O.K. Let’s have a bit of fun. This is a folktale about Hare, one of the “trickster” characters in Africa - the other being Anansi, the spider. Both Hare and Anansi are clever, daring - and often manipulative: finding ways to create advantageous situations. In today’s economy, where many of us feel (to some degree) powerless, such as story as this one can illustrate that opportunity is where you make it!

Here we go…

Hare looked out over his field. If he was going to have food to eat, he would have to plant a crop. But if he was going to plant a crop, he’d have to clear the field first. That was a lot of work — more work than Hare wanted to do.

Hare was a clever animal, so he soon had an idea. He dragged a length of rope behind him and lay in wait in the bushes outside his field. A big African elephant came lumbering along. Hare bet the elephant he could beat him in a tug-of-war. The large elephant laughed at the idea, coming as it did from such a small animal. He scooped up the rope with his trunk. Hare picked up the other end and scampered through the bushes and across his field. There he hid behind another row of bushes.

Soon enough a muddy hippopotamus waddled by. Hare dared the hippo to beat him in a tug-of-war. The proud hippo picked up the rope with his teeth. Hare hopped into the bushes and gave the rope a tug. When the elephant and the hippo felt the rope move, they each pulled hard. The powerful animals dragged the rope, back and forth, back and forth, until night fell. Each time the rope moved, it plowed another row in clever Hare’s field.

So, what do you think? Are you inspired? There are many ways in your own life to “get the job done” too; as someone once said to me, “there are a thousand elegant solutions to any problem.”

Sometimes it just takes a bit of courage to set the best solution into motion.