Pauline and the lion
Each day, the young lions, Billy and Seth practiced fighting with each other. They pounced on each other and fought each other with all their strength.
Jim, the youngest of the lions often watched them from behind a tree.
One day, he came out.
‘You guys are always practicing’ His eyes were sad.
‘Yes, of course’ said Billy, the biggest cub. ‘It is only a matter of time before we grow up and have to leave our pride and go defeat another’
‘There is no need for us to leave Rosewood forest’ said Jim. ‘Our families are here, we could stay here forever’
The other lions laughed. ‘ It is the custom for young lions to leave their pride, defeat another and make it their own’ said Seth scratchily.
Jim drew back. ‘I believe we can make a different future, where all lions can live in peace, without warring against each other, there is enough food for everyone, there is no need to fight........’
‘There is great need to fight’ Billy shouted, pounding his feet so the ground shook. ‘We will control our own pride’ He made to pounce on Jim.
Jim ran away, signing. Why couldn’t his brothers understand? The lions were born in a circle of hate, when one lion defeated another and killed all the male young in his pride, took over
the pride and had his own children, only mostly to be killed off by another lion. There has got to be another way for lions to live.
Jim wished for all animals to live in peace without war and killing. For the lion and the antelope to graze next to each other, eating grass .For the rat to sleep safely next to the
snake nest. But in real life, the jungle was a battlefield where the weak were pounced upon and eaten. Even the lions who were proclaimed as the king of the jungle, were at war with each other. There was no peace.
‘Jim’ said his father voice.
Jim turned to see the mighty lion, Zachary. In his time, he had defeated six prides to add to his own. Even though he was now old, he was still so feared that none of the young lions came near his pride. Standing behind him were twelve lionesses.
‘What are you doing here, Jim?’ said Zachary. ‘Why aren’t you fighting with your brothers?’
‘Father, I don’t like fighting’ Jim answered.
‘Are you a lion or a donkey?’ His father hissed on him. ‘you don’t eat meat, you don’t fight, what really can you do?, you have become so weak’
Furious, he passed by, leading the lioness away.
Jim passed by, heading deeper into the forest. He loved the scents and sounds of the jungle. As he walked, he noticed a head of deer eating grass. He walked nearer but they suddenly heard his steps and fled. It was always the same with the rest of the animals. They always ran, scared for their life.
He climbed up a mountain stepping on sandy rocks, ran round a little cave he found and played happily near the river, after drinking his fill.
He was walking back to Rosewood when rain began to drizzle, wetting him. He shook himself and hurried on.
Suddenly he stopped looking ahead through the grass as a sweet scent drifted towards him.
There stood before him a creature standing on only its two feet. He had never seen a more beautiful animal before with mostly hairless skin and delicate body. And its scent, its scent was overwhelming sweet.
Jim felt a desperate urge to feed on it.
I can’t do this, he told himself. I won’t eat anyone.
He went closer. The creature turned and walked away. Jim followed, transfixed. What was it?

Suddenly there were shouts. Several of the same kind of creatures came out of a wooden cave.
They threw sharpened rods at him. Jim ran but one pierced his arm. Blood spilled out.


‘What could have happened?’ Billy and Seth narrowed their eyes when he crawled in, bleeding.
They helped him clean his wood with some grass as he spoke.
‘Amazing’ chimed Seth. ‘So you met them?’
‘Who are they?’
‘Humans’ said Billy. ‘They are the
most feared creatures in the world, I heard that you can hardly escape alive after meeting them’

Jim gasped. ‘But they looked so delicate’ He had heard of humans but always thought they were myth.
‘Yea, they are weak physically’ Seth nodded. ‘But they are unbelievably bright, and they always stick together and take care of one another, they left the jungle and built their own world and they only have a few other animals with them’
Jim lowered his eyes. How he so wanted a home like that. Where everyone cared for each other. Wasn’t there a way for the lions to also live together in harmony? He wanted to find out more about the humans and the secret behind their success.
‘Where do the humans live?’He asked his brothers.
‘They live outside the forest, you can follow the water to the edge of the jungle, but no one goes there as they would just kill you’
Jim nodded with a glint in his eye. He was going there to find out more about humans.


After two days walking, Jim finally reached the edge of the forest. He felt a rush as he caught a whiff of the air. There were humans nearby.
He crouched down and crawled forward through the soft grass slowly. He widened his eyes and looked far ahead. Everywhere he looked were buildings made of wood and stone.
There was a human with a softer look than he had seen previously and long hair .She bent over a round building of stone of some sorts and drew out water. Jim felt the desire to pounce on her and eat her but he rejected the urge.
All day, he watched carefully as different humans came around. Some came to draw water
from that round stone, others went to the forest holding sharpened sticks. Most of them seemed to be working on something or the other but Jim noticed one thing.
It was true what his brothers said. They co-operated with each other. They built homes and lived in peace. Any fights he noticed were quickly settled by the elders. Jim was fascinated. Day after day, he watched them.
One day, he was engrossed with watching some small humans play when he heard a loud cry.
‘Lion’ cried a voice from behind. ‘Lion’
Pandanoria erupted. Humans took off running.
Jim rose to flee but some hunters came flying through the trees.
They threw some material over him, and it trapped him. Next thing, he knew sharp sticks were piercing his body. He feel himself slipping away.
Next time he woke, he was inside in something strong and wooden. He used his body to hit on it repeatedly but it didn’t break. Outside, the humans seemed excited, pointing. He was trapped.


That evening, the long haired women he had first seen from the edge of the forest came carrying some goat meat. She threw it at him. He didn’t budge.
She stared and made signs, pointing to the meat and Jim mouth. Jim looked away.
Day after day, humans came to see Jim. They
threw stones at him and laughed. Jim bent his eyes low. The smell of the humans were nearly driving him wild.
The long hair came to bring meat every day. Jim didn’t eat any. He grew weaker every day.
One day, the long haired girl came by eating some bread. He stared at her and she threw some at him. He ate it up.
She yelped and threw more. He ate more.
She never fed him meat again. That day, she made sounds with her mouth.
‘Pauline’ She mounted. ‘My name is Pauline’
The lion tried to repeat. ‘Pa.....u’
‘Let’s be friends’ she said.
Jim didn’t understand but he purred in return. He liked her.


Weeks pass into months. A year quietly passed. Jim became a healthy young lion. Pauline came to feed him every day.
‘Hey’ She was smiling now as she threw bread to him. He shook his tail at her. He had learnt to understand a little human language.
She made signs at him. ‘You know, I cant still believe you don’t eat meat’
He signalled that he hated it.
She made signs again ‘You don’t kill other animals’
He signalled ‘Never’
At that moment, some male humans came by, holding stones. They threw it at Jim.

‘Stop it’ Pauline had tears in her eyes. ‘He has done you no wrong’
‘He is a lion’ they hissed at her.
One picked a stone and made to thrown again. Pauline held onto his hand but he pushed her away.
After they left, Pauline came closer.
‘Sorry’ She told him. ‘Please forgive them, I make a petition to get you out of here’
When it was time for the next town meeting. Everyone was seated down.
When the gong was sounded for the meeting to start, one after another, people brought their petitions.
There was a petition about
housing, another about a marital disagreement and yet another about lost property. Pauline waited for everyone to bring their petitions.
‘Is there any petition left?’ asked the village elder finally.
Pauline raised her hands. ‘It is about
the lion, he is such a good lion, he never roars at anyone, has never hurt anyone and refuses to even eat meat, and yet he is sometimes being attacked, I petition that he should be set free’
Under the banana trees, everyone signed.
‘It is true that he is a well-behaved lion, but he is the pride of our village, how can we let him go?’
‘I am sure we can find another lion if we go hunting soon’
The elder thought for a while. ‘Pauline, you saved the lives of many in the village with your medicine and because of that, we have been looking for a way to reward you, for that, we would let the lion go’
Everyone clapped in agreement.


Jim was taken to the edge of the forest to be set free.
The cage was opened and he stepped outside for the first time in a year. The smell of the jungle hit him and he wanted to go home.
‘Goodbye, Jim ,take care of yourself’ Pauline hugged him goodbye, stroking his soft fur .
He took off into the jungle.
For two days again, he hurried through the forest. He so wanted to see his family again.


He reached Rosewood finally. He was home. The trees, the grass, the running animals, everything looked and smelt the same.

He drew near to the large enclosure where his pride lived. Something caught his eye and he looked up.
It was his father head, lying on the ground. His father was dead.
Jim froze in shock. He couldn’t quite believe it.His father was gone. Upset, he began to cry.


Jim crawled close to Rosewood pride but didn’t dare enter it. He wanted to find out how his mother was.
Rosewood pride looked much the same, except for a giant lion who sat in the King rock.
‘Get me some meat’ He was ordering some lionesses despite the fact that he was finishing up a deer. All the entire lionesses looked tired.


‘More meat’ He growled.
Jim watched him all day. He made the lioness work all day, cleaning, hunting and looking after him. They all looked miserable.
One of the lionesses staggered in tiredness.
‘Can we have a little time to rest?’ Jim mother asked, holding her.
The giant hit her hard across the face. Jim growled in anger and came out.
Suddenly, his mother turned and saw him. She froze in shock
The lion and all the lionesses followed her gaze. They all froze also. The giant roared.
Jim roared right back. He wanted to save his pride from the giant so that the lionesses can be at peace again.
Then Jim turned and ran. The giant, roaring, followed.



Jim ran and ran. Though Jim was not strong, he was unusually quick on his feet. The giant lion ran after him, roaring.
For two days they ran. Jim finally reached the edge of the forest and ran into the human territory.
The giant followed right behind.
Humans began to scream.
Nets came as if out of nowhere, covering both lions. They were both put in cages.
Luckily, Pauline soon came over.
‘Jim’ She cried. ‘You are back’
Jim cried at the sight of her.
She ran off to tell the elders.
Half an hour later, Jim was released again. Pauline hugged him goodbye once more.
Jim walked to his pride. The lioness screamed with delight as they saw him coming.
His mother welcomed him with a hug. Within weeks, they had brought back his brothers, Billy and Seth who had fled because of the giant lion . He was going to build a pride where everyone would live in peace.