How the Baboon Got His Calloused Rump

A long time ago, the Baboon was a clever animal, but also very lazy. He loved to sit by the fire all day, telling stories and warming himself. All the other animals would go out to forage for food, but the Baboon would just sit. He sat for so long, day after day on the warm rocks by the fire, that the skin on his backside was scorched by the heat. It became thick, red, and calloused. When the other animals returned with food, the Baboon would demand a share. "I am a storyteller," he would say. "I provide the warmth of community." But the other animals grew tired of his laziness. They said, "The callouses on your rump are a mark of your laziness. You have sat while we have worked. You will not share in our food." And they drove him away. To this day, the baboon has red, leathery callouses on its rump, a permanent mark of shame for its laziness and refusal to contribute to the well-being of the community.