The Chameleon's Warning

A Batwa man was walking in the forest and saw a Chameleon on a branch. The Chameleon was looking intently at a particular spot on the ground. The man was in a hurry and paid it no mind. He took another step and was bitten by a venomous snake that had been lying camouflaged on the forest floor. As the venom worked its way through him, the man realized that the Chameleon, with its slow, careful gaze, had been trying to warn him of the hidden danger. He had been too impatient and proud to read the signs the forest was giving him. His family found him just in time and were able to use traditional medicine to save him. From then on, he always moved slowly and deliberately in the forest, paying attention to the behaviour of its smallest creatures. The Batwa teach that the forest is always speaking; the challenge is for humans to be quiet and patient enough to listen. The chameleon is a symbol of this slow, careful observation.