The dog and the Earthworm - One’s tragedy is another’s comedy
By David Taehee Lee
The drawing by David Taehee Lee
There lived a dog and an earthworm in the jungle. The dog would often belittle the earthworm. One hot day, the earthworm, tired of crawling on the sizzling ground, asked the dog, “Can you lift me up on your back? The ground is scorching my belly…” The dog scoffed, “Well, as much as I’d like to, I don't want my fine furs to touch any more contaminated soil! If you’re hot, I can at least lick that foul slimy substance off your body.” This hurt the earthworm greatly, for the earth was all it had: its one and only food and home. Offended, the earthworm blurted out, “All I was asking for was some help, if not even a bit of sympathy… And for your information, the soil is not dirty at all. I live in it and eat it.” But the reply the earthworm received was not pleasant in the slightest, even more insulting, if possible, for the dog opened its mouth and said: “That at least helps you out, does it not? I mean, with your body so tiny, there isn’t even much to wipe off! It would literally be easier than chewing on a bone. And yes, the dirt is sickening indeed. That’s why we lick ourselves clean, after all! Or shall I drop some of my saliva for you to bathe in?”
However, they were not the only creatures that were troubled that day by the searing sun. The Alligator, whose stretch of river had dried up due to the harsh drought, was desperate for hydration. And it would resort to bathing in the blood of others to relieve its thirst. With the bushes high and crowded with buds, the dog never saw the reptile crawling near. Only the earthworm heard the trembling of the ground as those scaled feet traversed the mud. “Watch out!” the worm cried out, but the dog smirked and said, “Sorry, can’t hear you, your voice is too small! Those were the last words the dog ever uttered, for the Alligator, alerted by the dog’s voice in the vicinity, struck from behind a split second later. The dog never made a sound as those eighty white teeth dug into its neck like a cascade of daggers. Jets of bright red gushed from the dog’s throat: perhaps the dog regretted his actions for a moment, but it was too late. As its organs were being ripped open, the dog saw the tiny hole the earthworm dug into the ground as our little friend crawled away into safety. And for the very first (and last) time in its pitifully short life, the dog came to truly respect the differences between itself and the earthworm that he always looked down upon.
When the next sunset came, the air became much cooler and less dry. The Alligator, having had its fill of the poor four-legged mammal, slowly moved away with blood dripping down its chin and chunks of the dog’s fine fur clogged between its fangs. A pool of scarlet formed around what little remained of the dog… a truly horrible scene.
It was only after the Alligator, that monstrous reptile, that ugly relic of the dinosaur days, parted that the earthworm crawled out of its hole. The earthworm trembled violently, for it had witnessed the murder from some distance. But it smiled, for the annoying, arrogant canine had at least left him and the earth the most valuable present of all: flesh and blood.
As the days passed, the weather got cool and humid, and the body slowly decomposed into the earth. The earthworm happily feasted on the rich nutrients from its remains. So much was it that the earthworm had enough to last him through the end of its days. And every time the earthworm would fill itself up, it would say to itself, “Look who’s lying all small and low now!”
The fable communicates two crucial lessons about life:
- Do not look down upon the differences people have. Although you might consider yourself superior in such a regard, they definitely have their pros and cons. And they serve the individual accordingly. Learn to embrace diversity and respect uniqueness.
- If you treat others poorly, they will do so as well. All the slurs and all the offensive actions you make are neither forgiven nor forgotten, and you will face the consequences of your doings. And they would not be pleasant. Treat others with respect. Only then shall you be respected in return.
