This is the fable of the three kingdoms: one ruled by the giant Elephant, another ruled by the powerful Shark, and the last ruled by the fierce Hawk. The three rulers laugh at the people because they are much weaker than them. However, each ruler will face a challenge in which they must rely on the people to come to their rescue. The people may not be as giant, powerful, or fierce as the rulers, but they do have the gift of storytelling and power in numbers. ( )

This story is of 3 kingdoms long ago: the kingdom of the forest ruled by the elephant, the kingdom of the sea ruled by the shark, and the kingdom of the air ruled by the hawk. The 3 kingdoms didn't interact much, and each thought that theirs was the best that ruled the Earth. Then, new creatures called people came to earth and all 3 kingdoms laughed because they were not as strong as an elephant, fierce as a shark, nor could they fly like a hawk. One day, the elephant fell into a pit and not he or any other animal was strong enough to pull him out. However, the people knew that there was strength in numbers and worked together to pull the elephant out. From then on, the elephant shared the forest with all the people. Next, the people worked together to weave a mat and used it as a net to catch the shark. They would only set the shark free under one condition, that he share the sea with all the people, and he did. Last, the people made a plan to capture the hawk, and when he landed, the people threw a loop made from vines around his neck. The people set him free only once he had agreed to share the air with all the people. The people lived in harmony, realizing that they did not need to rule the earth, but instead, share because it was wisest of all to do so. ( )

Myers writes, the world was divided into three kingdoms: earth, ruled by Elephant; sea, ruled by Shark; and air, ruled by Hawk. The three quarrel mightily as to who is greatest, and they laugh at the People, who, they say, exist only to do their bidding. With time, the People outwit the haughty trio by learning from the stories they tell around the fire at night. The tale of a child catching a butterfly at rest, for instance, sparks a plan to capture Hawk in the baobab tree. ( )