But in the year when the forest had seen a mighty fire, and seen mightier rains there was born a handsome young lion to a strong lioness. The pride rejoiced in his birth but soon came to realise that he was not like the others. He was different.

Even as a little cub he always wandered alone, towards the denser part of the forest, never interested in the hunting and the communal wanderings of the other lions. The mother was appalled by the stoic resignations of the little lion and a little in anger, a little in sadness named him 'Idiot'.

When the idiot was two months old, one day, wandering near a little blue pond he came upon a long battalion of red ants walking, walking, walking, walking, as they always do. The Idiot rounded his eyes in curiosity, first to this side and then to that. "How strange", he thought, "The ants are always walking, walking, walking. I wonder where the ants go when they walk?"

"Dear ant can you tell me where the ants go when they walk?" The ant was too frightened to answer and tried to scamper away without a word. The idiot was enraged at once and in his rage crushed the head of the little ant against the brown earth. Then he sat there upon the dead ant brooding over the question where do the ants go when they walk? In a little while his mother reached the spot searching for him, and dragging him along said, "Oh my son! You are an idiot. How many times have I told you not to brood over such silly questions? Kill for your living and earn for your pride or else how will you live in this big bad world?" "But mother", he said, "I am only educating myself".

Well, time passed and the seasons changed but the Idiot remained the same, given to wandering and questions.

So, when the Idiot was five years old, one day, wandering near the very little blue pond he saw a twenty, a twenty five, a thirty, a thirty five, a forty, a forty five, Oh a fifty fluttering dragonflies! They were flying, flying, flying as they always do. The idiot cocked his great head in curiosity, first to this side and then to that

"How strange," he thought, "the dragonflies are always flying, flying, flying, I wonder where the dragonflies go when they fly."

So he pounced upon a dragonfly and pinioned its wings to the brown earth.
Then he asked "Dear dragonfly can you tell me where the dragonflies go when they fly?"

The dragonfly was too frightened to answer; it tried to flutter and fly away without a word. The idiot was enraged at once and in his rage crushed the head of the dragonfly against a grey stone. Then he sat there upon the dead dragonfly brooding over the question where do the dragonflies go when they fly?"

In a little while his mother reached the spot in search of him and dragging him along to brood over such silly questions. Kill for your living and earn for your pride or else how will you live in this big bad world?" "But mother", he said, "I am only educating myself".

Well time passed again and again the seasons changed but the idiot remained the same given to wandering and questions.

So, when the Idiot was eight years old, one day wandering near the very same little blue pond he saw among the beautiful yellow flowers, the pink flowers, the purple and the blue flowers, a twenty, a twenty five, a thirty, a thirty five, a forty, a forty five, oh a fifty fluttering butterflies! They were flying, flying, flying as they always do. The Idiot raised his great right paw in curiosity, first to this side then that. "How strange", he thought, " The butterflies are always a flying, a flying, a flying away, I wonder where the butterflies go when they are a flying?"

So he pounced upon a yellow butterfly and held her gingerly in his paws; then he asked her, "Dear yellow butterfly can you tell me where the butterflies go a flying?"

The yellow butterfly was too frightened to answer; it tried to flutter into a free flight, a flying away without a word. The Idiot was enraged at once and in his rage crushed the head of the little yellow butterfly against the brown earth and the grey stone. Then he sat there upon the dead butterfly brooding over the question where do the butterflies go flying? In a while his mother reached the spot in search of him and dragging him along said, "Oh my son! You are idiot. How many times have I told you not to brood over such silly questions? Kill for your living and earn for your pride or else how will you live in this big bad world?"

"But mother", he said, "I am only educating myself".

Well time passed and the seasons changed yet again but the Idiot remained the same given to wandering and questions.

So, when the Idiot was ten whole years old, one bright day wandering near the very same little blue pond he saw a boisterous, brash young elephant walking with mad strides, thump, thump, thump…

" How strange," he thought, "the elephant is always walking by with mad long strides, thump, thump, thump, I wonder where the elephant goes when he walks?"

So, he walked ahead and boldly barred the path of the elephant. Then, he asked him, " Dear elephant can you tell me where you go to, all the time wailing with mad long strides, thump, thump, thump…?"

The brash elephant was too annoyed to answer and signalled with his trunk "Leave my path".

The idiot now growled and spoke in a deep rumbling voice, "Answer my question or else I shall crush your head as I crushed the heads of the little red ant, the dragonfly, and the yellow butterfly."

"Hmmmmmm will you?" said the elephant and lifted the Idiot clean off the ground. He threw the handsome lion on the brown earth with the grey stones near the little blue pond and crushed his feline back cruelly. The enraged idiot could do nothing at all but lie with his broken back brooding still over the question where did the elephant go when he walked?

In a while his mother reached the spot in search of him and tried to drag him along, weeping, crying, "Oh my son! You are such an idiot. How many times have I told you not to brood over such silly questions? Kill for your living I told you and asked you to earn for your pride, now you lie wounded fatally, how will you live now in this big bad world my son?"

The Idiot gave a last laugh and said "Oh but I shall mother! I shall live! First, let me educate myself" …And he died.