The Haughty Lion

Swift Cheetah and Burly Buffalo were the greatest of friends. They woke up on the scorching savannah (which was as hot as the sun) and they were ravenous. But before they went hunting, they had their daily cosmic sized meeting to attend with all the animals of the savannah. In these meetings the animals would discuss what was happening all around them. 

While Swift Cheetah and Burly Buffalo were going to the important meeting, they met some of their classmates Mischievous Hyena and Slither Snake. When they got to the immense gathering, the Haughty Lion started boasting and swaggering. Everyone at the intensive meeting would have to hear this every single morning so they were all extremely uninterested, even Petite Tortoise. 

Then Swift Cheetah stepped up and proudly declared to the Haughty Lion, “I goad you to a race.” 

“Okay,” blustered the Haughty Lion “I’ll win though,” the Haughty Lion laughed. When the meeting ended they had an almighty race with myriad obstacles ready for Swift Cheetah and the Haughty Lion. 

“Start!” thundered Burly Buffalo. Swift Cheetah went rapid but the Haughty Lion went brisker. Just when Swift Cheetah thought he had lost, the Haughty Lion tripped over the final obstacle and Swift Cheetah had won! 

After that the Haughty Lion was a little bit humiliated, but he still thought he was the best, boasting and swaggering, but no one understood why. They all saw Swift Cheetah effortlessly thrashing him however they just did not understand. 

So next time Burly Buffalo stepped up and issued in a deep voice, “I goad you to a brawl!” The Haughty Lion was fearful, but of course he didn’t decline. This time the Haughty Lion was determined to win. But Burly Buffalo was more bent on to win. “Start!” yelled Swift Cheetah. 

The Haughty Lion was mightier than ten million humans but before you could say anything Burly Buffalo hooked him with his horns and threw him. The Haughty Lion landed in a bunch of thorns. He needed days of treatment. He was more ashamed than when Swift Cheetah had triumphed but he still thought he was the greatest of all. 

The day after that the Haughty Lion started bragging and swaggering. The animals of the savannah were straight up, bewildered. Now that they had seen Swift Cheetah beating him in a race and Burly Buffalo beating him in a brawl, everyone declared, “I goad you to hide ‘n’ seek.” Now Haughty Lion was really fearful everyone was against him but he followed his nature and acknowledged. But obviously he couldn’t do the hide ‘n’ seek match now because he was still injured from all the thorns Burly Buffalo gave him. 

About a week later they had the hide ‘n’ seek match, they all took their very own spots and started. The seeker found the Haughty Lion first. The seeker was Elly the Elephant! She took the Haughty Lion by her trunk and squeezed him tight and he could not breathe. The Haughty Lion finally admitted that he was not the greatest at everything. When Swift Cheetah beat him he thought he was not the fastest, with Burly Buffalo he thought he was not the strongest and when he saw Elly The Elephant, he realised he was not the most huge. The Haughty Lion wasn’t haughty! 

Joy spread even faster than peanut butter on bread. Everyone only had joy at that time but the Modest Lion was the most joyful out of them all. He had learnt to become meek and not haughty. That’s how the Modest Lion became the greatest king ever. 

Moral of the story : Don’t be arrogant.