HOW CARNIVORES CAME TO EXIST IN THE JUNGLE

Once upon a time
All animals were farmers
As some farmed maize
…others farmed yams
Many others farmed potatoes
…tomatoes
…okra
…groundnuts
…beans
…pepper and many others
The jungle was a very peaceful and lovely place

II
One day
All the animals woke up to see monkey on a tree
They hailed its prowess
And loved its antics
Monkey, loving the attention
…groomed and taught its family to climb
By two moons
…all monkeys lived on trees
They only came down to feed
The other animals were glad to feed the stars
All the while looking for the favour of being taught
…how to climb

III
Monkeys got their favorites and started teaching them
Their favorites also got their favorites to teach them
Within few years
All animals in the jungle could climb trees
Though they ate three meals daily
…many abandoned farming
So famine started in the jungle

IV
That was when fingers started pointing at eachother
But accusations and counter accusations
…were the only things most of the animals could do
For they had cultivated thoughts
…that farming was inferior

V
Few years later
Famine in the jungle became too intense
That many traveled outside the jungle to feed
Many were hunted and killed
Those who lived to tell the tale
…still refused to farm on their fertile land
So hunger took its gun and started shooting
The young ones started dying out
Followed by the elders
Still the animals in the jungle refused to learn

VI
When things got worse
The stronger animals began to hunt the weaker ones
…to eat
And so it came to be
That stronger and fiercer animals
Still feed on weaker ones in the jungle
…till date
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © August 26, 2020