How We Met

“Mama,” the baby cub asked, “How did you and daddy meet?” he said with an innocent look on his face.

“Well you see,” daddy said as he came trotting in with our lunch, “It was a long time ago and mating season occurred, and I was hunting alone for food as usual, when this beautiful Amur Leopard fell upon my sight.”

“Was it you mama?” The baby cub asked.

“Yes, in fact it was, and the moment we met it was love at first sight,” said mama, smiling, as she got up from the ice-cold floor of the cave and walked slowly towards him.

“And then you had us right? Me and Milly?” said the baby cub.

“Yes Billy, now why don't you get your sister and get ready to go hunting after lunch.”

“I don’t want to go, why do we have to go in the first place?” asked Billy trying to catch up in the thick fluffy snow with his long but skinny legs.

“We Leopards always stay solitary and we need to prepare you to enter the real world-alone,” said dad with a thoughtful look on his face.

Crack! They were not alone in the woods. They saw a small baby hare wandering the wood alone.

“ Perfect,” dad said with a mischievous grin. “Now you stay right here and watch daddy do magic” He carefully took a step towards the prey, waiting for the right time.

Bam! There was a quick flash of color and then it was over.

“You see Billy, we are hunters- solitary hunters and you won’t have 

mama and me to be there for your entire life, you gotta be brave and play solo.” 

he said as he hauled over the dead hare.

I was out hunting, and I saw my competitor. At first sight, I thought it was another animal, but as I looked closer, I saw it was another cougar walking around trying to find prey. “Should I go to it? Should I run? Should I mind my own business?”, I asked myself. I decided to build up the courage and ask what it wants. 

“Yo, this is my territory, what are you doing here? Get outta here before things start getting ugly,” I said

“Nahh bro, this is my area, what you saying”, replied Jerry. 

“Nah Tom, did you not see all the scratches? This side of the scratches belongs to me,” I argued. 

Jerry started to growl at me. I was unsure of what I should do. Either both of us can leave her happily, or one of us will end up getting hurt. I started to growl back, letting Jerry know that I am not going to back off either. We continued growling at each other for a while. I started to realize that there is no way we can both leave here safe and happily. I decide to wait for Jerry to make the first move. There is no way I am going to lose this fight. I have worked so hard my entire life, I am not going to let some immature cougar take it all away from me. After a couple more minutes of growling, he finally decides to hit me first. 

“I told you from the start, do not mess around with me. Now we aren’t going to leave happily. I am going to leave with my dinner,” I said to Jerry

“Yea yea let’s see, quit talking and let’s see you fight,” Jerry replied. 

There is no way I am letting him live now. I jump on Jerry’s back, and start biting at its neck. It was so hard to fight back, it was one of my only experiences fighting a cougar. 

After a couple more strikes, he was finally dead. As I walked back to my home with my dinner, I held my head high with pride. This is why no cougars should mess with me.