On the second day, Dale sent out about ten of his messengers to search for Donny. They first of all went to Donny's habitat but they couldn't find him. They searched everywhere and they finally found him sleeping under a tree. "So this where you are hiding, you this liar, the king wants you immediately in his palace." Max’s voice woke up Donny. Donny immediately discovered that his deceitful act had been known and he didn't hesitate to follow them. The problem facing him at that moment was what he would concoct to justify himself. He kept on thinking on what to say till they reached the palace. "Why did you lie and what have you done with the food given to you?" Dale asked Donny. "Your majesty, this was how it happened. When I and others were coming to the palace they told me that they were very tired and didn't have the strength to walk to the palace and I decided to help them. So I came to the palace and collected the food for all of us. When I returned I couldn't find them and I searched for them everywhere but I couldn't see them till mid-night when I decided to rest under a tree where I ate my food and slept. I kept the rest of the food for them under the tree but when I woke up this morning, I couldn't see the food again where I kept it. I think that when I was asleep, somebody might have come and stolen the food. I slept back and soon after, your messengers came to me and woke me up and informed me that you want to see me. "Donny formulated a lie that bewildered Dale and made him to wonder, who was actually lying between Donny and Pomana and his friends. Max spoke out angrily, "Your majesty, when Donny came to the palace yesterday Donny didn't tell me that Pomana, Aris, Hopsy and Danny didn't follow him because they were weak instead he told me that they were busy discussing with you. “ "Is that true," Dale asked Donny? "Truly he asked me about the welfare of others and I told him that they were busy discussing with you, I didn't want to take so long before I arrived with the food because they had told me to arrive early with the food." Donny replied. "To verify the authenticity of Donny's story, Dale sent for Pomana and his friends. Pomana, Aris, Hopsy and Danny arrived at the palace. They were all surprised to see Donny and they wondered where Donny had been hiding since the day before. "Now, Donny explain yourself in their presence, what happened to the food given to you." Dale ordered Donny. Donny began narrating the same story he formulated. "What! You are a terrible liar.” Danny, Aris, pomana and Hopsy chorused together after Donny finished his explanation. "Your highness, you remember what we told you yesterday that Donny lied that he wanted to ease himself and we couldn't see him and when we got to the palace your messenger informed us that Donny had come to collect all the food, we searched for him yesterday night and we couldn’t find him.” Pomana explained. Donny retorted "Ah! what are you saying Pomana, when did I tell any of you that I wanted to ease myself, isn't it you, Aris, Hopsy and Danny that told me that you are all very tired and I should help you to collect food from the palace?" They all started arguing in front of Dale, Donny maintained his lies. Donny continued to formulate more plausible lies that confused Dale, making it difficult to detect who was actually lying. Dale knew that it won't be easy for him to get the person who is actually lying although he had a greater suspicion that Donny is the liar, he wished to catch Donny red-handed so that he will be able to give him the proper punishment. "Ok, all of you keep quiet and stop this argument, there is a lot of work for us to do, today, we are starting the digging work and I assure you all that before the end of the day, I will make sure I figure out the truth concerning this issue. I want every one of you to go and assemble under the large tree in the centre of this kingdom." Almost all the animals had assembled under the large tree with their various digging equipment waiting for Dale to arrive. Dale apologized to everyone for arriving late and they were all arranged into groups, about ten in numbers and the work was to been done group by group. Donny belonged to the first group but he didn't come along with his digging equipment, he took excuse from Dale to go back to bring his digging equipment. Dale allowed him, Donny quickly left and unknown to Donny, Dale had sent about three of his messengers to follow him. Donny first of all went to the tree where he was found, removed his food from where he kept it and carried it to his habitat. He knew that everyone was at the digging work and no one would see him as he took the food into his habitat. He started eating the food. About ten minutes after he began enjoying himself, Dale's messengers entered into his habitat and saw the small bag of food in front of him. "What! Isn't this the bag I used to serve you food yesterday?” “You are a terrible liar." Max said angrily. Donny tried to defend himself but Max gave him a terrible slap that sent sparks into his eyes. Donny couldn't retaliate but surrender. They collected the bag of food from him and took him straight to Dale. Dale was happy when they brought Donny along with the bag of food. They had to stop the digging work because of the urgent message concerning Donny’s crime. "Donny is an Incorrigible liar. Can anyone believe that Donny is such a mischievous fellow?" Dale said to everyone. Dale narrated to all of them what Donny did and they were all surprised. Pomana, Aris, Hopsy and Danny were extremely happy that Donny's wicked act was finally exposed. Donny was put in a cage and was not to be given any food till he was released, even if there was abundant food. Everyone believed that Donny got his just deserts for being greedy and deceitful. Pomana, Aris, Danny and Hopsy wished Donny could be given a more severe punishment by Dale.
The food collected from Donny was shared among everyone and they continued the digging work group by group. By night, the water table had not been reached. They continued the futile digging work for the next three days. The animals were very weak as there was just little food to sustain them. They dug for a whole week but they had not yet reached water table. They had no other choice but to abandon the digging work, many of them had almost died. Since they carried out a herculean task with no food in their stomach. Many of the animals blamed Xoxo for suggesting that they should dig the ground. "I knew that digging the ground will only worsen the situation, all animals have almost died because of this nonsense digging work, Xoxo your suggestion almost killed us all." Pomana said to Xoxo. "But your own suggestion almost got you, Aris, Aze, Danny and Donny killed by humans." Xoxo retorted. Danny was eating wilted grasses. "What! What is the meaning of what you are doing, don't tell me that it is because you are hungry that's why you are eating those wilted grasses? "Pomana asked Danny." This has been my food for the past two days,” Danny replied Pomana." I can't eat it, I wonder how awfully it will taste in my mouth." Pomana said irritably. "There are only two options for us, it is either we start eating these grasses or we started eating ourselves." Danny told Pomana. "This is a nonsense food, I still have the hope that it will rain". Pomana said hopefully. "If it is a nonsense food, I think I will prefer to eat you, because you are still succulent although you are suffering from hunger not like me that have become so pale and thin". Danny said eating the wilted grasses voraciously. "Okay, you should devour me instead," Pomana replied him and she went to her habitat. Xoxo joined Danny in his food and they both started plucking the grasses. Xoxo didn't enjoy the taste of grasses, it tasted so badly. "Pomana is right, this food tastes awful," Xoxo told Danny. Lolly came to Xoxo and he started eating with him. "Is it nice?" Xoxo asked Lolly. "I am just managing it, there is no other food for me to eat," replied Lolly. After sometime, they left Danny who continued eating the grasses. Xoxo followed Lolly to his habitat. Xoxo went round Lolly's habitat in search for food, although Lolly had told him that he had no food but he knew that Lolly usually kept food in his habitat and he might be lying to him so that he won't share in it. As he was moving round the habitat he saw some food and he decided to take it without the consent of Lolly. He was thinking of the strategy to use to get the food out of Lolly's habitat without being detected. Lolly suddenly appeared beside him and shouted at him "what are you doing with my food?" "But you told me before that you had no food, can you give me part of it?" "It is impossible. There are about fifteen rats in this habitat. I am not the only one to eat in it, you cannot get a bit to eat.” ‘’I thought that your food were those wilt
ed weeds.” "I feed on both. ”No problem, " Xoxo muttered and returned to his habitat feeling sad.
Nature's Twist Page 3
