Why the Hen Lives With Man

This is an oral narrative in the classical category of a self-explanatory story. It tells why man lives with the hen as his bird.

Why the Hen lives with Man

In the very distant past when the earth was still a mere adolescent, there lived a hen and a guinea fowl. The two birds were great friends that they shared any patch of good fortune which happened to cross their paths. This commendable bond existed mainly because the duo belonged to one family. Yes, the family of birds characterized by presence of wings, taking almost the same kind of food to stop the advances of hunger and many others. However, when Hen had black feathers and had small body proportion, Guinea fowl’s skin was covered with feathers which were black and white-spotted. These differences are the ones which would partially define their relationship as close to that of cousins, not blood daughters. 

            So they lived like daughters of one parent. And needless to mention, they could readily join hands to arrest any piece of terrible situation threatening to dog their lives with nuisance. They lived in the inside parts of the forest. Each and every day they would pick some wild delicious fruits and after meals, they would retire to sleep in a certain cave which served as their shelter. But misfortunes are like a cough, they appear whenever they feel like; just without dropping a hint of warning to earth’s occupants.

            The long periods had passed. The two friends were expecting everything to run as expected, just like before. However a disaster struck. Within no time, the whole extensiveness of the forest was covered with dew and mist. So worse was the unfortunate happening that Hen and guinea fowl could not manage to roam their way freely through the forest. In fact their hunting missions were interfered with by the aggressive weather state. To add petrol to fire, their bodies froze almost to the semblance of some wet sheep’s wool. The cold was so devastating that it shook the whole forest to the roots. Everybody alive could feel the effect. So when Lion, the King of the jungle called for a meeting, all animals availed themselves with loose and willing hearts.

            Even ants, termites, snails, earthworms and many other underdogs of the animal kingdom were in full attendance. And almost everybody slumped onto the soil since most of the seats had been occupied by the dignified members of the cabinet. Others like the birds inclusive of ravens and doves perched on tree branches near the venue. Their ears were fully strained and cocked to catch everything which came from their king’s mouth; even a mere sneeze. He began addressing the crowd which was peopled with a promising number of jungle citizens. His voice, as he spoke, was shaky, his heart was heavy with worry while his skin felt uncomfortable, like that of an old man.

             “My loyal people, you can all see this environmental situation is out to kill us to the last man. We should not take this lying down but it’s the suitable time to exercise physical capability of our thoughts. ” He paused to suppress a slight shake. “ So I request everybody to devise some mechanisms to bring a small amount of warmth.” So cold was it that instead of some animals thinking up an idea, they saw it wise to exercise their opinions physically. The ones blessed with horns and huge body proportions could charge at each other, head-on-head collision. The likes of elephants and rhinos were the undisputed leaders of this group. Others like the hare were not left behind. They circled the avenue, running with great speed. Still, others hip-hopped vigorously such that plumes of soil flew wildly to the atmosphere. Hen and her friend left the meeting unnoticed. The duo had tried hard to flap their wings violently to no avail. However, still the cold had been threatening to freeze life out of their very hearts.

            Hen was a good thinker as well as a wise woman. She knew the saying of old; our ancestors for us as a whole and everybody to himself. One day while she and Guinea foul were sitting on a flat stone, she said; “My friend, I have cooked up an excellent plan which would unchain us from this natural slavery.” Guinea fowl laughed at the seriousness showing up in Hen’s face. “What is it, the eldest daughter of King Solomon?” she asked jokingly but at the same time burning with anxiety to hear of the plan. Hen was not in the mood of wasting her words, but she hit directly at the point. “Tomorrow at the break of dawn, I will face the man courageously and request for some fiery coals for lighting up some fire.” The two immediately declared the idea effective. And true to her word, Hen entered man’s gate full of great faith the next day. And her believe paid off once she set foot on the grass thatched hut. The human being, (a woman) had been sifting chaff from some maize grains. And some remnants had of course fallen on the ground. And on seeing them, and imagining how hungry she was, Hen began pecking them with an appetite comparable to that of a starved ogre. The woman had welcomed Hen so warmly that the latter’s heart began envying the forest, in favour of the woman’s compound.

            Days came and passed swiftly. And Hen was so satisfied with man’s hospitality that she made up her mind never to make a return to the problem-filled forest. Her friend the guinea fowl would think up a plan of survival. But was the hen not betraying the loyalty of her colleague? She had promised Guinea fowl that she would bring fire from the man’s hearth. That is why one evening she took wing to the top of the hut. With continuous, persistent flaps of her wings she sang to Guinea fowl, her mouth facing the direction of the forest.

                  

                        Te te te te ii oo,

                       Guinea fowl, my jungle friend,

                       Allow my words to settle into your ears,

                     Yes, guinea fowl

                      I say there is no fire.

                       No fire! No fire! No fire at all, my friend the guinea fowl!

     

            The lyrics of the song echoed through the forest. Hen assumed that the song’s importance had successfully entered her friend’s mind and heart. So Hen was bewitched by the good life available in the woman’s hut. And that is why she lives with man to this very day. And day in, day out, she never fails to reassure her friend the Guinea fowl of the absence of fire in human land.

Reviews

[petah]

@marie. Hen symbolises those friends who sticks to you when all is well. Bt when life turns against you, they leave you on your own devices.

[Marie]

This is a nice parable. But I do think the hen was betraying her friend.