A Dark Fable

"Who can say

What they'd think"

Pondered the tiger stalking

"If I skinned their hides

And made a bed

Of their flesh arotting ?

If I snapped my jaws

Crushed their bones

And chased them down to hell?"

"Not much" replied the snake

"For they'd take your hide as well"

"Maybe..." said the tiger,

Lurking in the dark

The emerald eyes flashed briefly

"But killing is my art"

"And what thoughts then"

Hissed the snake

"Do you hold for me?"

"Nothing of the like

Be sure

You're not my enemy.

I need you see

Your poison fangs

To sink into their dinner.

I'll kill but one,

And run away

Hence forth you will then slither.

To their food and empty them

Your teeth in deadly hiss

By morning many wives will grieve

For men now sorely missed"

And so in time

Out from the night

There came a strangled cry

Escaping from a punctured neck

As the first man died

And now around the fire

All the men did stir

Searching for their rifles,

Calling out in turn

Their hatred of the jungle

And all the wiled therein

With promises to burn it down

For all its deadly sin.

But as they went

Into the trees

The viper then did go

To spit into their cooking pot

His hatred and his sorrow.

The moon was high

When they returned

To feast upon their deaths

A tigers head they mounted high

To put their friend to rest.

And so that night

A tiger led

A group of men to hell.

His glowing eyes flashed briefly

Sometimes in life

It's hard to tell.

Note: Fables are supposed to have morals/lessons to them (or at least i think so anyway). The lesson in my tale is: if you want something, you have to make sacrifices.