Once upon a time, in the African tribe of Lacewood, there was a girl named Ashaki, known for her stunning beauty. Her skin was as black as night, her lips as red as blood, and her teeth as white as snow. Ashaki became the most successful hunter and gatherer in all of Lacewood, surpassing even her mother. This success infuriated Ashaki's mother, who was no longer the tribe's most admired woman, and her daughter's independence made her feel obsolete. If only Ashaki had noticed her mother's growing resentment, she might have had a chance to save herself.
From the day Ashaki could fend for herself, her mother's jealousy grew as Ashaki became the tribe's new focus. Each day, her mother would walk to the river, gazing into its mirror-like surface, and ask, "Why does my daughter receive the attention that only I deserve?" The river never answered, but she knew what she had to do to reclaim her status as Lacewood's alpha female: Ashaki had to die, and it would be by her own mother's hand.
One morning, Ashaki woke up, left her hut, and began her usual routine of foraging in the forest. That day, she discovered an apple, a rare sight only seen when traders passed through in her youth. The apple lay perfectly on the ground. Though puzzled, Ashaki assumed it had fallen from a traveler's bag and eagerly took a bite. Immediately, she knew something was wrong. The forest began to spin, and as she struggled to breathe, she saw her mother running away, laughing at her plight.
Ashaki collapsed, unresponsive, as the animals witnessed the cruel act. Seven lion cubs, stunned by a mother's capacity for harm, kept vigil over Ashaki, laying her on a bed of flowers. They watched over her day and night, hoping for a miracle. On the thirtieth night, the tribe's alpha male wandered into the forest and found Ashaki. Shocked, as he believed her mother's story that Ashaki had run away, he laid his bow and arrow on her chest in mourning. This act of love sparked something magical, reviving Ashaki from her poisoned state.
Ashaki awakened and recounted her mother's betrayal to the alpha male. They knew a punishment was necessary. The seven cubs brought Ashaki's mother to the forest, where the alpha male decreed her banishment from Lacewood forever. Ashaki agreed, and once her mother was gone, she married the alpha male, living the rest of her life peacefully in Lacewood.