Hairi and the Cave Leopard
“And so she escaped?” Pic inquired.
“Not exactly,” was the grim response. “I was looking about and wondering what to do next when something descended upon my shoulders with terrific force. It was the mother leopard of course. She alighted upon my back and anchored herself with her hooked paws. The matter might have ended then and there, had I but known. You see she merely wanted her cub. My back smarted so that I would have been only too pleased to be rid of both of them. Spotty put in his time scratching and biting my trunk. He got too hot to hold so I dropped him and off he ran.”
“And the mother leopard—what did you do with her?” Pic asked.
“What could I do but run?” replied the Mammoth. “That was the only way I could think of to shake her off. She dug her claws deep into my back to keep from falling and that made me run all the harder. Disgraceful, I must admit, but she was as frightened as I was. Finally I became exhausted. As I slowed up, the Leopardess jumped and ran to cover. I let her severely alone.”
“And Wulli—what was he doing all this time?” Pic demanded.