Myths and Legends

How the lion earned his mane!

An awfully long, time ago, at the edge of the world, where the desert is cracked, and few trees stand, there was a lion. A big, mean, ungratefully-bad-tempered lion! But that wasn’t the worst. This posh prancer was a boastful brute. Each day, he would parade about the jungle chanting his boastful chants.

“Look at me. Why, I’m the ruler of all I can see. Of the fleas and the bees and the humming- birds trees. I’m the ruler of the ducks that have quacked and even the ruler of you for a matter of fact!”

“No you’re not!” snorted the tiger. All of the other animals laughed in humility.

There was Flamingo, Tiger, Rhino, and Hyena, they were the other animals that lived in the far-away jungle. They were used to his boastful behaviour.

“Don’t you argue with me I’m stronger than you!” he would say.

Hyena sighed “C’mon lets go!”

That afternoon lion was roaring with frustration “ARGH! It, it, ITCHES!!”

“What itches?” Hyena questioned lion. All the other animals came to see what had happened.

“There are fleas in my fur!” he roared.

“What’s the big deal?” squawked flamingo with a jump.

“We get fleas every day,” exclaimed rhino.

“COME,ON, let him do his BUISNESS,” tiger grunted sarcastically as flamingo led them back to the shady tree behind the bush.

 “I’ve definitely had enough of this!” snarled rhino.

“Let’s give him payback!” hyena shouted excitedly.

“How?” asked rhino curiously.

Tiger sniffed the air “I smell a storm coming” grinned tiger.

“Wait, you mean-you wouldn’t, would you?!” gasped flamingo knowing what tiger was planning.This was their perfect opportunity.

Later that night they put their plan into action. Flamingo trotted up to lion.

“Lion?” asked flamingo. “Well, we all know of your powerful paws and your fiery, golden, fur, and we just thought you would like a little presentation out in the next thunderstorm,eh?” Lion showed was interested.

“You’d look great!” said flamingo.

“If you must” teased the lion. He could not resist.

Later that day he had been waiting outside the cave talking to himself about how wonderful he would look, but no sooner did he turn his head to observe the coming storm, the sky ripped open with thousands of bolts of lightning. And one of them struck lion!

“Have we gone too far?!” flamingo sounded like a worried squirrel from inside the cave.

“NO!” shouted tiger, hyena and rhino all at the same time.

When the storm had passed they all stepped out from the shelter of the cave looking happy and relieved. But not lion. No. He was as angry as a huge ferocious dog trapped in a small metal cage.

“Look what you’ve done to me!” roared lion as he raced down of the rocky edge never to be seen again.

Instead of smooth elegant fur, he had a huge, fuzzy, dust-coloured mane. And to this day, he is not the same big boastful lion he used to be. He is still very strong, but sometimes hides in dark caves because he is ashamed of himself. 

Written by Billie