(It's not quite done yet, but I have thought up a good ending for it, don't worry!)
The tall savanna grasses waved in a memorizing way as a warm, dry desert wind swept over the Pride Lands. The gnarled trees that managed to survive there swayed their branches, a few dry leaves shaking off. The sky was a clear, clean blue, with a few puffy white clouds strewn about haphazardly. The few, shallow streams that ran through the lion?s territory sat idly, allowing the fish that lived in them to feed along the bottom, silvery scales attracting the sun?s bright glow. Small wildlife, a few hares, a prairie dog or two, scurried about, keeping low for fear of being seen by the ultimate predator of the African savanna.
The Lion.
Here, the lions ruled. No humans dared to set foot upon this patch of wilderness. Why just right here? The lions that resided here were not the average lion, like the one in your science book. This lions were many a color, red, blue, green. They also had patterns unlike any other. Curses, the villagers gossiped. Powers from the Gods, others murmured reverently. The truth about the markings though, was this.
The continent of Africa is relatively dry, as you should know. As people began to settle along the Nile, which seemed to be just about the only water source on the entire landmass, the natives, lions, giraffes, zebras and the like, were pushed down, farther away from the water. Now, the zebras were a humble race then, and they decided to co-exist with the humans, agreeing to do hard labor in exchange for water and other necessities. The giraffes, with their long legs, were able to travel great distances down the river, where no humans had yet settled.
That left the lion.
Now, the lion is a proud race, too proud to work for the humans, but were not built for the kind of travel they would have had to undertake to follow the giraffes. So, the race had to humble them selves and follow in the zebra?s direction? Toward the humans. The reaction they got was unexpected.
Now, the humans were not stupid, and they had talked to the zebras about what else they had chased out. The zebras, oblivious of the trouble it could cause toward their friends, told the humans about lions. About how swift and powerful they were. About their long, sharp fangs and claws. About how smart they were. The humans, obviously, grew worried. They held a meeting to see what they should do.
?I have heard.?
The chieftain of the human tribe spoke, his gravelly voice vibrating the walls of the hut in which they met.
?I have heard from the scouts that they have seen the lions traveling this way. They say that the lions have a look of revenge about them!?
The chieftain exclaimed, although the scouts had not told him the last part. He had made that up himself, for he did not want the villagers to know that the lions came in peace, not in hatred. He didn?t want the lions to be liked, for fear of being overthrown by a powerful male. He certainly didn?t want a beast to rule the human tribe. He was jealous of the lions, for he was sure that they were more agile than him, more cunning, braver, better. So, to protect his position, he had to lie.
?The lions want to kill us all, eat us raw!?
He exclaimed, exaggerating an entire story about how menacing they appeared, even though he had no idea what the looked like at all. The tribe of humans wailed and moaned, begging their ?all-powerful? leader to give them instruction on how to defeat the beasts.
?Kill them! Chase them away from the river! The zebras said that the lion?s stamina was not up to a long trek down the Nile, away from the settlement. All we must do is keep them away!?
He boomed, rousing the crowd of nervous tribe members, boosting their adrenaline. The men clung to their weapons, the woman to their children. A scout raced off with the speed of a cheetah to see where how close the lions were. He didn?t have to look long.
?They are here! The lions!!?
He cried, much to the villager?s fright, but the lion?s approval. It was only befitting that a creature of their grace and beauty was announced for all to hear. The zebras, who had heard what the chieftain had said, went crazy, whinnying and rearing, in a blind rage toward man and a fear for the lions. The lions though, thought that the zebras were calling for them, as if being hurt by humans. The lions rushed forth, angry at the humans for hurting their friends. The armed tribe members greeted them with curses and hatred, swinging everything they could find toward the lions. The lions, confused, looked toward the zebras, who were unhurt. Now, it was the lions turn to be tricked. They thought that the zebras had worked with the humans to lure them here, straight into a trap. The lions attacked the zebras, and the zebras attacked the men, and the men attacked the lions. The lions drove the zebras out, and the humans drove the lions out in the opposite direction.
(So... What do you think so far?)
The tall savanna grasses waved in a memorizing way as a warm, dry desert wind swept over the Pride Lands. The gnarled trees that managed to survive there swayed their branches, a few dry leaves shaking off. The sky was a clear, clean blue, with a few puffy white clouds strewn about haphazardly. The few, shallow streams that ran through the lion?s territory sat idly, allowing the fish that lived in them to feed along the bottom, silvery scales attracting the sun?s bright glow. Small wildlife, a few hares, a prairie dog or two, scurried about, keeping low for fear of being seen by the ultimate predator of the African savanna.
The Lion.
Here, the lions ruled. No humans dared to set foot upon this patch of wilderness. Why just right here? The lions that resided here were not the average lion, like the one in your science book. This lions were many a color, red, blue, green. They also had patterns unlike any other. Curses, the villagers gossiped. Powers from the Gods, others murmured reverently. The truth about the markings though, was this.
The continent of Africa is relatively dry, as you should know. As people began to settle along the Nile, which seemed to be just about the only water source on the entire landmass, the natives, lions, giraffes, zebras and the like, were pushed down, farther away from the water. Now, the zebras were a humble race then, and they decided to co-exist with the humans, agreeing to do hard labor in exchange for water and other necessities. The giraffes, with their long legs, were able to travel great distances down the river, where no humans had yet settled.
That left the lion.
Now, the lion is a proud race, too proud to work for the humans, but were not built for the kind of travel they would have had to undertake to follow the giraffes. So, the race had to humble them selves and follow in the zebra?s direction? Toward the humans. The reaction they got was unexpected.
Now, the humans were not stupid, and they had talked to the zebras about what else they had chased out. The zebras, oblivious of the trouble it could cause toward their friends, told the humans about lions. About how swift and powerful they were. About their long, sharp fangs and claws. About how smart they were. The humans, obviously, grew worried. They held a meeting to see what they should do.
?I have heard.?
The chieftain of the human tribe spoke, his gravelly voice vibrating the walls of the hut in which they met.
?I have heard from the scouts that they have seen the lions traveling this way. They say that the lions have a look of revenge about them!?
The chieftain exclaimed, although the scouts had not told him the last part. He had made that up himself, for he did not want the villagers to know that the lions came in peace, not in hatred. He didn?t want the lions to be liked, for fear of being overthrown by a powerful male. He certainly didn?t want a beast to rule the human tribe. He was jealous of the lions, for he was sure that they were more agile than him, more cunning, braver, better. So, to protect his position, he had to lie.
?The lions want to kill us all, eat us raw!?
He exclaimed, exaggerating an entire story about how menacing they appeared, even though he had no idea what the looked like at all. The tribe of humans wailed and moaned, begging their ?all-powerful? leader to give them instruction on how to defeat the beasts.
?Kill them! Chase them away from the river! The zebras said that the lion?s stamina was not up to a long trek down the Nile, away from the settlement. All we must do is keep them away!?
He boomed, rousing the crowd of nervous tribe members, boosting their adrenaline. The men clung to their weapons, the woman to their children. A scout raced off with the speed of a cheetah to see where how close the lions were. He didn?t have to look long.
?They are here! The lions!!?
He cried, much to the villager?s fright, but the lion?s approval. It was only befitting that a creature of their grace and beauty was announced for all to hear. The zebras, who had heard what the chieftain had said, went crazy, whinnying and rearing, in a blind rage toward man and a fear for the lions. The lions though, thought that the zebras were calling for them, as if being hurt by humans. The lions rushed forth, angry at the humans for hurting their friends. The armed tribe members greeted them with curses and hatred, swinging everything they could find toward the lions. The lions, confused, looked toward the zebras, who were unhurt. Now, it was the lions turn to be tricked. They thought that the zebras had worked with the humans to lure them here, straight into a trap. The lions attacked the zebras, and the zebras attacked the men, and the men attacked the lions. The lions drove the zebras out, and the humans drove the lions out in the opposite direction.
(So... What do you think so far?)
