Some primates screamed and ran away; others hid behind some big rocks or logs. However, all the baboons had to approach the Great Frederick, as his minions. Some baboons were more afraid of being punished than others, but, in fact, there were three young baboons who were under the annihilating gaze of the Great Frederick.
Once the young baboons were placed before the alpha baboon, he asked in a thunderous voice:
—Who has dared to steal this from humans?
Then an uneasy silence fell among the primate community. One could say that the Great Frederick knocked out several of them with this question.
Oh my! I will ask again: Who dared to steal this shampoo from the humans?— voiced the Great Baboon more furiously than before.
Then, as there was no immediate answer, he let out a deafening roar that disturbed the entire primate community. Then, he himself demanded calm, absolute silence and asked Bruck, one of the possible culprits of the shampoo theft, to come over.
Bruck, did you steal it from the humans?— asked Big Frederick seriously.
Trembling, head down, arms crossed and about to cry, Bruck answered:
—No, sir, I didn't steal anything.
—You're lying! If you didn't steal it, why are you so nervous?
—I'm afraid, sir. Please don't punish me. I did not disobey you. No, no, no.
In spite of these pleas, the Great Frederick continued to inquire of the poor baboon who was disarming with the passing of the seconds:
Show me your hands, you coward—ordered the alpha.
Bruck obeyed and threw his arms forward and stretched out his hands, about to collapse from so much shaking.
The entire baboon community exclaimed "ohhh" as they saw that Bruck's hands were bathed with a yellow liquid.
Big Frederick immediately stood up, shampooed his hands and saw that it was yellow too. Then, with a face of supreme fury, he shouted:
—Say your last words!
Bruck said:
—Sir, it wasn't me. I have shampoo in my hands only because I helped Sancho to hide it.
Just then, Sancho, another of the possible culprits, said with a low and cold voice "idiot", upon hearing how Bruck had discovered it.
The Great Frederick threw the shampoo on the floor and with a scowl, sent a fulminating glance to Sancho. He approached him and asked:
—Do you take me for an idiot too, you weakling baboon?
With a chuckle, Sancho replied:
—No way, Great Frederick. Calm down, life is to be enjoyed.
There is no enjoyment after breaking the rules. You know you must not take anything away from humans. Why did you bring a shampoo here?— said the alpha before taking a sharp rock from the ground.
—I thought it was a mango.
Even Great Frederick was puzzled by this answer. And, it was true that the whole bottle was yellow. The yellow that shows a delicious ripe mango.
After the astonishment due to Sancho's answer, several baboons began to laugh and others shouted: "he's lying," "that clown is lying," "he's the guilty one. The Great Frederick ordered everyone to shut up and he took Sancho by the throat in a fit of rage.
—Do you think my space is a circus?
Sancho wanted to say something, but the boss did not let it be. On the contrary, he tightened his neck. Sancho began to move desperately when he saw that Great Frederick was going to stick the sharp stone into his head. Then everything was a savanna of anguish and fury among the baboons that witnessed this.
But, against the very authority of the group, Sancho's mother, Olive, intervened. She stopped the punishing hand of the alpha male and everyone was amazed again.
My lord, do not do this to my son. No, please. He is an idiot, not a disobedient one— called the baboon Olive in despair.
I don't have to believe you— said Great Frederick, taking Olive off his hands.
But, sir, I have never been disloyal to you. I, and even my own children, have cared for your children and for keeping order in your reign— replied Olive.
Answer me: why did he do something that now endangers the whole group?—Great Frederick asked Olive very aggressively.
—He was only afraid of his mistake. He was afraid he wouldn't know how to correct it. Please forgive him, sir.
All of a sudden, Sancho interrupted his mother's pleas:
—I was not the one who took the shampoo from the humans. I got it earlier near Primate Space. That is it.
A few seconds later, several baboons said they had seen the scene. Thanks to the security the witnesses shown, Great Frederick said:
—You and your mother will go on living, you silly baboon.
Sancho wasted no time and clutching his testicles he said:
—Very good, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pee.
Now that two of the three initials suspicious were free, all the angry looks fell on Martin, the calmest of the three baboons.
As he walked slowly around Martin, Great Frederick said in a fearful tone:
—I don't want any games or excuses. Confess to me at once what happened.
Martin was about to speak, but a sudden drizzle fell over the entire Nature Reserve in that murky morning. Therefore, all the baboons wanted to take refuge in the trees immediately, but Great Frederick roared.
—Martin has not spoke. No one leave.
This quietness imposed by the alpha, left as soon as it arrived because the whole group went crazy when they saw the most grumpy caretaker in the Reserve coming towards Primate Space with the electrifier.
I am not guilty of this— shouted Martin with all his might.
—And who is?
YOU!—shouted Martin again.
The Great Frederick was furious and slapped Martin. This slap was louder than usual because the drizzle had turned into rain and the water from the sky added an echo to the brutal blow.
Undoubtedly, the mixed chorus of the rain bouncing off the ground, the baboon community in heat, and the caretaker who was beginning to hurl insults at them, sounded like the end to Martin, who was lying on the ground.
The baboon leader quickly grabbed the old sharp stone and ran to finish off the dying Martin with it.
About to make his impact, Frederick received the shock that the violent caretaker was already trying to give from the beginning to calm the beasts. The electrical explosion was like no other in the Reserve. Each wire of electricity covered Frederick and turned off his anger in seconds, leaving him lying in a small water well.
The caretaker chased the other baboons, but they quickly maneuvered to climb trees and other shelters they found. Even Sancho, returning from his marathon urine run, was able to dodge the terrible electrifier.
—next day—
Are you sure it was Great Frederick? Did Frederick make a mistake? Did Frederick betray us?— asked several baboons at a big new meeting.
Martin, who was now the new alpha, answered very calmly:
—First, last night I heard on the sly that the violent caretaker had been arrested. I also want to say that I knew that Frederick himself was the thief because yesterday at dawn I saw how he stole the shampoo and even put it in his hair while jumping happily and came to leave it near the Primate Space. And, as I had seen it, Frederick put me among the culprits to save his skin. Anyway, he was also seen by the cameras and that's why the caretaker attacked him first.
All the baboons present lost their minds.
Martin decided to slowly leave the meeting, but he stopped for a second, turned to the baboons and said:
—Sometimes, the one who judges others the most is the one who is most to blame.
