons gathered and pounded their opposable thumbs and hands in a fist on the ground.   Angrily, their calls grew louder, a cacophony of wa-hooing over each other how they too have handsome manes and sharp teeth and, better, they have those opposable thumbs which mere LION doesn’t have.  They bared their sharp canine teeth.   A frightened wildebeest was nearby, upset by the baboons.  Wildebeest scampered to LION, when he was young, and tried to ingratiate himself to LION by reporting what defiance against his rule the baboon troop was planning.  Rhino and elephant were summoned and ordered to crush their rebellion, quite literally.  They did, but didn’t like what they thought they had to do.  LION was king, after all.

Because LION was king, and everyone – from zebra to wildebeest, from impala to cheetah, even stealthy leopard, agreed that he was king and thus in charge of their lives – some would dare approach him, only when he had finished his meal and felt content, asking him for help in matters too big for them as weaker animals to handle.   He was king, after all.   

Did LION ever condescend to help them in their times of distress?  No, never.  With a loud roar he’d remind them they were there to serve him.  Then he’d raise his wide paw, show his claws, and drive them away.

During one particular dry and harsh season, the needs of all the animals became so desperate, and the LION so unapproachable, they did not know what to do.   One day, gazelle laid down in the grass and started crying:  “What am I to do?  I asked LION for help but he chased me away.  Worse, he told me he’d help me if I left my calf with him for lunch.  What am I to do?  My little calf is so thirsty and hungry.”  And so she wept, her tears at least trickling across the tongue of her baby.

At some distance away, several elephants were scouting out the savanna in parade.  The cow in front of the herd stopped and turned toward the noise that she had heard with her large ears.  She raised her ears and listened.   She listen again, moving toward the sound of the weeping gazelle.   “Gazelle,” she said, adjusting her position to shade the gazelle and her little one, “what is wrong?”   Gazelle told her sad story. 

Elephant looked at her other elephants, and nodded, swinging her trunk.  “We will help.  Come with us.”  Gazelle followed as elephant led her toward a baobob tree.  It was some distance, but when they arrived, elephant and her friends began scrape the dry ground.  The ground became mud.  With their trunks they moved the mud to reveal a small pool of water.  “Please drink, friend, you and your calf.”  And they did.  When they had drunk their fill, elephant reached up and pulled off a branch that hadn’t yet shed its leaves.  “Please eat, friend, your calf and you.”  And they did.

Afterwards, elephant knelt before gazelle, saying:  “We elephants know how to look out for each other.  We will help each other, yes?” 

As if the savannah, woodland, and grassland had ears, soon the story of the elephants and gazelle was told from aardvark to baboon (the descendants of those who survived the trampling), from zebra to wildebeest, from impala and cheetah, even stealthy leopard.  

Three things gradually occurred throughout the woodland, savanna, and grassland.   The second thing and third thing happened because of that important and remarkable first thing. 

What was that first remarkable and important thing?   The animals began to turn toward elephant for help for their troubles. 

What was the second thing?  Taught by elephant, they all began to care for each other and look out for each other, in both dry season and wet. 

What was the third thing?  All the animals came to ignore LION and no longer feared him or his roar, for as they all said:  “We now know who is the real king of grasslands, savanna, even too the distant woodland.