Sensing what humans were doing to her forest, a tiger at a national park started getting paranoid.
‘They will destroy this all one day. I will have nowhere to go. There’s no point giving birth. There’s no point looking ahead at the future. We’ll all go’, she thought strolling along the riverside.
She was still young and was yet to bear a child. A few years ago, she buzzed with excitement and energy. But lately, she had lost all interest. She looked lean and weak.
Looking around, she saw all her favorite hide-outs and trees being cut down mercilessly. Each time she came back to an old place, something was gone.
‘All this will soon go! There’s no point’, she thought as she sat on a rock resting her chin in her paws.
Just then, a few meters away, she spotted a couple of Sambar deers budding with joy and romance. A few months ago, she would have quietly got down and stealthily walked to feed on them. But now, she lacked both energy and will.
The Sambars saw her. But they must have sensed her feebleness and pessimism for they weren’t scared at all. Instead, they jumped and giggled their way nearer to her.
‘What are you so happy about? Don’t you realize — all this will be gone soon?’ the tiger roared at the couple.
Surprised by the tiger’s humility, the Sambars walked closer to her.
‘What’s up with her?’ the male whispered to his partner.
‘No Idea! let’s ask her,’ the female replied.
They reached up to her and the female said:
‘I am pregnant. That’s why we’re celebrating’
‘You fools! Don’t you see, all this will be gone soon. Why are you bringing a newborn into this world? The humans will destroy it all. They will end it all. Don’t you think I want to give birth? But there’s no point! Our world will end,’ the tiger passionately spoke.
‘How old are you?’ the female deer asked.
‘Four’
‘That means you still got more than 10 years to live!,’ the male deer said.
‘Yes. So what?’
‘I think you are the one who is a fool here!,’ the female deer spoke. The male poked her in nervousness. The tiger stood up. The female didn’t seem to be intimidated as she continued:
‘It’s one thing to understand what’s happening in the world but it’s completely stupid to obsess over it. You are an individual. Your job is to survive and live. You are a tiger, for god’s sake! You are supposed to fight till your last breath. The world will end the moment you die! There’s no other end. You are a bloody individual animal in this forest full of billion other animals. Don’t act as if you are the forest. You’re not! You’re nothing. You are not the whole, you are just a part. You are only supposed to focus on your individuality and at best your children and family. Let your children come and let them survive for their individuality. You’re not the fking whole. You are not supposed to think for us. We are supposed to think for ourselves. The world is this way because of those who thought for everyone. Please do me a favor and don’t think for me. You go out there and fight against the world till your last breath. The forest ends for you the day you don’t find a single spot to hide or a single deer to feed on. Until then…it doesn’t end!
‘If something is beyond your ability — you can do nothing about it. This forest is too important for them anyway…to let it die. The most powerful among them will ensure this world will keep on existing — not for the world’s sake but because they have no other playground to show-off their scepters!’
The tiger encouraged and inspired by the speech, pounced on the deer and shredded her to pieces. The male ran away.
‘I will survive, I will live. The World ends the day I die’, she roared as the deer-blood dripped from her jaws.
Moral:
1. Don’t inspire a tiger. Especially if you’re a deer.
2. You are not the whole. You are just a part. Go out there and live till the end of your world!
