*All in Perspective

Intro:When I was in high school I read a story by Ursula Le Guin that made me consider the perspective of every story I’ve read since then. I wasn’t sure what I was writing when I started this piece but it turned out okay. It definitely isn’t the best piece I’ve written but I enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoy it.

Spoiler Alert: If you are wondering about the Ursula Le Guin story, it’s called “The Wife’s Story.”

The lion roared and I flinched. It didn’t matter that the lion was securely tucked in a cage of bars. It didn’t matter that there was a small chasm between the cage and the fence I stood behind. All that mattered was there was a giant cat, looking at me as a meal. Well, more of a snack than a meal.

The rest of my family gazed at the elephants, contained nearby. I watched the lion. It walked up and down the cage, liking its jowls and staring at me. The amber eyes pierced my resolve and I turned away.

“Don’t worry. It’s not going to hurt you.” The person who spoke wore the drab brown of a zoo worker.

“I’m not worried,” I lied. It was hard to keep my attention on the employee when the movement of the stalking beast could be seen from my peripheral vision.

“You sure look worried. But there is nothing to be afraid of. There is no way Mr. Gilbert can get to you.”

The name of Mr. Gilbert did nothing to reduce the fear welling in my stomach.

“That’s a stupid name.” I replied turning away from the cage. I had to get away. If I stayed too long, I would be a snack.

It was easy to get to the elephants. They were always fun to watch, especially when they were doing tricks. But today, the elephants’ antics were dimmed compared to the memory of the golden beast. I shook myself and tried to look interested in the pachyderms.

“Are you alright?” Mother asked.

I replied with a mumble. When that didn’t satisfy her, I asked where one of my brother’s was. Mother looked around fearfully and counted. Someone was missing. After listening to explicit instructions about not wandering, my parents scurried off calling for the missing child. In no time at all, I found myself back at the cage.

A story came to mind. Aesop’s fables. The mouse and the lion. Those were nothing but stories though. I didn’t know of a single feline who showed such kindness towards a mouse. And no mouse would help a lion. I absently wondered why anyone would write such a ridiculous tale and make a moral out of it.

The employee came back. I ignored him. But that didn’t stop him from talking.

“Many people wonder how we were able to tame such a beast. It was simple.” There was a long detailed explanation that went into how this particular beast was caught. I knew it was only a story to entertain the younger guests that came to the zoo.

Having heard enough, I calmly asked. “I wonder what really happened in Aesop’s fable. Maybe the lion ate the mouse. Maybe the mouse didn’t help the lion. Or maybe the lion didn’t even pay attention to something as small and insignificant as a mouse. What kind of lion would actually chase a mouse? Seems a little demeaning.”

I started talking to keep the worker from blathering on, but the more I spoke, the better I felt. I looked at the lion who gazed between the bars and chuckled to myself.

“I don’t have anything to fear from you. In fact it makes more sense to fear something not even half your size. A house cat is more intimidating than you.”

The lion yawned and flopped to the ground.

Giggling to myself I scampered over to the rest of my family. My brother had been found and we were headed home for the day. It was easy to avoid the humans’ feet as we scurried out of the zoo and headed home to our nest, under a nearby farm house.