The animals and birds went to the lion in his den to complain about their condition and tell him their problems, hoping he would find a suitable solution for them. He was the king of the forest and had enough mind and wisdom to solve their problems. The wild chicken said: My lord, king of the forest, vegetables have become scarce in the forest and don’t suffice for all the birds. The lion said to his minister the leopard: Write down the chicken’s problem so we can work on solving it.
The gazelle said in a weak voice with tears in her eyes: My lord, king of the forest, wolves and hyenas chase us day and night, instilling fear in our hearts. We can’t close our eyes while seeking your protection, oh king of kings. The king of the forest kept listening to his entourage of birds and animals, recording their problems and thinking about solutions. He decided to meet with his assistants, the bear and the fox, to find solutions to the animals’ problems.
In the meeting, the bear said after long thinking: My lord lion, I have a good idea to save the tame, gentle animals from the claws of predatory animals. That is to build them a special place surrounded by high walls of tree branches, so they can live there safe and sound. The lion said: Wonderful, wonderful, oh bear. It’s a very good idea. Let’s gather the elephants and monkeys to cut trees and build walls. And what do we do about the food problem and the lack of grains?
The bear said: It’s truly a problem, my lord, and I don’t know how to solve it. The lion said to the fox: And what’s your opinion, oh fox? You are resourceful and strong in intelligence. The fox said: Give me a few days, my lord, to search and think of a suitable solution to this problem. The lion said: Well, let the meeting be adjourned, and we’ll meet after two weeks. The fox went to contemplate the surrounding nature and tried to understand how plants grow and trees develop. One day while he was walking in the forest, he saw a chicken sitting and crying.
He said to her: What makes you cry, oh chicken? The chicken said: I had hidden some vegetables underground so my children would find food in the bitter winter, but they disappeared, and I found these green plants in their place. The fox was amazed and started thinking about the secret of the grains’ disappearance. Finally, he was able to know that when we plant vegetables in the belly of the earth and water them with rain water, they sprout and become plants. He rejoiced at this knowledge and returned to the lion, telling him what had happened.
The lion issued orders for the forest animals to gather. Indeed, the animals gathered. The lion said to them: Oh animals, the fox has discovered the secret of farming, which is that when we plant one grain in the belly of the earth, it becomes a thousand grains after it grows. Come, my animal brothers, let’s divide the land between us and farm it. Our vegetable crop will increase, and food will be available to us. The animals left happy with the idea of farming. They started farming the land and harvesting the crop, and they were able to provide their own food.