The Hare and Hyena

The Hare and Hyena

The hare and hyena lived side by side in a small dusty village and their families couldn’t be better friends. Their children grew up together and their wives spend much of their time taking care of their young ones or tending homes together as the ‘men’ went out to look for food. The hare and the hyena would catch up every evening, reclining on a huge rock in their backyard just enjoying the gift of friendship.

The two had their differences but the bond that held them together was much stronger to withstand any challenge thrown at them. As you may know, the hyena is a carnivore and that means that the hare could easily pass for dinner rather than for friendship while on the other hand the hare was purely a vegetarian. This unusual friendship didn’t get the support of everyone as you may expect, the hare for instance was ridiculed by fellow hyenas.

‘You are a disgrace!’ he had been told, ‘a big letdown to all the hyenas in this village’. That wasn’t the first time that he had been told that but the hare meant much more to him than many would have imagined. When the hyena’s wife, Abunti, was sick to the point of death it was the trek for miles looking for a physician. When the hyena got back from his sojourns he was received by tales of the great sacrifice that his friend had made to keep his wife alive. The hyena was eternally grateful and he had promised to do anything in his power to pay back the kindness shown by his friend.

One warm evening as they were lying on their backs (as usual), the sun was fading behind thick clouds and you could hear frenzied rush of birds returning to their nests with songs in their mouths. The hare was in a rather pensive and seemingly foul mood, this was unlike him and this got the hyena very worried.

‘Is everything alright?’ he inquired

The share shook his head without saying a word.

‘What is it that is weighing you down?’ the hyena probed further

‘It is my family’, he swallowed hard

‘What has happened to your family?’, the hyena was sitting upright.

‘Great famine has come upon us and I am not sure how we can survive’, the hare explained.

‘This will hit us hard’, the hyena agreed, ‘’but my biggest concern now is about my ailing mother I don’t know what to do about her’

The hare grinned, a thought had just come to him, ‘I have an idea’ ’he said

‘Spit it’, the hyena said in anticipation. The hare explained to the hyena why he thought it was a great idea to for them to get rid of their mothers and after much thought he agreed with him

What do I have to lose? He thought, she is old, frail and a great burden for me. They agreed to meet early the next morning as they would be taking their mothers to the market for sell. The hyena went old and did exactly he had been instructed; waylaid his mother, kidnapped and then stuffed her in a sack but the hare did not go on with his plan.

The next morning they made their way to the market and sold their ‘goods’ at a handsome price but on their way home the hyena is disturbed about what he had done while on the other hand the hare is smiling from corner to corner of his mouth. On getting home the hyena learns that the hare did not sell his mother as agreed and he had been duped, he vows to seek his revenge on the cunning hare and since that day the two have not been friends. Some friends can be fickle as the hyena learnt.