The Admiral is out for her morning walk with Alfie.

Good morning, William. Where's your fairy friend today?

Curled up at home, I'm afraid. He's not feeling himself.

Yes, Alfie, it is a worry.

You don't say, a 24-hour vet line?

Wow.

With Admiral Pet Insurance, you get Poor Squad, which means impartial advice from vets on Speed Dial.

And if you cover more than one pet on our multi-pet policy, you get a 15% discount.

Admiral, always looking out for you.

These aren't the stories your mother told you.

No, these are the other stories.

The Lion's Cradle, a short story, written by Daniel Wilcox, narrated by Ian McEwen.

We think we know it all.

Us humans with our encyclopedias, machines, and handguns.

Find a threat, pull the trigger, and poof, gone.

Danger is just a mere blip on our radar, and all it takes is a button push to

extinguish the light. Nancy slept quietly in her cradle. A hand-fashioned thing, not dissimilar from

a hammock, yet wider and more durable, able to stretch to a length of close to

20 foot long, 10 foot wide, and still keep a stable base. A tent on strings, if you will. Her sleepy

snores were lost amongst the ambiance of the surrounding jungle. Amidst the chirps, rustles, and grunts, Nancy became nothing more than a floating invisibility.

The cradle camouflaged, dark in the deep of night.

She had fallen swiftly into sleep that evening.

...