THE GREEDY STRIPES

GREEDY STRIPES

As Rahul walked in the jungle he wondered and gaped at the trees which were so high that they seemed to receive messages directly from the sky. The sun shined brightly with its strong golden rays as he came upon a large tiger trapped in a cage. The villagers had caught him for stealing lambs.

The tiger looked sick and fatigued. “Hey boy” cried the tiger as soon as he saw Rahul. “ I am so thirsty please open the cage so I can get a little drink. There is no water here.”

Rahul was terror-stricken, he got cold feet and muttered “ but Stripes, if I let you out, you would pounce and eat me up.”

“Never” said Stripes looking suitably horrified. “Whatever makes you think I would be so ungrateful? I just want a sip of water that’s all. I won’t take long. I promise” he pleaded with teary eyes.

Rahul was a genial boy. With bitter and sympathy he opened the door and let the tiger out. The instant Stripes was freed, he sprang on Rahul with the greed of gulping him all up. “But Stripes” shrieked Rahul. “You promised you will not eat me up”

With hunger in his eyes “ I will kill prey for my food and it is no tragedy for me to eat you” snarled Stripes looking mean indeed. After much wailing Stripes agreed to pop a question to the first three people and ask was it reasonable on his part to eat Rahul.

The first to pass by was a donkey Mr.Smoop “Mr. Smoop, I set Stripes free from his cage, but now he wants to it eat me. tell me is this civil?”

Mr Smoop barely looked up and spoke in his gruff voice, “my barbaric owner always insists me to carry bulky  loads on my back and if I don’t do so then he smacks me up with his stick. This isn’t the end…he doesn’t even feed me suitably  with food that can give me some nutrition and energy and the worse of all is that despite all this he makes me do all his work. Humans are nothing but an ungrateful race. I won’t stop Stripes from eating you it will be just on less human in the world.” Commenting this he walked past…

Rahuls fear build up even more when stripes opened his mouth wide in hunger. He gathered some twigs, lit a fire and even put a pot to get boiled.

When Rahul puzzled him in hiss petty voice that what was the pot for, Stripes replied him in his stern voice, “heh! thats to cook and eat you up”

“Wait, that’s only one out of three people. Two more to go” cried allegedly.

Stripes reluctantly agreed.they strolled about and came across an old horse who lay tired beside a cart of heavy loads. Rahul went to the horse and asked, “Ms.Twinee, I just let Stripes out of the cage and now he wants to eat me up. Tell us is your point of view. Is this fair?”

She was barely in the condition to get up and answered in her husky voice, “There was a time when I was free to wander about and do whatever I wished to...but the day I met my wolfish master my life became a tragedy. He rode me kilometres and kilometres. i have also carried his children and grandchildren on my back. Now that I have turned old he only makes me ride his cart and toady when I was unable to go further he left me here to die. Humans use animals like a tissue… a use and throw! Nothing else. so In my opinion Stripes should gulp you up.”

Rahul spotted Stripes sharpening his claws at the tree. He was shaking from head to toe and stood dead in his track. He held his breath, took the courage and uttered, “okay this was my second chance still one more to go..”

Stripes grumbled in irritation.But he some how agreed. They saw a small girl passing by and Stripes called out her, “dear child, could you please come here.you look fare and just so I think you can tell give us the right answer. Rahul jusr freed me from the cage and being a tiger I want to eat him. Tell me can I eat him or I can’t?”

Looking around, the girl inquisitively asked, “cage? What cage?i cant see any.

“Yes, yes a wooden cage.”rahul cried anxiously.

“But how can I come to a conclusion if I never saw a cage. I just cant what are the two of you talking about.”

Stripes frantically said, “dear a cage,the one which I was in. you see….”

“Exactly that’s what I can’t see the cage.Rahul how can you set him free if he is already free?”

Stripes was gnashing his teeth in complete desperation.He commented that these humans are very dumb. Not to loose his anger Stripes took a deep breath.

“listen I cant tell you anything until i get an idea of the cage so could you please take me there?” saying these words she winked at Stripes who was love struck and merrily took her at but the cave .on the other side rahul had to drag  his feet.

At the cage the girl took over, “so here… lets start from the beginning Rahul and Mr Stripes start at the beginning. Show me where you stood and where Mr. Stripes was when you came along?”

“I was walking down this little path” Rahul replied snappily.

“Inside this filthy cage” replied Stripes

“Oh I would not think this cage is sizeable for you, Mr Stripes. Wont you show me how you managed to stay in with your mammoth body?” asked the girl with a pristine look.

“See I can get in and I was sitting here” Stipes leapt into the cage.

“AHHHHHH! So that’s where you were. But your paws can reach out. So why did not you come out yourself?” challenged the girl.

“I was unable as the door was locked.” Growled Stripes feeling quite uneasy at returning in the cage.

“Oh , excuse me,” announced the girl seeming stupid “ being human I am half-witted. I cannot conceptualize until you show me how. Will you show me how it works?”

Rahul pushed the door in. “Like this”

“And the lock” questioned the girl. “Where is it”

“Here” cried Rahul. And he shut and bolted the dor!

“Aha! So that’s it” the girl joyfully clapped her hands. “It does lock the door lightly”

“Rahul, now that the door is locked, I recommend it stays locked. As for you, Mr. Stripes you have been very wicked and ungrateful. I hope you are locked up for a very long time.”

Mentioning this girl took Rahuls arm and led him away.