Later the next morning, Shaad took a visit to Kaal’s place,  a comfy little hideout inside the jungle. 

 
Inside the hideout, Shaad was bedazzled by all sorts of items placing around the area: craftly wood pieces, beautiful stones, bird skeletons… it feels just like in an enthusiast collector’s room. 

 And the best of them all: three big, newly polished antlers hanging on the top of the wall. Those looked like they’ve being cut off and polished properly. While the big lion was admiring the details at the moment, Kaal came out from the back. He was a bit shocked that the ruler of this jungle came to him for a visit. 

"Hello, Kaal." Shaad greeted. 

"So what brings you here, Shaad… the ‘almighty’ king of jungle? More humiliation I guess?" 

"Well no, my lad. you’re totally in the wrong now. I am not here to humiliate anyone." 

Then, Shaad told Kaal about what he had witnessed last night: about the hunt, about what happened at the route. 

"I know what I had seen. I know you’re weren’t bluffing. And the truth is, you did an amazing hunting yesterday."

"Really?"

"Yes. The king does not lie." 

Kaal was surprised, He thought Shaad was complimenting him, he give a playful grin to Shaad, but the musing was immediately denied back by a ‘halt’ hand gesture. 

You see, Shaal wasn’t siding on Kaal, at all. As a matter of fact in Shaad’s impression: Kaal was just a jester. A boaster. All talk but no action. But as it counts for the first time, Shaad was surprised and impressed by Kaal’s miraculous fortune the previous day. Three deers in a row is considered a supreme skill ,or just sheer luck. 

"I not here to compliment about your huntings. I can see you have some problems with brothers and sisters there. So I am offering you a help."

"What problem? I don’t have any problem." 

"C’mon. Don’t deny it, kid. Most of us don’t like your way of communication, and as a ruler it’s my duty to help my fellow kins back to the track, as well as the welfare of other kins." 

The lion continued. 

"To be precise, I’ll set up a exclusive party for you to celebrate your magnificent hunt, and everyone are invited to come. I’ll be there to help persuade them to believe: that you are more just a boaster. And people will start treating you better with respect." 

It was too nice for a king like Shaad to help to a single fellow inhabitant. But in the lion’s mind: everyone deserves to be helped. 

"Can I say something… before you talk me into things?‛ Kaal asked. 

"Speak as you wish." 

"I like to boast and brag. What’s wrong with that? Is that a crime? Are you trying to say that I can’t do that?" The tiger was slightly annoyed. 

"Well, I’m not totally against it, but they might think otherwise. Please think of our brothers and sisters, Kaal." 

"…And I should?"

"Yes. Please stop your braggings. Making up such scenes will do you no good."

"…Excuse me, what do you mean by ‘making up such scenes’?"
 

Kaal was not happy to hear this, and Shaad could sense some anger in him. The aged lion did not intent to upset the young tiger. He tried to use his word more sensibly, but he couldn’t be more wrong on what he said next. 

"No offence my friend, I just want to help you, that’s all. I think it would be wise to just keep your stuff to yourself, that way you can save off the trouble of getting teased or ignored by others. And sooner than you think, you’ll no longer be that ‘clown’ everyone thinks you are." 

"You know what… I don’t need your help. I don’t want help. I know I can be better than everyone else, even you, Shadd, the king of the jungle. You can’t be king forever you know. Look at yourself, you’re all old and wrinkled, and fat on the waist. Do you even hunt for youself these days? I bet not. You probably have plenty servants to help you with that…You know someday, someone who is younger and stronger will overthrown you.‛ 

Shaad nearly lost his cool after hearing that. He was annoyed by the fact that Kaal wanted not only to challenge him, like a kid to an adult, but also to tease him and his supremacy as a king. That’s quite the insult for a lion. 

 
"That’s it. Let me get this straight– you’re too full of yourself Kaal, just like any young adversaries I’ve faced. You’re a spoiled kid who doesn’t even know your place in the jungle. You gonna get into troubles if you don’t stop this self-important delusion–"

 Kaal hissed.  

"How dare you mock me with your stupid ‘morality’! I don’t care if you are the king of jungle; but calling me a spoiled kid at my place? HOW DARE YOU!"

"Don’t you raise your voice, kid. I warn you…" 

"You’re not so different from me, king! You’re just as proud and arrogant as guilty!"

 The conversation heated inevitably between these two cats. Yes they’re BIG cats, with BIG egos. Yet, the qualities are subsequently different. Shaad calmed himself down for a while, recomposing, and said:  

"Pride is not bought by one’s arrogance. It is earned by being respected upon. As I have being king for quite a while, I can certainly understand one’s pride comes from dignity and self-respect; In contrary, one’s yearnings associated by personal desires and selfish wantings, are never a thing about pride. So, my pride is not the same as your self-ego, dear friend. 

If you want to be respected, then be respectful.
If you want to look for REAL pride, be happy and content to yourself.
If you still think otherwise, think again. Then you might find out that what you lack is only from the inside." 

… … 

There was a long awkward pause. Shaad kept silent, and hoped that he had talked some sense into the hard-headed tiger. 

"Okay… Thanks for the speech, it was quite ‘educational’. Oh , and thanks for the ‘advice’ by the way. I get it now, you’re right. Bragging is a waste of time… I won’t be wasting anyone’s precious time anymore. From now on, I’ll do it on my own." 

"Umm, I was hoping you would say that earlier." 

"Satisfied? Now that your duty is fulfilled, please leave my territory, now."

The tiger walked directly to the entrance of his place, and showed him the way with a big arm gesture, which was posed ‘intentionally’ exaggerated.  

"There’s the exit, your highness." 

Shaad looked at Kaal a more time and sighed. 

"Just remember, Kaal… you’re not alone in this." 

The king left the hideout with unfathomed feelings.
The morning conversation was not sweet. Not sweet at all. 

 
Kaal silently glanced at Shaad’s leaving, and wiped off the fake smile on his face. 

"I’ll show you, you big old stupid… king of pussy-cats!
I’ll show you what I am capable of, and you’ll see- you’re the one that only talks and do nothing, you’ll see…"

Around afternoon, the slant angle of sunlight– is what makes the scenery at the ‘Great Growl Jungle’ pop. Especially this place: about 7 miles away from the Jungle, lies a beautiful river, where the water sparkles wonderfully dreamy from the reflections of the sun. 
 

Right at this moment, a mother elephant and her one year old child, were having a good time at the middle of the river. After the child had taken a bath by her mother, the mother sitting at the middle of the bank relaxed as she watching her child playing around the river bank. She reminded her child to stay alert with the surroundings, but it was a relaxing moment for them, generally. 

It was a lovely sight. 

 
Out of the blue, the mother saw something moving not too far from the bank, towards the river. She shouted instantly at her child to come back, as her child was puzzled: Why the panic expression on her face? 

 
That’s because she saw a BIG TIGER sprinting full-throttle towards them! 

It was Kaal ! 

Panicked, the child elephant react as quickly as it could and ran towards her mother. But things happen. The child tripped by some rocks and fell down. This looked like hopeless to the child, as Kaal is only 10 feet away from his ‘prey’. 

Still, the mother elephant made it rushing to her child in the nick of time, and smacked Kaal right on the face with her elephant trunk! The impact was strong enough to knock any predators into a coma, and Kaal was no exception. Kaal was too stunted to even stand straight for a second. 

The mother quickly helped her child up, and in her quick decision, guided her child to the other side of the bank. the child quickly reached the other side of the river, but the mother seemed to stay in the water.  

What happened?
She was stuck! 
 

One of her feet was trapped between the hidden logs underneath the water, she tried and tried but couldn’t get out! 

Suddenly, Kaal stood at the side of the bank! He regained consciousness, and with a wild ferocious look in his face. 

"ROAAAAAAARRR!!!!!"

The terrible roar of Kaal, scared the two elephants out of their hairs. The child elephant went limb on the legs uncontrollably, trembling with fear. 

When the tiger eyeing on the little one, that send shiver to the mother. She’s in sheer desperation of being unable to protect her child from this terrifying beast. 
 

SWOOOOOOPS !! 

Suddenly out came Kaal– pounced on the mother elephant, and set his fangs precisely into her neck, and the claws shoved deeply into her skin. 

The mother’s completely caught by surprise. She thought the tiger was going after her child. She swinged rapidly to break loose the tiger’s grip, but failed. She then proceeded hitting the tiger with her trunk. Unfortunately for the elephant, the blows couldn’t affect him either way, as this fierce beast was too hardy and resilient to let go his bite. 

Time seemed to past slowly on the mother elephant, as she felt more and more weaker by the minute. It seemed pointless to do anything else now. In the brink of despair, she came into a conclusion. The mother stood up and looked to her child, as if she’ll never see her child again. 

"Listen to me, my precious. please do this, for mummy…"

"Mummy?" 

"Run to the woods and never look back, I will be looking for you later, now– GO!" 

 

Suddenly, the child elephant seemed to get its strength back, as if it was given directly from her mother. Instinctively, the child began to run away. And It gave a loud cry. It cried so loudly like there’s no hope for tomorrow. 

It was so gut-wrenching it’s almost unbearable to listen to. 
 

"Yes… run… don’t worry about mummy…"

Kaal’s razor sharp fangs buried deeper into the mother elephant’s throat, it further weakened her to the point she could no longer do anything- but to go down. The mother elephant couldn’t say anything, anymore. Tears running down her cheeks as she saw her child slowly disappeared into the distant field.

"Be safe… my baby…" This was her last words, as she stood there, no longer struggling. She looked over to her ultimate ‘maker’ for one last time. 

What Kaal saw, was the ever peaceful look on her face…

…till her very last breath.