📝 The Three Cows and the Price of Division
Three cow friends lived in peace and safety because they were always together. But what happens when a cunning lion succeeds in sowing division among them? A powerful story about the importance of unity and the danger of believing an enemy's sweet words.
In a beautiful green pasture, lived three cows: Bianca the white cow, Noir the black cow, and Rosie the reddish-brown cow. They loved each other and were never apart, knowing that in their unity there was strength. One day, a hungry lion appeared and saw the cows. His eyes gleamed. But he couldn't attack them because they were together. The lion waited for days, but the cows never separated. So, the lion decided to use trickery. He approached them, pretending to be a friend, and gave special attention to Rosie. The naive Rosie believed him and began to trust him, despite her friends' warnings.
After a few days, the lion said to Rosie, "You and I have similar colors, but the white cow's color is different and spoils our harmony. Let me eat her so we can all be alike." Sadly, Rosie agreed and distracted the black cow in conversation, so the lion attacked and ate Bianca. After a while, the hungry lion returned and said to Rosie, "Now, the black cow's color doesn't match ours. Let me eat her so we are all the same color." Once again, Rosie agreed and moved away, and the lion devoured Noir.
Rosie was happy to be the only one with the lion's color, but her joy did not last. A few days later, the lion returned and roared, "You, reddish-brown cow, today is your turn!" Terrified, Rosie said, "Why? I am your friend!" The lion laughed and said, "A lion does not befriend a cow!" Before he pounced, she asked to cry out three times. She screamed at the top of her lungs: "I was eaten the day the white cow was eaten! I was eaten the day the black cow was eaten! I was eaten the day I befriended the lion!"
🎯 Values and Lessons Learned
- Unity is Strength: When they were united, the enemy could not defeat them. Division is the beginning of the end.
- Beware of an Enemy's Sweet Words: The lion used flattery and deception to divide the friends. A true friend gives you honest advice.
- Betraying Friends Leads to Your Own Downfall: When Rosie sacrificed her friends for her own supposed safety, she was actually sealing her own fate.
- Don't Let Differences Divide You: The lion used the difference in colors to create trouble. Their strength was in their unity despite their differences.
Questions to Understand the Story
- Why couldn't the lion attack the cows at the beginning?
- How did the lion trick the reddish-brown cow?
- What excuse did the lion use to eat the white cow?
- What were the reddish-brown cow's last three cries?
- What did the reddish-brown cow realize at the end, when it was too late?
Questions to Make You Think
- Why do you think the reddish-brown cow believed the lion instead of her true friends?
- If you were the black cow, what would you have said to the reddish-brown cow in a last attempt to save her?
- What do we learn about the lion's character from his statement, "A lion does not befriend a cow"?
Questions for Real Life
- Think about your group of friends. What makes you strong together?
- Has anyone ever tried to convince you to do something you knew was wrong? What did you do?
- The story used colors to divide the cows. What are other small differences people sometimes use to divide each other unfairly?
🎨 Fun Activities
- Unity Poster: Draw a picture of the three cows standing together, happy and strong, with a slogan like "Stronger Together" or "Unity is Power."
- Friendship Chain: Cut strips of paper and write a quality of a good friend on each one (e.g., Honest, Kind, Loyal). Link them together to make a paper chain.
- Role-Play the Right Way: With friends, act out the scene where the lion first approaches. This time, have the reddish-brown cow listen to her friends and tell the lion to go away.