The Lion’s Whisker
Long ago, in a small village in Ethiopia, there lived a young woman named Selam. She was kind, hardworking, and deeply in love with her husband, Taye. However, their marriage was not without challenges. Taye had returned from war a changed man—distant, moody, and often lost in his thoughts. Selam tried her best to bring joy back into their home, but nothing seemed to work. She felt as though a wall had grown between them, and she didn’t know how to break it down.
One day, desperate for a solution, Selam went to see the village wise woman, an elderly healer known for her wisdom and knowledge of ancient remedies. Selam explained her situation, her voice trembling with emotion. "I love my husband dearly, but he is like a stranger to me. I don’t know how to reach him anymore. Please, is there anything I can do?"
The wise woman listened carefully and then nodded. "There is a way," she said, "but it will require great courage and patience. You must bring me a whisker from a live lion."
Selam was stunned. A lion’s whisker? How could she possibly get close enough to a lion to pluck one of its whiskers? But her love for Taye was stronger than her fear, and she resolved to try.
The next day, Selam went to the edge of the forest where a fierce lion was known to roam. She brought with her a piece of raw meat and placed it on the ground near the lion’s favorite resting spot. Then she hid behind a tree and waited. The lion soon appeared, sniffed the meat, and devoured it. Selam’s heart raced, but she stayed hidden.
Day after day, Selam returned to the forest, each time bringing a piece of meat for the lion. At first, she kept her distance, but over time, she began to move closer. She spoke softly to the lion, reassuring it with her calm voice. Slowly, the lion grew accustomed to her presence. It no longer growled or bared its teeth when it saw her. Instead, it would approach her, eat the meat, and even allow her to stroke its mane.
Weeks passed, and Selam’s patience began to pay off. One day, as the lion lay resting after its meal, Selam gently reached out and plucked a single whisker from its face. The lion stirred but did not attack. Selam thanked the lion quietly and hurried back to the village.
She presented the whisker to the wise woman, who examined it carefully and then smiled. "You have done well," she said. "But tell me, how did you manage to get so close to the lion?"
Selam explained how she had patiently gained the lion’s trust over time, feeding it and speaking to it gently. The wise woman nodded. "Just as you tamed the lion with patience and kindness, so too can you heal your marriage. Love is not about forcing change but about understanding and nurturing it over time."
Selam returned home with a new perspective. Instead of trying to force Taye to open up, she began to show him patience and understanding. She listened to him without judgment, offered him small gestures of kindness, and gave him the space he needed. Slowly but surely, Taye began to soften. The wall between them started to crumble, and their love grew stronger than ever.
