The Trapped Lion

I wrote this little story in response to another forum post earlier and wanted to share it ~! ^^

The Trapped Lion 🦁

A tiger was walking through the jungle when he came upon a lion trapped in a net! ‘The lion shouted to the tiger - Please help me! I got trapped in this net and desperately want to get free!’

The tiger quickly used his teeth to tear a hole in the net and allowed the lion to escape.

The next day, the tiger was surprised to come again upon the lion trapped in the net in the exact same location! The lion shouted - ‘Please help me, I’m trapped in this net and desperately want to be free!’ So again the tiger used his teeth to tear a hole in the net and the lion was once again free.

On the third day, the tiger was not at all surprised to find the lion trapped again in the net in that exact same location. He again heard the lion’s familiar plea -‘Please help me! I’m trapped in this net and desperately need to get free!’

This time however, the tiger merely stood very still, deep in thought. Then, as the tiger walked away he heard the lion shouting - ‘Come back! Aren’t you going to help me?! I’m trapped in this net and desperately need to be free!’

The tiger paused and replied simply: -

‘Your desire to be trapped in that net outweighs your desire to be free. I cannot truly free you from that net because it is YOU who is putting yourself in that trap. In truth, it is not the net that restrains you - You are trapped by your own desire to be trapped… Therefore, only you can truly set yourself free.’

CatsInTheCradle 🐯