Lion’s Whisker

Jason was a happy little boy living with his mother and father in their
home in Ethiopia. But, one day his mother died and Jason was so hurt,
and so confused, and so angry. Oh mum…Why u leave me ? creid Jason.
A year passed and his father remarry. But, Jason remained so hurt, and
so confused, and so angry. So when her stepmother Michell met him and
hugged him he pulled away from her. p. Whenever she spoke to him he
ignored her.

One day when her husband was gone hunting, Michel went to Jason’s
bedroom to talk to him.

"Jason , I love you so much and I really need you to love. . ."

Before she could finish Jason jumped up and said, "I hate you,I don’t
like you! you aren’t my mother. Go away go away from here."

Jason ran past Michell and out of the house. Michell sat down and cried
and cried. When her husband returned she told him what had happened.
He told her to go on and cook dinner and not to worry that he would find.
Jason was at the river in his favorite spot. The two walked home and ate
dinner without a word.

That night, as the other two slept, Michell got out and walked deep into
the forest to the home of the witch doctor. The witch doctor was a very
wise woman who knew the ways of peoples’ minds and hearts.

"I need you to make me a love potion so my step-son will love me," said
Michell.

"Well," the old woman said slowly, "Before I can give you a love potion,
you must bring me the whisker from a ferocious lion."

Michell’s eyes grew large as she said, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Use your imagination," said the witch doctor.

Zeynab went home and slept just a few more hours. She got up before the
sun rose and put several large pieces of raw meat in a bag and headed
toward the hills. She walked until she found a cave which had large paw
prints around it. Michel took a piece of meat out and placed it in front of
the entrance to the cave. Then she hid in the bushes about 50 feet from
the entrance and waited.

After a few minutes a large, very ferocious looking lion stepped out of the
cave, looked around, smelled the meat, and ate it all up.

Michell waited for a couple of hours then she walked up to the entrance
of the cave and placed a second piece of meat in front of it. Then she
moved back only 25 feet and didn’t hide in the bushes. After a few
minutes the lion came out. He looked around, stared at Michell, smelled
the meat, picked it up, and ate it all up.

Michell waited for a couple of hours then she walked up to the entrance
of the cave and placed a third piece of meat in front of it. She moved back
only 5 feet and didn’t hide in the bushes. After a few minutes the lion
came out. He looked around, stared at Michell, smelled the meat, picked
it up, and ate it all up.

Michell waited for a couple of more hours then she walked up to the
entrance of the cave and placed a third piece of meat in front of it. She
moved back only two steps. After a few minutes the lion came out. He
looked around, stared at Michell. She stared back at the lion. Although
she was shaking inside, she didn’t move her body. She just stared right
back at the lion’s large brown eyes. The lion smelled the meat, picked it
up and began eating.

Very slowly Michell extended her hand, grabbed a whisker and quickly
pulled it out. The lion kept eating as slowly, very slowly, as if walking on
a tight rope, Zayneb backed away toward the bushes. When she got into
the forest she ran back to the witch doctor’s home.

Breathing heavily, she rushed into the witch doctor’s house and held up
the whisker. "See, here, I brought you a lion’s whisker. Now, give me a
love potion."

The witch doctor looked at the whisker. "Ah, this does look like a
ferocious lion’s whisker. But, I don’t have any love potions."

"What, what do you mean?" screamed Michell.

"Now, tell me, how did you get that lion’s whisker?" the old lady calmly
asked.

"Well, I had to be very, very careful and patient. I was very gentle and
very quiet, and persistent."

"Yes, and you were very courageous. See, you have all of the skills you
will need to get your stepson to love you without a magic potion."

Then Michell understood. She returned home and treated Jason nicely as
before. But, she did not make any special efforts to win his affection.. In
three weeks Haile began to smile and speak to Michell. In six weeks he
offered to help her with chores.

One night about 12 weeks later, just before he fell asleep Haile
looked up in Zayneb’s eyes and said, "Zayneb, I love you mum."