DARKNESS COMES TO THE ANIMAL WORLD

DARKNESS COMES TO THE ANIMAL WORLD(PHILIP BARYARUHA) A long time ago, the world was a beautiful place. The animals and the birds lived together. The always worked, fed and rested together. The grey heron was queen of birds while the hyena was the king of animals. Their subjects were lovely and obedient. After a long time of good life, the animals and birds realized the sun never went down. There was no night and day, morning or evening. It was always sunny and hot. The hyena and the heron called a meeting between the birds and animals to find a resolution.

The wild beast was a great runner and the eagle a great hunter. This made them travel long distances. The wild beast confessed that in his travels, he had come to a land where time was divided between night and day. A place where the sun provided light during day and the moon lit the night. All animals were awe struck when the eagle chipped in and confessed of having had a similar experience. He went an extra length to explain what it felt to be in darkness and how the moon provided light without making it hot.

All animals and birds agreed to form a committee to find out the truth about darkness and night. But, the pigeon was the most respected of birds. He suggested that since birds and animals loved each other so much, there was no condition under which their comrades could lie to the animal and bird world. That there was no need to waste any more time but to find a way of bringing night to the world of birds and animals.

The water duck stood and flapped his wings, addressed the animals in their might and birds in their beauty. He told the group to choose the most courageous among them and hand them containers. The moment these representatives arrived in the world of darkness, they were to cover their containers and return immediately. The lion shook his mane in deep thought, the tiger snarled as the hare flapped his ears in agreement.

The mission was composed of an owl, an eagle, a wild beast, gazelle and a big buffalo. The day of departure arrived and the mission set off with hoots and snarls. The cock was considered by many to be the loudest bird so he was given the duty of counting the days it was going to take the mission. He was told to announce the days as they passed every morning. The party at first worked well together. They arrived in the world of night and day. When darkness came they covered their containers and began the journey home. On the way, they found good grazing ground. The buffalo, wild beast and gazelle decided to feed first. They took so long that the other members of the party decided to move on. Later the grazers failed to find the way home. Old age caught up with them and they never made it. The rest of the party carried on but after a time, the eagle found some rocks that were good for nesting. She decided to nest and lay eggs first.

Fortunately for the animals and birds, the owl made it home to bring with him night and darkness. Unfortunately, he had forgotten how to speak. Whenever he was asked about his colleagues, he simply growled. After some time, animals and birds decided to look for their lost friends. Taking care not to lose each other, all animals moved together in search of their friends. From that time, animals and birds have been migrating from one place to another looking for their friends together. As for the cock, every morning he is still counting.