King Cicada And King Lion
King Cicada And King Lion.
One afternoon, King Cicada was trilling happily
when along came King Lion.
King Lion ran so fast that he stepped on King
Cicada. King Cicada complained, but King Lion only
laughed at him. King Lion said that he was the
strongest creature in the world and could do what he
wanted.
King Cicada then challenged King Lion and both
agreed to call a war between their followers. King
Cicada would lead the birds and the insects and King
Lion would lead the animals of the land.
On the third day, according to the agreement,
King Lion marched to the big clearing with his
followers. Behind him were the Tiger, the Horse, the
Bear, the Cow, the Carabao, the Wolf, the Pig, the
Dog, the Cat, the Rabbit, the Rat and others.
Then King Cicada flew in with his followers.
Behind him were the Birds, the Bees and other
insects.
Who won that day? Was it the big animals that
kicked, clawed and stamped, or the small insects and
the birds that buzzed, pecked, and stang?
At last when the land animals got tired of kicking
the air, the birds and insects attacked. King Cicada
told them to stop only when King Lion and his
followers cried out in pain and begged them to stop.
Thus, the birds and insects won and the war
ended. King Lion promised that all insects and birds
could have the plants and sweet flowers of the land
while his followers would be content with left-overs.
All the birds and insects went home and had a
great party, to the music of the mosquitoes and the
beetles.
Erlinda Kintanar-Alburo
Cebuano Folktales 1
University of San Carlos (1977)