Mathew the Terror Tiger

BY: Salina Brilla

Mathew the Tiger lived all alone in the jungle. That's very strange for a tiger not to have any family. His days were lonesome and long, with no one to lick clean or hunt; he became sad. Mathew did not only become sad, he became mean and bad. He would tease, capture, and eat other animals for fun. He liked the taste of antelopes and zebras. He liked to spring out in the middle of a herd, and laugh as they all ran away. He took joy in the terror he put in the hearts of the jungle animals. Every day, the animals were on the lookout for "Mathew the Terror Tiger."  He would jump on the backs of the hippos, and scratch at their hides to let the sun in and burn the flesh underneath. He would jump on the trees above the crocs, so the branches would fall and knock on their heads. He was vicious, all because he was lonely. He was getting the attention of the other animals, and with it, he didn't feel so lonely. Sometimes, he would find a place in the field where the zebras chatted with each other, and hide low in the grass and listen to stories of his captures and conquests, and ultimately, dinner. "His teeth are stained red from so many victims," one zebra said as Mathew licked his teeth and wondered if it was true.  "He smells awful from the dead flesh beneath his nails," said another zebra, and Mathew sniffed his paws and shook his head in agreement.  "He must be stopped." He heard the zebras agree, and Mathew laughed silently knowing there was no one who could defeat him. "There's an ape who says we can stand together and defeat Mathew." Mathew became mad, and perched himself to haunch in the grass. "The ape's name is Kaden." And with that information Mathew sprung from his hiding place with a loud roar that excited the hooves of all the zebras gossiping, and they ran off. 

Later that day, Mathew hid down by the lake where some apes were resting on the water bank, trying to escape from the heat of the jungle.  Mathew watched the apes while hidden in some plants, wondering which one was Kaden. Mathew heard a noise in the tree above him, and THUNK! a branch whacked his head. "AWHOA!" he screeched and jumped up to attack, but the monkey was toO high up in the trees, swinging back and forth, laughing at what he done. "You shouldn't be laughing! I am Mathew the Terror Tiger, and I'm going to eat you!" And again and again Mathew sprang up towards the monkey, falling short of his target each time. "And I am Jacob, the monkey in a tree you can’t climb. I'm paying you back for the crocs who live where the trees are low!" And with that said, Jacob the monkey swung away in the highest part of the tree tops.  When Mathew looked around, all the other animals were scared away by his howling. Now Mathew felt terrible and his head hurt. He lied down on his back, and stared up at the sun.  He was mad and hurt . Then he heard a noise on the ground to his right. He turned and could not focus, for the sun was still in his eyes. “I am Kaden,” said a deep voice and a large dark figure started to come into focus. “I would like to talk to you." Mathew tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled and he fell. “Not now, ape!” he spat out. “Yes now, Tiger. I can tear you apart. Right now, I can end your life. I will not, if you promise to stop harassing and hurting the other animals.” Prideful Mathew tried once again to stand, but his head swelled and dizzied his eyes and turned stomach. “I promise,” he spat out and collapsed to the ground. The apes built a blanket of leaves around him, and brought food to nourish him.  Mathew the Terror Tiger lay helpless from a falling branch, that knocked his head very hard.

He lay for days unable to move much, while the apes tended to his needs. Mathew would listen as the apes would talk and groom each other, by picking out bugs from their backs and eating them. They would laugh and tell stories, and argue back and forth. Sometimes they would fight and knock each other around. As Mathew slept, Jacob the monkey would come and groom him. Slowly Mathew started to get better and hungrier. It was time for him to leave. He just scurried far away one night, ashamed and haunted by the family of apes.

Mathew the Tiger found a cave on a cliff far away from the animals he use to taunt and torture, and everyday he missed them.  He would lie about, day after day, feeding off rodents, birds, and bats, keeping his promise to the kind ape Kaden who spared his life.  One day as he was lying around feeling lonesome, he heard his name called out from one of the cliffs above him. Mathew looked up to see Jacob the monkey sitting above him. Mathew covered his head in fear, and shouted, “Are you gonna hit me with a rock now?” Jacob chuckled a little at the fear shown by the Terror Tiger, then became serious and said, “I am sorry that branch hurt you so bad. I was only trying to show you how the crocs feel.”

“I have kept my promise, so why are you here?” Mathew asked, confused by the monkey’s sudden appearance in his den.

“I wanted to make sure you are OK. I felt bad about hurting you,” replied Jacob.

“I know, you would pick the bugs off of me as I lay on the Earth, healing.” Mathew felt kindness in his heart toward Jacob the monkey, and asked him, “What now Jacob? What do a tiger and a monkey do, when I’m not trying to eat you or you’re not trying to teach me a lesson?”

“We talk, Mathew,” answered the monkey. And all through the day and into the night, the two animals talked to each other. This was the first time Mathew had ever talked to another animal; he not only talked, but he listened too, and laughed, and even cried, all while Jacob sat above on the cliff. The animals became tired and Mathew invited Jacob to come down and sleep comfortably in his den. Jacob accepted the offer, and they stared up at the stars side by side, and exchanged their ideas of the mystery of the night lights that flicker creating pictures across the sky, and of the big white circle that changes and disappears. Jacob told Mathew Kaden’s father Josh was a great chief, and now lives amongst the lights in the sky. When the night circle is full, Kaden will tell the story of his father to the whole ape tribe, and everyone will pound their chests and shout to remember him. Mathew had always wondered why the apes would make so much noise when the night circle was at its brightest. Mathew told Jacob how he had no family of his own, and can’t remember what happened to them. The animals slept soundly. When Mathew awoke in the morning, his new friend Jacob was gone. Mathew felt sad and lonely again at first, but as he started remembering the day before, he felt excited and happy. He hoped his friend would come back and started thinking of new things to talk to him about.

A couple of days later, Jacob did come back and once again, they talked all through the day and into the night. Mathew told Jacob he should sleep in his den, so no predators would get him and they laughed at the idea of a monkey and a tiger sharing a den together again. Jacob told Mathew that he had talked to Kaden about how well Mathew has kept his promise. “Do you think Kaden would let me hear the story of his father this time the night circle is brightest in four days? I could hide where no one can see me; I am good at that.”

“I’ll ask him, Mathew,” replied Jacob as he left the tiger’s den.

Mathew waited two days for Jacob to return. He wondered what the answer would be; he thought up all kinds of ways Kaden the chief of the apes could answer. He pictured him laughing and saying, “NO!” He pictured him screaming and throwing plants about. Finally, Jacob came with an answer. “Kaden says you have kept your promise, and are welcome to join in during the night circle ceremony, on one condition.”

“I won’t eat anyone!” Mathew exclaimed. 

“No, well, of course you won’t. The condition is that you must also tell a story to the tribe.”

“What? I don’t have a story. I have no family to tell of!"

Mathew was getting upset; he did not know what to do. “Tell a story about you, Mathew,” Jacob said, and he could see the terror in the tiger’s eyes.

“Jacob, you are the first animal I have ever talked with. I can’t tell a story to a whole tribe.”

“Yes you can,” Jacob rebutted. “You have two days to think of one, and I will come back ahead of time so you can practice on me.” Jacob returned to the jungle, while Mathew sat terrified, pondering to himself about what story he could tell.

All night he couldn’t sleep, trying hard to think of a good story that the apes would like, but all the stories he had heard were while ease-dropping. He had no pack to teach him, so he sat in sorrow and woe. When the sun came up, a feeling of hope swept over him as he thought of the kindness the apes had shown him, and the mercy in saving his life. His story came to him. He remembered all the horrors he inflicted on animals throughout the jungle, all the terrible ways he would treat other animals, and he felt something deep in his chest that squished his heart for just a second, bringing tears to his eyes as he saw all the bad he had done in this world.

When Jacob came back to listen to Mathew's story, he was enthralled, and taken by all the details Mathew included in the story. Jacob knew some were unkind and embarrassing, and could not be easy for Mathew to tell. Mathew told him the story of Mathew The Terror Tiger, who became Mathew his friend. Jacob clapped, cheered, and teared up at the brilliance of his honesty. "Kaden and all the apes will love this story" he told Mathew, and indeed they did. Mathew got to hear the story of Josh the Brave Ape, who rescued the whole tribe from a flood and now lives in the sky, and wondered if maybe one day he too can do something so great he can live among the stars, and the animals below will talk of him, and he hopes that if so, Jacob will be there with him.