There is a Zulu story...
Illustration
There is a Zulu story that goes something like this: Soon after creation, when it had
become apparent that the lion was the king of the animals, the birds wondered if the lion
was their king, too. They were summed to a conference by the Eagle, who declared that
the lion really couldn't be the king of the winged creatures. Since he was the most
majestic and regal of the birds, he should be king. A murmur went through the crowd.
The Owl interrupted, saying, "Since I have the largest eyes of all the birds and can see
everything, I should be king." Again a murmur rustled the crowd. The Kori Bustard,
stepped forward. "Excuse me. I am the largest of all the birds. I should be king." Finally,
a tiny Warbler piped up, "I should be your king," and all the birds laughed.
The birds didn't know whom to choose, so they decided to have a contest: whoever could fly the highest would be king. The little Warbler knew he couldn't fly as high as the bigger birds, so he hid himself inside the feathers of the Eagle. Up flew the birds. One by one they all fell off until only the Eagle was left. "I won," he shouted, beginning his descent to earth. "Not so fast," called the Warbler, who climbed out of the Eagle's feathers and soared high into the air.
This didn't please the birds, so they decided to have another contest: whoever could go the lowest would be king. All the birds tried to flatten themselves against the earth. The Warbler, however, found a mouse hole and climbed down. When all the birds were finished their attempts at getting low, he called out, "I was lowest. I should be king."
At this the birds were incensed. This little bird couldn't be their king. They decided to keep him down the mouse hole forever. The Owl would be the first to guard the hole. But during his watch, the Owl fell asleep and the Warbler escaped. Two things happened as a result of this fiasco. The Owl was so embarrassed at having letting the Warbler escape that he never came out in the daytime again. The Warbler was so afraid that the other birds wanted to kill him, that he stays in the thick brush to this day, and sits only for a few seconds at a time.
The children of Israel wanted a king: first Saul, who was head and shoulders taller than everyone, then David a lowly shepherd boy. The sad part was God was already their king and would have gladly led them forever.
The birds didn't know whom to choose, so they decided to have a contest: whoever could fly the highest would be king. The little Warbler knew he couldn't fly as high as the bigger birds, so he hid himself inside the feathers of the Eagle. Up flew the birds. One by one they all fell off until only the Eagle was left. "I won," he shouted, beginning his descent to earth. "Not so fast," called the Warbler, who climbed out of the Eagle's feathers and soared high into the air.
This didn't please the birds, so they decided to have another contest: whoever could go the lowest would be king. All the birds tried to flatten themselves against the earth. The Warbler, however, found a mouse hole and climbed down. When all the birds were finished their attempts at getting low, he called out, "I was lowest. I should be king."
At this the birds were incensed. This little bird couldn't be their king. They decided to keep him down the mouse hole forever. The Owl would be the first to guard the hole. But during his watch, the Owl fell asleep and the Warbler escaped. Two things happened as a result of this fiasco. The Owl was so embarrassed at having letting the Warbler escape that he never came out in the daytime again. The Warbler was so afraid that the other birds wanted to kill him, that he stays in the thick brush to this day, and sits only for a few seconds at a time.
The children of Israel wanted a king: first Saul, who was head and shoulders taller than everyone, then David a lowly shepherd boy. The sad part was God was already their king and would have gladly led them forever.
