The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal and The Crow

Once upon a "what's the time again?" in a jungle more colorful than a bowl of fruit loops, there was a lion. Not just any lion, oh no! This was the lion who was the Mayor of Party Town. He even had a crown made of twigs and berries, and he wore it like he was born to be royal.

His BFFs were a leopard faster than a toy race car, a jackal who was cleverer than a puzzle, and a crow with jokes so funny even the trees were laughing.

One groovy day, a camel with feet as floppy as pancakes showed up. "New friend alert!" cheered the lion. "VIP treatment for our new buddy. No chomping, got it?"

So, the camel started enjoying the jungle jamboree, fitting in like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle.

But then—dun, dun, dun!—our lion king had a wrestling match with an elephant and ended up with a paw more bruised than a banana. "Hey team," he moaned, "I'm feeling as flat as a pancake. Any chance you could snag us some grub?"

The leopard tried to dash, the jackal tried to scheme, and the crow did his aerial comedy routine to lure in some food. But nope! Zilch! They found as much food as you'd find on a treasure map—none!

As the sun did its disappearing act, they all gathered, scratching their furry and feathery heads. "I've got an idea," said the jackal, "but it's the 'break glass in case of emergency' sort."

They wandered over to the camel and said, "Look here, you're the new guy, and in the jungle, we have traditions. Our big boss is feeling low. We're thinking of a dramatic meal plan. Starting with you."

The camel looked a little shaky but nodded. "Alrighty then! If it's dinner theater we're doing, let's put on a show."

Putting on his bravest smile, the camel walked up to the lion and said, "Sir Roars-a-lot, how about turning me into a camel smoothie to get your groove back?"

The lion looked at the camel and for a moment, his eyes got misty. "You, my friend, are the cat's pajamas, the bee's knees, the whole shebang!"

And so, with a heavy heart, they had their meal. The lion got his groove back, and the jungle continued being the happiest, wildest place around. And everyone understood that sometimes being a friend means making the tough calls, even when it's a real noodle-scratcher.

In a burst of color, vibrant and bright,
Lived a lion mayor, pure delight!
He wore a crown, oh so fine,
Of twigs and berries, in a line.

His pals were many, and each unique:
Leopard speedy, crow who'd speak
Jokes that made the whole woods giggle,
And jackal, whose clever plans would wriggle.

Along came camel, feet all wobbly,
The lion cheered, "Join our party!
Stay with us, dance and sing,
For in this jungle, fun’s the thing!"

But, oh dear! One twist of fate,
Lion bruised his paw, oh so late!
"Help, dear friends," he softly sighed,
"Find some food, spread out wide."

Leopard ran, jackal thought,
Crow tried jokes, but food? They got naught!
When darkness fell, ideas grew thin,
Jackal whispered, "Here's a plan to begin."

To camel, they said, with faces long,
"In our jungle, there's a song.
Our leader's weak, needs strength anew,
Camel, could the answer be you?"

Camel gulped, nodded, "Alright,
If it helps Lion, I’m in sight.
I’ll be brave, for our king's sake,
A camel treat, he shall partake."

Lion looked at Camel and spoke from his core,
"You, my friend, are worth much more.
In friendship’s test, you pass, you see,
But we'll dine this night, as it's meant to be."

And so they did, for needs must,
In friendship strong and jungle trust.
Though it was a choice so sad to make,
In the jungle, sometimes that's the stake.