Once, a lioness with her cub moved around the jungle searching for their prey. While coming out from the den, the baby asked her mother, ‘Mother, why we are going out for the prey when a deer is already at home? Let us eat it first, then we can search for the next.’
The mother smiled and licked her child with love and said, ‘No, my love! We can't eat particularly that deer because it has surrendered itself seeking our help. He is wounded and helpless. We must help him to get cured.’
The baby cub was surprised and questioned again, ‘Why so, mama? That’s our food, we can eat it.’
‘Honey, you are right! It’s our food but this particular deer has surrendered himself in the hope that we would help him. He is well aware that we can kill him in a second if we want. Do you think that he deserves to be killed when he has come to us in the hope that we would protect him?’
The baby cub couldn't understand her mother’s vulnerability. The baby kept quiet and paced with its mother. That was not a lucky day for them, so even after a long search, they didn't get any prey. At last, they came back to their den.
The deer on the other hand was terrified of his own decision to take shelter in, one of the most dangerous predators. Unfortunately, he had no choice! He was attacked by a hunter and somehow managed to escape but failed to reach his group of deer. While running for his life, he saw the den and without a second thought entered into it. He had already got a shot from the hunter. When he realized that he was in the lion’s den, he gave up the idea of running back again. At that time, only the lioness and her cub were present there. The deer gazed at the lioness with a pitiful look. Tears were rolling down continuously. He sat there as if he urged for the mercy of the lioness.
Perhaps, the lioness could understand his miserable condition. She came closer to the deer, smelled it and slowly moved out of the den with her cub for hunting.
When both the lioness and the cub came back from the jungle without having any food, the cub once again asked its mother to kill the deer for their dinner. But the mama lioness was firmed on her decision. She said, ‘Sweetheart! We can sustain one night without any food. Tomorrow, early in the morning, I will fetch out some food for you but I can not kill this deer since he has surrendered. We should help him.’
The cub said nothing and grunted a little.
When the cub slept, the lioness came close to the deer and whispered, ‘Hey deer! Run, disappear from this area because I doubt if I could save you any longer if the next time situation demands. Go now! Run to your life.’
The deer looked at the lioness full of gratitude and slowly walked away from the den. A moment of kindness filled the hearts of the deer and the lioness with joy!
Well, the story is intended to show that even if the lioness was a predator, yet she had a tender heart and generosity!