ODE APERIN

The trend of existence is to attain the height in ones undertaking. To keep keeping on regardless of what factors and fate awaits one on the journey to the peak, to manifest the idea boiling within and to influence the world as we know it or to create another instead. The higher the climb the more demanding the weight of gravity pulling you down, you would have to battle physically, mentally and spiritually against nature, phobia and time to kiss the peak. The brave man, as a proverb goes is not he who has no fear, but he who conquers that fear. The most important weapon in the battle against fear is the application of wisdom, it is with wisdom the underdog deals a mortal blow to the champion. Without the application of wisdom, bravery leaves you without guard.

With this in mind, the story I was told of Akiti the Hunter comes to mind and i thought i should share it.

A FAMOUS hunter and wrestler named Akiti boasted that he was stronger than every other man or animal. He had easily overcome a giant, a leopard, a lion, a gorilla, and a boa-constrictor, and as nobody else opposed his claim, he called himself “the King of the forest.”Wherever he went, he sang his triumphant wrestling-song, and everyone feared and respected him. But he had not fought the Elephant, who is a very wise animal and knows many charms. One day the Elephant challenged him and declared that he had no right to call himself “King,” as the Elephant himself was the monarch of the forest and could not be defeated. Akiti there upon flung his spear at his enemy, but because of the Elephant’s charm, the weapon glanced off his iron thick hide and grazed him not . Akiti next tried his bow and poisoned arrows, and his hunting-knife and gun, but still without effect. However, the hunter also possessed a charm, and by using it, he shape-shifted into a lion and leaped at the Elephant, but the Elephant swatted him off. Next he became a gigantic anaconda, but he could not succeed in crushing the African Elephant to death. At last, he remembers a scene were a fly took down his dog by flying into the dog's ear, it was indeed a sight watching his dog, running through heaps of dead leaves and head first into a tree opposite the one he rested under and decides to use the same tactic with the elephant, so he changed himself into a fly, and flew into the Elephant’s large flapping right ear. He went right down into the elephant's guts until he arrieved at the heart. There, he changed himself into a man again and cut up the heart with his matchete. At last the Elephant fell dead, and Akiti stepped out of his body in triumph, for he was now without question “Ode Aperin, the King of the forest.”