You are here: Home > November 2005 > A Little Tale On Pride and Prejudice
« Stanley "Tookie" Williams | Main | Walgreens Sued for 'Harassing Black Customers' »
November 29, 2005
A Little Tale On Pride and Prejudice
Posted at November 29, 2005 07:42 AM in Lifestyle .
My brother sent me an interesting parable yesterday. Immediately after reading it I shook my head, smiled and thought to myself, “I love it.” I don’t know where he got this short little parable but it teaches much in its brevity. The parable is the tale of the Impala and the Dung Beetle.
At first, when I saw the words “Dung Beetle,” I thought the tale would prove very informative and entertaining. The dung beetle was a favorite of Egyptians—the scarab family—and were worn proudly around their necks. Why would anyone want to wear the likeness of a large bug that can hoist and roll dung? I would guess because they are powerful little bugs capable of rolling dung twice their size. They are both powerful and necessary lest we find ourselves up to our necks in poop.
The Tale of the Impala and the
Dung Beetle:
One day while migrating, an Impala stopped and started to stare at a dung beetle. The impala started to laugh.
“What a ugly and disgusting little bug you are” said the Impala
The dung beetle said nothing and continued to roll her package.
“You are a filthy little bug aren’t you to waste your time rolling shit!” again stated the Impala.
Still the dung beetle said nothing.
“Look at me, I’m beautiful, I’m sleek and fast, I’m wonderful to behold, you must love me.” the impala went on.
The dung beetle said nothing and continued to roll her package.
“Your silence only tells me that I am right and you really hate yourself and your life. You wish you were as beautiful as me and as glorious as me.” bragged the Impala.
The dung beetle stopped for a while to check her bearings, she looked up at the Impala and to the left and to the right, she then proceeded to continue to move her package but she did developed a smile on her face as she began to roll.
“You dare to smile covered in shit while I stand before you as the most wonderful part of your day? You should stop and praise me and tell me how gorgeous I am. You should be thankful that someone as wonderful as me stopped and shared my beauty with an ugly little stinky bug as you.” Professed the Impala.
While the Impala was standing looking down on the Dung Beetle, a Lion creped up behind her and pounced on her, then along with the rest of her family, the lions devoured the impala.
The Dung Beetle continued to roll her package.
How many people do you know like the Impala? Eventually, yes, they
do tend to succumb to their own arrogance, vanity and stupidity. The “look at me, I am all that and a bag-o-chips” types tend to pay more attention to their own gloating than they do what’s around them, their environment, or others.
The Impala failed to see, however, the necessity of the dung beetle. And did you notice the dung beetle was not concerned with the Impala’s banter? The beetle continued on, doing his or her work, and remained focus on the task at hand. The beetle probably smiled knowing he will be back and his return will be to pick up the remains of the gloating Impala’s stomach contents, or a spot of its blood to be rolled into a ball and taken back to the nest.
I so loved this little tale it will remain with me forever. There is
no better way to teach the importance of remaining focused, not on
yourself but on the work at hand, and your surroundings. It also teaches how hatred can eat you alive.
Trackback
You can ping this entry by using http://www.femmenoir.net/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/211 .