UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA UNIVERSITY KATSINA.

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND FRENCH
COURSE CODE: ENG 3226
COURSE TITLE: CREATIVE WRITING
NAME: OLAOYE AMINAT
COURSE REG: U1/17/ENG/1638
QUESTION: WRITE A CREATIVE WRITING OF PROSE, POETRY
OR DRAMA.
 FRIEND OR FOE

About five thousand years ago in the animal kingdom, the cat was the head of the animals. The cat and
the rat were best of friends and their families lived together in peace and love. The cat was widely loved
for his leadership qualities. He loved his people and served them even in his weakest. During harvest
seasons, other animals came from far and wide to pay homage to King Cat. They brought with them
foods and fruits in bounty. The Cat was a kind King and everyone loved him. He made the Rat his
personal assistant and the Rat organised all his meetings and travels with other King animals from other
countries. Whenever the Cat got angry with anyone even his wives, it was only the Rat that could plead
with him on their behalf.

The land and the animals flourished in health and wealth as there was enough for everybody to eat.
The animals were happy and they all lived together peacefully. Many years later, famine and drought
came upon the land. They had nothing to eat and the animals began dying one by one. The little that
was available could not go around for long. The King was worried so he told his best friend rat to send a
message to the Priest Owl that his presence was needed in the palace. When the Priest Owl came,he
asked the gods the cause of their problems as requested by the King. The Owl made consultations and
the animals were made to know that the gods were angry with them for not offering peace sacrifice to
the God of peace in the last harvest celebration. The gods said that the only solution to their problem
would be for the King to die in order to appease the gods. Pandemonium broke out amongst the animals
and many of them went home sober. When everyone had gone, the rat calmly went to the King Cat and
said

"my King"

"Yes,my friend'' the dog answered sadly

"What are we to do?" The rat asked.

"I don't know my friend. I don't want to die'' the Cat replied.

"You won't die my King. You should sleep now" the Rat tried to console his best friend to sleep.
The following day, a small group of animals rallied around the king's court to know his intentions about
what the gods had said. The Rat came out hauling words at them for being ingrates after everything the
King Cat has done for the people. The small group of animals retaliated by insulting the Rat about his
small size and how he would never become King himself just by being close to the Cat. They said the Cat
was just using him to carry out his own works. All these while, the Cat was in his inner Chambers
contemplating what to do. He decided he would call the Priest Owl once again for another consultation.
Meanwhile, all the words that the other animals said to the Rat got to him. He went back to his house
feeling dejected and couldn't eat the food his wife had prepared. When his wife asked him why he
couldn't eat, he looked at his wife and said "My dearest, look at me, am I not fit to be King?"

His wife laughed out loud and the Rat got angry "I am sorry my Lord" his wife quickly caught herself back

"I am just amused by your question. Why did you ask such question. A king's friend is also a King my
Lord" his wife said lovingly.

"Just answer me yes or no" the Rat remained adamant on his question.

"You're fit to be King my Lord" his wife answered

"But your best friend is King" she added.

"Yes, I know but he will soon be dead"

"Ah! Why would you say such?" His wife asked shocked.

"The gods want him dead so he should just die and let peace be restored" the Rat answered maliciously
smiling in a cunning way like an idea just popped into his head. The Rat's wife was dumbfounded and
tried talking her husband out of his intentions to want the King dead but he wouldn't hear it.

A week later, the Cat called the Priest Owl to his private Chambers for another divination.

"Help me ask the gods if there's anything else that could be done apart from my death to restore peace
and harmony to this once blooming land"

"Okay my King" Prices Owl said and started making his consultations. When the Owl finally looked up, he
sighed at the King and shook his head.

"Talk to me" the King demanded of the Owl

"My King" the priest said

"I am answering" the Cat responded

"The gods are really angry my King" he paused

"The gods said that they will collect nothing less than a life. If not the King's, then that of someone very
dear to him".
The King sighed before answering ''My family is very dear to me, the people of my land are dear to me,
who exactly are the gods talking about?"

The Owl made another consultation "Your best friend, the Rat my Lord. The gods has chosen the life of
your friend in replacement of yours". The Owl said looking up to meet the King's glare. The Cat became
speechless.

"The rat is my friend. He's my family and I can't do that to him" The King wailed

"The gods have spoken" the Owl said and started to pack up his bags "it's now left for you to decide or
else worst things are yet to come" he finished.

When the Cat was left all alone in his room, he thought aloud to himself "I love my friend and I love my
people. I am the King and I should live to serve my people, if my friend die, I will continue to take care of
his family until my last breathe"

So, that was how the Cat and the Rat started to wish each other dead and their friendship began to
wane by the day without them knowing. The Cat reduced summoning the Rat and Rat reduced coming
to the palace always lying to the Cat each time he came that he'd been running around finding
alternative solution to the problem on ground. Each of them waited for the perfect time to carry out his
plan on the other. One day, the Cat called his friend the Rat and said to him with tears in eyes

"I have accepted my fate to die for the people of my land"

"No my king, you shouldn't. There should be another solution to this" the rat said pretending to be sad.

"No, the Cat said, I am the King and I should serve the people with everything in my power". The Cat said
"I can't allow my people to keep dying this way" he pretended to be crying. The rat was happy inwardly
and revel in the thought of him becoming the next King after the Cat.

"I will take that poison" the Cat said pointing at a fake poison on his table "After I am gone, please take
care of my family for me". The Cat pretended to cry and the Rat pretended to console him. The rat was
also happy that he would finally get his chance to be a King after the death of his friend. The Cat
consumed the fake poison and pretended to be dead. The Rat rejoiced to the utmost disbelief of the Cat
who didn't know his friend wanted him dead too then the Rat went to where the Cat was lying and
sniffed him to be sure he was dead and to check if he was breathing or not. As he was doing this, the Cat
got up and caught the Rat by the ear. He was tied up and offered to the gods as sacrifice.

The Rat family found out what had happened and severed ties with the Cat family. The Rats started
seeing the Cats as their enemy. That was how a relationship that was once fruitful and harmonious
became disharmonious till today.