Anga sucked in air through his nostrils. They flared as the new air rushed in to greet his lungs. He was pathetic right now. He played around in the water too much and forgot to hunt for fish. How could he forget to eat? I mean really… Anga loved eating. That was pretty much all he did: sleep and eat. He flipped over onto his back. His tongue lulled out as his imagination created dancing zebras flying in front of him. He pawed the air in an attempt to catch one. Man, zebra’s sure did fly fast. They gathered not too far from his reach, laughing at him. Those stupid zebras were taunting him. They knew Anga couldn’t get them. Well, they weren’t real, but still. Even if they were, he didn’t have enough energy to jump up and eat them anyway. Whatever, they weren’t worth it. He’ll find something else to munch on. Well… if there really is something to eat. Anga didn’t think he’d have the energy to swim. Swimming took a lot out of Anga. He was still new and not used to the life style. One day he’ll be the master of the water. Sailing through the water like a bird rips through the clouds. Though, for now, the only thing moving was the black dots swarming in his vision. Welp. That was it. Anga was dying. Why else would there by black dots in his eyes? His eyes must be shriveling up and turning into raisins.
A loud croak pierced his contemplation of death. Anga flopped his head over to the direction of the noise. A large toad rested in some warm mud near the water’s edge. It was basking in the warmed mud between some large grass stems. Oh, man. Anga’s tongue rolled over and landed on the ground. He lapped at the dirt, just thinking about eating the toad. Under any other circumstance, it would be gross, but a starving lion wasn’t picky. He lifted his head off the ground and pulled his body into a sitting position. It took a lot of power just to do that, but he managed. The prospects of food kept Anga going. He wiped a paw over his tongue to get the dirt off. See, he was so out of it that he didn’t even taste the dirt. Anga just didn’t like the texture. He didn’t need grit in his mouth to distract him from the toad--which, presently, didn’t know there was a hungry lion with its eyes trained on it. Anga braced himself to leap on the toad. He needed to hit it in one leap. If it got away, he’d be screwed. Anga didn’t have enough in him to chase after it. Hopefully, it won’t get spooked into the water. He hunkered down and with the last strength in his legs, sprung on the toad and pinned it down with his massive paws. He plucked the toad up to examine it. Really, the toad was gross, but Anga couldn’t be picky. He dropped it down his throat and got it down in one big gulp. If he thought about it too much, he might gag.
It was helping. The toad definitely brought Anga’s spirits back. His body was starting to respond like normal. Oh, yeah. He won’t die. Though, now he needed something more. Fish would be great. Anga walked over to the edge of the lake. He peered over the shallow water and spotted a school of minnows circling the little grass. It wasn’t much, but he could make a meal out of a few of them. Anga slowly crept into the water. He moved extremely slow, barely disrupting the water with his movements. He lowered his head into the water. It was shallow enough that his lower jaw touched the ground before the water reached his nose. Anga thought he’ll be pretty clever with this trick. He noticed a few turtles doing something similar. What? Anga could learn. He opened his jaw, but kept the lower part submerged. He’ll remain completely still and let the fish come to him. When enough of them wandered too close, he’ll snap his jaw closed, trapping the minnows inside. Though, the hardest part will be waiting. Anga wasn’t good at being patient, but he didn’t have the energy to dive into the water for bigger prey.
So he sat. A few fish swam close, but never close enough. He continued to wait. Anga had to be sitting there for a least 20 minutes before the minnows were brave enough to explorer deeper. A few skirted between his teeth, never staying long enough. He needed to fight the urge to chomp down. The fish had to stay, become comfortable. It didn’t take long before multiple fish danced along his tongue, unaware that they were about to be lunch. Anga resisted the tickling sensation. It took all his strength not to move. Oh, the temptation was there, but not yet. His patience was rewarded. A couple bigger minnows chased off the smaller ones to claim the new home. For all they knew, it was a nice cave to escape from the dangers in the lake. Oh, how wrong they were. Anga didn’t waste any time clamping his jaws together. He lifted his head out of the water to allow the water to drain through his teeth. The minnows trapped inside thrashed around his mouth. They panicked and tried to focus themselves to follow the water. However, they were too large. Anga turned around and climbed back on to the dry grass. He dumped his catch onto the ground and quickly laid down and corralled the fish between his arms. He had about 5 small fish and two large ones. Well, they weren’t that big, but enough for a snack. Even though he was starving, he’ll save the bigger ones for the pride. He lapped up the smaller ones as his reward for the hunt. Yeah, Anga certainly did well. Not bad for a half dead lion.
Anga bent down and took the remaining two fish in his jaws. He stood up and walked towards the higher land. His pride laid just over the way and Anga will deliver his share. It wasn’t much, but at least he had something. He’ll rest and then try again for something bigger. His tail swooshed behind him as he jogged away from the lake.
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