Children's story: animals and the plague (Inspired from La Fontaine)
Once upon a time, there was a happy and prosperous animal kingdom. The animals were all happy and all lived together in peace and tranquility. The wolf greeted the fat sheep and talked with them for a long time before going through the meadows and hills, exercising his sense of smell and his quick paws. In the ponds, ducks and deer crossed the riverbanks on the back of the crocodiles, who kindly offered to serve them as water transport. Not to mention the fearful rabbits and hares, who played with snakes to do speed competitions. And also the birds, who sang happily on the branches of the trees and in the mouths of hippopotamus to give more echo to their songs. The fat pigs played happy in the middle of the smiling hyenas. In short, dogs and cats were the best friends in the world.
In the kingdom of King Leo the Fair, everything was justice and truth. The court was the home of kindness, equality and fairness. The courtiers were very polite and friendly. And the palace was the most agreeable and pleasant place where all the animals concurred, without hierarchy or etiquette, more than the polite words, the sincere smiles, the warm greetings. Nothing was more peaceful than the kingdom of King Leo the Fair, and nobody wanted to be anywhere but in this beautiful palace that was everyone's home. The palace of King Leo the Fair was on the top of a beautiful hill crowned with a giant tree that served both to be a throne and the king's room. From there he could see the green and fresh valley traversed by a peaceful river full of fat fish and a beautiful pond with crystal clear waters. Next to the pond is the monastery of kind monks, who worked and prayed every day.
However, when no one expected it, one day the sky suddenly darkened. A huge black cloud was placed over the king's palace. And a terrible storm devastated the entire valley and many animals died. After the storm there were no more rainbows and the trees began to dry out because the sun was very strong and there was almost nothing to eat. The animals were very worried, but also the king and the court. Desperate, the animals began to lose their joy and serenity. They had become aggressive and every day they were hungrier. Suddenly, they began to eat each other. And the landscape became horrifying.
Then, for these horrible crimes, an evil spread through the Earth: the plague! The animals did not die from the plague but at least they were beaten by it. No one was seen to be busy supporting and assisting the other. Nothing else excited their appetite or their desire. Already the wolves and the foxes ran behind the innocent prey. The sweet lovebirds were no longer frequent and, on the contrary, they were indifferent to each other and avoided seeing each other. There was no more love, so there was no joy or happiness.
One day, when seeing such a sad and painful situation, King Leo the Fair summoned a great Council where all the nobles and the entire animal town attended. In a serious and deep voice, the king said to his subjects: "Dear friends, dear all, it is clear that heaven has allowed these misfortunes for our faults and crimes. However, it seems very fair that the guiltiest among us should sacrifice to appease the anger of the gods and end this terrible plague. I think that is how we will obtain divine forgiveness. History teaches us that when this kind of accidents arrive, these sacrifices are necessary and very welcome. Then, some of us have to give proof of self-denial and nobility of spirit. Let us therefore examine our consciences and confess each one our sins. In this way, he who has committed the most atrocious crimes will be sacrificed and only in this way, the divine will wrath be calmed. To set the example, I myself will begin to reveal my own sins. You will be my judges: when I wanted to satisfy my great ferocious appetites, I devoured a dozen oily sheep. What had these poor creatures done to me? Nothing. I even ate the poor little shepherd boy who looked after them. I am a criminal, abominable, without forgiveness from heaven. I will sacrifice myself if necessary, but first, I believe that each one of those present must also confess their own crimes, because we must hope that in all justice, the guiltiest of all will die for others".
This is how the wise King Leo the Fair spoke. But the Fox, a great courtier, said in a calm and thoughtful voice: "His majesty is a very good king and with his scruples he shows all his delicacy and greatness. Do you think that eating simple sheep, a rogue species without intelligence, is a sin? No! On the contrary, you did them a great honor in eating them. They must have died happily in your real jaws. And as for the little shepherd boy, it can be said that he was worthy of such evils, because that species thinks itself superior to us animals. They always want to dominate us and make us their property. No, your majesty: you are a noble and kind king".
Thus spoke the Fox, to the admiration of all the courtiers and the animal town. In that instant, the king received an endless applause. And so was spent all day, listening to the sins of all the animals: the Tiger, the Bear, the Wolf, the Hyena, but none of his sins was considered very serious. So all were apologized. But also, all the bully animals, even the rabid guard Dog, had their turn. According to them, they were all great saints. Finally, it was the turn of the goodnatured Donkey. When they gave him the floor, he said: "I remember, a long time ago, that I passed through the green grounds of the monastery of the monks, and as there was no one, seeing the fresh green grass, I was hungry. Then I ate a few rolls of grass without asking permission. I know I had no right to do so, I am aware of my lack, and I declare it with all humility, since we have to be sincere".
This said the poor Donkey, and the Wolf, as a good lawyer in court, said that this was the culprit of the plague, and he proved with a broad speech that this damned animal deserved to be sacrificed for his atrocious crime: "From this bare, from this mangy, come all our evils. What!? Eat the grass of others? That awful! Unforgivable!” said the Wolf. Then, this sin was considered a case of death sentence and so the Donkey was sacrificed. “Only death could excuse his grave fault”, said everybody. What does this sad story show? That according if you are powerful or miserable, so your actions will be judged
However, the plague did not end. And a great storm fell again that did true justice: the bad guys were punished and the good became winners. This was a great lesson, because a beautiful rainbow appeared soon after that and the fields returned to green, bringing joy and happiness for the entire animal kingdom.
The end