Somehow, the cub got separated from his pride. He toughened up, learnt to hunt and survive on his own, relying on his inborn instincts.

 

As a young lion, when he met a pride, he was, easily, the strongest and took over as the head.

 

In due course, he had a son. He wanted to be the best father that ever was. He wanted to give his son all that he never got.

 

He sheltered his son in a huge estate protected by a tall railing. The choicest of food was served to the son.

 

However, things did not go as planned.

 

In exasperation, the father took his son to the wise elephant. He plonked his son in front of the elephant and stood behind his son, with his arms crossed.

 

He explained all that he was doing for his son, who kept finding ways to escape from the estate and hunting on his own. His son did not know the dangers outside. It was, after all, a jungle. He had come up the hard way and this generation neither appreciated them nor the comforts they were gifted. He hoped that the elephant could knock some sense into his son.

 

The elephant nudged the son with his trunk and told him to make and manage his own way back to the pride, as the lion looked on with his mouth agape.

 

He kept looking at the elephant and at his happily, rapidly disappearing son as he hopped from one paw to another with anxiety.

 

The elephant then picked the lion and plonked him in front. And sighed.

 

It was going to be a long conversation.