Deadly Plot of the Elks Against the Wolves
Seeking revenge in this African folktale only leads to bitterness and futility for wolves and elks.
In the distant past, elks were humans. They lived in a big mansion in the countryside. They decided to throw a party and invite all the wolves because they were tired of losing their children to the hungry predators.
The elks had a secret plan to get rid of the wolves once and for all. They bought a lot of gasoline and stored it in the basement. Then they sent out invitations to the wolves. It took them a month to gather them all.
When the wolves arrived, they entered the mansion eagerly. Half of the elks stayed outside, pretending to be busy with preparations. The wolves snarled at them as they passed by. They were looking forward to eating the elks. When everyone was inside, the leader of the elks said, "O wolves! We are going to have a big dance. You just sit back and enjoy, and we will entertain you."
So the wolves sat down, as they were told, while the elks lit two candles, one at each end of the mansion. The elks that were outside poured gasoline all over the mansion and set it on fire. The mansion burst into flames and burned down quickly. There were two windows in the attic.
The elks that were inside jumped through them and escaped. The wolves, however, were all trapped and burned. Thousands of them perished that day. But the elks did not know that one of the wolves had survived the fire. He was the son of the alpha wolf, and he had managed to escape through a secret tunnel. He was furious and vowed to avenge his father and his pack.
He followed the elks to the woods and waited for the right moment to strike. He gathered a few loyal allies and attacked the elks while sleeping. He killed many of them and wounded the leader of the elks. He then challenged him to a duel and said, "You elks are cowards and traitors. You betrayed us and killed us with fire. Now, you will pay for your crimes. I will fight you and take back what is rightfully ours."
The leader of the elks was brave and proud. He accepted the challenge and said, "You wolves are greedy and cruel. You hunted us and ate us without mercy. Now, you will face the consequences. I will fight you and defend what is rightfully ours."
The two enemies faced each other and fought fiercely. They bit and clawed and kicked until they both fell to the ground, exhausted and bleeding. They looked into each other's eyes and realized they had lost everything.
They had no family, no friends, no home. They had only hatred and pain. They saw the futility of their hatred in their dying moments. They wanted to erase their past and start over, but there was no time. It was too late to learn; revenge is a bitter and futile pursuit that does not bring peace or satisfaction.
