The Lion's Whisker

    Once upon a time, there lived a young husband and wife in a small village in Africa. Both of them now had not been happy with his marriage. The man began to come home late from working in the fields. His wife thought he was the most wonderful man, but not now. Finally, she went to the oldest man in her village for help. However, he asked if she could bring a single whisker taken from a living lion to make the potion work. The young wife’s eyes widened in alarm. "I'll get it for you," she nodded.

    The next morning, the young wife carried a huge piece of raw meat down to invite lion’s coming closer. Behind the tree she saw the lion sniffed at the raw meat. In three bites, the meat was gone. He knew she there. The mighty lion moved slowly back into the forest and disappeared. This continued for many times. At the end of four weeks, she moved quietly next to the lion and sat silently while he ate. Her hand shaking, she reached slowly out and pulled a whisker from his chin. Holding per prize firmly in one hand, she sat frozen until the lion had disappeared back into the forest.

    She ran to the elder, waving her whisker. "I have it," she shouted. "You do not need magic to change your husband back into the loving man he once was. You are brave enough to pull a whisker from the chin of a living lion. It took cleverness and bravery to do what you have done. Can you use that same patience and courage and wit with your husband?” "But the potion," the young wife said eagerly. "Would not that work as well?" "Perhaps," the elder told her. "But it would not last. Trust me, my child. Show your husband each day that you love him. Share his problems. Make him feel welcome. Make him feel wanted and needed. Give him time to change and see what happens." The young wife went home and followed the elder's advice. Slowly, her husband began to return from the fields with the other men of the village. He began to look glad to see her. Within a year, their life was a happy one.

Adapted from: http://africa.mrdonn.org/lion.html

From the story we learn that we must ...