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The Power of Your Words: The Fable of the Fish and the Wolf
Why Do We Use Words and Communicate With Each Other?
On a peaceful morning by the river, a young wolf named Ajeet sat gazing into the water. He had been watching the Fish as it swam, pondering about life. The pack leader, Khan walked to Ajeet and sat, watching the fish with him.
‘What troubles you Ajeet?’
‘I watch the Fish, who swims silently without a care in the world, and I wonder. No one growls at Fish, or barks orders to him, or chides him with snarling fangs, and he lives in peace.’
Khan listened patiently.
‘Alpha, why do we bark, growl, and howl?’
‘Your question is good Ajeet,’ the Khan commended, ‘Let’s see if we can find out.’
‘Tomorrow you must leave the pack for a day, to travel to the human village. Be careful on your adventure and do not expose yourself, but you must observe them, and tell me what you see. During this journey, you must not, under any circumstance bark, growl, or howl.’
The next morning Ajeet woke early, excited about his adventure. He left without a sound, before his elders arose.
No Communication and a Bloody Lesson
That evening he returned, exhausted, limping, and bloody.
Khan touched noses with Ajeet in greeting, and questioned the young wolf:
‘What did you see, and why do you bleed? What lessons have you found?’
Ajeet lay down, and the pups gathered to lick his wounds.
‘I traveled through the woods toward the village as you said, but before I arrived I was attacked by a baboon. He mistook me for the Fox because I didn’t growl, and he apologized when he saw I was a wolf.’
‘I left with a few scratches on my side, but before I found the village, I was attacked by a stag. He apologized, saying he thought I was the Jackal, sneaking on his herd because I did not bark to make them run.’
‘I set off again, with scratches in my side, and a half-crushed paw, but before I came to the village, I stumbled upon the Tiger. I opened my mouth to howl sp that you would bring the pack to fight with me, but remembered your orders, and kept silent. The Tiger, when she saw that I was alone and would not howl, bit me and shook me like a rat.’
She left smiling, and I limped on and finally reached the village. As I crept toward the human village, I noticed it smelled of blood like I did, and of smoke and fire. There were two groups, one wearing gold and silk, and riding the Horse, and the Elephant. The others wore rags and chains, and served the others.’
‘I don’t know what this means.’
‘Walk with me to the river’ said Khan, and they did. As they walked Khan explained.
The Power of Words
"False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil."
-Socrates
"We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out."
-Winston Churchill
The Power of Words and Communication; Death and Life
‘You’ve learned many things from the Humans, the Baboon, Stag, and Tiger.’
‘First, understand that the fish knows no language. We speak with growls, howls, and barking, and the Humans understand the most powerful language of them all; they speak with Words.’
‘What you saw was the evil that is caused by this great power of Words; men fought and killed, and enslaved their own. They also rode beasts more powerful than us because of their power of Words, and they wear the gold and silk that caused their war because of the Words.’
‘And yet we strive to speak as the humans do. Can you tell me why?’
Ajeet nodded his head slowly, remembering the events of the day.
‘Our language protects us, and gives us power. The baboon and stag were afraid when they saw I was a wolf, because of the strength of our pack, which is knit together by our language. Because I could not speak my language, I lost my power as a wolf, and the Tiger was not afraid to bite me.’
‘Very good,’ said Khan.
‘And now,’ the Alpha nodded toward the bank, ‘you’ll understand further why we strive to communicate like the Humans, and do not live in silence like the Fish.’
Ajeet looked toward the bank where the pack circled around the Fish, eating their fill.
‘Even if the Fish had friends, he couldn’t call to them for help because he has no language. Without language, he has no community, and without community he has no power, and now, because he had no power to fight, he does not have life.’
‘So consider your lesson well Ajeet; the stronger your communication, the more power you have. But great power can yield both great good and great evil. Think on this, and communicate wisely.’