By David Madrid

        The Jaguar was blessed with speed, intelligence and good looks. He was a magnificent creature sporting distinctive black spots against the yellow backdrop of his hide.

        His name was Bahlam. He was regal. He was the king of the jungle. The South American jungle. The jungle of the Amazon. The jungle of the Mayans.

        Bahlam ruled the dense, unforgiving rain forest that stretched for miles. Every inch was his domain. Only an entity with his strength could rule such a wild place.

        One day, the jaguar climbed high into the trees where he hunted primates. He hoped to find a howler monkey, the loudest, most challenging prey the trees offered.

        He looked forward to the challenge.

        As the predator focused on the leaves around him, he sensed movement below. It was a tapir, Bahlam’s favorite food. The cat abandoned the monkey-hunt and stalked the careless pig-like animal who was oblivious of danger.

        Moli, which was the tapir’s name, thought of his life, which had not turned out as he hoped. He was unsatisfied. Surely there was more to life than grazing and sleeping.

        Bahlam saw his opportunity ahead in the dim forest. He raced along the branches effortlessly leaping from tree to tree. He found his spot, climbed down and hid in the thick underbrush to await the tapir.

        The cat became one with the vegetation, which ensured the tapir would not see him. He prepared to pounce. The jungle was quiet as it tensed for the attack to come.

        Suddenly, as if from nowhere, an anaconda overwhelmed the tapir. If you don’t know, the anaconda is the largest snake in the world. Those who say the reticulated python is bigger never measured this beast.

        The serpent curled the tail of his massive 30-foot body around the unlucky mammal. For Moli, the unthinkable had happened. Discontent seemed the least of his problems now as he felt his breath being forced from his body.

        The king of the jungle was incensed. How dare the snake snatch a feast from the king’s table.

        The fearless feline jumped on the gigantic snake head and sunk his sharp claws and deadly fangs into the tough snake skin. It was as if biting leather, if the jaguar had had that experience.

        The jaguar’s bite is legendary. Of all the big cats, pound for pound, the jaguar’s bite is the strongest. At 4 feet long, the jaguar is the third largest cat in the world and the biggest cat in the Americas.

        Even so, the cat had to bite the head three times before he broke completely through the tough skin; his claws struck and struck again until the boa bled.

        The anaconda unwrapped itself from the tapir so fast he caught Bahlam off guard. The snake flung Moli across the clearing, now solely concerned with the pain on his head.

        The anaconda is an unpredictable opponent. Were it not for the extraordinary agility of the king of the jungle, the snake would have had him for dinner.

        The lucky tapir sped off into the undergrowth as fast as his little legs could carry his watermelon body. The tapir learned a valuable lesson, and that was not to walk openly and carefree in the dangerous jungle.

        From now on, he would be elusive. He would be aware.

        Meanwhile, mammoth jaws with jagged inwardly-slanted teeth snapped shut an inch from the jaguar’s face. Bahlam smelled death on the reptile’s breath, and he could see the teeth would render an escape from the mouth impossible.

        The nimble cat jumped onto the snake’s back and while standing on his hind feet, he sunk his claws into the snake over and over again as if punching down until the snake bled from a hundred wounds.

        The serpent rolled in an attempt to trap the jaguar beneath the 600-pound muscle that was its body.

        Bahlam jumped off the snake, and the combatants faced off. They breathed hard as each tried to stare his opponent down.

        The cat, focused on the snake’s hypnotic black eyes, didn’t notice the green and yellow tail circling in a wide arc behind him. Before he could react, Bahlam was caught in the lethal coils.

        “You call yourself the king of the jungle?” the giant snake scoffed, his fearsome teeth an inch from Bahlam’ face; he had cruel eyes that reflected no capacity for mercy. His voice, almost a growl really, but worse, cut to the king’s soul. 

        “I, the mighty anaconda, will show you who the true king of the jungle is. I am the king of the Amazon, not you. You are a pretender.”

        Bahlam felt his life slowly being squeezed from his body. With every breath he took, the coils tightened. How could this happen to the most fearsome cat in the world?

        It was then the jungle came alive with the sound of hooves.

        Bahlam, almost unconscious, had no idea what was happening, but when he felt the snake loosen his grip, he spun and attacked the anaconda tearing viciously with both fangs and claws as he fought for his life.

        The snake let go and fled with an enraged jaguar on his back and the hooves of a hundred tapirs relentlessly stomping its body and head.

        The snake made it to Amazon River. In these waters he was the most formidable killer.

        Bahlam jumped off the snake. Although the cat was an excellent swimmer who hunted the waters for caiman, he knew better than to battle this beast in the water, where the snake had an overpowering  advantage.

        But was the snake master of the river as he assumed?

        It wasn’t long before a thousand hungry piranha smelled the anaconda’s blood and swarmed. The water around the boa erupted violently and turned crimson with blood. Within two hours, nothing was left of the mighty snake but a skeleton.

        The piranhas had never feasted on a meal such as this. They remember that day still, which they call PiranhaPalooza: The Day of the Great Snake. Despite their reputation for savagery, the piranha are actually quite humorous if you get to know them. Just don’t bleed.

        The king was shocked that the tapir, his favorite prey, saved his life.

        “Why did you save me?” a puzzled Bahlam asked.

        Moli came forward and said, “Because you saved my life our king. I hid, but then I saw you needed help, so I raised an army for you.”

        “But you are my prey,” the jaguar said. “Do you not fear me?”

        “We fear the nasty anaconda more than you,” Moli said. “He cannot be allowed to become king of the jungle. With you, death is instant.

        “The snake hides among the weeds, the swamps and the rivers and drags us into the water and drowns us as he squeezes. It is an undignified death? We prefer a swift break of the neck by you to suffocation by that scaly killer.”

        The king of the jungle was shamed before the tapirs. These rotund beasts were truly worthy subjects. The jaguar king considered the animals with new appreciation. Could he give up tapir meat? The king reimagined his diet and decided he could and he would.

        From that day the king defended his weak and helpless subjects and hunted those who preyed upon them, including the anacondas.

        When he hunted the massive serpent, he brought his backup, a herd of fierce tapirs led by Moli, their general, who was skilled in stealth. Moli taught the tapirs to use their hoofs as weapons.

        One fat little tapir stomping on you might not frighten you, but think 100 tapirs, 1,400 hooves. Each tapir has 14 hooves, four on both front feet, and three on both back feet, which scientifically, makes it of the order Perissodactyla – odd-toed ungulates.

        Moli finally found his calling, and he became the king’s most trusted advisor and best friend, even though, secretly, the king sometimes wondered how Moli tasted.

Moral: A true leader protects his weakest subjects from the strong who prey upon them.

The End

© 2016 FabulousFables.com

Contact: David Madrid