The Leopard and the First Lie

In the beginning, no one knew how to lie. One day, the Leopard, the Dog, and the Goat were traveling together. They grew hungry and decided to pool their money to buy food. They bought a large piece of meat and cooked a stew. As they were about to eat, the Leopard said, "Let us go and wash our hands in the river. The last one back has to serve the others." They all agreed and ran to the river. The Leopard, however, just wet his paws and immediately ran back, arriving first. He served himself the entire pot of stew, leaving nothing for the others. The Dog and the Goat returned, clean but hungry and confused. When they asked what happened, the Leopard said, "A great wind came and knocked over the pot." This was the first lie ever told. The Dog, who saw the grease on the Leopard's whiskers, knew the truth but was too afraid to speak. The Goat, however, was furious at the injustice. He went to the King and reported the incident. The King summoned the Leopard, who told the same lie. But the King was wise and saw through the deceit. For his crime of inventing falsehood, the Leopard was cursed to always be a solitary hunter, never again to be trusted in a group.