Queen of the Jungle

Chapter 4 – Wild Instincts

    “It’s so hot out here! We got to find some water!” Crane griped, as he walked slower and slower along the jungle path. “Don’t be a baby, Crane! You can survive without water for three days.” replied Tigress, as she continued to look ahead for the next landmark. “Come on, Tigress.” Crane continued, “We’ve been walking all day and found nothing.” Meanwhile, Monkey swung from tree to tree above them. “I have to agree with Crane on this one. We need water, and I don’t see any source anywhere nearby.” “Guys, we’re almost there.” Tigress assured them. Crane sighed. “You said that an hour ago.” he whined. Suddenly, the trio came upon a clearing, and before Tigress could answer, the next landmark stood before them.

    The new landmark was a statue in the shape of an unusual symbol, which none of the three recognized. “This is it?!” exclaimed Crane, “We came all the way out here for this?!” “What is this supposed to mean?!” Monkey continued, “It looks somebody messed up on this eye and covered with all kinds of various materials.” Tigress examined the statue carefully, and came to a conclusion. “This might be a symbol for a deity or some other icon for the ancient civilization here.” she stated, “Who knows who or what this was supposed to mean. We shouldn’t guess what it is. Instead, we should admire the artistry that made this piece come to life.” “Admire it?!” Crane shouted, “It looks like these people just put random objects into a statue. Why should we admire it?!” Tigress yelled right back.

    “Because it symbolizes their ancient way of life.”

    “Yeah! It symbolizes the fact that they were a strange people.”

    “How could you say that?!”

    “Look at the facts. They picked the worst place to live, made the strangest statue in history, and probably used up all the water here!”

    “You can judge a book by its cover!”

    “I think I can judge these people just fine!”

    As the two yelled at each other back and forth, Monkey became increasingly annoyed. “Would you guys stop this?! You’re arguing over something stupid!” he shouted. Crane and Tigress looked at each other and calmed down. “I’m sorry Tigress.” Crane said, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.” “It’s all right, Crane. I got carried away there.” she replied. “Good.” Monkey said, in relief, “Why don’t we do some more training exercises?” “Sounds good to me.” replied Crane. Tigress nodded in agreement. “So, Monkey, what do you have in mind?” Crane asked. “Oh… you’ll see!” Monkey replied.

    Monkey seemed to make no preparations for the next exercise. Moreover, Tigress and Crane became really puzzled. “Um… Monkey… What are we supposed to be doing?” Tigress asked him. “It’s simple.” Monkey responded, “You guys remember that you trained together around those stone structures before, right?” “Yes…” they said in unison, slowly. “Well, the trees around you are just like those stone structures, except for the fact that there are more of them and that they’re closer together.” Monkey continued. “So… You want us to fight each other as we move from tree to tree just like you do?” asked Tigress. “Exactly!” exclaimed Monkey. “Sounds good to me.” Crane said, as the he and Tigress jumped, climbed, and flew into the trees above.

    The two kung fu masters repeatedly collided together, exchanging kicks and punches, as the two moved quickly through the trees, as Monkey kept pace behind them. “You two are looking great. Keep it up!” he shouted. As the two warriors continued to come together, however, they began to feel and hear a little growl in their stomachs. “Hold on, Tigress.” Crane stated, “Do you feel hungry?” “Yes, I do.” she replied, “Monkey, do you have any food on you?” Monkey put his hand behind his back and said, “Um… I did, but…” “Po ate it all, didn’t he?!” Tigress interrupted. “Yes…” Monkey sighed, as Crane and Tigress did the same deep sigh. “I told you that we should’ve brought more!” exclaimed Crane. “Hold on a sec.” Tigress said, “There’s got to be some-” Suddenly, a Capybara appeared out of the bushes around them. It appeared to be exhausted and out of breath. Crane and Monkey stared at it, with no intent to harm it at all. However, the Capybara’s face turned into a fearful one when it looked up at Tigress.

    Once Crane and Monkey looked at Tigress, they could not believe their eyes. She stared at the small mammal with an intent stare. Her mouth began to water heavily, and she said one word, “Food…” The Capybara screamed and ran back into the bushes. “Mine…!” Tigress shouted as she chased after it. Crane yelled for Tigress to come back. Monkey then put one of his hands in front of him, blocking his progress. “It’s her wild instincts, Crane.” he stated.

    “Wild instincts?!”

    “She’s a tiger still at heart. This is what a predator does, Crane.”

    “But… She always eats noodles and dumplings with us.”

    “That is true. However, if someone like her is trapped in a wilderness like this with no food for a good amount of time, the predator inside of them will take over.”

    “So… What do we do now?!”

    “Just stand here and wait.”

    The two males stood there and watched as Tigress disappeared in the lush jungle.