Week 5 Story: Unlikely Friendship

Carson the Siamese cat lived deep in the jungle in a cave surrounded by thick trees and tall grass. Not many other animals even noticed it because it was disguised with all the forestry. Carson was a scared, nervous cat who rarely left her cave in fear of being attacked by one of the many dangers in the jungle. She was a small, raggedy looking cat with matted fur and a few bald spots.
One day, a lion named Reggie was roaming through the jungle and he noticed Carson's cave through a gap in the trees. He began to explore the area and sniff around for a potential meal. Meanwhile, Carson hid between some rocks, shaking with fear, trying not to make a sound for the lion to hear. After Reggie had looked around and found nothing interesting to do, he decided he would stay for a while, if nothing else the cave would offer a dry and warm place to sleep. Eventually, Carson got so hungry she had to escape from her hiding spot to find a mouse to eat. She waited until she thought for sure the lion was asleep, but as soon as she stepped out from the rocks, his eyes popped open. She ran as fast as she could, trembling with fear.

"Wait! I'm not going to eat you!" Shouted the lion.

Tired of running, the cat had to stop for air. She turned around slowly to see how far the lion was from her. To her surprise, he was right behind her. He said, "you can stop running, you're much too small and skinny to be worth eating.. you don't have to worry about that."

Carson sighed with relief to hear that. For some reason, she believed the lion. She responded and said, "Maybe we can even be friends, I could use some help around the cave."

The next day, the lion even shared his prey with the cat, giving her the best meal she had eaten since she began life in the jungle. By the time a few weeks had passed, Carson had gained almost 10 pounds, her fur was becoming thicker and shinier, and she had gained more confidence than she ever had before. Carson also opened her cave up to the lion and they lived together in happiness. Not a day went by that they didn't go on an exploration to a new part of the jungle, making memories and telling each other stories from before they met. They made friends with some of the birds and other animals that lived around them. They were happier and healthier than they ever thought was possible and although they got some strange looks from the other animals, they knew their unlikely friendship was the biggest blessing they could have ever gotten.

Lion

(Photo from: Tales of a Parrot- The Old Lion and the Cat)

Author's Note: After reading the story, "The Old Lion and the Cat" from The Tales of a Parrot, I was inspired to write about these animals. In the original story, the cat helps out the lion by keeping the mice away from him at night. They help each other out despite their many differences, so I thought I would recreate the concept and make it my own. In my story, Reggie and Carson build a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Bibliography: Tales of a Parrot: The Old Lion and the Cat by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi