Stories

The lion

Lion was very angry. Someone had taken away her tree, the tree she loved the most. It was the thing that provided perfect shade for her favourite resting spot. A place she would always hang out during the hottest hours of the day since she was just a little cub.
Today, like every day, she had leisurely strolled down the path leading up to her secret spot to see a stump instead of the scrawny acacia that she used to know and love. It was never a magnificent tree, crooked branches, not that many leaves most of the time but it gave just enough shade to have a comfortable afternoon sleep. The one thing that had always been there, through the good and the bad, had been that tree. How could it have vanished? Who would have the guts to take down something she valued so much? She was the ruler of the Animal Kingdom none the less.

She ran up to Grandmother Hyena, somehow she always knew what was going on in every corner of the kingdom. Lion didn't like grandmother hyena all that much because she is always so quick to judge and likes to gossip about everybody. Lion found her at her usual place at the top the hill. From there she can keep her little spying eyes on every commotion in the kingdom.

"Do you know if anyone has come by the southern part of the kingdom lately?" Lion asked grandmother hyena. "Someone who doesn't belong here?"
Grandmother Hyena hesitated, usually she was keen on telling everybody what she knew but the direct question from Lion gave her the idea that she might have information that was worth something.
"Why do you want to know?" She asked.
"My tree got cut down!" Exclaimed Lion. "Do you know anything about it?"
There was a flicker in Grandmother Hyena's eyes while they narrowed to little slivers.
"I don't think I can help you, all day I have been sleeping in this blistering heat. It's just to hot to keep an eye out for anything." She said overly dramatic, then paused. The disappointment must have been visible on Lion's face because Grandma Hyena continued in a sharper tone.
"But if you arrange a premium spot on the watering hole for me I might tell you what I saw when I got up for a little bathroom break."
Lion was slightly insulted, grandmother Hyena knew how valuable the premium waterhole spots were, this was not a price she was willing to pay. Further more, the spots were not her's to give away.
Lion turned her tail to Grandmother Hyena and without an other word she walk away.
After a few minutes she saw a small tree which gave just enough shade for a 4 month old cub. A Cheetah was lounging there. She walked over there and growled, as ruler of the Kingdom you can afford to be rude sometimes to get what you want. And that is what she did. She growled until the Cheetah had left and took her place. It was a horrible afternoon nap.

Two years later the Animal Kingdom was ruled by a Cheetah.