The Lizard and the Iguana

The Lizard and the Iguana

Long ago, in a warm land where the sun heated the stones from early morning, a small Lizard and a large Iguana lived beside each other. They were very different. Lizard was quick, restless, and talked as fast as she ran. “Let us go to the river!” “Let us climb the rocks!” “Let us look for ripe fruit!” “Let us go anywhere. Sitting still is boring!” Iguana moved more slowly. Before each journey, she seemed to ask herself, “Do I really need to go there?” Even so, they were good friends. In the morning they warmed themselves on the same broad stone. At noon they rested in the shade. In the evening they went to the edge of the forest and listened to insects calling in the grass. Then one day they quarreled. It began over something very small. “That is my place on the stone,” Lizard said. “You were lying on the other side yesterday,” Iguana replied. “Yesterday the sunlight fell differently.” “The sun falls the same way.” “No, it does not.” “Yes, it does.” “No, it does not!” Within a minute, neither of them even remembered why the question mattered. Each only wanted to prove that she was right. Lizard flicked her tail angrily across the ground. Iguana swished hers in return. Rustle! Whap! Lizard jumped aside. “So that is how it is?” she cried. “You started it,” said Iguana. “Then do not speak to me anymore!” “Fine.” “And stay off my stone!” “It is not your stone.” “Now it definitely is!” Iguana sighed and walked away. Nearby stood an old termite mound, hard and solid like a little clay fortress. At its base was a narrow opening. “I will wait here until she calms down,” Iguana decided and slipped inside. Lizard remained alone. At first, she felt victorious. “Good!” she told the stone. “I do not need her.” The stone said nothing. “And now there is more room.” Silence. “And no one argues with me.” The silence became even more noticeable. Lizard frowned. Just then a traveler came along the path carrying a basket. “Good afternoon,” said Lizard. “Good afternoon, little one. Have you seen Iguana? I noticed her tracks, but they suddenly disappeared.” Lizard was still angry. Instead of keeping quiet, she answered immediately. “I know where she is. She is hiding inside that old termite mound.” The traveler walked over. “Really? I would like to see such a large iguana up close.” He took a stick and carefully loosened some dry earth near the entrance. Tap. Rustle. Tap. At first Lizard watched with satisfaction. “Let Iguana be a little nervous,” she thought. Then she began to feel uneasy. “Maybe you should not disturb the whole mound,” Lizard said. “I only want to see where she went,” replied the traveler. Iguana, however, had not remained still. The moment she heard the tapping, she began digging toward another exit. Scratch, scratch. Rustle, rustle. She moved through the dry earth until she emerged from the far side of the mound behind a thick bush. Iguana looked back. She saw Lizard. Their eyes met. Iguana understood at once. She said nothing. She simply turned and disappeared into the grass. Lizard's anger vanished. The traveler searched a little longer, then stopped. “Strange. You were certain she was inside.” “She was,” Lizard said quietly. “Then she must have escaped. That is probably for the best. I should not have disturbed her hiding place.” He put away the stick. “And a word of advice for you, little one. If you know where a friend is hiding, do not rush to tell a stranger, especially when you are angry. Words spoken in anger often run faster than thoughts.” Then he continued down the road. Lizard stayed beside the termite mound. This time she did not enjoy the silence at all. She went searching for Iguana. She looked by the river. “Iguana!” She searched beneath broad leaves. “Iguana, it is me!” She checked the warm stone where they usually rested. No one. A day passed. The following morning, Lizard returned and noticed wide footprints in the sand. She followed them to a stream. Iguana was there. “Hello,” Lizard said uncertainly. Iguana did not answer. “I want to apologize.” Iguana slowly turned her head. “For the quarrel?” “For that too. But mostly for telling a stranger where you were hiding. I wanted to annoy you. Then I realized I might have caused far more trouble than any argument was worth.” Iguana looked at the water for a long time. “I was angry with you too,” she said at last. “But if danger had come near you, I would not have shown anyone where you were hiding.” Lizard lowered her head. “I know.” “Trust is like the wall of a termite mound,” Iguana continued. “It becomes strong because it is built slowly. But one piece can be broken very quickly.” “Can it be repaired?” “Yes. But not with one word of apology.” “Then I will begin with the first little piece.” A faint smile appeared on Iguana's face. “And I will help.” They did not pretend everything was instantly the same as before. Trust returned gradually. Lizard stopped teasing Iguana for being slow. Iguana learned not to answer every sharp remark. When they disagreed, they tried to stop before their tails began swishing angrily. As for the sunny stone, they divided it simply. One half for Lizard. One half for Iguana. Then, after a few days, they noticed that the sunlight really did move across the stone at a slightly different angle each morning. “See!” Lizard cried happily. “I was right after all!” Iguana narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to start another quarrel?” Lizard thought for a second. “No. Just move over a little.” “That,” said Iguana, “is a much better idea.” They both laughed. The old tale leaves us with a simple reminder. It is natural to become angry sometimes. Friends can disagree. But another person's trust is not something to throw around in the heat of an argument. After a quarrel, the most important question is not who won. It is whether you can repair what was damaged and still sit together on the same warm stone.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨