Dating : The lion who desired to be a bunny

Once upon a time, in a dense and prosperous Jungle, there lived a Lion. He was strong, handsome, and feared by all his subjects. But the lion was not content with its good fortune. He was popular within his kingdom, but he wanted to be famous beyond the borders of his Jungle. This wish of his, led to him envying the most unlikely of opponents — a Bunny.

Cute and fluffy, the bunny was loved by everyone. Little children shrieked in joy at its sight and the adults, no matter how miserable, forgot their misery, and for a brief moment, exclaimed, “Aww!”

But above all, the lion envied the bunny for its popularity. You see, the bunny was the showstopper of the Magician’s show. No magic show was ever complete without the bunny being pulled out of the Magician’s hat. And this was the moment that the lion wanted for himself — the paparazzi, the spotlight, and a special place in every child’s heart.

After many a failed attempt, the lion finally decided to steal that which he coveted so zealously. He came up with a plan. He would disguise himself as a bunny and take its place aboard the Magician’s trailer. All he had to do was wait until the last moment, and when everybody applauded his stellar performance, he would unmask himself.

He sent for the bunny and discussed his plan with it. The little bunny protested in vain. “But Your Majesty! People already fear and respect you. Desiring things which are not in line with your capacities might be futile.” But the lion was in no mood to see reason. “You’re just scared that I would be a much better performer. But you don’t have a choice. This is an order.”

And so the lion swapped places with the bunny. The magician was traveling to London for his grand show. The lion was very excited. If he could stun the crowd on this show, he would be an instant hit. As he lay daydreaming in the bunny’s cage, he heard someone call out.

“Hey, you! Bunny! I am talking to you.”

The lion looked over and saw a tiger in the opposite cage.

“Yes… Mr.Tiger?”

“Why do you look so funny today?” the tiger enquired.

“Me? Funny? Oh! It must be this new dress I am wearing. My tailor is quite an incompetent fellow. I better switch tailors,” the lion responded. To make things seem more convincing, the lion tried to squeak like a rabbit, but a roar escaped him instead.

The tiger raised its eyes in suspicion. The lion shifted uncomfortably in its cage. Carrots were lying in front. He chewed on the carrots, trying to placate the tiger. But as he chomped on them, his large sharp teeth stood out conspicuously.

“Your teeth are so big and sharp! I don’t remember them being so big,” insisted the tiger.

“These aren’t my teeth! Silly Me! I forgot to tell you. These are specially designed equipment that help me chew on bigger carrots,” the lion giggled.

The tiger, however, didn’t seem too convinced. “Your cage seems to be too small for you!” he pointed out.

“Does it now? Dear Me, I am afraid I have put on quite a bit of fat from all the carrots I have been eating. I must go on a diet.”

Carrots don’t make you fat. The tiger knew this. Growing more suspicious by the moment, the tiger decided to test the bunny’s skills.

“Won’t you do your classic ‘Jump through the Rings’ trick for us, little bunny? I am such a fan, and I am sure all the other animals would love to watch!”

Now a substantial crowd of other animals had gathered around by this point, and the lion had to acquiesce to avoid a scene. He jumped headfirst into the rings, and halfway through, was completely stuck.

A crow that had been watching the whole fiasco from above began laughing uncontrollably — ‘Caw! Caw!’. Soon, all the other animals joined in and raised such a commotion that the Magician rushed to the spot.

“What’s the ruckus all about! Filthy animals!” he screamed in anger. “Not a moment of peace am I to have with your mischief!”

But he quickly realized what was amiss and began whipping the lion for all the trouble it had caused. The king of the jungle cried in pain as the onlookers exploded with laughter.

Envy is not a suitable colour on anyone.

The lion learnt this the hard way.