The Cattle That Chose Man

In the beginning, Cattle lived in the wild, and they were hunted by both Man and Lion. The Cattle grew tired of being hunted and decided they would choose one of the predators to serve in exchange for protection from the other. They held a great council. Some argued for the Lion. "He is strong and a great hunter," they said. "He will protect us well." Others argued for Man. "He is weaker," they said, "but he is clever. He builds strong enclosures (boma) and he can make fire to keep other predators away at night." They decided on a test. They would offer themselves to both. The Lion, when he saw the cattle approach, saw only a meal. He attacked the weakest one, causing the herd to scatter in terror. Man, however, saw the cattle approach and understood their offer. He calmly led them to his homestead, put them in a strong enclosure, gave them water, and protected them through the night. The Cattle chose Man as their master, for they understood that clever protection is more valuable than simple, predatory strength.