When animals alone lived on the earth, Elephant was their king and Hare was his councillor. Hare was round and fat, but Elephant was thin. The king wondered why his councillor thrived while he did not. Hare suggested that all animals gather and advise the king on what food or remedy might make him strong.
A message went through the forest. Every animal was invited to the king's meeting. Lizard heard the summons and decided to twist it into his own errand.
First he came to Lion and said the king did not need him at the meeting; what the king required was a small piece of Lion's skin for a magical use. Lion obeyed. Lizard went to Leopard and asked for spots, to Eagle for a feather, to Cat for whiskers, and to Elephant for a tusk. Each believed he served the king.
Loaded with these tokens, Lizard arrived at the meeting and sat behind the others. Hare asked each animal to show the food it ate so the king could learn what might make him fat. When Hare came to Lizard, the strange bundle caused alarm. Lizard explained loudly that some animals had sent their food with him because they could not attend.
He lifted Lion's skin. Eland grew afraid and fled. He showed Leopard's spots, and antelopes and monkeys panicked. He held up Eagle's feather, and birds scattered. He raised Cat's whiskers, and mice and doves vanished. Finally he displayed the tusk, and even Elephant himself ran from the place.
On the road Elephant met Lion and appointed him king of the forest. Free from the burden of ruling, Elephant grew fat. But the meeting had changed the forest forever. Each creature had seen a sign of danger in another, and suspicion spread from that day onward.