Kindness Pays

Kindness Pays

By

Timothy W. Carlson

      Gemsboks, who are compassionate and helpful antelopes, can kill a predator with one stab.   One day a playful leopard was crouching in the jungle and suddenly found himself in pain and stress because he had stepped on a thorn.   He was in the forest near Goma and needed help.   He then tried to call someone but wasn’t successful.   Haggle went to a pasture and found a Gemsbok feeding on the grass.   The leopard then asked if the Gemsbok could help him.   The Gemsbok thought for a while and commanded that if he tried to attack him he would stab him with his horn.   The leopard responded, “Yes, I will leave you alone”.   So the Gemsbok, Orlando, agreed and skillfully pulled out the thorn in no time.   When this happened Hiporuth was king.

     Now there was a very naughty fawn that went into a farmer’s property and gobbled all the cabbage one night.   The farmer’s son, who had suspiciously found fresh tracks that morning, discovered it was a gemsbok’s footprint.   So he found Orlando and captured him, falsely accusing him of taking the cabbages.   Meanwhile, the leopard who had been captured was being whipped and starved to make him angry.   While Orlando was in need of a miracle, he began praying and shouting in the pit, “Help I’m innocent”.   Then one morning Orlando was thrown into an arena where Haggle had been set free because Hiporuth wanted blood.   Bloodthirsty Haggle opened his mouth, roared, and then he charged…….

     The leopard suddenly stopped and recognized the gemsbok, who was set to fight.   He walked up and greeted his own friend again.   Orlando was surprised, relieved and also grateful.   While the king was angry, he also marveled at the sight.   Then because the farmer lost some of his food, the furiously Orlando sent the foolish fawn to dig for the farmer until he had repaid him.    Kindness compensates.