The rams and the rooster
Written By - Prabir Rai Chaudhuri
Adaptation of
the fable by Godofredo Daireaux
One spring morning all
the members of a herd were startled awake by loud snapping sounds coming from
outside the barn. They trooped out to see what was going on and were met
with a fight in which two rams facing each other were clashing their hard
antlers.
A funny little lamb
who was a fan of gossip was the first to find out the reasons and ran to inform
the group. According to his sources, which were completely reliable, they
were disputing the love of a very cute sheep that had stolen their hearts.
– Apparently she has a
crush on both of them, and since she didn't know which one to choose, last
night she declared that she would marry the stronger one. You can imagine
the rest of the story: the rams found out, they met to challenge each other
before dawn and... well, there you have the friends, now rivals, locked in
combat.
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The head of the herd,
a mature and intelligent ram that no one dared to question, exclaimed:
– Calm down! It's
just one of the many romantic rows that break out every year on this
farm. Yes, they fight over a girl, but we already know that they don't
hurt each other and whoever wins, they will continue to be colleagues. We
will stay to see the outcome!
Those present breathed
easy knowing that it was just a couple of young lovers competing for a very
white sheep; a little sheep who, by the way, was witnessing everything
with a heavy heart and holding her breath. Who would be victorious? Who
would become her future husband?… The die was cast!
This was the situation
when a colorful rooster that no one had seen before slipped through the
audience and sat in the front row as if it were an honored guest. He had
never witnessed a fight between sheep, but since he thought he was the smartest
guy in the world and loved being the center of attention, he began to shout his
opinion showing very rude.
– Oh mother, what a
bullshit battle!… These rams are clumsier than a herd of elephants in a china
shop!
There were immediate
murmurs of displeasure from the audience, but he played deaf and continued to
make annoying and unwelcome comments.
– They say around here
that it is a duel between gentlemen, but the truth is that I only see two clowns
doing foolish things!… Hey, wake up kids, you're too old to make a fool of
yourself!
The murmurs rose in
volume and some looked at him out of the corner of their eyes to see if he
would take the hint and shut up; again, he ignored it and went on with the
fierce criticism of him.
– Although the ram on
the right is a little more agile, the one on the left has the biggest horns… I
think the sheep should marry that one so that their children are born strong
and robust!
The spectators looked
at him stunned. How could he be so inconsiderate?
– Although to be
honest, I don't understand his insistence on marrying her. It seems to me
that the sheep in question is not that bad!
The rams, ewes, and
lambs fell silent, and an eerie silence fell. Their outraged faces spoke
for themselves. The clan chief thought that he had definitely crossed the
line. On behalf of the community, he spoke.
– A little respect,
please!... Don't you know how to behave?!
- Me? What if I
know how to behave?… I'm just telling the truth! That sheep is identical
to the others, neither uglier, nor prettier, nor whiter... I don't know why
they waste time fighting for it when there are so many to choose from!
– Shut up fool, it's
enough to talk nonsense!
The rooster made a
surprised face and responded cockily:
– Shut me up?!…
Because you say so!
The boss tried not to
lose his temper. For nothing in the world he wanted tempers to flare up
and a huge row to break out.
Let's see, let's both
calm down a bit. You come from afar, right?
– Yes, I am a stranger,
I am traveling. I was coming along the dirt road that surrounds the wheat
field and as I passed the fence I heard a ruckus and went in to look around.
– I understand then
that since you live in other lands it is the first time that you are in the
company of individuals of our species… Am I wrong?
The rooster, puzzled,
replied:
– No, you're not
wrong, but… what does that have to do with it?
– I will explain it to
you clearly: you have no right to interfere in our community and make fun of
our behavior for the simple reason that you do not know us.
– But I like to say
what I think!
– Okay, that's fine
and of course it's respectable, but before you give your opinion you should
know how we are and how we relate to each other.
- Oh yeah? And
what is it, if I may know?
– Well, an example is
what you just witnessed. In our species, as in many others, fights between
males of the same herd are common during the mating season because that is when
it is time to choose a partner. We are peaceful animals with a very good
character, but this ritual is part of our way of being, of our nature.
- But…
– There is no but
worth! You must understand that for us these behaviors are completely
normal. We cannot fight against thousands of years of evolution and that
must be respected!
The rooster began to
feel the heat that shame produced on his face. So that no one would notice
the blush, he lowered his head and stared at the ground.
– You will know a lot
about roosters, hens, chicks, nests and eggs, but you have no idea about the
rest. Go with yours and let us solve things our way!
The rooster had to
admit that he had been smart and, above all, rude, so if he didn't want to get
hurt he had to get out as soon as possible. He took one last look at the
rams, who were still there, fighting for the love of the same female, and
without even saying goodbye he left, never to return.
