HOLY COW!

The ram reflected on the revelations made by the goat a few days back. While it may be true that the goat did the cow a terrible offense, the sheep could not understand why the cow had to tell the hippopotamus about the matter. That is not the cow that the ram knows, the cow has always been perceived by the sheep to be a friendly and humble animal.

Then the ram recalled what the panther told him in the past – to be careful with the wolf and the cow because the two seemed to have pledged allegiance to the hippopotamus.

The sheep was a little disoriented. He had no worries about the wolf because ever since he knew that the wolf indeed was unworthy of trust, there were things that happened in that forest even before the hippopotamus came that made the ram suspicious of the wolf. The ram did not really trust the wolf. The ram even knew about the wolf trying to discredit him to the cow. An animal whispered to the ram that in one gathering the wolf told the cow that the ram was saying something against the latter.

But the cow was the ram’s friend, as a matter of fact the ram would freely tell the former how bad he felt about the hippopotamus. Even in the past, many animals would be telling the ram terrible things about the cow but being a friend to the cow, the ram  did not mind. And the cow, the ram was sure, did not believe what the wolf told him.

Then came the revelations of the goat. The ram thought that aside from the goat, is it possible that the cow squealed to the hippopotamus the identity of the other animals who have been critical of the bloated animal. What else did he tell the hippopotamus? Did the cow also tell the hippopotamus the comments the Ram  made about the bloated leader of that forest? The ram was trying to give the cow the benefit of the doubt, the cow is still his friend. The ram was hoping that that friendship will be preserved notwithstanding anything that might happen in the forest.

Troubled and confused that he was, the ram decided to talk to the horse who would never fail to give advises full of wisdom. The ram saw the horse in a stream drinking and presented his concerns. The horse did not answer directly the questions of the sheep, instead he told the sheep the fable of the dirty ant.

“One day, the funny ant called the attention of the strong ant and told the latter that the dirty ant had apparently committed misdemeanors in the colony and that something should be done for such. The problem was at that time the bully ant assigned to enforce order in the colony had problems of his own because of serious wrongdoings he had also committed. Many of the ants in the colony were clamoring that the bully ant mend his ways. The dirty ant was on survival mode at that time, he needed to cling to someone in order that he would be able to save himself from disgrace. He decided to make the bully ant his ally to ensure his survival. Even if the dirty ant knew that the bully ant should be admonished for all his wrongdoings, he embraced him as a friend thinking that by doings so he would be untouchable particularly since the dirty ant also knew that the bully ant was very close to their queen ant. The dirty ant was so confident that nobody would dare touch him from theretofore since the bully ant will take care of him.”

All the ram did was nod his head for he perfectly understood the fable shared by the horse.

While walking away from the horse, the ram was firm in his resolve that he would give the cow a chance to explain himself. Then he shifted his thoughts on the things the hippopotamus was doing at that time. He thought that it was but the right of the hippopotamus to defend himself, but is the hippopotamus really clean? Is she not guilty as she thought she is? Were the animals who shared their bad experiences with the hippopotamus just lying?

The ultimate judge is the Almighty One.

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Chapter 9 – A Battle Won