In the days when animals could still talk with humans and live together in harmony, there was a hyena named Hugo who roamed the savanna of Ghana. From a young age, Hugo was different from all other hyenas. While his kin scavenged and hunted in packs, he believed himself to be the most magnificent creature in the animal kingdom. He boasted that his coat was more beautiful than a leopard’s spots, his voice more melodious than a nightingale’s song, and his strength greater than even the mighty elephant. Other animals quickly grew tired of Hugo’s arrogance. He sneered at hardworking ants, mocked gentle deer, and even criticized the leadership of the elephants. Whenever he passed, he proclaimed that all other creatures should recognize his greatness. “Surely,” he said, “I am meant to rule over all of you.”
One day, while practicing regal poses beside a waterhole, Anansi the Spider appeared overhead, watching with amusement. He greeted Hugo with exaggerated respect, praising his “magnificent performances.” Hugo’s pride swelled, and he declared that it was time to claim his rightful position as king of all animals. Anansi agreed to help but set three challenges first. The first was a riddle: “What grows larger the more you take away from it?” Proud Hugo confidently answered that it must be his own glory, but the correct answer was a hole. The second challenge asked Hugo to move a massive boulder up a hill, and despite all day of effort, he barely budged it.
Finally, for the third challenge, Anansi asked for the most beautiful voice in the land, a voice that would make all creatures stop and listen in awe. Excited, Hugo began to sing what he believed would be a glorious melody, but the sound that came from his throat was strange, bizarre, and utterly ridiculous, a mix of howls, cackles, wheezes, and barks. At first, the animals listened in silence, then laughter broke out. Monkeys giggled, parrots squawked with mirth, elephants trumpeted in amusement, and soon the entire forest echoed with laughter at the absurd noise that Hugo had produced. Yet strangely, Hugo himself found the sound delightful, and as he heard the laughter, he could not help but join in.
Anansi then explained that Hugo had failed all three challenges. However, by making the animals laugh with his strange voice, Hugo had discovered a gift. Laughter brings joy to others, a gift far greater than any crown. A king may rule by fear or power, but a creature who brings laughter heals hearts and connects others. Over time, Hugo became known not as a failed king but as the keeper of laughter. Whenever spirits were low or troubles weighed heavy, animals gathered to hear Hugo’s unique laugh. Other hyenas even learned to make their own versions of that wild call, each laugh unique, each a reminder that our greatest gifts can come from what once felt like our greatest embarrassments.
And that is why, to this day, hyenas laugh. Their strange, joyful cackle echoes across the savanna not out of cruelty or mockery, but as a celebration of who they truly are, creatures whose laughter lifts spirits and brings joy to all who hear it.