On one late sunny afternoon, while two bottom-feeding scavengers, a dogfish and a stingray, were harmoniously swimming to feed in the shallow warm waters, a brown bear cub set out on a hunt for fresh fructose honey in a small forest close to the sea. Inexperienced as a gatherer, he approached some coarse woody debris, which had a small bee nest attached to it.
An ant walked on the dead wood, questing for food. As the bear got closer to the dead tree, the ant panicked and started a loud monologue.
“Oh my god, oh my god! If he rips off the bee nest, he might squash me with his big paws, or the bees might attack me to defend their territory!”
The bear heard the ant and replied, “I am not the one to fear! I am no danger to you. You can see me, I am big, I am loud, and therefore, I am predictable. You can react and escape. The danger comes most of the time from something deep, something quiet, and calculating.”
“What are you talking about?” asked the ant. “Look down,” replied the bear. “At the roots of the tree, well camouflaged, is a green frog. The limpet, which is outside of the water because of low tide, casts a shadow on it, making it difficult to spot. Only its two big eyes are visible on a second glance.”
“It could easily jump up and snap you with its tongue,” said the bear.
Suddenly, a wise, large, aging male lion pushed his head through the bush. He greeted them and introduced himself as Nduraghumbo. The bear asked, “Why are you alone? I once formed a coalition with three other dominating lions, but the other coalition members split up after locals assassinated one of the group’s members. I remained in view and have been exploring the area by myself ever since.”
“What does Nduraghumbo mean?” asked the ant.
“Head of the Homestead” or “Leader of the Homestead,” the lion replied. “I receive honors from the neighborhood as a sign of gratitude.”
He continued, “The bear is absolutely right. You should move up the tree quickly so the frog cannot snap you, but be careful,” he added. “You wouldn’t have a chance against the frog because it moves silently and strikes from behind. You would have a bigger chance of hurting the bear than escaping the frog’s stick-like tongue.”
The bear threw a sarcastic look at the lion and asked, discombobulated, “What are you talking about? How could an ant hurt me in any way?”
“Well, let me explain it to you!” said the lion. “Imagine you shake the tree to get rid of the bee nest. The petrified ant trickles down your thick fur. In panic, it bites you multiple times. You would scratch yourself, and the bloody wound could become infected. You could even die. Of course, this is highly unlikely and exaggerated, but in theory, it is possible.”
The ant listened to the lion’s advice and started climbing swiftly up the tree. The lion continued, “I would not advise you to crawl on a beech tree. I can give you two good reasons.”
The ant asked, “Why not? Beech wood produces good firewood because it splits readily and burns for a long time with flames that are both dazzling and tranquil. The bottoms of the fermenting tanks for Budweiser beer are covered with washed beech wood slats. Some German smoked beverages include malt that has been dried using beech wood. Additionally, several cheeses, andouille sausage, and Westphalian ham are smoked with beech.”
“So maybe you end up getting hurt?” asked the bear curiously. “How do you know this is a beech tree?”
“Porcelain fungi are exclusive to beech,” answered the lion, “though they occasionally occur on other trees too, like oak.”
“What is the other reason not to climb a beech tree?” asked the ant.
“The porcelain fungus has mucus and an active fungicidal drug called strobilurin, which could harm you if the food you gather from the tree comes into contact with the mushroom,” the lion explained.
The bear replied, “Are you sure about this? I’ve seen many humans collecting this fungus. I observed them coming back between August and November to harvest more.”
The lion responded, “Well, if the mushroom is cooked or fried, it is edible. Consuming it raw may be hazardous. The 20-minute heat treatment rule applies to many mushrooms. Some of them are poisonous if eaten raw, but enjoyable and delicious after cooking or frying.”
The ant became distressed and inquired, “How should I get off this tree? I cannot crawl down because of the frog, and I do not want to touch those mushrooms either.”
The bear felt sympathy for the ant and asked him to jump on his nose, offering to carry him to a different tree. They thanked the lion for the information, and the ant gladly accepted the bear’s offer.
As the frog moved on to the forest in search of food, the limpet dislodged its shell from the stone during high tide and enjoyed the fresh, nutrient-rich seawater. The dogfish found some washed-up lugworms, and the stingray fed on sea snails and shrimp. After the sunset, many bright, shining stars appeared in the clear sky, and everyone enjoyed a pleasant, good night’s sleep.