Free 09 Lion Adventure by Willard Price Page A

suggested.
    ‘Don’t fry to tell me about animals, young man,’ said Patricia tartly. ‘I have pussies at home | and these are just like them. You can see what a darling this one is.’
    The ‘darling’ yawned, displaying fangs three inches long and as sharp as spears and two rows of ferocious
    cutting teeth and grinding molars. Patricia’s head would fit very easily in that great terrible mouth.
    The village headman apologized to Hal. ‘I am sorry if we were rude,’ he said. ‘It was kind of you to come. You could not know - this is a very unusual lion. Without him to protect us we would have no crops. You have seen our gardens? Come, I will show you.’
    They walked to the edge of the village to see the plantings of yams and beans and maize and coffee and fruit. Hal did not need to be told what damage these would suffer if the gardens were invaded by packs of wild pigs, warthogs, rhinos, or baboons. The village was lucky indeed to have such a strong protector.
    The people, proud of their crops, had followed to make sure that the boys would see what fine things had been done in the gardens with the help of the tame lion. But the ladies remained behind. They were more interested in the lion itself. The great puss had gone to sleep.
    ‘Now I ask you, Gladys,’ said Patricia, ‘did you ever see anything more peaceful? Who could be afraid of that?’
    ‘He’s sweet,’ agreed Gladys. ‘I wish we could take away something to remember him by. A teensy-weensy tuft of his mane perhaps.’
    ‘I’ll tell you what,’ said Patricia enthusiastically. ‘Those toenails - aren’t they the loveliest things? So shiny, just like jewels. If we could get one for you and one for me we could take them to a jeweller and have them set in rings. He wouldn’t miss just two toenails -anyhow, they’d grow again. I have a pair of scissors in my bag. Shall we try?’
    ‘Why not?’ said Gladys.
    Fired with this brilliant idea, and armed with the scissors, they crept up to the sleeping pussycat. They lost a little of their nerve as they came close, for the great bushy head made them feel small by comparison. Should they change their minds? Patricia looked at Gladys and Gladys looked at Patricia. It didn’t seem like quite such a good idea now.
    But wouldn’t it be wonderful to show the folks back home a ring on your finger with a huge glossy jewel and have them ask, ‘What is it?’ And you reply, ‘A lion’s toenail. I cut it off his claw myself.’ And they would say, ‘A dead lion?’ And you would say, ‘No, a live one.’ And they would say, ‘Ooooo, how brave you are!’ And you would say, ‘It was nothing. They are just big pussycats, you know.’
    Patricia, trying to keep her hand steady, brought the scissors close to a lovely nail. The great beast’s breath was hot on her face. She got the claw between the scissor blades. She tried to cut, but the nail was tough. She exerted a little more pressure.
    Hal and Roger, returning, saw this strange spectacle -two women on their knees trying to cut off the claws of the King of Beasts, Hal dared not shout for fear of waking the lion. He waved his arms in warning but they were not looking his way.
    The lion, slightly disturbed, opened one sleepy eye. He didn’t quite like what he saw and with one swing of his giant paw he swept both ladies head over heels across the stony ground to end up in a heap against a mud wall.
    The lion closed his eye and went back to sleep.
    Hal and his brother helped the ladies to their feet. Thief faces were scratched by the stony ground, their dresses were soiled and torn. Their nerves were badly shaken. They sat down weakly on the edge of the hollowed log that served the village as a signal drum. They looked reproachfully at the sleeping lion.
    ‘Now how could he do a thing like that!’ complained Patricia.
    Hal sat down beside them. He didn’t like to lecture but if somebody didn’t set these ladies straight they were very apt to be