There once was a young hare that didnât have a care in the world. One day, he was hopping along merrily in the tall grass, taking a bite here and there, and nibbling on the sweet leaves. Tired out, he soon fell asleep in the middle of a soft and fluffy meadow. When the hare sleepily opened his eyes again, he saw a giant tiger standing right in front of him! The beast was staring at the hare with an evil grin on its face, showing its sharp teeth. The hare did his best not to start shaking like a leaf and to keep a cool head. He just about managed to put on his most respectful smile.
âD-dear tiger, itâs nice t-to see you,â he stuttered and bowed. A shiver was running down his spine.
âOh, donât bother with a bow,â growled the tiger mockingly. âIâm going to eat you anyway. I havenât eaten a thing all day, and the sunâs already going down. Iâm starving, you see.â
The hare was so scared that his heart was jumping out of his chest. But he didnât want to get eaten. So what could he do to get himself out of this pickle? Quickly, he came up with a plan. âYou skipped lunch, my dear tiger?â cried the hare worriedly. âOh, you must be famished!â
âStop wasting your breath,â grumbled the tiger. âYouâre as good as dead!â Then it opened its mouth, ready to swallow the hare whole.
âWait, wait!â cried the cowering hare at the very last second. âYou might choke on me if you eat me too fast. You need to eat slowly and with proper manners, like the humans do. I think you should go for a starter first. Youâre lucky you bumped into me, becauseâŚ