“The Land of the Aged: Seven Outcasts Find Their Kingdom”
An old dog, cast aside by the master he served faithfully, sets out to find “the land of the aged—where troubles don’t disturb you and thanklessness does not deface the deeds of man.” Along the road he gathers a fellowship of the discarded: an old bull, a ram, a donkey, a cat, a cock, and a goose. Seven creatures deemed useless by those they once served, now bound together by shared fate and quiet dignity.
When they stumble upon a house full of robbers feasting on stolen food, hunger drives them to desperate creativity. They stack themselves into an impossible tower—donkey on bull, ram on donkey, dog on ram, cat on dog, goose on cat, cock on top—and unleash a cacophony of bellowing, braying, barking, bleating, mewing, honking, and crowing that sends the thieves fleeing in terror. Inside, they feast. But when the robbers send a scout to investigate, each animal springs their unique trap, creating an unforgettable night of chaos that transforms into legend: the “demons” with pitchforks, sledgehammers, fire tongs, and iron traps.
The robbers never return, believing the house haunted by fearsome spirits. The seven aged animals, meanwhile, discover they’ve found what they sought all along—not just shelter and food, but purpose. Each takes up a station, each contributes their gift, and together they create the kingdom they were denied.
A heartwarming tale about second chances, the power of collaboration, and the truth that “old and useless” often means “experienced and clever.”
https://mythopia.io/story/1264/the-seven-old-animals-and-the-robbers-house-african-folk-tale
