The Donkey and the Hyena

A tale of perception, fear, and misunderstood strengthOnce upon a time, something quite rare occurred: a donkey and a hyena were friends. In fact, they had been close companions for years. They met daily, shared small talk, and occasionally even hunted together. During these hunts, the spotted hyena would hide silently in the bushes while the donkey considered harmless but capable of powerful kicks helped overpower their prey. One day, as they walked and chatted on their way to the hunting grounds, the hyena said,

“You know, I’m actually terrified of you.”

“You? Afraid of me?” the donkey asked, baffled. Truth be told, the donkey had always been scared of the hyena, though he never dared to admit it.“But why would you be scared of me?” he asked. “Because of your sharp horns, of course,” replied the hyena. People always say I’m dumb, thought the donkey, but this hyena must be even dumber. I don’t even have horns!

The donkey burst out laughing.“There’s no need to laugh!” the hyena said, offended. “I’m serious.”“Really?” the donkey asked, wanting to be sure before correcting him.“Really! Honestly!” the hyena insisted. The donkey laughed harder and finally shouted, “You fool! Those aren’t horns on my head those are my ears! Ha!” “Your ears?” the hyena exclaimed, stunned. “Just your ears? But then…” Without another word, the hyena leapt at the donkey and killed him on the spot.

Food for thought

If someone thinks you're strong, sometimes it's wiser not to correct them. Perception is powerful use it with care.
Sometimes power lies not in what you truly are, but in how others see you.