The Seven Old Animals: African Folktale

Once there lived a man who owned an old dog, so aged and weary that the man desired to cast him aside. The faithful hound had served his master devotedly throughout his younger years, but ingratitude is often the world's cruel reward, and the man now wanted to dispose of his loyal companion. The old creature, however, sensed his master's heartless plan and resolved to leave of his own accord before he could be abandoned.

After walking a considerable distance across the African veldt, the dog encountered an old bull grazing alone in the grassland.

"Don't you want to come with me, friend?" asked the dog.

"Where are you bound?" replied the bull.

"To the land of the aged," said the dog wisely, "where troubles don't disturb your peace and thanklessness cannot tarnish the noble deeds of those who have served faithfully."

"That sounds like a worthy destination," said the bull. "I shall be your companion."

The two friends continued their journey and soon found a weathered ram standing beneath an acacia tree. The dog explained their mission, and the ram eagerly joined their quest for a place where old animals could live with dignity.

As they traveled further across the vast African landscape, they encountered other aged creatures who had been cast aside by ungrateful masters: a tired donkey whose back was bent from years of carrying heavy loads, a wise old cat whose hunting days were behind her, a proud cock whose crow had grown hoarse with age, and a gentle goose whose feathers had turned silver-white.

These forgotten animals joined their growing company, and the seven companions set out together on their journey to find the mythical land where the elderly were respected and cherished.

Late one evening, as the African sun painted the sky in brilliant oranges and purples, they came upon a house glowing with warm lamplight. Through the open door, they could see a table laden with all manner of delicious food—roasted meats, fresh bread, ripe fruits, and sweet delicacies. A band of notorious robbers sat around the table, gorging themselves on their ill-gotten feast.

The hungry animals knew it would be futile to ask for admittance from such dangerous men, but their empty stomachs demanded action. They devised a clever plan that would require perfect coordination.

The sturdy bull positioned himself firmly on the ground while the donkey carefully climbed onto his broad back. The ram then scrambled up onto the donkey, followed by the dog onto the ram, the cat onto the dog, the goose onto the cat, and finally the cock perched proudly at the very top of their living tower.

At a signal from the dog, all seven animals unleashed their voices in a terrifying cacophony that echoed across the African night. The bull's deep bellowing shook the ground, the donkey's harsh braying cut through the air, the dog's fierce barking rang out like a war cry, the ram's bleating added an eerie wail, the cat's yowling sent chills down spines, the goose's honking created chaos, and the cock's crowing pierced the darkness—all without pause or mercy.

The robbers inside the house were frightened beyond belief. They peered out through the front door and beheld the strangest, most terrifying sight they had ever witnessed—what appeared to be some monstrous creature from African folklore, making the most dreadful sounds imaginable. Some bandits scrambled over the back fence, others leaped desperately through windows, and within moments the house stood completely empty.

The seven old animals climbed down from their formation, stepped calmly into the abandoned house, and satisfied their hunger with the robbers' feast. The food was more delicious than anything they had tasted in years—tender meats seasoned with exotic spices, fresh bread still warm from the oven, and sweet fruits that melted on their tongues.

When they had eaten their fill, a great abundance of food still remained—far too much to carry on their continuing journey. Together, they devised a plan to guard the house until the next morning, when they could enjoy another hearty breakfast before resuming their quest.

Each animal chose a strategic position based on their natural abilities. The dog, experienced in guarding his master's property, stretched out by the front door. The powerful bull positioned himself behind the main door where his strength would be most effective. The sure-footed ram climbed up to the loft overhead. The sturdy donkey stationed himself at the middle door. The nimble cat curled up in the fireplace where she could pounce when needed. The alert goose took her post at the back door. And the cock, always an early riser, settled himself on the bed where he could sound the alarm.

Meanwhile, the captain of the robbers, burning with anger over losing their feast and hideout, sent one of his most trusted men back to investigate whether those strange creatures had finally departed.

The scout approached the house with utmost caution, creeping through the shadows like a hunting leopard. He listened intently but heard nothing except the gentle sounds of the African night. Peering carefully through the window, he noticed only two faint coals still glimmering in the fireplace grate. Convinced the coast was clear, he began to tiptoe through the front door.

Instantly, the old dog sprang to life and seized the intruder firmly by the leg with his still-powerful jaws. The terrified robber leaped into the house, but the bull was ready and waiting. With a mighty sweep of his horns, the bull launched the man up onto the loft, where the ram caught him and immediately pushed him back down to the ground floor.

Desperate to escape, the robber stumbled toward the middle door, but the donkey erupted in the most terrible braying imaginable while delivering a devastating kick that sent the man flying into the fireplace. There, the cat pounced upon him with claws extended, scratching and hissing as she tore at his clothes and skin.

The robber managed to break free and dove toward the back door, only to have the goose grab his trousers with her strong beak, honking furiously. As he finally broke away and ran into the night, the cock let out a triumphant crow that echoed across the veldt like a battle cry.

The scout ran so fast through the darkness that stones scattered and rattled beneath his feet, his heart pounding like African drums.

Bruised, breathless, and trembling, he returned to his companions, his clothes torn and his face bearing the cat's claw marks.

"Frightful! Absolutely frightful!" was all the terrified robbers could extract from him at first. But after he caught his breath and his hands stopped shaking, he managed to tell his incredible tale:

"When I peered through the window, I saw two glowing demon eyes staring at me from the fireplace. As I tried to enter through the front door, I stepped into a vicious iron trap that nearly severed my leg. I leaped into the house, where a powerful demon seized me with a giant pitchfork and hurled me up to the loft. There, another monster was waiting and threw me down with tremendous force.

"I tried to escape through the middle door, but a third demon blew a war trumpet and struck me with a massive sledgehammer, sending me crashing into the fireplace. There, a fourth demon with razor-sharp claws nearly tore my eyes from my head. When I fled toward the back door, a fifth demon grabbed me with red-hot fire tongs. And as I ran for my life, I heard a sixth demon shouting from inside the house, 'Stop him! Stop h—i—m!' in the most terrifying voice I've ever heard!"

The robber captain and his band were so frightened by this account that they abandoned their hideout forever, never daring to return to that cursed place.

The seven old animals lived peacefully in the house for many seasons, sharing their meals and enjoying each other's company. They had found something even better than the mythical land of the aged—they had discovered that home is wherever loyal friends care for one another.

And so the faithful dog, the strong bull, the clever ram, the steady donkey, the wise cat, the alert goose, and the proud cock proved that age brings not weakness, but wisdom, cunning, and the unbreakable bonds of true friendship.

To this day, when African storytellers gather around the evening fire, they tell this tale to remind listeners that those who show kindness to the elderly and forgotten will be blessed, while those who cast aside the faithful will find that justice has a way of visiting them when they least expect it.