Queen Lioness was a beautiful force to reckon with in the animal kingdom. She was known for spewing beautiful stories for all who cared to listen. So under the moonlight would all animals gather to hear her narrate those heroic deeds or some didactic folklores. She never lacked what to talk about since her story telling days. All thanks to her, the animal kingdom is always kept lively and orderly for her stories and the didactic lessons they teach.
The tortoise watched all this from afar and because he was jealous, he sought her downfall. Although he loved her stories but wouldn't admit he did. He would sneak up on a tree to listen to the fabulous tales of the Lioness. He would mock those who were coming from such gatherings as jobless and foolish. He sometimes accused the lioness as a treacherous animal who plans to usurp the animal kingdom by ruling the hearts of the animals with her treacherous tales.
The tortoise got frustrated when his attempts seems to fall to naught. He thought of what to do and finally arrived at a plan to banish the lioness from the animal kingdom. This way, the kingdom would finally fall under his control. He travelled to the village where the Lioness mother lived and poisoned her water with an incurable illness. His plan was to make the storytelling lioness stuck with her hailing mother for as long as she wouldn't be cure the unknown disease.
The lioness amidst tears and pleas from the other animals not to leave packed up on hearing the news of her mother's illness. She comforted the animals by telling them her mother had no one except her but they had eachother and her. Everyone wished her safely and each gave her different herbs in curing the illness even though they knew it was incurable. The tortoise out of shame do not have a choice but also give a parting gift. He gave her the banana leaves with which he just ate from as a medium of mocking her. The lioness took all with love and a large heart.
When she got to her mother's village, she didn't like the condition the old lioness was in. So she started applying all the herbs she was given but none of them would work. She was on it for months but no solution came forth. Sometimes she felt like jilting her mother and going back to telling her stories in the kingdom which she knows so much would be really dry with her absence but such thoughts are not noble and she was more than a role model.
Meanwhile in her village, the tortoise had assumed the storytelling role. Out of curiosity and boredom, animals gathered around him to hear him bring forth stories like the lioness but they were more than disappointed. He either told part of the old stories the lioness narrates or something rather irrational and uninspiring. After a week of his jargon, no one heeds to his calls of moonlight tales. He would sit alone on the narrator's pew and speak to an empty audience. He wasn't enjoying this postion like he imagined he would. He laughed when he remembered the lioness wouldn't be coming back in a long time. They had no choice but learn to love him.
The lioness where she was, had run out of herbs and solutions. She was left with the rotting banana leaves tortoise gave her. It was no herbs so she couldn't use it. She would have thrown it away but for the fact that she wanted to keep every memories of her people intact. She would dry the leaves on the rocks for it not to melt away and at night, put it in the gift jar she placed it. She was strolling on the fields on a particular sunny afternoon thinking of efforts she had taken to heal her ailing mother. She sat at a particular banana plantation. It was at the vantage point she was that she saw two lizards arguing. She wanted to interfere until she heard the issue was about her.
One lizard was saying how he loves the stories the lioness tells and how he sojourns to her kingdom atleast twice a week to hear her speak. The other, who seem to be stronger than the first picked up a strong hate line saying provocative things about the lioness. It was then she understood even a goddess has haters and critics. She thought she has infiltrated the heart of all and sundry with her impeccable manners. Well, that was life as experiences had taught her. The next drama that ensued between the lizards shook her and was a breakthrough for her long time problem. When the argument got heated, the stronger one strangled the other and left the other almost unconscious. She had never seen violence on a closer range.
The stronger lizard left the unconscious one to die. She made sure he didn't see her. She was about running to rescue the lizard when she was him stir. It struggled to crawl to a banana tree and cut some of it's leaves and placed it inbetween his toes. In matters of minutes, he looked like one who never was sick. She moved closer to the lizard who was nothing but joyful to have his role model stand before him and inquired of the banana leaves actions. The lizard told her a banana leaf has the potential of curing all diseases in the world. She should just put it on the sick persons toes and watch the magic. It was a knowledge his grandfather bequeathed to him.
She excused herself and with the speed of light got home to her ailing mother. With the help of tortoise banana leaves, she was able to cure her mum. She made it a point to note huge gratitude to tortoise when she got back. She was really excited about the prospect of going back to her kingdom and resume her story telling abilities. It was the favourite thing in the whole wide world that she loved doing. She picked the next market day to go back home. She had gained so many experiences while tending to her mother and has discovered an effective healing technique. So many new stories bubbling in her head. She was really excited.
The market day came and she set out into her dreams and everyday interest. Immediately she got into the boundaries of her kingdom, the echos of "The lioness is back" filled the air. She was welcomed with so much pageantry and pump. The lioness truly is back!!!!!! She wasn't allowed to get into her habitat as they crowned her and gathered around her in the market square in the bloom of the sunshine to hear her heroic tales and experiences. She knew they had missed her. So went ahead to say what she knew would interest them not failing to say how tortoise gift had been her saviour all along.
The tortoise who had climbed the tree to hear her tales as usual with so much hate and jealousy was shocked when he heard how his own gift had cured his wickedness. Unable to hold himself any longer, he fell off the tree and some of his shells got shattered. People were trying to run to him to help save the lioness hero but he started confessing the wickedness he had done. Animals out of annoyance threw him hard object which further broke his shells. He wasn't killed because the lioness asked that he be forgiven. Out of shame and guilt, he packed up his heavy shell and lost his speed. Till date, he couldn't walk fast because even asides his arranged broken shells, he still carries the heavy load of guilt around.
In the same vein, Aderonkemi is back!!! How many people missed my stories and write-ups? Though, problems and obstacles struggled to arise but I still find my abilities of spewing you everytime with beautiful contents. It is what I am born for. Just as you are learning moral lessons, in the same vein, I am pumping you with so much love. I truly miss you, My family!
