The Essay For Leopard's Night...

Written by; Me
Edited by: Leonard

The sun rose in a pool of crimson gold, spilling lights all over the land and white clouds.

The cub opened his eyes and saw the caring face of his mother. And now the time has come for the cub to leave the warmth of his home. For he's to be the king of the herd, he needs to carve a niche of his own. He is going to build a domain of his own and be the king of the herd.

With a heavy heart, he got up and washed up at the nearby lake. Then his mother walked up to him and said "Son, the time has come. Be brave and we will see you 3 months later at the palace."

Fighting back tears in his eyes, the cub nodded and he left the cave. The home, which he had been living since birth. He is now alone in the wild and had to fight for survival.

As he walked deeper into the jungle, his basic instinct told him danger was lurking somewhere.

The cub spotted a pack of hyenas scavenging for food less than a hundred meters away from where he was. Panic engulfed the cub.

But with a panicked state of mind, I would not be able to think properly, thought the cub.

He remained composed and tried to think of a way out. Immediately, his instincts kicked in. He tried to seek for a cover. He ran towards the canopy of trees and crawled his way into the thick bushes.

The predators had moved in fast but with his good cover, it was impossible for the pack of hyenas to spot him. Though the cub was surrounded with good cover, he remained vigilant, not wanting to risk himself of being contacted by the hyenas.

Soon the predators advanced to another location. Without another precious second to lose, the cub ran towards another direction.

"How strong, how brave, how true one is would always depend on his discipline," the cub remembered his mum's advice.

Abruptly, he tripped and went tumbling down the steep slope. He felt light. He closed his eyes and kept his legs closed to his body in order to prevent sustaining any potential severe injuries.

"BAM!"

The entwined vines broke his fall. For a moment, everything seemed distorted to him. All he wanted to do now was to shut his eyes and give up.

"If you ever fall, stand up again as one must never give up easily in life. If he ever does, all the hardwork he has put in will diminish and he will forever be a loser."

The cub slowly got up and reminded himself that all these were just the trials of life he had to go through.

Though he was limping, he still kept on moving. The jungle was covered in darkness. Night has fallen.

The cub sought refuge behind some broken logs. Another day had passed by and a new day will come.

"Life is always filled with trials and tribulations. But one must know how to overcome them."

The cub opened his eyes and he saw bright sunlight glaring into his eyes. A new day has come and it's time for him to press forward.

He ventured deeper into the jungle.

Then he realized that the path that lies ahead of him was a stream of river. He was paralyzed with fear. He did not know how to overcome the raging waters. Now that's another obstacle for him to overcome. But nothing is impossible. There is always a way out.

He observed his surroundings as for there would always be an alternate route. He scanned around and as expected, there was another path but however, it was a longer path to his destination.

He moved forth and waited for the other obstacles to come. The scorching sun was dehydrating him. Weaker and weaker he gets with every step he took.

"I can do it." He assured himself.

Then from a distance, he spotted a hare among the bushes searching for his food. The hare was a potential prey for the cub.

The cub moved slowly in stealth and strikes the hare with a swift and deadly move. The cub pounded on the hare, leaving the hare defenseless. Soon, the hare laid still; dead.

The cub roared with pride as he bit the hare in his mouth.

As the days go by, the cub grew stronger, faster and wiser. Now he's convinced he can take on anything and anyone.

He was almost there, reaching his destination. He had walked miles, traveled through day and night. He was proud of himself that he had overcome all the trials life had set for him in those 3 months.

As he walked, he sensed danger, an instinct he had developed in these months. Alert to his surroundings he was. With his two senses kicking in, smell and sight, his enemies were locked.

The enemies were the same pack of hyenas he encountered months ago.

With all the obstacles and challenges he had went through, he is now more than prepared to take on the hyenas and bring them down!

It was clear to him that he was outnumbered; 4 against 1. But with the months' of grueling training he had in the jungle, he believed in himself. He knew he had the game in hand. He just needed to strategize for he must know how to bring them down in the shortest time possible.

He had his targets locked and moved in swiftly.

"Thump!"

First strike and one fell to the ground. The other 3 gathered together and advanced towards the cub. The cub ran swiftly in circles, creating confusion among the hyenas. The hyenas could hardly lock their target, as the cub was too swift for them. The cub made a sudden halt and strike at two of the hyenas.

Down went the 2, moaning in pain. The one that was left standing slowly backed off. The injured ones slowly picked themselves up and dragged their injured bodies away from the cub.

The cub felt a sense of pride inside him, as he emerged victorious once again. He knew he was growing up to be the best leopard that ever exists in the jungle. The king of the herd, the throne that he was destined to take over from his father.

With pride, he walked into this beautiful place. It was just like heaven. There were many other leopards awaiting his arrival. As he walked into the herd, the other leopards parted to give him a path that led to his awaiting parents; the king and queen of the herd.

Both his parents were beaming with pride, as their son is now a full-grown leopard, ready to take over the throne and bring the herd to greater heights and to better glory.

Just like the cub, time has come for us to move on to our respective units. And with the right training we had, we will also emerge king of our herds. And now let's put our hands together to welcome the king of this herd. Commanding Officer 1st Singapore Infantry Regiment, LTC.

Signing Off,
Shah Rizal Isaac