I have no doubt that many have erstwhile friends/relatives/acquaintances who have you in their email list, and if they are anything like mine, you will periodically recieve mass emails to their whole "buddy" list of sappy inspirational stories, hoaxes, and the rest of the interweb detritus that infects so many inboxes.
Previously, I have usually missed the origin points of these urban legends before they become urban legendized, but I caught one today that I have no doubt we will see again and again for many years to come in innumerable permutations, each modified to suit whatever flavor of whacko that sends it out.
From the AP wire:
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions that apparently had chased off her captors...
jump...
It has everything for everyone...
She was beaten repeatedly before she was found June 9 by police and relatives on the outskirts of Bita Genet, Wondimu said. She had been guarded by the lions for about half a day, he said.
"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said.
"If the lions had not come to her rescue, then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage," he said...
"A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they didn't eat her," Williams said.
Look! Even wild carnivores have more love and compassion than humans do - See? Meat is Murder!
Tilahun Kassa, a local government official who corroborated Wondimu's version of the events, said one of the men had wanted to marry the girl against her wishes.
"Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people," Wondimu said.
See? A Miracle! Ya know what I think, I think them lions were actually Angels sent to protect her, cause I bet she were a Christian, and Angels protect Christians all the time!
The story even has a nationalist angle...
Ethiopia's lions, famous for their large black manes, are the country's national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency. Despite a recent crackdown, hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1,000. Williams estimates that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions remain in the wild.
Ethiopian Lions will stand strong to protect our poor, weak children! So, too, must all Ethiopian peoples take this strength to heart against our Great Nations troubles!
Etc.
Wonder if Snopes pays attention to seed stories like this so they will have a backfile for quick reference?
