Chapter 14: The Lion Finds a Home

Nobody would have guess that a yucky marsh was on the other side of that china wall. Jack found it very uncomfortable wading in the mud for half an hour, but they soon made it onto dry ground.

The Lion took a deep breath. "Now, this is more like it! This is the best place I've seen yet!"

"It's awful dreary," Nick observed.

"Nonsense. Feel the leaves under yer feet and the nippy air. Why, this place is fit fer a king!"

Something moving caught Jack's eye. He went closer to investigate and got lost from the rest of the group. Before long, he found himself facing a dangerous tiger. He drew his sword and engaged in a great fight. Yet the tiger knocked the sword out of Jack's hands and cornered him. Jack hoped for once that Nick's continuous assertion that nothing dies in Oz was right.

The tiger raised her paw, unsheathed its claws, moved the claws toward Jack's neck, and then turned her paw into a fit and hit the ground. She wailed and yelled, "I can' do it! I can' do it! I can' kill ye!"

Jack looked at her curiously. That was Scotsman's wife's voice. "You not a coward as well, are you."

"HOW DARE YE INSULT ME!" the tiger snarled.

"Forgive me. I was just wondering--"

"Why I'm making such a scene?"

"Well, yes."

"Make no mistake, Laddie, I'm as brave as they come. It's m' blasted conscience that keeps me from hurtin' ye."

"Oh. Well, that's very good."

"No, no, that's very bad! I'm a tiger! I'm supposed to attack, kill and eat poor, innocent, living things, such as chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and," (she shuddered) "fat babies! Doesn't that sound delicious? Succulent, juicy, fat babies!" Jack stomach turned, but he bit his lip and nodded. It must sound good to a tiger, even if it is cruel. "But m' heart tells me it's wrong, so I will remain 'ungry until I die. That's the worst part, ye see. I have an enormous appetite, from the tip of m' tongue to the end of m' tail. It's probably even larger than m' body, and it is never appeased, no matter how much I eat. One of these days I'm going to find me a vet and get it pulled."

"What a tooth?"

"No, for what good will it do when I have no teeth and I'm still 'ungry? Nah, I mean m' appetite."

"Here," Jack offered her a hamburger. "I save this from the Emerald City. I know you beasts prefer uncooked food, but you can have it. I can get my own food."

The Hungry Tiger sniffed at it. "Pathetic morsel! If you had a few 'undred, I might be interested, but one won' fill m' back teeth for a second."

"Well, if you want, my friend the Lion and I--"

"Lion? There's a Lion with ye? Why didn't ye say so? Take me to 'im, please!"

Jack wondered why she was so interested to see the lion. He found out as soon as he found his friend. Nick and the Scarecrow were startled, but Jack said, "Don't be alarmed. She's--"

But the Hungry Tiger interrupted by bowing at the Lion's paws. "Oh, great King of the Beasts, what took ye so long?"

"I um--"

"Come with me! NOW!"

The Hungry Tiger led him to the heart of the forest where several different animals had gathered in counsel. Upon seeing the Lion, all the animals grew quiet and bowed. Then a zebra stood up and addressed the Lion in some foreign tongue. The Lion nodded. "It shall be done."

"What did he say?" the Scarecrow asked.

"There's a great monster in the forest, a giant spider. It strikes all creatures it finds with its venom and devours them. The fiercest beasts that have faced it have already fallen prey to its attacks. The Hungry Tiger was the only animal left to fight it, but she refused because of her conscience. It's up to me now. Laddie, don' take it personally, but I'd rather do it alone."

"Very well. Good luck."

Jack and the others stood outside where the spider was staying. There was a lot of roaring from both beasts, and the rustling leaves showed a fierce fight. In the end, though, the Lion stepped out and declared, "Ye don' have to worry 'bout the monster anymore!"

All the animals cheered loudly.

The Hungry Tiger tried to persuade them to stay for the night. "After we get all the venom out, we're gonna have a huge feast! That'll surely scrape some off m' appetite. Why don' ye join us?"

Spider just didn't appeal to Jack, and he didn't want to spend the night around so many dangerous animals, even if some had a good conscience. "Thank you, but we must move on," he finally said.

"Won' ye stay with us?" the Hungry Tiger asked the Lion. "We got to start a coronation fer ye, and I must confess, I think m' tastes are changing." As she spoke, she was nuzzling her head into his soft mane.

"Sorry Lassie, but I must see Laddie 'ome first, and if he wants to leave, I should go with 'im."

"Don' stay away too long!" the Hungry Tiger called after them.

"I won'!" the Lion called back.

They found a safe place for Jack to rest and set up camp for the night.