I've written a fable in the style of Aesop. This is my first diary.
In the style of Aesop...
Once upon a time there was an elephant that wanted to be the most powerful of the
beasts, but he needed help to do it. One day, he met a lion that wanted meat. The
elephant had an idea. "Friend lion," the elephant said, "we would make a great team!
With you roar and claws, and my tusks, no one could stop us. Fight my battles for me,
and I will see to it that you get meat." The Lion badly wanted meat. He looked at
the elephants tusks and thought "surely with such a morbidable ally, I will have all
the meat that I want." So, the lion agreed, and fought for the elephant.
After a while, the lion asked "When do I get my meat?" The elephant replied "I can't get your meat right now, we have to rule the jungle first. One we rule the jungle, I will get you your meat." The lion agreed to wait.
With the lion's claws and the elephant's tusks, they soon ruled the jungle. "Give me my meat, friend elephant," the lion demanded. The elephant replied "Not so soon, not so soon, friend lion. We don't have enough power yet. When we rule the desert, then you will have meat." The lion didn't like waiting, but the promise of meat made the lion keep his patience.
And so the lion and the elephant set out for the desert, and before long they were masters of the desert. The hungry lion said "Give me my meat." The elephant said "Any day now, I almost have enough power to give you meat. Once we rule the Savannah, then nothing can stop me from giving you all the meat you want." The lion growled, and his ears went flat on his head. The lion didn't like this one bit. But he couldn't walk away from the promise of meat. "Very well," said the lion, "I will help
you take the savannah. And then you will give the meat you have promised."
Together, the lion and the elephant marched out onto the Savannah, and fought many battles. In the end, they were victorious, and were the rulers of the Savannah. "You have the power now. You rule the jungle, the desert and the savannah. Give me my meat!"
The elephant knew that if he actually gave the lion his meat, the lion would have no reason to fight for him any longer. So, the elephant replied "Nothing would make me happier, friend lion! If only I could, I would give you meat right now. Now if we can just rule the clouds..."
The lion silenced the elephant with a ferocious roar. "You have all the power you need to fulfill your end of the bargain. Since you refuse to do so, I will take my meat NOW." And the lion lunged at the elephant and ate him.
***
I suppose the moral of the fable is that unfulfilled promises eventually come back to bite you later...