The Lion, The Cheetah, and The Jaguar
nce a lion and a cheetah had a race. The cheetah had been boasting about how fast he was, telling the lion that
even though he was the king of the jungle, the cheetah was the fastest animal in it. The cheetah strutted back
and forth in front of the lion, leering at him, daring him to accept the challenge of the race. The lion, sick of the
cheetah bothering him, grunted an approval for the event.
The animals went to a very flat plain where there were few trees. They were to race across the plain towards the other edge, where the jungle rimmed the flat grassland. The race began with the lion keeping up with the cheetah, but the cheetah pulled ahead of the lion by a body length. The cheetah turned his grinning face to the lion and was about to say something like "You can't keep up with me, you slow dog!" but before he said anything the lion pounced on top of him and killed him (for this is the way lions act).
The lion ate his lunch at the edge of the clearing, where if the cheetah had gone another 20 feet he would have won the race. The jaguar, who was not as dumb as the cheetah, came up to the feasting lion. The lion looked up and asked the jaguar if he would also like to race. "No, no I don't need to race, King." The jaguar said with a smile. The lion looked at the humble jaguar and decided to impart some of his regal wisdom:
"I am not the fastest, biggest, or strongest animal in this jungle. From time to time, others will challenge me, such as the cheetah today and the hippo last week. You might wonder why they never defeat me, even those who are faster, bigger and stronger than me. I will tell you, humble jaguar, why this is so. I am smarter than all my competitors, and that is why I am King."
The jaguar could not agree. When the lion was done boasting, eight of his jaguar brothers jumped on the proud lion and killed him (for this is the way jaguars act). Kings who boast and bask in the sun eating their lunch fall all the time to packs of jaguars who lurk in their shadows.
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