Within the civilized world lives the natural world full of numerous ecosystems, animals, insects and other living creatures. This is about one tiger that is in a constant search for food. His herd is sick, hungry and dying of starvation. Since he is the strongest one and the leader he decides to tread throughout many other lands learning more about the world. The tiger leaves his family pride in the wild part of the jungle and continues to walk through the trees. Scouting the areas, all he notices are rotten, left for dead birds resting calmly on the soiled ground. Along the journey the tiger grabs scatters of bugs with his paws and eats them. For days he travels to cross through burnt black forests where all tree barks are narrow as pens, and the ash covers the soil. No food and no signs of life either. The tiger in disappointment continues onward hoping to eventually find food. The land has become limited and scraped from the earth. What used to be acres and acres of endless trees and purified grass was now areas of human backyards, houses, stores, buildings and shopping malls. The pond where the tiger could drink from as a kid was now dried up and replaced with large pipes for a sewer to flow. Also climbing to the mountain and predicting ice, all he felt was dried rock seep through his weakening paws. However, rivers still flowed even regardless of straight dirt paths that now have become train tracks. Finally, at a small pond full of wet mud was a walrus. The weak tiger trying to think straight, but out of hunger, jumped onto the walrus within seconds and started biting at his neck. Suddenly, the walrus with his large body brought the tiger down to the mud in self defense. The tiger tried getting up and opened his mouth full of deep sharp teeth; the walrus took his foot and held the tiger down at his chest.

“What are you doing, why are you attacking me? I have done nothing to you, lonely tiger,” The wise walrus said.

“I need food, I’m hungry, my herd is dying, and I traveled for miles to find a walrus?” the tiger yelled angrily.

“Listen tiger, I can understand your situation, these lands have been severely cut off from us by these savage humans. There aren’t much of us left; we all thrive on the fish in the rivers for food.” The walrus replied.

The wise Walrus continued: “Come lonely tiger, I will show you where to find food, take whatever you need along the banks, there isn’t much to have. Scavenge as much as you can, any flying birds that fall is the perfect meal.”

“How can I trust you? What if you set me in a trap and use me for your herd’s meat? If I had a chance to eat you, I would right now,” The tiger explained.

“That is an interesting thought, however, it is your decision to trust me or not. I cannot really tell you to trust me because you think I’ll be lying to you.” The wise Walrus said.

“You could be fed to my entire herd and they won’t ever have to starve again, but I guess, since I have no other options, I’m forced to trust you and will take your word. So I promise I won’t eat you.” The tiger stated.

“Appreciated,” the walrus replied.

The walrus led the tiger inside a cave where there was a school of fish, the walrus kept a trap where the fish would get stuck at the edge of this bank for him to grab and eat. The walrus placed pounds of these fish in a basket onto the tigers back for him to bring back to his herd. Before his long journey back home, the tiger stayed up at night with the walrus, eating fish and enjoying stories along with the other muddy and chubby walrus’. This was the first time that the tiger had laughed in quite awhile. The walrus stated that if the tiger and his herd needed their help again, they would be an available resource. The next morning, the tiger left for his second journey back home in a greater spirit of mind and a desire for great hope.

If you enjoyed this and would like to read more from Anthony, check out his novel ‘Stay Awhile’ on Amazon amazon.com/Stay-Awhile.