The Lioness and Small Respect

Respect. I expect nothing less.

All respect the queen of the African plains. If the zebara or the antelope
catch sight of me crouching in the bush, they do not forget to gallop. The
elephant and the rhino respect me, and they mind not to tread on my
children with their big clumsy feet. Even the snappy crocodile stays clear of
me, when I come down to drink at the water. Yes, respect is good.
And that is why I was so angry when a pesky little fellow failed to
show me respect.
Buzzzzzzzzzz !

The mosquito buzzed around my ears and even stung me on the nose.
I snapped at the horrid little traitor, and I bit my tongue. Oh, how that
hurt ! Then I struck at him with my paw, such a blow that would fell a
buffalo, but he slipped through my claws and was laughing at me. The he bit
me on the bottom ! The cheek of it !

“Oh great queen”, said the Mosquito. “Bow your head before your
master, I the Mosquito, have drunk your blood and defeated you in combat.”
I roared an almighty roar that sent the wildebeest and the giraffe
scattering across the savanna.

“Ha ha ha, ” laughed the mosquito. And he flew backwards into a

spider’s web. And the spider showed respect to his queen by eating the
wretched insect. A little while after this, I was lying asleep under a tree
when I felt something tickling my nose.

I opened one eye and saw that a mouse had scampered onto my face!
“How dare you ! ” I roared. And was about to swipe him a deadly blow with
my
paw when the mouse begged, “Oh mighty queen, forgive me! I was running
through the long grass, and did not mean to run onto your nose or to disturb
your sleep .”And I laughed at this furry creature and said.

“Little fellow. I was about to kill you but you have shown wisdom and
respect for your queen. I pardon your sin.” “Oh, thank you thank you,” said
the mouse. “I only hope that one day I may be of service to your majesty.
”

And I laughed again, for how could a little mouse help a mighty
queen? The weeks went by, and I was out for a midnight stroll when all of
a sudden, there was no ground beneath my paws.

Thump. I fell to the bottom of a pit. I tried to spring out, but I was
tangled in a net. The more my limbs struggled, the more I became
entangled.
A hyena came by and saw me in this sorry trap. He cackled with his ugly
voice
and taunted me, “In the morning the men shall come and throw their spears
into your side. And then we shall have to find a new queen.”
 I snarled with fury and swore to tear him apart when I was free
from the snare.But he just laughed his silly laugh.
Towards morning, I had almost given up hope when I heard a little
voice. “My queen,” it said. “At last I may be of service to you.”
I saw the pink nose of the mouse.

“My loyal subject. It does my proud heart good to hear your well
meaning words. But I am afraid you must now pay your last respects to your
queen, for my limbs are caught in this net, and very soon the sun will rise
and the men shall come to kill me.”

“You underestimate the might of a mouse,” said my loyal subject. And

he called his wife and children, and together they gnawed through the net.
I was free within the hour, just in time to spring out of the pit and give the
men who had come to kill me a nasty surprise.

And so that is the story of how I, the queen of the jungle, came to
respect those who respect me, no matter how small they might be, because
sometimes the smallest of those among us, have the advantage over the
mighty and the strong.
 Lazy
Jack

Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he
lived with his mother in a dreary cottage. They were very poor, and the
old woman earned a few pennies by spinning, but Jack was so lazy that he
would do nothing except bask in the sun in the hot weather, and sit by the
corner of the fire in the winter time. His mother could not make him do anything
for her, until at last she warned him that if he did not begin to work for his
porridge, she would turn him out of the house to get his living as best he could.

This threat finally stirred Jack, and he went out and found a job
for the day working on a farm. The farmer paid him one penny, but he
was not used to having money, and as he was coming him he lost it as he passed
over a stream. “You lazy boy,” said his mother, “you should have put it in your
pocket.” “Next time I will,” replied Jack.

The next day Jack went out again, and found a job with a cow keeper, who
gave him a jar of milk for his day’s work. Jack took the jar and put it into the
large pocket of his jacket, spilling it all, long before he got home. “Dear me!” said
the old woman; “you should have carried it on your head.” “Next time I will,”
replied Jack.

The following day Jack found a job with a farmer, who agreed to give him
cream cheese for his work. In the evening, Jack took the cheese and went home
with it on his head. By the time he got home the cheese was completely spoiled,
part of it being lost, and part matted with his hair. “You good-for-nothing boy,”
said his mother, “you should have carried it very carefully in your hands.” “Next
time, I will,” replied Jack.

The day after this Jack again went out, and found a job with a baker, who
would give him nothing for his work but a large tomcat. Jack took the cat, and
began carrying it very carefully in his hands, but in a short time Tommy
scratched him so much that he was forced to let it go. When he got home, his
mother said to him, “You silly fellow, you should have tied it with a string, and
dragged it along after you.” “Next time I will” said Jack.

The next day Jack hired himself to a butcher, who rewarded his labors by
the
handsome present of a shoulder of lamb. Jack took the meat, tied it to a string,
and trailed it along after him in the dirt, so that by the time he had gotten home
the meat was completely spoiled. His mother this time completely lost her
patience with him, for the next day was Sunday, and she had to make do with
cabbage for her dinner. “You nincompoop,” said she to her son, “you should have
carried it on your shoulder” “Next time I will,” replied Jack.
 On the Monday, Jack went out once more, and found a job with a cattle
keeper, who gave him a donkey for his trouble. Although Jack was very strong,
he found some difficulty in hoisting the donkey on his shoulders, but at last he
managed it, and began walking slowly home with his prize. Now it happened that
in a house along his way there lived a rich man with his only daughter, a beautiful
girl, but unfortunately deaf and
dumb; she had never really laughed in her life, and the doctors said she would
never
recover until somebody made her laugh.

Many tried without success, and at last her father, in despair, said he would
offer her in marriage to the first man who could make her laugh. This young lady
happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was passing with the donkey
on his shoulders, with the legs sticking up in the air, and the sight was so comical
and strange, that she burst out into a great fit of laughter, and
immediately recovered her speech and hearing. Her father was overjoyed, and
kept his promised by marrying her to Jack, who was thus made a rich gentleman.
They lived in a large house, and Jack’s mother lived with them in great happiness
until she died.