Rory the Lion

Rory earned perfect marks in all his Pride classes –  stalking, jaw strength, pouncing, sprints through tall grass; all the best qualifications to be king of the lions and master of the hunt. But he could never pass the art of camouflage.

You see, Rory was in love with Darla, a cosmetology student who liked to practice dyes and cuts on her doting husband. Ever try to hunt an antelope with bright fuchsia streaks in your hair? Well, Rory did once. He didn’t eat for a week.

Everyone wondered why he never said no, put his foot down or his mane up. Love, they said. Whipped, they thought.

But no one ever thought to ask if prolonged chemical exposure could cause ever-lasting brain damage to lions.