Facing the Lion Facing the lion children's story

Something rustled in the tall grass near the path, something big. Tau, who had been hurrying home, stopped dead in his tracks. He was racing to get to his village before nightfall. He was on a stretch of the trail with high grass on both sides. The type that grows taller than a man. He knew he should have left for home sooner, but he had been having so much fun with his friends. He ignored the setting sun, until it was late.

“Tau, be home before dark,” He remembered his father’s warning as he rushed off that morning.

Now, it was becoming dangerously late. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, so the shadows were growing long, and the daylight was fading fast.

The grass shook again. This time the tan fur of a female lion appeared on the trail a few yards ahead of Tau. A wave of intense fear gripped his whole body as he stared into the eyes of the big cat.

As the lion studied the boy on the trail, she sniffed the air to pick up his scent. Without taking his eyes off the beast, Tau’s hand felt for the handle of his sword. With one smooth, steady motion, he pulled his sword from its sheath.

He knew that to run would be foolish. The cat would chase him down in a flash. Tau fought against the terror and struggled to keep his mind clear. Gripping the double-edged sword with both hands, he leveled the razor-sharp point at the beast.

“Get away! Go!” Tau shouted at the top of his lungs.

He continued to scream at the lion, slowly taking a step back at the same time. This put some distance between himself and the dangerous cat. After what seemed like an hour, the lion decided not to attack. She turned and disappeared into the wilderness.

Tau paused for a minute just to be sure the lion was gone. As he waited, his memory took him back six months earlier. Late in the evening on a similar trail, he had been walking alone. There, he came face-to-face with a lion. But that time he had no sword, no weapon at all. Fortunately, the lion did not attack. He had been lucky. With nothing to defend himself, he would have been easy prey for the lion.

Tau was thankful that this time he was armed and had a chance to protect himself. When he was certain the lion was gone, he continued down the path. Again, he hurried as evening turned to dusk. He hoped to avoid another encounter with the lion, or other predators that come out to hunt at night.

He rounded the final bend in the trail, and the welcome sight of the village came into view. Happy to be home, Tau breathed a sign of relief. He was safe.