The Little Cat Who Wanted to Be a Lion

Once upon a time, in a lush and vibrant jungle, there lived a small orange cat named Gato. Gato was a curious and adventurous little cat, always dreaming of big things. He loved to hear stories about the great Lion, the king of the jungle, and how powerful and majestic he was. Gato admired Lion so much that he decided he wanted to be just like him.

Every day, Gato would watch Lion from a distance. He observed how Lion hunted with grace and strength, how he roared with a mighty voice, and how he commanded respect from all the animals in the jungle. Gato wanted nothing more than to be part of Lion’s pride and live among the lions.

One day, Gato decided to start acting like a lion. He practiced hunting small animals, trying to mimic Lion’s powerful pounce. He drank water from the river in the same way he had seen Lion do it, and he even tried to roar, though his little meow was far from a lion’s roar. Gato was determined to become a lion in every way possible.

As days turned into weeks, Gato became more and more focused on his goal. He spent less time with his fellow cats and his family. They missed Gato and tried to talk to him, but Gato was too busy pretending to be a lion to pay them any attention. He was convinced that if he could just prove himself, Lion would accept him into his pride.

Finally, after much practice, Gato felt ready. He approached Lion, who was resting under a large tree, and bravely spoke up.

«Lion, I have been working very hard to be just like you. I hunt like you, I drink water like you, and I even try to roar like you. Can I please join your pride and live with you?» Gato asked, his eyes filled with hope.

Lion looked at Gato thoughtfully. He admired the little cat’s determination but knew that Gato was not a lion and could never truly become one.

«Gato, you have shown great effort and courage, but you are not a lion. You are a cat, and that is who you are meant to be,» Lion said gently but firmly.

Gato’s heart sank. He had worked so hard and had given up so much, only to be told he could never be a lion. Feeling sad and rejected, Gato walked away with his head down.

As Gato wandered through the jungle, he came across Tigre, the wise tiger, who was known for his wisdom and kindness. Tigre saw that Gato was upset and asked him what was wrong.

«Gato, why do you look so sad?» Tigre inquired, his voice gentle and caring.

Gato explained everything to Tigre, how he wanted to be a lion, how he had practiced and tried so hard, and how Lion had told him he could never be a lion because he was just a cat.

Tigre listened carefully and then smiled warmly at Gato.

«Of course, Lion is right. You are a cat, and that is a wonderful thing. You can do things that neither Lion nor I can do, and that makes you special. You don’t need to be a lion to be great. You just need to be the best cat you can be,» Tigre explained.

Gato looked up at Tigre, his eyes widening with understanding. He realized that he had been trying to be something he was not, instead of embracing who he truly was.

«You are right, Tigre. I have been so focused on being a lion that I forgot all the things that make me special as a cat,» Gato said, a smile spreading across his face.