Short Story (The Lion and His Rider)





One day there lived a boy named Fred. He was very indigent. Fred lived in Rio de Janerio. He was living with his mother and his father had died two years ago. One day a man from the West going to the East came and stayed there for one night. The stranger came on a lion. The stranger also had studded boots on. His mother and the stranger were talking and Fred over heard their conversation. He also heard the stranger saying, “I’ll give you $20 for the boy and take him as a slave.” Fred’s mother said, “OK you can take him.” When Fred heard them saying this he decided to run away. So he went near the lion and said, “I wish you could speak.” The lion said, “But I can.” Fred was amazed that the lion could speak. Fred and the lion talked together for some time and they made a plan of escape. They escaped at night when the stranger and Fred’ mother were sleeping. On the way they told each other their stories. Fred asked the lion what his name is and the lion replied that it is Aslan and Fred told his name to the lion. So the lion told Fred that the man was on a quest to find treasure. Fred said, “Let’s go and find that treasure.”

On the way to find the treasure they talked and Aslan told Fred how to ride, how to hunt and how to avoid dangers like other lions and elephants. They both traveled together for weeks and weeks. Aslan and Fred became good friends or more likely best companions that travelled side by side. One day they came to a jungle and sometime later they came to a big copse. They went through it but they didn’t know at danger awaited for them. They both were brave enough to go in, but as they went half way a lioness attacked them. Aslan was about to attack Fred stopped him, because he saw a girl on the lioness and Fred didn’t like hitting girls. Fred asked the girl her name and she told that she was Jennifer. Fred also asked the name of her lioness and she told that she was called Las. Fred told Jennifer where Aslan and he were going. Jennifer decided that she would go with them. On the way to find the treasure Jennifer and Fred had lots of quarrels and Aslan and Las just listened to them. One day they came to a place that had pinnacles, it looked impossible to climb them but still they had to go hither from that way. After they had crossed the hard part they were very thirsty and hungry. Some time passed and they came to a place where there was rippling water. They had a break there and they drank the water from the pond that had clean water in it. This place looked foreign to them and they felt like they were strangers to this place. For all of them this looked like it was impossible but nothing was impossible, because they had pledged to find that treasure.

At last, when they had contrived a plan for this part of their journey. Long time of walking in the sun the mountains loomed over them. Some time passed they skulked behind a tree because two elephants were running side by side. Half way through the journey Fred was content. But after hours had passed, Fred was bored and tired and he noticed something on his shirt. He looked carefully and saw the pleats sticking out of his shirt. As they all got nearer to the treasure Jennifer became less impeccable than before. Fred had no information that anything in this area was irrefutable. Finally they arrived to a large glade. They got off the lion’s back and walked on the ground towards were the treasure was.