In the searing heat of the midday African sun, as Warthog led his young back from wallowing in the mud at the waterhole, he came across Lion who was whimpering loudly. Wary of Lion, Warthog was about to retreat and go the other way, but Lion’s persistent cry aroused his curiosity.
Cautiously he approached Lion from a distance, ready to defend his young, and then as the sun continued to bake the red earth around him, he noticed that Lion’s foot had been caught in a trap. The more he had wrestled, the more Lion had become ensnared. The struggle had drained the strong beast’s energy and as he lay limp and trapped on the dry, brittle grass, Lion flicked his long, brush-ended tail in anguish.
“I have been lying here for days and I have not eaten”, protested Lion. “Please save me, Warthog.” Warthog and his young stood still as they looked at the suffering Lion. “My body is growing weaker and weaker, and I’ll die soon,” pleaded Lion.
Then Warthog had pity on Lion who was weakened by hunger and distress and he freed him from the trap. As Warthog trotted away in search of berries, with his tail held as upright as a tree, Lion observed his mud-smeared youngsters trailing behind him. The sight of the little warthogs running through the bleached grass greatly provoked his hunger.
“You have so many warthogs in your litter!” – said Lion, suddenly regaining strength. “Please spare me one.”
Warthog replied in disgust, “I have just saved your life and now you want to eat one of my young!”
When Lion began following them the mother of the litter grew anxious and said to Warthog, “Lion is a strong, powerful animal. We shall have to do what he wishes.”
As he turned to face Lion, Warthog’s sharp tusks became visible as he said, “When we reach our destination you may have one of my young, but first let’s have a closer look at that trap.”
Lion began to demonstrate to Warthog how the trap was constructed. “How did it trap you?” asked Warthog, curious. Lion held one end of a long, thick stick and asked Warthog to take hold of the other and hold it down. “But how was your foot caught?” asked Warthog.
As Lion put his foot in the trap to show how he had been trapped when out hunting alone, Warthog released the stick and Lion was caught once again.
When the warthogs trotted swiftly away, Lion pleaded with them to free him. “You cannot be trusted, Lion,” said Warthog from a long distance away. “Free yourself. We set you free and in return, you wanted to eat one of my young.”
And so, Lion stayed helpless in that trap for days and nights until his once powerful and majestic body grew weak and limp, and death overcame him. To this day Lion and Warthog are enemies. And if Lion happens to meet Warthog, he will not hesitate to eat him. (Folktale from Lamba people, Togo)
