Adaptation of the fable of Godofredo Daireaux
One spring morning all the members of a herd awoke with a start to loud, dry sounds coming from outside the barn. They streamed out to see what was going on and encountered a fight in which two rams facing each other were clashing their hard antlers.
A funny little lamb who was very fond of gossip was the first to find out why and ran to inform the group. According to their sources, who were totally reliable, they were disputing the love of a very cute sheep that had stolen their hearts.
– Apparently she is fond of both, and as she did not know which one to choose, last night she declared that she would marry the strongest one. You can imagine the rest of the story: the rams found out, they stayed to challenge each other before dawn and… well, there you have the friends, now rivals, locked in combat.
The head of the herd, a mature and intelligent ram that no one dared to question, exclaimed:
– Calm down! It is just one of the many romantic fights that take place every year on this farm. Yes, they fight over a girl, but we already know that they don’t hurt each other and whoever wins they will remain colleagues. We will stay to see the outcome!
Those present breathed easy knowing that it was only a pair of young lovers competing for a very white sheep; a little sheep who, by the way, was witnessing it all with a heavy heart and holding her breath. Who would be victorious? Who would become her future husband?… The die was cast!
This was the situation when a colorful rooster that no one had seen before sneaked into the crowd and sat in the front row as if it were a guest of honor. He had never witnessed a fight between rams, but since he believed himself to be the smartest guy in the world and loved being the center of attention, he began to express his opinion loudly, demonstrating very rudeness.
– Oh mother, what a battle birria! … These rams are clumsier than a herd of elephants in a china shop!
There were immediate murmurs of displeasure from the audience, but he played deaf and continued to make annoying and inappropriate remarks.
– They say around here that it is a duel between gentlemen, but the truth is that I only see two clowns doing stupid things! … Hey, be smart kids, you’re old enough to make a fool of yourself!
The murmurs grew louder and some glanced at him to see if he took himself for granted and shut his mouth; again, he ignored it and continued his fierce criticism.
– Although the ram on the right is a bit more agile, the one on the left has bigger horns… I think the sheep should marry that one so that their children are born strong and robust!
The spectators stared at him in amazement. How could you be so inconsiderate?
– Although to be honest, I do not understand that commitment to marry her. It seems to me that the sheep in question is not so bad!
The rams, ewes, and lambs fell silent and there was an eerie silence. Their faces of outrage spoke for themselves. The clan chief felt that he had definitely crossed the line. On behalf of the community, he took the floor.
– A little respect, please! … Don’t you know how to behave ?!
– Me? What if I know how to behave?… I’m just telling the truth! That sheep is identical to the others, neither uglier, nor prettier, nor whiter … I don’t know why they waste time fighting for it, there are so many to choose from!
– Shut up you fool, it’s good to say nonsense!
The rooster made a surprised face and responded with arrogance:
– Shut up ?!… Because you say so!
The boss tried not to lose his temper. For nothing in the world did he want spirits to warm up and a huge row would be mounted.
– Let’s see, let’s both calm down a bit. You come from far away, right?
– Yes, I’m a stranger, I’m traveling. I was coming along the dirt road that surrounds the wheat field and as I passed in front of the fence I heard commotion and I got in to browse.
– I understand then that since you live in other lands it is the first time that you are in the company of individuals of our species … Am I wrong?
The rooster, puzzled, replied:
– No, you’re not wrong, but … what does that have to do with it?
– I will explain it to you clearly: you have no right to meddle in our community and make fun of our behavior for the simple reason that you do not know us.
– But I like to say what I think!
– Ok, that’s very good and of course it’s respectable, but before giving your opinion you should know how we are and what is our way of relating.
– Oh yeah? And what is it, if you can tell?
– Well, an example is what you just witnessed. In our species, as in many others, fights between males of the same herd are common during the mating season because that is when it is time to choose a mate. We are peaceful animals with a very good character, but this ritual is part of our way of being, of our nature.
– But…
– There is no but that is worth! You must understand that for us these behaviors are completely normal. We cannot fight against thousands of years of evolution and that must be respected!
The rooster began to feel the heat that shame produced on his face. So that no one would notice the blush, he lowered his head and stared at the ground.
– You will know a lot about roosters, hens, chicks, nests and eggs, but you have no idea about the rest. Go with yours and let us solve things our way!
The rooster had to admit that he had been a smartass and above all, rude, so if he didn’t want to go wrong he had to leave as soon as possible. He took one last look at the rams, who were still doing their thing, fighting for the love of the same female, and without even saying goodbye, he left, never to return.
Moral: We all have the right to express our thoughts freely, of course we do, but when giving our opinion it is important to do so sensibly. One should not judge things that he does not know and much less if it is to offend or despise others.
