How Tortoise saved Balode the hunter from death

There was a time when wild animals mixed freely with human beings and spoke clearly. This gave them the opportunity to work with men for mutual benefits. There was an old hunter called Balode. He was very famous for his hunting skills. He had 25 dogs that helped him to hunt game.

Balode was getting old and he tired easily. His family members told him to slow down. His dogs were also becoming weak and were going blind with age. Balode and his dogs could not hunt games as much as he used to do again. He did not like this and he determined to do something about it.

One day, he went into the forest to visit a lioness he had met long time ago. The lioness and her four cubs were just finishing a meal of deer. Balode's mouth began to water as he saw the deer meat but even if the lioness offered him some he could not have eaten because the meat was not cooked. He waited patiently outside the cave for them to finish their meal. Then he politely asked the lioness to come out so they could discuss out of earshot, for such matters as brought him could not be discussed in the presence of the cubs.

Balode told the Lioness that he would like them to become business partners. He wanted the lioness to hunt games for him and he would give the lioness any type of human food she liked. This was good proposal for the lioness, her children loved yoghurt, juice and cheese and she herself loved chicken eggs. She told Balode what quantities of this stuff she would take every week for a daily supply of deer and antelope. Her reply gladdened Balode's heart. He was happy he would be able to provide meat for his family again. They shook hands and Balode turned to go.

One condition, my friend, said the Lioness this friendship will go sour any day I hear you show wickedness to the domestic animals in your house.

Never Balode shook his head. I am a kind man. I have never been wicked to any animal before.

Balode left and the Lioness went back into his cave to break the good news to her children. They were all happy and they sang We are H A P P Y before they slept.

Before ten o'clock the next day, the lioness had killed one antelope and one deer. She packed them neatly in his cave waiting for Balode to show up. It was almost noon before he came. He had a big sack with him full of provisions. The lioness waited outside but the dead animals were still in the cave. She did not trust Balode. Hello my friend, I have

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