Not Our Problem
Margaret Read MacDonald Title: Not Our Problem Storyteller: Margaret Read MacDonald Language: English Date of Telling: 2016-04-17 Location of Telling: Des Moines, Washington Duration of Story: 03:33 Source of Story: Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About (August House, 2005) Location of Story: N/A Subject Headings: Kings and Rulers Notes: |
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The king and his advisor sat eating honey on puffed rice. A drop of honey fell from the king’s mouth onto the window sill. The advisor said, “Your majesty, should I clean that up?”
The king said, “Oh no. It is not our problem. The servant will get it.” The drop of honey dribbled down off the window sill onto the ground below the palace. And a fly began to eat the honey and a gecko ran out and began to eat the fly.
The adviser said, “Oh your majesty, the drop of honey that fell from your mouth has now fallen to the ground under the palace and a fly ate it and a gecko is eating the fly that ate the honey that fell from your mouth.”
The king said, “Well, it is not our problem.” Just then a cat ran out and jumped on the gecko and began to eat the gecko. And a dog ran out and attacked the cat and the dog and the cat began to fight.
The advisor said, “Oh your majesty, the drop of honey that fell from your mouth was eaten by a fly, who was eaten by a gecko, who was eaten by a cat, and then a dog attacked a cat and they are fighting under the palace.”
“Well” said the king, “ it is not our problem.” Just then the woman who owned the cat saw the dog attacking her cat. She grabbed her broom and she began to beat the dog. The man who owned the dog, saw the woman beating the dog, he ran out and began to beat the woman. Now there were two people fighting under the palace.
“Oh your majesty, the drop of honey that fell from your mouth a fly ate, a gecko ate the fly, a cat ate the gecko, and then a dog attacked a cat, and a woman beat the dog and a man is beating her. There are two people fighting under the palace. I should go…”
“No,” said the king. “It is not our problem.” The woman’s friend saw her being attacked by the man and they began to beat on the man. The man’s friend saw him being attacked by the woman’s friends and they began to beat on the woman’s friends. Now there was a whole fist fight going on under the palace.
“Your majesty the drop of honey that fell from your mouth, well, my goodness, a fly ate the honey, a gecko ate the fly, a cat ate the gecko, a dog attacked the cat, a woman attacked the dog, a man attacked her, her friends attacked him, his friends attacked her, and they are fighting, a group of people are fighting under the palace. We better go and do something about it.”
“No,” said the king, “It is not our problem.” Just then the soldiers were marching through town. They saw the fight and they ran to break it up. When they heard the issues, some took the woman’s side and some took the man’s side. They began to argue among themselves. They began to fight among themselves. In the fight someone drew a pistol and fired a shot and a civil war broke out. In the war the palace caught fire and burnt to the ground. The king and the advisor stood in the ashes.
The king said to his advisor, “You know, I think that drop of honey was our problem.”
The king said, “Oh no. It is not our problem. The servant will get it.” The drop of honey dribbled down off the window sill onto the ground below the palace. And a fly began to eat the honey and a gecko ran out and began to eat the fly.
The adviser said, “Oh your majesty, the drop of honey that fell from your mouth has now fallen to the ground under the palace and a fly ate it and a gecko is eating the fly that ate the honey that fell from your mouth.”
The king said, “Well, it is not our problem.” Just then a cat ran out and jumped on the gecko and began to eat the gecko. And a dog ran out and attacked the cat and the dog and the cat began to fight.
The advisor said, “Oh your majesty, the drop of honey that fell from your mouth was eaten by a fly, who was eaten by a gecko, who was eaten by a cat, and then a dog attacked a cat and they are fighting under the palace.”
“Well” said the king, “ it is not our problem.” Just then the woman who owned the cat saw the dog attacking her cat. She grabbed her broom and she began to beat the dog. The man who owned the dog, saw the woman beating the dog, he ran out and began to beat the woman. Now there were two people fighting under the palace.
“Oh your majesty, the drop of honey that fell from your mouth a fly ate, a gecko ate the fly, a cat ate the gecko, and then a dog attacked a cat, and a woman beat the dog and a man is beating her. There are two people fighting under the palace. I should go…”
“No,” said the king. “It is not our problem.” The woman’s friend saw her being attacked by the man and they began to beat on the man. The man’s friend saw him being attacked by the woman’s friends and they began to beat on the woman’s friends. Now there was a whole fist fight going on under the palace.
“Your majesty the drop of honey that fell from your mouth, well, my goodness, a fly ate the honey, a gecko ate the fly, a cat ate the gecko, a dog attacked the cat, a woman attacked the dog, a man attacked her, her friends attacked him, his friends attacked her, and they are fighting, a group of people are fighting under the palace. We better go and do something about it.”
“No,” said the king, “It is not our problem.” Just then the soldiers were marching through town. They saw the fight and they ran to break it up. When they heard the issues, some took the woman’s side and some took the man’s side. They began to argue among themselves. They began to fight among themselves. In the fight someone drew a pistol and fired a shot and a civil war broke out. In the war the palace caught fire and burnt to the ground. The king and the advisor stood in the ashes.
The king said to his advisor, “You know, I think that drop of honey was our problem.”