Which Hunter Will Be the Hero?
After a long and terrible war, a king found that his people were going hungry because there was so little meat. The hunters were coming back empty-handed, saying that the wild animals had been driven away by the war. The good king shared what he had with his people, and promised a great reward to whichever hunter could bring in more meat. In the town where the king lived, there were two hunters who were the best marksmen ever known in their country. However, both had been badly injured in the war. One was blind, and the other had lost a leg. When the news of the king's offer became known, the lame man crawled to the home of his friend the blind man. They decided to help each other with hunting. The blind man loaned the lame man his gun and carried the lame man to where they thought they might find some game. The blind man carried the lame man about till the lame man saw an antelope. "Stop, my friend," whispered the lame man. "Let me down slowly and quietly." The blind man did so. His friend carefully aimed the gun and shot the antelope. The animal was so large that it was only injured. It ran off into the bush. The two friends did not give up. They went in search of their quarry, with the lame man guiding the blind man who carried him. When night fell, it was getting too dark to see. Just then the lame man saw the antelope, which had died from its wound. The next part was hard. The blind man was able to carry the antelope, but not both. The lame man had to crawl as best he could and direct his partner to their town. When they finally reached their homes, they cut off the head of the antelope. The blind man carried the head and his friend to the king. They hoped that both of them would be rewarded. The king reminded them that he had only offered the reward to one hunter. "Which one of you will it be?" he asked. "That one will receive the prize. His name will also be put into the Register of Heroes, for finding a place where the hunting is better." Each of the two hunters wanted the prize. The blind man told how he had carried the lame man all the way to where the antelope had been, and far into the bush as well. He had also supplied the gun, and helped decide where to start hunting. The lame man answered that he had helped decide the place of hunting, and had found the antelope. Moreover, he had been the one to shoot the antelope and find it again after wounding it. Neither one could prove that he had done more than the other. The king could not decide. Neither could his advisers. Even the townspeople began arguing. The wise king noticed the arguments beginning, and he saw that the two hunters were starting to get angry with each other. "Have we not just had a terrible war?" asked the king. "Nothing is coming of this except disagreement and arguing. Yet we only have meat now because two noble hunters worked together and did what neither could do alone. I decree that each shall be rewarded, and both shall be placed into our Register of Heroes." Thus the king rewarded both hunters and taught his people a great lesson.
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