The jungle was quiet, too quiet. Even I, an outsider, knew that. Something was about to happen.

Then, it hit.

The land shook terribly. The ground under my feet started cracking.

"What's happening?" I wondered.

As I started running, dodging cracks left and right, I saw many animals. Some looked like they were hurt, but that didn't matter to me. They wouldn't die just yet. Only one was soon to die, and that was the animal I had eyes for. A tiger cub was hanging onto a cliff for dear life. The shaking had made him lose his balance. He was going to fall.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," I told myself.

I made it just in time. Just as he was about to fall I picked him up by the scruff of his neck. By now the land had stopped shaking.

"You're... You're Kale!" He shrieked in surprise once I had put him down. "The protector of the jungle!"

"I guess you could call me that. What’s your name?"

“Meeka.”

“Well then, Meeka, where are your parents?”


"They fell down the cliff," He said looking over the edge.

"I'm so sorry,” I said, then considered it for a moment before asking, “Would you like to stay with me?"

"Stay with the protector of the jungle? Awesome!" he replied exuberantly.

"Then it's settled. Let's go."

While walking back to my cave Meeka ran ahead. I wondered why he would do that since he had no clue where to go, until I saw him.

He was seated beside a baby monkey who had clearly fallen out of a tree from the land shaking.

"Kale, can we help Jasmine get back up?" Meeka asked.

"Of course," I replied. I showed Meeka how to use his claws to climb up the tree and how to make sure Jasmine stayed on. He succeeded in helping her back onto a limb.

Once he got down I saw it. A glint in Meeka’s eyes that burnt with caring and compassion. I had a new apprentice.