TRUE FRIENDSHIP

Tiger-longing for a friendship-

  In a thick forest in the southern part of western ghats  filled with thick tall trees, caves and green grass etc.  The sounds of birds, animals running here and there, water falls sound etc. made that place very nice.

     There was a cave on the top of a hill and there lived a tiger alone.  There were no friends to that tiger and all the animals would run away seeing that.  That is why it was not able to mingle with others and felt sad about it. It was longing for friendship.

     One day when it was roaming for hunting it could see a deer caught  in the net of a hunter.  So it decided to save the deer and went near to it.  Though the deer got scare but the tiger tore the net with one shot and the deer came out.  The tiger left the place silently.  The deer felt sorry for mistaking the tiger and it decided to meet the tiger next day to request to pardon it.  When the tiger saw the deer, it felt very happy and asked from inside the cave, as it thought the deer would be frightened, the reason for the deer’s coming there.  The deer replied that it had come to say sorry and to thank him as it only saved the deer.  The tiger said that the deer need not have to thank but requested him to be his friend.  The deer got shocked.  The tiger told the deer to be his friend only after getting faith on him.  Hearing this the deer changed it mind and accepted his friendship by calling the tiger to have food with it.  The tiger felt very happy and started to go out with the deer.  Noticing this some animals got surprised .  Some animals warned the deer when other animals respected it,

     Days passed by.  That day the deer was roaming alone.  Tiger approaching the deer noticed a lion starring the deer and waiting to attack it.  The tiger immediately rushed to save the deer.  But the deer thought the tiger was coming to attack it only as it did not notice the lion and ran fast.  The lion got angry as the tiger made the deer to escape and fought with it, which was surprisingly noticed by other animals.  The monkey was telling how the tiger fought with the lion to save its friend.  Elephant praised the tiger for its truthful friendship.  The lion got tired after fighting for long and the tiger ordered the lion to go out of that forest for attacking the deer after knowing that it was his good friend.  The lion escaped and ran away.

     The deer without knowing what had happened had complained to its group about the tiger.  A dotted deer which had noticed the fight between lion and the tiger, clarified what had happened there and how much the tiger would  be suffering  alone with the pain.  Hearing this the deer immediately rushed to the cave with  herbs.  While applying the medicine the deer requested the tiger to pardon it for having misunderstood and assured that it would not happen again.

     The tiger explained though it belongs to the group which kill and eat other animals, but it would not kill a friend and stated that it stopped attacking the deer group after becoming friend with that deer.  Though the deer  leave the tiger breaking friendship, it would not attack the deer group and there was no need to suspect him for any reason. Again it both started roaming together.

We should trust our true friends.