WHEN THE LION MARRIED THE SHEEP

In his later years, King Minani called his three sons. One day, a lion left the wilderness and ventured into a town, where he married a sheep and brought her back to the forest. The animals celebrated this event with great pomp, and the news spread like wildfire.

"Can you believe it? A lion marrying a sheep! What a scandal and disgrace!" the animals whispered.

To these criticisms spoken in hushed tones, the lion replied aloud, "Nevertheless, I love my ewe dearly."

However, the only animal deeply shocked was the hyena, who thought, "Despite everything people say about me, I will show that the labels 'coward' and 'chicken' they assign to me are nothing but pure lies and vile slander." The hyena went to see the lion at his home at dusk.

"Your Majesty Lion," she said, "it is evident to everyone that you are the most respectable and majestic of all the animals on Earth. But you have chosen as a spouse an individual who is silly and foolish, never even raising her head towards the sky that welcomed her. Truly, you do not deserve such a spouse! You are tarnishing your reputation. So, let's devour her, and let me find you a wife worthy of your grandeur!"

"I will not devour my wife because I love her, and I order you to stop speaking now!" the lion declared.

The hyena left, full of shame. The following night, she returned, this time running quickly and with large strides.

"Ah, Your Majesty! Have you learned what I've learned?" she exclaimed.

"What is it?" said the lion.

"It seems that when rainwater touches a sheep's skin, it causes a disease called scabies, which removes all the wool down to the ears and legs, tanning the skin to the red flesh, somewhat like leprosy! This affliction immediately affects its mate, causing the same ailments. Can you imagine yourself without your mane and eyelashes, furless, without a tail, with your skin tanned to the flesh like a plucked chicken, and flies swarming all over you?"

"Oh my," cried the lion. "Well, Hyena, upon reflection, it's clear that she's not truly my wife. We must, by all means, devour her tonight."

The hyena, delighted, departed. That evening, the ewe was unaware of anything. When she returned home, an old woman saw her:

"Sheep, be careful because the hyena you see with you, whom you honor, actually wants your skin. Today she has succeeded in her plan. Do not go there because they both await you to flay and devour you. However, come; I have a trick to save you, for I am old and experienced!"

The old woman gave the sheep a small gourd full of honey and told her a secret. The sheep continued on her way.

She entered the house, greeted her husband, and jumped over his outstretched legs.

"Sacrilege!" the lion cried. "What disrespect! What dishonor! Why did you do that?"

"Forgive me, dear husband, I swear that I did not do it on purpose!"

"Oh no," exclaimed the hyena, "a woman jumping over a man always brings bad luck, for we saw just the day before yesterday a man whose wife had leaped over him, die immediately. He hadn't even taken two minutes before he perished, poor fellow!"

"Oh, really?" said the lion, who jumped towards his wife. But before his paws hit the ground, the sheep managed to throw the small gourd of honey that the old woman had given her into the lion's mouth.

The lion sat down, savoring the honey:

"Tell me, dear wife, where did you get this elixir?"

"In the nearby forest, your fellow lions like you have gathered all the hyenas to press their bellies to make them release through their rear end the liquid they fill entire waterskins with. It turns out it's honey, and each hyena has a belly full of it."

"Hyena, you've been keeping such good things from me! I swear you won't take the waterskin of honey that you're hiding!"

The lion caught the hyena, lifted her high, and threw her on the ground while pressing hard on her belly. Naturally, no honey came out; instead, a foul smell, pieces of bones, guava seeds, and mango pits emerged. The lion devoured the hyena.

That's how all the meddlers end.