This story uses the motif of race between a fast and a slow animal, well known from the Aesopian tradition (The Hare and the Tortoise). Yet, here the consequences of the slow animal’s victory go well beyond the moral of the myth and explain why human life is ephemeral.
At the beginning of the world, there was nothing like sickness, old age, and death. People lived on and on forever. There was no pain, nor sorrow and everybody lived happily. But the world was becoming almost overpopulated or congested with people. One day, Dog and Chameleon had a heated debate on the issue of the world’s population. Chameleon held the view that when people are born, they should grow old or fall sick and subsequently die. When people die, this creates a chance for other people to be born to replace them. And the newborns will live on and subsequently die. This to Chameleon would guarantee the continuity of the cycle of death and life. But Dog held a contrary view. To him, people should never fall sick, grow old or even die because all these cause sorrow and pain to mankind. People should live on and on forever without falling sick, growing old or dying.
Neither Chameleon nor Dog gave in to the other’s point of view. Both strongly maintained their own opinions. No compromise. They took their case to God and asked him to say who between the two was right. Each of them defended his point of view so intelligently and well that God could not find fault in any of the two views. God, being just, told them that their case could only be settled through a contest. “Look at that drum on top of that hill! Whichever of you can reach it first, is the winner. He can then drum it and announce his own point of view. I shall with immediate effect adopt the point of view announced thereof,” said God to the two contestants, Chameleon and Dog, in the presence of all the people in the world.
When the race began, Dog being a fleet-footed runner, ran as fast as he could, leaving Chameleon many, many miles behind. Chameleon did not surrender but crawled slowly and steadily towards the mountain on which the drum was placed. In the course of the race, Dog came across a dead buffalo. He did not hesitate in settling to munch this free meat. He ate and ate and ate until the Chameleon overtook him, climbed up the mountain and drummed:
“When people are born they should grow old, fall sick and die.
When people are born they should grow old, fall sick and die.
When people are born they should grow old, fall sick and die…”
Dog was stung by the drumming and the announcement made by Chameleon. He left the meat, gathered all his strength and ran “v-e-e-p” [sound made by narrator], up the mountain. But it was already too late. God remained faithful to his pledge and Chameleon’s announcement was registered. Since then, when people are born, they are subject to sickness, old age, and death. This is the origin of sickness, old age, and death.
