Week 5 Storytelling: The Lion's Bargain and the Demanding Woodpecker

The Lion's Bargain and the Demanding Woodpecker

Let me tell you what happened to me the other day. I, Leo, the King of the Jungle, was eating dinner like I do every evening. I guess I was much hungrier than I thought, because I was eating so fast that I suddenly started choking on a bone. I know better, my mother always told me to take my time when eating or I could choke. I should have listened to my mother.

 Lion with the bone caught in his throat

Anyway, this woodpecker was sitting up in the tree above me and asked me what was wrong. I told him about the bone in my throat. It was really stuck in there. He came closer and I could smell his delicious scent. Just having him nearby made my mouth water. He told me that he could help me with the bone, but was afraid to get into my mouth for fear I would eat him. Now let me tell you, if I wasn’t in so much pain from the bone, I would have done just that. A woodpecker would have made a wonderful dessert.

But I was in so much pain. I was scared I might die. Fear of death makes one do things they would not normally do. So I assured the woodpecker that if he saved my life, I would spare his. It was my bargain with him, a life for a life. The woodpecker said he would try to help me. I was so relieved. I opened my mouth real wide so he had plenty of room to get the bone out without fear of being trapped in my mouth. But do you know what that stupid bird did? He put a stick into my mouth in such a way that not only could I not close my mouth, which I wasn’t going to do anyway because the king of the jungle always keeps his word, but it hurt me. It hurt really bad.

The woodpecker did keep his end of the bargain up. He hit the bone a couple of times and it came out. As he flew out of my mouth he did take that stick out that was also causing me so much pain. I was so relieved. It felt good to have that bone out of my throat and that stick out of my mouth. And I kept my word and didn’t even try to eat him.

 The Woodpecker

But that woodpecker, I just can’t believe what he had the nerve to say to me. He said that he expected me to do something for him later this summer. Can you believe it? After I spared his life, when I had his succulent body in my mouth, I let him go. I did what I promised and he still expected more. Now, I am thankful he helped me, but telling me to do something else for him after I already spared his life, it was just too much. Lucky for him, I haven’t’ seen him since. I was beginning to think I should have gone ahead and eaten him anyway.

Author's note: This story was taken from The Woodpecker and the Lion. I thought I would tell this story from the Lion's point of view. He is telling the story of what happened to him in such a way that he might tell his lion friends. I didn't stray from the original story. The woodpecker sees the lion struggling with the bone in his throat and agrees to help when the lion assures him that he won't be eaten. The woodpecker helps him and then tells the lion that he will be back to ask for a return favor and the lion replies that he has already returned the favor by not eating him.

Bibliography: The Woodpecker and the Lion. Story source: More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.