The Honeyguide's Revenge

A hunter was looking for honey, and a Honeyguide appeared, chattering and leading him on. The hunter followed the bird to a large baobab tree where a huge beehive was located. The hunter skillfully smoked out the bees and harvested a great pot of rich honeycomb. He ate his fill, but he was a greedy and disrespectful man. He took all of the honey and left nothing behind for the Honeyguide, as is the custom. The Honeyguide, watching from a branch, said nothing. The next time the hunter was in the forest, he again called for the Honeyguide's help. The bird appeared and began to lead him. It led him on a long, winding path, deep into a part of the bush he did not know. Finally, the bird stopped and chattered excitedly. The hunter pushed through the final thicket, expecting to see a beehive, but instead he came face-to-face with a nesting black mamba, the most venomous of all snakes. The snake, defending its nest, struck and killed the hunter. The Honeyguide had taken its revenge. The story is a powerful lesson about reciprocity and respecting the laws of the bush. To break a pact with a wild creature is to invite certain doom.