The Clever Parrot and the Laid Back Cat

In ancient times two unlikely friends lived in the forest.

One was a parrot with flaming yellow feathers named Apollo after the Sun God. The other was a cat named

Pardus which means Panther, Though in reality he was nothing like a Panther.

These friends were as different as night and day.

Apollo the parrot was ever alert. Perching high in the trees, he kept a keen eye on everything

that moved below. If he spotted a human hunter sneaking through the bushes or a tiger stealthily prowling the

undergrowth, he would flap his wings and squawk at the top of his lungs.

Emergency, emergency danger in sight!

At this signal, all the forest creatures, deer, rabbits, squirrels, and even the slower moving tortoises

would scamper, scuttle, or crawl to safety as fast as their legs, paws or shells would carry them.

Pardus, on the other hand, was more of a take it easy kind of cat.

He spent his days lazily chasing butterflies,

taking long leisurely naps under the shade of a tree. and occasionally attempting to catch his tail. But as the saying goes, opposites attract.

Apollo was quiet, the chatterbox, always bubbling with stories and observations. From his high perch he had a bird's eye view of the world and he loved nothing more than sharing all the wonders he had seen with Pardus. The rainbows, the stars, the

silvery moon, and even the towering walls of the nearby city.

He also liked to drop in references to his triumphs,

mentioning stories of when he saved the day by spotting predators from afar.

To tell you the truth, he was quite a big-headed parrot regarding his own merits.

Pardus for his part perfectly played the part of the most attentive listener.

He would fold back his ears and now and then he would purr appreciatively.

Fascinating, simply fascinating.

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