Chapter two
The Funeral
When the news of the death of the farmer had been spread, even villagers from far flung villages attended the funeral. When funeral discussions were held among the council of elders, one villager said, “This is a funeral of a very rich man. We need to slaughter a lot of domestic animals for relish because neighbouring villagers are also in attendance at this funeral. So, we need to slaughter a bull and a cow, ten chickens, four goats, four sheep, four ducks and two pigs. The only domestic animal which will not be slaughtered is the dog because he is our security guard. ”
Then the adviser to the village farmer asked, “But what can we do with the cat?”
The brother to the farmer, “The cat is just too thin and ugly to be slaughtered for relish. Just leave it we shall use it for relish once it gets fat.”
Another villager asked, “I can see some doves there, they are very good for relish as well.”
The brother to the farmer, “Why waste your energy on small birds like the doves when there are cattle, sheep, pigs and so on. Just leave them we shall use them for relish at a later stage.”
Then after slaughtering the domestic animals there was drinking of beer, drum beating, singing and dancing. Mourners from within Malala village and mourners from distant villages became excited arguing with each other, the funeral became like a wedding party.
Then the domestic animals started mourning silently for their relatives who had been slaughtered for relish.
The mouse came silently and said, “Comrades, I hope you have learnt a lesson from what has happened to your relatives today. If you had listened to my request by removing the mousetrap out of my path, your relatives would have been alive by now. Do you remember when you rejected my request? Who can now dispute my predictions which I foresaw, since my words have been fulfilled?
Comrades, learn to take care of weak animals in your environment, because when trouble comes, it tends to affect everyone. Innocent animals including stronger animals like the cattle, the sheep, are now dead because of you. You told me to mind my own business. Are you not ashamed of what has taken place today? All of you comrades are now mourning for your relatives today. The problem hasn’t singled out any animals on this farm, which is disastrous.”
The Bull, “I think what you said mouse is true. This is a work up call, let us have a meeting of all domestic animals and see where we went wrong when we argued against your plan. For sure, we are all paying for what we did when we disobeyed your request. Today every domestic animal is feeling a sense of guilty for what has taken place here. ”
The Goat, “If our relatives are dead then what is the use of having a meeting? Let us forget about our dead relatives, let their souls rest in eternal peace.”
The male Sheep, “I think it’s high time we come together as domestic animals. We should discuss and find out the root cause for the deaths of our relatives at length. Let us make sure these senseless deaths never happen again.”
The Cock, “I support the suggestion of the Bull. Perhaps as we come together we may find a way of protecting ourselves from the cruelty of man. Who knows, maybe man might be looking for other domestic animals to slaughter. Having said this, let us try to find a common agenda on how to iron out our problems among domestic animals living on this farm.”
The Pig, “The Goat is right, we domestic animals cannot overcome the wishes of man. Since we are tamed animals, we should all be ready to be sacrificial lambs on the dinner table of man.”
The Sheep, “I think you are mad pig, every creature has the right to life. How I wish I had not left the forest to come and stay on this farm. I really made a very big mistake to leave the forest. The wild animals in the forest do not die like the way our relatives have been slaughtered mercilessly.”
The Dog, “I think the meeting is okay, because we should talk about the responsibilities of every domestic animal living on this farm. We must definitely learn to support each other’s rights on this farm.”
The Dove, “I will not take part in your meeting. After all I was not affected in anyway.”
Cock, “You can remain if you want, you coward bird from the bush. By the way who even invited you our meeting? ”
Dove, “From now on I will regard you Cock with your family as my worst enemy. You are a very backward bird who cannot even fly although you have got feathers and wings. ”
The Cattle, “Let us hurry up by going to the edge of this farm and hold a meeting while the humans are busy mourning for the farmer. If the Pig and the Goat do not attend this meeting it is up to them.”
Then all the domestic animals including the mouse went to the edge of the farm. Then the Cattle asked, “Who is the chair leader of this meeting?”
The Cat answered, “I am ready to chair this meeting and without wasting time I am requesting the mouse to start the story.”
The Goat interrupted, “The mouse should not tell us about the story which has passed on. We don’t want to be reminded of the deaths of our relatives, because they died in pain unexpectedly.”
The Sheep, “Chair leader?” “I think the Goat is mad, we have told him to remain at the farm; but he has followed us, and always speaking negatively about this meeting. Please Goat leave this place, because you have nothing sensible to offer to this meeting.”
Cat the chair leader, “This issue can only be solved amicably when we know the root cause. After all I am not accusing the mouse of anything.”
Then the mouse stood up and said, “My friends, comrades!”
The Sheep interrupted, “Mouse, give respect to the big animals like the cattle, the goats, including me, to speak first. Remember that we are different in stature.”
The Cat, “Continue mouse, narrate your side of the story. Start from the beginning. Before the massacre of our brothers and sisters.”
The Mouse, “Dear domestic animals, I was near the mousetrap thinking of what method I could use to remove the mousetrap out of my way. When I saw the Frog jumping very fast, coming towards the mousetrap. I got scared and hid in the tall grass near the mousetrap. It is at this point that I saw the big snake following the frog at high speed.
The Snake came to the mousetrap and glided onto it thinking it was a small hut. The snake wanted to rest on the mousetrap. The snake shook the mousetrap setting it off with a loud bung. It fell on its body leaving the head outside the mousetrap.
The owner of the farm wanted to catch me. He must have heard the mousetrap go off. He lit a stack of grass because it was too dark. He bumped his feet on the rock near the mousetrap. The light from the grass he was carrying went off.
It was at this point that the farmer felt his hands touch the snake on the mousetrap. He touched the snake by accident, but the snake shook itself and striked the farmer twice on his forehead. He cried bitterly in severe anguish and then he died.
I was very sorry to see an innocent farmer die because of the crops which he had planted by himself. I will end here unless others would like to add something else.”
The Sheep, “Before the chairman comes in, the mouse was wrong because if he had followed my advice of pushing a stick in the mousetrap before the snake arrived at the trap, our relatives would have been alive by now.”
Mouse, “Sheep look at my size, which kind of stick can I carry and push it in the mousetrap? A few minutes ago you said I should not refer to you as friends because you are larger than me.”
The Duck, “I have taken a point in what the mouse is saying. It’s not possible for a mouse to disturb the mousetrap with a stick.”
The Bull, “I think the sheep was wrong because he refused to help the mouse push the mousetrap, after all the sheep had a very wonderful idea which he never implemented.”
The Sheep, “The bull is very clever, how could I involve myself in this matter? Because before the mouse approached me he presented his problem to the cattle who refused to help him.”
Cat the chair leader, “Domestic animals I am really surprised because the bull is accusing the sheep of wrongdoing while the sheep is also accusing the cattle of irresponsibility for failing to help the mouse. Therefore I am in a dilemma, not knowing who is to blame between these two domestic animals.”
The Pig, “Chairman, I think this issue is a bit complicated, but we must not accuse the bull or the sheep because the root cause of this problem is the mouse, the frog and the snake.
We have heard from the mouse excluding himself saying the problem was between the frog and the snake. So in my view let us ask the frog and the snake to be present so that they tell us the root cause of their problem. ”
The Bull, “In my on view, the mouse, the frog and the snake were wrong and they need to be punished for what they did.”
The Cock, “We have not come to punish anybody here but to find a solution to the problem which has arisen on the farm.”
The Duck, “How can we solve this problem without punishing the culprits.”
Cat the Chair leader, “Why should we involve forest animals among us domestic animals because as far as I know, the snake and the frog live in the forest.”
The Duck, “Chairman, we won’t solve anything here without these two evil creatures coming here to explain how their problem started. The solution to this problem is the presence of these two stupid animals whether we like it or not.”
The Pig, “Don’t be rude duck to the frog and the snake. The snake is very dangerous; it may strike you if it hears you.”
The Duck, “Pig, the snake cannot match with me the duck; it’s not possible for the snake to kill me. I am a bird above all the problems.”
The Goat, “The snake and the frog were wrong for not solving their problem peacefully on their habitat. Therefore let us try to call them so that we hear their side of the story.”
Cat the Chair leader, “Before we call the snake and the frog, I want to know from the mouse why he predicted the coming problem? Mouse, did you know anything about the differences between the snake and the frog?”
The Mouse, “Chair leader, you are asking tough questions as if I were there, I never knew anything about what transpires in their habitat. What I said was just a prediction, although it has now come to pass. In fact I was on the fence watching the enmity between the snake and the frog near the mousetrap as I was trying to come up with an idea on how to remove the mousetrap out of my path.”
The Bull, “Dog on which side are you. You have been silent for a long time, who could be
Wrong? Is it the snake, the frog or the mouse? ”
The Dog, “The mouse is hundred percent innocent because he was just a spectator to what was happening between the snake and the frog. Having said that, my only worry is how the cat is looking at the mouse suspiciously. Let me make myself clear, if the cat will attempt to attack the mouse then I will likewise attack the cat fiercely. I am already predicting about the confusion which will ensue among domestic animals.”
The Duck, “Dog, you are not answering the question the way it’s supposed to be answered. Domestic animals need a straight forward answer, who was wrong among the three animals?”
The Dog, “I have stated my answer clearly by saying the snake and the frog were wrong, but the mouse was innocent because he was only watching what was happening between the snake and the frog. In my own view, strong and powerful animals should stop oppressing weak animals; we have heard for ourselves how the snake wanted to suppress the frog. When the frog refused, a small war broke which has affected us all at the farm, when the snake later struck our boss the farmer. Lastly, I think the bull can help solve this problem, since he is the largest domestic animal here. Therefore I am now giving the chairmanship to the bull.”
Cat the Chair leader interrupted, “What is wrong with you dog? Are you not aware that I am the one who is the chairman?”
The Dog answered rudely, “This position doesn’t fit you cat, it is supposed to be for the bull the largest domestic animal. If you are angry with my words then do whatever that pleases you right now.”
Then the frog answered in the grass, “I won’t take part in your meeting because you are domestic animals. I am not a domestic animal, so excuse me from your meeting which cannot solve anything.”
Then the snake crawled slowly where the frog was hiding and said, “Frog, you thought you are a clever animal didn’t you? I am commanding you to go where the domestic animals are having their meeting. Then after you have explained the origin of our problem I will kill you at once. If you fail to match there right now, I will pronounce judgment on you instantly, I am not joking okay.”