The famine had lasted for a long time and the best word to describe its severity is intense. It had got so bad that all the large animals in the forest have started dying out. The hairy elephant with the mighty curved tusks has all died, now the last of the tigers with the two large teeth protruding out of its mouth and almost touching the ground had just died. All the giant long necked lizards have died away at the beginning of the famine. Now some of the animals like the crocodile and the hippopotamus have decided to go into the water to live temporarily, while the others like the turtle and frog moved into the swamp as their new home.
The king of the animals which lives in the sky beheld the plight of the animals and it grieved him to see them suffer so much, as they are not only shrinking in number but also in size, all the great and mighty animals which he put on earth are now all shrunk in size as their bodies endeavour to adjust to the lack of food.
The king animal from the sky therefore decided to do something about it, sending messages through the highest flying bird the eagle he told them the day he will come to visit them and help them in their dire situation.
On the appointed day, the wise king arrived from the sky. All the animals were there. After giving them a lot to eat, he had embarked on teaching them how to make food. He had come with cheese he had made from the sap of the immortal cacawa tree that grows only in the dense forest of the okattah. He had come also bearing the magic stone which when knocked together brings forth fire. Fire that terrible entity which when it rages consumes everything in its path, yet when controlled and tamed could bring warmth in cold days and night to the animals.
The king of the animals from the sky then taught them how to make cheese from the sap of the cacawa. He also taught them how to light fire from the magic stones. As he gathered dry sticks and leaves to make the fire he did not know that the little Munemune insect was asleep under one of the leaves. As he lit the leaves the little insect emerged, on fire and screaming in pain. The king touched him gently and the pain immediately went away, but the fire stayed. As the only way he would remove the fire is to kill the insect, but the kind king does not like to see any of his people die.
That is how the little Munemune insect has become the fire fly we have today. In the nights when it flies around every one can see the fire on his body glowing.
After teaching them these, he also taught them the rules which they must follow and obey for these things to work well for them.
First they have to keep the sap of the cacawa for three days for it to ferment. This then they can mix with cereals from the forest and a little water. This mixture they will knead then bake over the fire from the fire stones. The baked dough will then increase in size so much that it will feed all the hungry animals. All the animals were happy and grateful for this help from above and they thanked the animal king profoundly.
Now the cat is the most honourable amongst the animals. He is quite gentle and well mannered. He does not bark and growl nor howl and snarl like most of the other jungle animals do. He just purrs and meows as the situation demands. The cat is noted to be a very private person; he does not keep many friends and therefore does not get involved in the wild mannerisms of the jungle dwellers. The cat is also a very hygienic animal for when he defecates, he has the habit of digging a hole and passing the faeces into
the hole and covering it up unlike the other animals that mess up the forest with their faeces. In fact, the cat is the most organized animal in the entire forest.
However, the cats gentleness the animals in the forest are very aware is not a sign of weakness or cowardice. Many a rude animal that has crossed the path of the cat impolitely have learnt to their shock and pain the speed with which the cat can strike with his paws and talons, leaving very bloody nail grooves on the face of such a disrespectful animal.
It was in consideration of these laudable attributes of the cat that the animal king from the sky put in his custody this recipe for the salvation of the animals. He gave the cat three portions of the food.
“By the time you have collectively prepared this food three times, most of you would have learnt enough to start preparing it in your own kitchens. This way you will all know how to do it and you will no longer starve’’
He left back to the sky to the gratitude and cheers of the animals.
Alas, all did not go according to plan.
The cat not thinking that no animal will have the audacity to come and tamper with how much more steal this most important commodity did not bother to hide it too deep. This resulted therefore that three days later when he went to bring the first package for preparation by the animals who had gathered with expectations for this occasion, the bundle was untied and unwrapped, the cheese was gone. The cat raised a great alarm. Immediately the animals started a desperate search for the thief. Soon the mouse came to the cat and reported that he had seen the goat sitting by the road side and chewing something no one could see. Maybe it is the cheese, he says.
As one all the animals rushed to where the mouse said he had seen the goat and truly there he was, chewing away on an unseen food. They grabbed him and opened his mouth. when they saw the rotten brown teeth of the goat they immediately concluded that he is the thief. Before the goat who unfortunately is not such a bright animal could enquire of them what the problem was or explain to them that it is in his nature to chew cord, they have fallen on him and started beating him up mercilessly. Seeing that they were bent on beating him to death, the goat took off and ran for his life. The angry animals pursued. He ran through the mountain path unto the craggy, slippery rocks on which only the goat with his incredible balancing ability can run. He ran so fast and so far until he saw the house of man in the distance. He ran straight to man’s house. Man who was working in his barn let him into the barn where he hid. Now man is the most powerful animal in the whole world. He is not a friend of the animals and the animals fear him because of his terrible weapons with which he kills animals. When therefore they saw that the goat has ran into the house of man, they stopped chasing him. They consoled themselves that the goat’s fate is now worse with him in the hands of their dreaded enemy and his dangerous weapons.
When the goat explained to man what happened to him and that he will bring milk as his contribution to the family of man, man decided to let him stay. The goat however did not know that behind man’s mind is that one day he will kill him for meat.
The next day, again the animals gathered for their feast of the cheese from the sky, once again, the cheese has disappeared. This time, the uproar was tremendous. Everyone was suspect, especially the cat. This embarrassed the cat so much that he swore that whomsoever is the thief, when caught must die.
This was when the mouse once again acted. He pointed at the nose of the dog who has been poking around at the leaves that have been used to wrap the cheese with his snout. There was cheese all over the dog’s nose and face. The animals all immediately turned on the dog menacingly, all snarling and growling.
The dog which of course is a fearless animal stood his ground. He told them that the cheese got on his face as he was helping in the search, but the animals which were already mad with hunger, frustration and anger were not listening. They were desperately looking for one to blame for their misfortunes. Led by the cat, they attacked the dog. The tough dog put up a spirited defence. However, they were too many for him. Hurt badly, he too turned and fled. He ran, pursued by the animals until he got to man’s abode. The dog banged loudly on the front door and as man opened, ran into the sitting room.
Man heard his story and he saw that the dog is a very strong and wily animal and therefore decided to make him his ally in his fight against the animals. Man then turned the dog against his friends in the jungle.
The irate animals camped outside man’s house, waiting for the night when they could see better than man so that they could lay siege and capture back the supposed criminals which he has granted asylum. Before they could start their attack man with the help of the dog attacked and drove them away. Since then the dog has continued living in man’s house and helping him hunt and kill the other animals.
Now the last cheese the animals decided they will be told no stories about. They all converged in the cats house so as to keep their eyes on the cheese till the next day when they will bake and eat it.
They all crowded into the cat’s house. Fatigued by the excitements of the previous days some slept off while some dozed with grumbling stomachs and biting hunger as they waited patiently or impatiently for the night to pass. However they all kept the bundle of cheese within sight.
One could therefore imagine their utter shock in the morning when they opened the package and the cheese was not there. Not one animal could say a word as they stared in total disbelief at the empty bundle of leaves. The shock was too much for one or two of the animals as they dropped and fainted. No one had the energy to get angry. Some of the weaker ones simply started weeping and sobbing. The hopelessness of the situation was dismal and overwhelming. The most perplexed being the cat. He stared fixedly at the empty leaves on the floor as if willing the cheese to appear. It was in this state that he noticed some dark grains on the leaves, he came closer and looked and lo and behold it is the droplets of the faeces of the mouse. The growl that emanated from the gentle cat was something no animal had heard before. His whiskers have gone erect and the hairs on the nape of his neck and his back had all risen and standing like the quills of the porcupine. Like lightening he spun round with the intention of ripping the mouse to pieces, but even him was not fast enough for the wily thief. When the mouse saw the cat staring at the leaves and knowing that the evidence of his nefariousness would be discovered soon, he had jumped on the window ledge and made good his escape. Before the overwrought cat could control himself enough to explain to the other confused animals his discovery the mouse has gone deep into the underbrush of the forest and continued running.
He had planned his escape before hand therefore did not waste time and just headed straight for man’s abode with the other animals hot on his heels.
Knowing very well that the dog will kill him if he dares to go into man’s house, the mouse dived into a hole under man’s house. There he has remained unto this day, sneaking out when no one is looking to steal food and wreak general mischief in man’s home.
The cat not being able to live down the shame of his failure to safeguard the thing given to him to look after left the forest and came to man’s door to seek for habitation. Man who has made friends with the dog refused to let him in. The king of the animals in the sky had taken pity on the animals for all the calamities that have befallen them and had sent down the rain to water the ground so that plants would grow and the famine will end. The rain had beaten the cat heavily. The mate of the man, the woman had seen the miserable looking cat and taken pity and liking to him and had brought him in as her own friend. She soon discovered that the cat has another agenda, being the hunting down and killing of the mouse. This went down well with the woman as she did not like the thieving mischievous mouse anyway.
The king of the animals in the sky cursed the mouse that he will continue eating cheese, and if there is death in the cheese it will be the death of the mouse.
This therefore is the reason why animals do not cook food for soon they forgot how to make fire and lost the magic stones to man
