Once upon a time, in the rolling green foothills of the Great Crag Mountains, there lived a bull named Buster.
Buster was a magnificent animal — broad-shouldered, with horns like polished ivory and a coat the colour of rich mahogany. Most creatures in the valley gave him a wide berth, not because he was unkind, but because he was simply a force of nature.
Even the strongest bull, however, has one thing he fears. For Buster, that thing was Leo the lion.
The Chase in the Storm
One afternoon a sudden summer storm rolled in. Thunder rattled the earth, and through the grey sheets of rain Buster caught sight of a pair of glowing amber eyes.
Leo was hunting.
Buster did not stay to discuss it. He took off at a thundering gallop, hooves churning the mud. Just as Leo was closing the gap, Buster spotted a narrow opening in the cliffside — a cave the local goatherds used to shelter their flocks in weather like this. He squeezed his massive frame through the entrance just as Leo’s claws swiped the air behind him.
Buster stood in the dark, panting hard, his heart drumming against his ribs.
He was safe. Or so he thought.
The Unlikely Bully
As Buster’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, he realised he was not alone. One small scruffy goat named Gideon had been left behind by the flock.
Now, Gideon was usually a very nervous fellow. But the sight of the great powerful Buster, trapped and frightened of the lion outside, gave him a strange and wicked surge of confidence.
I’ve always wondered, he thought, what it feels like to be the boss.
While Buster stood pressed against the cave wall, watching the entrance for Leo’s shadow, Gideon lowered his head. With a sudden thump, he rammed his little horns into Buster’s flank.
“Move over, Big Fellow!” Gideon bleated bossily. “This is my cave. You’re taking up all the air!”
Buster winced. But he did not move. He could not. If he stepped back towards the entrance to defend himself, Leo would have him for dinner.
Gideon saw this, and did it again. THWACK! He butted the bull’s legs and pranced about, mocking him.
“Look at the mighty bull,” Gideon sneered. “So big — and so frightened of a bit of rain and a pussycat. Why don’t you fight back? Or are you as soft as a marshmallow?”
The Bull’s Warning
Buster stayed perfectly still. He endured the sharp jabs of the goat’s horns and the stinging insults, his eyes fixed on the mouth of the cave.
At last he spoke, in a low rumbling voice that set the loose pebbles on the floor trembling.
“Little goat. Do not mistake my stillness for weakness. I am not putting up with your bullying because I am afraid of you. I am standing still because there is a lion out there who is a great deal hungrier than you are annoying.”
He turned his head just far enough to look Gideon in the eye.
“Enjoy your little game while it lasts. But remember this. Storms always pass. And when that lion goes, I shall teach you a lesson in respect that you will feel in your tail for a week.”
Gideon froze.
He looked at the lion’s shadow outside. Then he looked back at Buster’s enormous, powerful neck. And all at once the cave felt very small indeed, and his bravery felt very foolish.
The Sun Returns
Eventually the rain stopped, and Leo the lion, bored and wet, wandered off to find easier prey.
As the first ray of sunlight reached the cave floor, Buster took a deep breath and stepped towards the middle of the room.
Gideon did not wait to see what came next. He scurried into the darkest corner and stood there shivering, having learned that it is a very dangerous thing indeed to poke a sleeping giant — especially one who is already having a bad day.
The Moral of the Story: It is a mean and cowardly thing to take advantage of somebody when they are in trouble. Just because a person cannot answer you back today does not mean they will forget how you treated them.