The big cats’ tale

Big cats

Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Panther and Cheetah were on the window ledge. They knew there was a forest outside the playroom window and they wanted to be there – chasing, fighting, having fun and hunting for food.  They often dreamed of what life in the forest would be like.

“It’s horrible having to sit still and be neat and tidy,” complained the little black panther. He poked the cheetah baby who was even smaller than he was. “Ha, ha, scaredy-cat,” he said, as the baby fell over.

“Stop that!” snarled the lion, “or I’ll eat you for supper.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” said the black panther cheekily. “My mum would be cross.”

Tiger glanced out of the window at the real forest. “We’d all be happier out there doing what big cats do,” he said. He purred angrily.

Jake and Ben were roaming round the playroom wondering what to play with. It was nearly bedtime and they were tired.

Jake suddenly saw the big cats on the ledge. “Hey! Let’s make a safari park with loads of trees and some other animals.”

Ben grabbed the trees and fences. “Great idea,” he said, picking up the crocodile and the chimpenzee. “Get the bears and snakes and let’s get going. We’ve just got time before bed.”

Before the big cats could even roar, they were taken off the ledge and dumped in a clearing among trees and bushes that Ben set up in the sand pit.

“Some forest,” grumbled Tiger. “I want to go out into the real one.”

At that moment, Jake slithered a long green snake along the forest floor and jabbed it at the tiger. Tiger felt the sting and swung round. How dare a puny snake attack him! He was lord of the jungle, even a sandy one like this.

Ben made Tiger chase after the snake. But although he was faster, the snake was nimble. He slid in between the bushes and trees quicker than Tiger could catch up.

Jake then bounced a chimpanzee in front of Tiger. Chimp jumped on his back and pretended to ride him like a horse. Tiger was furious. He jumped and jerked but he couldn’t get Chimp off his back. After a while, Chimp laughed a long cackle and swung high into a tree.

Then Jake sent a big brown bear after Tiger. He growled and snapped at Tiger’s paws. Poor Tiger got more and more cross and more and more fed up.

Ben then made Tiger run faster and faster until he arrived back in the clearing. He was surprised to find Lion, Leopard, Black Panther and Baby Cheetah sprawled out lazily in the sun.

“How come you’re okay and all the animals are annoying me?” Tiger asked.

A voice spoke up from the tray of toys nearby. “Because I am the magician and I can make the children hear us. I let Ben and Jake hear you complaining about the playroom. They decided to teach you a lesson for moaning.”

Tiger was annoyed to hear this. But he knew he had a good life in the playroom. And the animals in the real forest outside would probably be even more frightening. Maybe he didn’t want to go out there after all!

At bedtime, when Ben put the big cats back on their ledge, Tiger said to his friends, “You all get some sleep, and I’ll keep watch over us. Just in case Ben wants to teach any more of us a lesson! Then we can swap and I’ll sleep.”

So all night, four of the big cats slept while one kept watch. And the ones who slept dreamed of real forests and real enemies but knew they were all safe and sound in the playroom.

The moral of the Tale is that being kind is a nicer feeling than always wanting things to be different.