A wealthy man set off to a safari in Kenya. He brought along his faithful dog, Rex, for company. The two of them drove out in their jeep every day– excited about what they would see.

One afternoon, Rex started chasing butterflies and before long realised he had strayed far away from his owner. He was lost. Wandering about, he started retracing his steps when he spied a leopard prowling toward him.

“I’m in trouble, that leopard wants lunch,” the dog thought.

Just as he was about to start running, the dog noticed some bones on the heath and had a burst of inspiration. He plopped down instantly and started gnawing the bones with loud growls and slurps.

Guessing that the leopard behind him was probably about to pounce, the dog exclaimed, “That was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around.”

The leopard halted in his tracks. Terrified, he slinked away into the trees.

“Phew,” the leopard said, “that was close. That dog nearly had me.”

A monkey watching the whole scene from a tree promptly made his way to the leopard. He understood the dog’s trick and decided he would use the truth to his advantage. As the monkey speeded off, Rex heard the trees rustle and saw a long tail swishing through the leaves. Rex suspected something was amiss.

The savage leopard was seething when it heard the monkey’s news. In rare camaraderie, the two animals struck a deal.

“I will not eat you monkey because you were good to tell me about the dog’s tricks. He made a fool of me and will pay for it. Here, hop on my back and let’s deal with that conniving canine.”

Rex spotted the leopard approaching. He knew the big cat would outrun him.
“What am I going to do now?”

In a flash, Rex turned away from the predator and sat on his back legs. He stretched, pretending he hadn’t seen anyone and waited until his attacker was close enough to hear him.

Then he growled, “Where’s that cheeky monkey. I can never trust him. I sent him half an hour ago to bring me another leopard, and he’s still not back.”

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