In an Ogaden tale, there used to be three strong oxen in the bush; one red, one white and one black. One day a lion came upon them and wondered to himself about how he might eat the three oxen. The lion realized that he could not attack all the three oxen at the same time because of their combined power. He made a plan to divide them and to eat one at a time.

The lion came to the red and to the white oxen and told them that the black ox was spoiling the valley and the bush where they lived. He suggested that the black ox should be killed in order to save their environment. Unknowingly the two oxen thought that the lion was right and allowed him to kill and eat the black ox.

After few days, the lion again came to the red ox and told him that the white ox was arrogant and was intending to kill him (the red ox). The lion suggested that he, the lion, should protect the life of the red ox by killing the white ox. The red ox agreed to the lion’s plan and the white ox was killed.

After few days the lion came to the helpless red ox and said, “It is now your time to die.”

The red ox now understood the long planned trick of the lion, but was now helpless against him by himself. The red ox said to the lion, “You killed me when you killed the black ox.”


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Note added at 22 mins (2009-11-02 11:22:21 GMT)
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or you killed me when you killed the white ox
as you like to put it :)

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