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 been waiting for you. What do you have in the sac?
Your provisions of course Balode answered as he emptied the contents of the sack on the ground near the cave opening. When the lioness saw the yoghurt, fruit juice and the eggs, she was very happy and she dashed inside her cave to carry the two animals. They joked for a few minutes before they bid one another goodbye for the day. Their friendship had started well.
In this manner Balode and the Lioness continued to provide for their families and they were happy for a long time. However, Balode's dogs were not enjoying this deal. They could not hunt again and Balode had stopped feeding them. They had to be roaming round the neighborhood to fend for themselves. They had become gaunt and sickly with hunger and lack of care. One night as they huddled together near the fire place, they discussed among themselves. They decided to trace where Balode was getting his meat supply from. So it was arranged that the next day, one of them would follow Balode secretly without being seen. They chose Riro, the youngest among them.
Riro gave Balode about fifteen minutes' gap before he followed. Riro's powerful sense of smell helped him to traced his master to the cave of the lioness. He hid in a nearby bush till Balode returned home with the deer and antelope for the day.
As he was about to return, he was shocked when a fierce lioness grabbed him by the throat. He did not know how and when the lioness got to his back. Tell me what you have come to do here or I kill you now The lioness commanded. With fear, Riro explained everything that had been happening to him and his friends in Balode's house. Surprisingly, lioness was sympathetic. She took Riro to her cave fed him with meat and milk and also gave him some meat for his friends at home. Riro rested a while, thanked the lioness and left.
Lioness was not happy with the way Balode had been treating his dogs and she planned to deal with him for this breach of trust. The next day she did not kill any animal but she waited outside his cave as usual. Balode came with the provisions and as soon as he put the sac down, lioness pounced on him. Today, you are going to die. You did not follow our agreement. Balode was afraid, for he was not prepared for this attack. But he spoke with courage. My friend, what have I done wrong? He asked. You have been maltreating your dogs, and I warned you.
Balode became really scared for he knew this was true. But how did the lioness know this? He thought of a way of escape quickly Please before you kill me, let's ask for the opinions of three other domestic animals. Whatever they advised shall be binding on us. Lioness was happy with this. Very well then, let's go and speak with them.
Still with her claws on Balode's neck, they headed for the village. The first animal they met was the goat. Hey goat, come and judge this case for us, pleaded Balode and he stated his case. The goat sighed and shouted Is that why you disturbed my lunch? You are a wicked man. I don't like you and other human beings. You don't feed your domestic animals very well. Lioness, please do as you wish with him. The next animal they met was the cat, who also judged same way. Lioness was now getting impatient. Then they met Tortoise and the man stated the case as he did the first two times.
Tortoise had sympathy on him but he did not show it. Hey wicked man, I cannot understand your language. Can you show me the place where you and Lioness made the agreement? The three of them went back to lioness's cave. Now, for me to really understand could the two of you stand at the exact spots you were when you made this agreement? Then Lioness released her paws on Balode and stood at the mouth of her cave, while Balode went to stand apart. This gave Balode the needed chance to draw his pistol. He shot the lioness in the head.
This was how the Tortoise saved Balode from death. That day Balode took tortoise to his house and they have been living together. He started taking good care of his old dogs. He bought younger dogs and with the help of the old Dogs, trained them to hunt games for his family. However, the scars of lioness's marks were still on his cheeks till today and people call them tribal marks.