THE TAPESTRY OF FABLES

SOMETHING FOR SOMETHING

Here I go again, telling you a story. What story do I tell now? Hmm?

Being a story teller is not easy. I'm not joking, you have to think and think, remove that and add that! It's not an easy job, but I'm not complaining. It's fun and I love it.

Every one after all, has to do something, because we all want something.
Yes, yes, that reminds me of a particular story, a very good one too.

So, in a certain time(I don't know of) and in a land(that never existed except in my head), there lived a Wild Boar who loved to eat very very much (Oh! I see that's a problem).

Now, let me tell you a thing or two(Or maybe more) about wild boars.

They are like pigs, except wilder and bigger. They are sometimes called wild pigs.

They have tusks around their mouths -tusks are like horns that extend from the mouths of some animals like wild pigs, elephants and walruses, but really they are elongated teeth (I bet you didn't know that before!)

Science tells us that wild pigs are the ancestors of our domestic pigs.

Wild boars will eat almost anything: Vegetables, roots, reptiles and even rodents. They are voracious eaters(Now we know where pigs get their eating habits from),and like pigs they like to wallow in the mud to cool off(that's their jacuzzi!)

They are found in some parts of Europe and Africa.
Now, that's enough science, you guys want a story, not a NatGeo Wild documentary.

Now, this wild boar apart from eating, wanted a life of ease and comfort. Wouldn't life be nice, if you could do nothing all day and someone brought you food at all times?(His thoughts not mine)

Everyday, he would observe the domestic animals on the nearby farm. The dogs didn't have to hunt for their food like him, yet, everyday their master brought them meat and bones.

The cows and goats didn't have to wander far away to look for pasture and fall prey to lions or leopards, their master brought them fresh grasses and hay in their shed; same for the horses in the stable.

The cats would patrol the house aimlessly and yet, were sure to have bowls of milk everyday. The fowls were living the life in the poultry house, each day the master brought them bags of corn, and they didn't have to look for their own food!

Now, that got this Wild boar thinking. Food out in the wild was a struggle, there was barely enough to satisfy him and maintain his boarish fat. Wouldn't life be better, if he was to become a domestic animal, and just lie around all day in the mud and be fed?

He finally made up his mind and approached the master who owned the farm. He declared his intention to become a domestic animal.

The man laughed. "The dogs watch over my house and the cats catch the mice, the goats and cows give me milk for my tea, the fowls give me eggs for my breakfast, the horses carry me and my load, but of what use is a wild boar to me?"

The wild boar could give no answer, his piggy mouth was just wildly open.

Then, after a long stare the Man replied, licking his lips, "Seeing you here, just made me realize that I might have some use for you. I suddenly have an appetite for roasted boar and I think I need a new hide for my rug, you would do just fine."

On saying that, the master killed the boar, skinned and gutted him.

After eating him, he decided that the boar was tasty, and decided to domesticate boars(Maybe that's how we got pigs to live with us? Suckers for free food.)

Men more often than not, are concerned with what is in for them. If you understand this, then you will know why the Romans say,
"Quid Pro Quo"-Something for Something.

Nothing is free, not even in free town. Don't be "pork" for another man!