Elephant, Rooster & the bees

For more information about the Bees for Babar project visit: http://www3.telus.net/conrad/htmghana/bees_for_babar.htm

Text of this folktale from Ghana:

Rooster and Elephant fell in love with the same beautiful girl. They decided to settle their differences on the battlefield. On the appointed day they summoned their respective armies to the fray. Elephant's troops were comprised of all the four-legged animals while Rooster's allies were all the animals that flew. The two generals approached one another before their armies. "Ah, Brother Cocksure," said Elephant, "What do you expect to do here today with your butterflies and songbirds and bats? Flap us to death? Buffalo, Hippo, and I will stomp you into pieces and leave them for Lion and Leopard to chop! Why don't you just go home before we beat you proper?" Rooster just smiled his little chicken-lipped smile and waved a wing towards his friends the bees. The bees flew forth in their great numbers and began stinging all of their enemies. Very quickly all the other animals turned and began to run away leaving Elephant alone-- looking like he was dancing, the way that he was jerking around trying to swat the bees. The honey-makers were stinging the tender skin around his eyes, his great ears and even on the inside of his trunk. Soon, even Elephant had to take to his heels and flee—as he passed the young girl who had been watching the skirmish he waved his trunk and said "Goodbye, Mrs. Rooster!"

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• elephants
• bees
• for
• babar
• kenya
• top
• bar
• hives
• ghana
• beekeeping
• african
• honeybees
• apicultural
• development
• conservation
• folktale
• children's
• story