And they call me faithless?! - by Hénock Gugsa

And they call me faithless?! *

by Hénock Gugsa

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In the far reaches of time and legends, there is a tale told of a chase, an act of kindness, and of ingratitude, of wise counsel, and of treachery ....

Two hunters were mad on their heels in pursuit of a leopard who had been eluding them for years.   Their hunting  skills were improving but the leopard was losing his wily ways.  As the hunters were closing in on him, the leopard happened to run into a farmer who was hauling his harvested crop on a cart. 
The leopard bowed at the farmer's feet and pleaded, "Please, please save me from these two hunters who are about to kill me.  Let me hide in that stack of grain."

The farmer was at first startled and afraid of the leopard.  But then, seeing that his fear was less than that of the leopard's, he agreed to let him conceal himself on the cart.

Very soon, the hunters appeared before the farmer and asked, “Have you seen a leopard?”

The farmer replied: Yes, he went that-a-way!

So the hunters resumed their chase in the direction that the farmer pointed.  As soon as they had disappeared from sight, the farmer yells, “Come on out, leopard. The coast is clear!”

The leopard jumped out of the cart and growled, "I am hungry.  Bring me some food  now or I will kill you and eat you right here.”

The farmer objects: Why? Will you now kill me even as I saved your life from imminent death?

But the leopard is unmoved.  So the farmer says, “Let's go and ask the donkey to mediate.”
They find the donkey, and the farmer asked the donkey, “Am I the one to be eaten?”
And the mindless donkey says, “Yes, why not?”
So then they went to the fox and the farmer said, “I saved this leopard and now as payment, he wants to eat me.”
“How did you save him?” asked the fox.  So the farmer told her the story of the hunters and the pile of grain.
The fox then says, “Show me exactly how you saved him.”  So, the farmer hides the leopard again on the cart in the same manner as before.
The fox says, “Now tie him down very tightly and secure him.”  The farmer does as instructed.  The fox nods her head approvingly and says, “Now when those two hunters return this way, deliver him to them.”
The farmer says, “You saved my life,  I am so grateful to you.  How can I repay your kindness?"

The fox says, “Bring me one of your good sheep tomorrow so that I can feed my family.”
With that they parted company as it was already dark and everybody needed to go home.
The farmer returned the next day and came to the lair where dwelt the fox.  But instead of the promised sheep, the farmer had brought his big dog with him.
The fox saw the man's treachery and cried out, as she was being chased by the dog:  And they call me faithless?! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
*  An old fable from North Central Ethiopia  -- edited, abridged and adapted by Hénock Gugsa