George Tiger was chasing a baby deer. Imagine, the nerve of someone of his stature picking on someone the size of a baby. The fact didn't go unnoticed!

 "George Tiger is picking on small game today," commented Ruby Lion. "I guess he can't handle the big stuff anymore!"

 "He's lost it," said Mavis Cheetah. "That's the first sign of showing your age in the animal world, when you pick on the young and defenceless."

 "I'm ashamed of the boy, myself," commented George's great-aunt Gladys. No one dared to ask her age.

 The truth was, George Tiger was starting to feel his age. Bones creaked and moaned that hadn't creaked and moaned before. Running for any length of time had George Tiger's chest heaving and his head spinning.

 The tiger was slowing down and the baby deer would have outrun him if the deer hadn't tripped over Ralph Turtle. Suddenly, the baby deer was a mass of sprawled legs on the ground and the tiger was only seconds away.

 "Doesn't anyone ever watch where they are running?" asked Ralph Turtle, twisting his neck back and forth to get the crick out of it.

 "I'm trying to get away." gulped the baby deer, struggling to get up. "Ouch!"

 The baby deer sunk to the ground and licked her ankle with her tongue. Both turned to look at George Tiger.

 "Don't tell me that a fellow your size was chasing this baby," Ralph Turtle said with disgust.

 "So, what if I was?" asked George Tiger, gasping in air, sounding like a choo-choo train.

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 "You aren't serious, are you? You were hunting this little baby, and you, being the mighty tiger?" snarled the turtle. "Am I on your list next? What about this rock? It is easy hunting because it doesn't move!"

 "I haven't been feeling the best lately. My joints aren't working the best and my feet hurt," moaned the tiger.

 "Cry me a river!" said the turtle with little sympathy for the tiger. "Shame on you for picking on this little, defenseless creature."

 "It doesn't look the greatest, but a fellow has to eat," whined the tiger.

 "You have lots of brothers and sisters to help you when you aren't feeling tip-top," said the turtle. "With your pride, probably you didn't want them to know, but the whole jungle is talking about you."

 George Tiger admitted he was sorry to the baby deer and went home to tell his family about his feet. With close examination, they discovered a thorn and George Tiger was back to his old self within days.

 Question about the story: Who was ashamed of George?

 Send answers to: Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1, Moser River, NS BOJ 2KO or e-mail the answer to the question to vernadunlop@yahoo.com.  Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answers.

posted on 01/19/10