LION !!

I was studying in Eighth Standard in the Government Model High School, Trivandrum.

 

Once,The Great Eastern Circus was camping at Putharikandam Maidanam. It was a Sunday morning and we, a few children, decided to go to see the circus ground. There was no show going on and it was all quietude in the circus camp. We just slowly loitered and enjoyed the circus camp ambience. We saw various wild and domestic animals. The wild animals were caged inside trailer cages. There were quite a few of them, lions, tigers, panthers, bears, etc. Tamed animals like elephants also were there, which were in the open. Wild animals looked tired and ill-fed and were in slumber. One huge lion was seemingly sleeping in its cage, facing towards the rear of the cage, with its back pressed against the front iron bars. I was standing near the cage and with my finger, gently poked it. A lion king is a king, whether he is ill-fed or in slumber, and jumped up and roared, expressing his annoyance in no uncertain manner. Least expecting such a sharp reaction we all leaned back and almost fell over each other.
The circus personnel, who until then did not mind our presence in their camp, quickly shooed us off.

Since then it seems I had always taken pride of touching a lion, although in captivity!