There was ones a zoo in London that took stray cats and dogs to feed its wild animals. One time, a visitor to the zoo ricked up a puppy from the street and took it along with him. Handling it over at the gate, he watched the keeper throw the hapless puppy into the lion’s cage. Poor Little dog. Tail between its legs, it squeezed itself into the corner of the cage as the lion came closer and closed. Suddenly the lion stopped and began to sniff his victim. Tickled by the lion’s whiskers, the puppy rolled over and wagged its tail playfully. At that, the lion prodded it uncertainty with his paw, ouching it to and fro over the floor of his cage. To the lion’s surprise, the little god nimbly jumped up and stood on its hind legs, begging. Puzzled, the lion stared at the dog, shifting his massive head slowly from side to side, not knowing what to make of this funny little animal. But he let it be. At feeding time, when the keeper tossed meat into the cage, the lion tore off a piece for the puppy. And at sunset, as the lion lay down to sleep, the puppy lay alongside him, resting its tiny head on the lion’s great paws. From that day on the lion and the puppy lived together in the same cage: the lion sharing his food, never harming his companion, sleeping alongside and, now and then, playing with it. Then, one day, a fine gentlemen visited the zoo and straightway recognized his long-lost pet. The keeper was informed and, of course, would willingly have handled it over had not the lion raged and roared every time he approached the puppy. In the end he gave up and the gentleman had to go home empty-handed. So the lion and the puppy stayed together; thus it continued for a whole year, until one day the little dog fell sick. And in a short space of time it died. What a change came over the lion! All the while he licked and sniffed his friend, prodding it with his paw. At last, realizing it was indeed dead, the lion sprang up, his mane quivering with rage. He stalked about the cage, swinging his tail fiercely. He flung himself against the iron bars and tore at the wooden floorboards. All day long the roared in his anguish until finally he sank down beside his dead companion. And he was quiet. But when the keeper tried to remove the dead puppy, the lion growled menacingly and would not let him near. After a while, the keeper had an idea. Thinking a new puppy would make the lion forger his great, he thrust another dog between the bars. But the lion ignored the puppy. Then, gently, he put his paws about his cold little friend and lay grieving for a full five days. And on the sixth day the lion died. ~By: L. Tolstoy~
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 18:52:09 +0000
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