The Unlikely Friendship - A Deer and a Tiger's Wild Adventure
One deer lived in the center of the forest and called himself Bambi. Before you imagine Bambi as a delicate woodland creature in a colorful setting I need to describe him differently. Bambi was no ordinary deer. Every area of the forest had seen his massive neuroses and excessive jumpiness. All sounds in nature from leaves moving to distant winds sped up his breathing and shaking muscles while making his thoughts spin uncontrollably.
Bambi developed intense fear toward one thing - tigers. For years the forest tales built up a true fear of tigers that ran deep in Bambi's heart. The jungle's top predators were tigers which moved silently through their domain as they stared at their prey with intense eyes. They had a reputation. They moved quickly and possessed tremendous strength but their worst quality was their mindset management abilities. Bambi learned about tiger fears as he listened to the older owls chatting from their nest during nighttime.
Bambi often grazes near the forest perimeter but on that day he sensed movement behind him. His pupils expanded while his feet became frozen and antenna-like antennae twitched in motion. A small branch cracking made him panic in his thoughts. “It’s him—the tiger! I’m done for!” He spun around and ran away from the spot with fast-beating heart.
However Bambi met something bigger than his concern not a tiger.
Thud!
The tiger exclaimed an audible noise when Bambi jumped from his back and hit the ground. “Watch where you’re going!”
Bambi blinked up in confusion. Bambi's panicked vision when he looked turned into clarity and fear because the tiger sat on the ground in front of him.
It was a tiger. Yes. But it was also… chilling.
“Uhhhh… hello?” Bambi spoke nervously through his terrified tone. “You’re a tiger.”
The tiger nodded as he reached his backside which Bambi hit earlier. Because he needs personal space he is still engaged in his activity. Look I am searching for a nice sheltered location.
“Comfortable?” Bambi stammered, backing up slightly. “Comfortable?! You’re a tiger! A tiger should hunt you but you interrupted him! It’s what you do! It’s the whole thing! The circle of life! You... you’re supposed to—”
The tiger revealed his teeth and reached out both front paws to extend his body. “Okay, okay, calm down. I know what you’re thinking. You expect me to be your prey since my species belongs on your menu. The current mood dictates that eating you doesn't interest me at this time.
Bambi blinked in disbelief. “Not in the mood?”
With pride showing on his face he answered "Definitely not". “It’s a thing. You typically lack motivation to consume food at certain times. You normally have to perform your duties at work but today you feel like taking a break.
Bambi tasked himself for a second to understand this unbelievable development. The tiger ignored him as it sunbathed without showing any hunger at the sight of his prey. Something didn’t add up.
Tigers always enjoy eating deer according to popular belief but this case shows differently. Bambi sputtered. You must focus on eating because it forms your main purpose in life.
The tiger gently scratched his ear in a relaxed position. “Eh. Not today. I have stopped eating in an attempt to disconnect from food completely. Have you experienced not eating substantial meat dishes throughout a day? It’s liberating.”
After getting puzzled by this unexpected event Bambi chose to handle things differently. How do you occupy yourself currently at this location?
After thinking about the query the tiger slowly shut his eyes. You disturbed my rest by stepping into my path. After starting our conversation I think we can talk for some time. What’s your name?”
Bambi hesitated. None of this matched his expectations about how he would spend his final moments alive. Strange as it sounded the tiger put Bambi at ease because of his relaxed attitude. “Uh… I’m Bambi.”
“Nice to meet you, Bambi. The tiger revealed his name by smiling at me. The tiger wants to know which activities fill your daily schedule. Although you escape daring creatures daily you still should talk.
Bambi blinked again. “Well… He mostly eats his meal while avoiding predators when he said this. But um I also I think about stuff. You know? Despite trees watching me he wonders if the river looks as deep as it appears. Important stuff.”
Stripes chuckled. A person would benefit greatly from spending their time in reflection. Tigers constantly chase prey while hunting but feel exhausted from being chased and bitten by predators. It’s exhausting. Yoga appears as a valuable activity for me to explore.
“Yoga?” Bambi asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you know. Stretching. Centering my energy. All that jazz. After busy days without eating deer you find something enjoyable.
Bambi shut his eyes shut again. “Okay, now I’m really confused.”
Stripes sighed, exasperated. You deer view the world with restricted vision as you believe that existence revolves around being hunted. You only recognize us through the pursuit and the kill at the mealtime. There exists plenty beyond being food which life offers to all creatures Bambi. There’s relaxation. There’s peace. There’s—”
The unexpected movement of leaves caused an instant paralysis for both animals. Bambi automatically raised his ears while looking at Stripes with terror. “It’s another tiger!” he whispered.
Stripes rolled his eyes. “Relax, Bambi. It’s just a squirrel.”
A squirrel emerged from the bushes while exaggeratedly showing fear to their viewers. “Did you hear that? A peculiar noise must have reached my ears. A rustle! A tiger rustling!” The squirrel searched the surroundings furiously because he was primed to flee instantly.
Stripes sighed. “Oh, for the love of whiskers. There’s no tiger here, buddy. I sat there resting while conversing with my new deer friend.
The squirrel briefly stopped to observe the tiger with a distrustful attitude. “A deer friend? That’s… unusual.”
Bambi watched the squirrel with wide eyes after his attack experience caused him continued shaking. “You have no idea.”
And so it went. Bambi and Stripes drank invisible tea beneath the tree as the squirrel nearby kept voicing bizarre thoughts about anticipated dangers in the forest. After waiting without incident Bambi began to calm down and accept that Stripes was harmless thus gradually changing his initial negative perception of tigers.
The day ended with these mismatched friends who were a deer and a non-typical tiger exchanging tales about forest life. Bambi reminisced about his unsuccessful attempt to evade a butterfly through bushelia while Stripes entertained him with his amusing agony during tiger yoga poses.
No one could predict the surprising bond that formed between deer and tiger when their animal instincts naturally repel each other. Bambi felt cheerful as the day turned into dusk. Surprise after surprise surrounded him so he started to believe his fear of everything could be a thing of the past.
And Stripes? The tiger felt pure joy thanks to getting uninterrupted sleep without deer presence.
The end.