THE LION AND THE LEOPARD






Pic.: Chetna Shetty



Years ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found very effective – was telling a nice story in two tenses… the Present and the Past. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people, who were earnest about improving their English, with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and, then, tell it to someone…

Here is a lovely story which tells us how our big egos function and how they are cut to size, invariably always… Someone ‘bigger’ – who doesn’t give a damn about what we think of ourselves - comes to do the job!




THE LION AND THE LEOPARD


 PAST:

It was a hot afternoon. In a jungle, a lion, who was tired and thirsty, wandered in search of water. Finally, when he came near a pond of water, the lion saw a leopard there. The leopard, too, was tired and thirsty and had reached there in search of water.

“What are you doing here?” the lion blasted with his kingly arrogance.

The leopard did not like the way the lion treated him. So, provoked by lion’s arrogance, and gathering all his courage, he reacted, “What are YOU doing here?”

Lion, not used to such a reaction from his subjects, pretended as if he had not heard what leopard had just said. “Get off my way,” he blasted, “let me drink first.”

“I am telling you the same,” the leopard did not want to concede, “wait till I finish … You very well know that I was here first.”

The lion went into a rage and threw his paw at the leopard … The leopard tried to grab lion’s neck and they both got entangled in a fierce fight … The dust and violent roar filled the air and there was unease in the jungle…

Then, while they rolled there on the ground, bruised and bleeding, unwilling to give up, the warring animals heard an unusual sound in the air … Looking up, they saw a scary sight: scores of hungry vultures circling over them! The vultures were waiting for the battle to be over … It did not matter to them as to who won and who lost – the lion or the leopard … What mattered to them was the flesh, their meal … and, they were waiting!

Yes, both the lion and the leopard, could easily realize this … The very next moment, they gave up their fight.  Then, standing side by side near the pond, they quietly drank water – for which they had come there - and went their way… Yes, hiding their tails between their legs!


PRESENT:

It is a hot afternoon. In a jungle, a lion, who is tired and thirsty, wanders in search of water. Finally, when he comes near a pond of water, the lion sees a leopard there. The leopard, too, is tired and thirsty and has reached there in search of water.

“What are you doing here?” the lion blasts with his kingly arrogance.

The leopard does not like the way the lion treats him. So, provoked by lion’s arrogance, and gathering all his courage, he reacts, “What are YOU doing here?”

Lion, not used to such a reaction from his subjects, pretends as if he has not heard what leopard has just said. “Get off my way,” he blasts, “let me drink first.”

“I am telling you the same,” the leopard does not want to concede, “wait till I finish … You very well know that I was here first.”

The lion goes into a rage and throws his paw at the leopard … The leopard tries to grab lion’s neck and they both get entangled in a fierce fight … The dust and violent roar fill the air and there is unease in the jungle…

Then, while they roll there on the ground, bruised and bleeding, unwilling to give up, the warring animals hear an unusual sound in the air … Looking up, they see a scary sight: scores of hungry vultures circling over them! The vultures are waiting for the battle to be over … It does not matter to them as to who wins and who loses – the lion or the leopard … What matters to them is the flesh, their meal … and, they are waiting!

Yes, both, the lion and the leopard, can easily realize this … The very next moment, they give up their fight.  Then, standing side by side near the pond, they quietly drink water – for which they have come there - and go their way… Yes, hiding their tails between their legs!


GERALD D’CUNHA

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