Once upon a time there lived a whale. He was never surprised by anything, he swam in the warm water of the ocean and snorted lazily.
His mouth was small in those days.
One day a whale swam to the shore and saw a monkey collecting cashew nuts that had been blown from a tree by the wind.
They talked about this and that, and the monkey asked:
“Do you know, mighty whale, that the south wind, which plucked these nuts, was once the cause of very big troubles, because of which a person, the wind, a snake and some others could have suffered?”
“No,” answered the whale, lazily moving its tail.
“Then I dare to ask you one more question.” Who is stronger - you, the largest of the animals wandering along the path of life, or that gray spider over there that fell to the ground along with the nut?
“Of course, I,” the whale answered indifferently. - Well, of course I am, there’s nothing to even think about.
And he snorted again, opening his small mouth slightly.
- No, far from it... Listen.
And the monkey began his story.
... Once upon a time, in a country that lies between the ocean shore and lakes, in the very middle of Africa, from where the largest rivers in the world flow, there lived a leader. He was a powerful man, and not only the people of his tribe feared him, but also all the animals, the stars and the wind.
But this powerful man was blind from birth, and since he was inquisitive, he often thought. “I would like to know what the world around me is like,” he said to himself. “What would I not give to see it even for a moment!”
And it so happened that one day during the rainy season, when blue clouds heavy with moisture were approaching the country, lightning flashed and the blind man saw the world for a moment. And since he was standing at that time in front of a huge baobab tree, he saw it. He saw it and everything plunged into darkness for him again.
- What happiness! - exclaimed the blind leader. “I know now that the world is a tree, that it is gray in color, it has short thick branches, green leaves and many fruits.” Now I'm calm!
And he continued to live and rule his tribe, terrifying the evil and warlike neighboring tribes and doing good to those he considered peaceful. But, left alone with himself, he often approached the baobab tree, touched it with his hand and, making sure that his sight and touch told him the truth, sighed with relief.
But then trouble happened. One day a very strong south wind blew, a roar was heard in the garden and the cracking of branches was heard.
- Why did it crack and collapse? - asked the alarmed leader.
“Don’t be angry, it was the south wind that knocked down your tree!” - answered the frightened servants.
Then the leader sprinkled the ground with the blood of a newly slaughtered rooster, made several magical movements known only to him, and, when the witchcraft began to work, he ordered the south wind to appear.
And the wind, rustling the leaves of the fig trees that grew there in abundance, appeared before the leader.
- How dare you break my favorite tree? - he exclaimed bitterly.
“O lord,” answered the wind, “I could never enter your garden and break the tree if the wall stopped me.” But she didn't.
The leader ordered the wall to appear.
“I, of course, would have stopped the wind,” answered the wall, “but the thick and heavy snake boa constrictor that lives in the garden often climbed on me and completely destroyed me.”
The leader ordered the boa constrictor to appear before him.
“I wouldn’t have climbed walls and caught songbirds if at one time the fire that raged in the savannah (and I was born there) had burned the egg laid by my mother!” From him I was born and I hunt as snakes should,” explained the boa constrictor.
“And I would have burned the egg, but the rain prevented me, which extinguished me.” That summer the rain started early. If it weren’t for this, everything would be all right,” said the fire.
- O wise one! — the rain began to explain its explanations. “You, of course, know that the rainy season begins when the gray spider living on the cashew tree stops weaving its web and hides under the bark. But that summer the spider hurried, finished its work and hid. It spilled onto the ground ahead of time and I...
- Now do you know who is stronger? — the monkey finished his story.
The amazed whale opened his mouth so wide in amazement that it became very wide.
Since then, whales have large mouths, and the little gray spiders that weave their webs on cashew trees never rush the rainy season.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru