The Widow And The Hyena

In a village,there lived a widow.For many years,
she lived by herself in a little cottage near the jungle.
Every day,a hyena would steal a goat,a pig or a chicken
from the village.The villagers would chase after the rascal but
he always managed to escape.
Just because the widow did not have any problem with the hyena,
she refuced to give a helping hand. She did not even ask the people
about the troubles caused by the hyena.
One day,a little girl was fetching water from the river when thr hyena
jumped out of the bushes and dragged her into the jungle.The poor
little girl shouted,"Help!Help!"
The widow was peeling potatoes in the house when she heard the cries
for help,but she ignored them.The villagers who heard the cries rushed
to the scene with wooden sticks and big knives.
They were sad and angry to find that little girl was already dead.Then
they followed that tracks of the hyena.
When the hyena heard the sound of his pursuers coming closer and
closer,he quickly ran towards the widow's home.The widow was frightened
and was about to run away when he reached her and pulled at her dress.
He begged her,"Please don't leave.I will not hurt you.The villagers are after me,
please save me!"The widow agreed to help,so she hid the hyena under a pile
of young potatoes.
After a while,the villagers reached her house and asked her,"Have you seen a
hyena passing by?"
Without lifting her head,the widow continued peeling the potatoes and said"No!"
A young man said,"From the hyena's tracks,it is clear that he has come this
direction."
The widow said angrily,"Are you accusing me of hiding the hyena?I do not care
about the hyena so why should i protect him?"
Ask the villagers could not find the hyena,they decided to return home.Before
they left,they said to the widow,"Be careful if the hyena appears!this rascal
not only eats animals,he eats human beings too!"
The widow silently continued her work.when the villagers had left,the hyena
crawled out from under the potatoes.Then he moved towards the widow.
"What...what are you doing?"the widow asked fearfully.
The hyena grinned."You are right,we don't care about each other,so why should
i let you go?you have saved me and now you can help me till the end,because I
am starving now!"
"But you said that you would not hurt me!"
"That is your mistake.Who asked you to trust anybody so easily?"With those words,
the hyena attacked the widow.She cried out for help but nobody heard her.

MORAL:
Do not trust someone who is known to be hostile and dangerous.





courtesy of : Suzee Leong