One hot morning the buffalo lay down to rest in the shade of a cinchona tree that grew near the mouth of a wide river. Suddenly a sunbird sat on a branch above his head.
- How are you, friend buffalo? she asked.
- Very good, little one. It's just hot, isn't it?
- True, friend buffalo! The heat made me really thirsty, so I came.
- It was worth flying here! - the buffalo said mockingly. “For a baby like you, one drop is enough.”
- Do you think so, friend buffalo? — the bird asked with feigned surprise. - I bet I drink more than you.
- More than me? - the buffalo laughed. - Let's try!
“You first,” said the sunbird, who knew that the tide was about to begin.
The buffalo got up, went to the river bank and began to drink. But no matter how much water he swallowed, it did not decrease in the river, but, on the contrary, it became more and more. Finally the buffalo could no longer drink. Then the sunbird began to laugh at him:
- What are you doing, friend buffalo? In my opinion, not only did you not reduce the water in the river, but you also added - look, there is more of it now!
“Stupid,” the buffalo answered angrily, “can’t you see that my stomach is almost bursting?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” said the sunbird, “I only see that you added water.” Okay, now I'll drink.
She knew that the water in the river was beginning to subside at this time, and she simply lowered her beak into the water and pretended to drink. The water began to recede, and the buffalo saw this, but did not understand the real reason.
“Yes, you defeated me,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “It’s small, but the water in the river has diminished!”
- And you still didn’t believe me! - the sunbird shouted to the stupid buffalo, bursting into laughter, then fluttered up - and only she was seen.
The buffalo, moving its legs with difficulty, wandered again under the cinchona tree.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru