Me, My Panther and I, by Abigail Lette

As a young adept of the art of medicine, I was once asked by my mentor, Nurse Hatched, to gather some herbs needed for poultices.

I set out for the woods and sought ripe specimens, when all of a sudden a juniper shrub began to swish and shake! "It must be a leshen or another monster of some sort, enraged by my insolent theft of the forest’s treasures!" - I thought.

Luckily, it turned out the beast was no leshen, but a little panther!

Full of pity, I decided to share the bread and dried meat I brought in my bundle with the cub.

From that moment on, I brought the panther something to eat every day, and every day it waited for me next to the juniper.

A year passed and the panther grew so big I was afraid to approach it, so I would just throw bits of meat and leave as quickly as possible.

Then a sickness left me bedridden for a month. When I was finally back on my feet, I went to the woods, to the juniper shrub. My beloved panther, now as big as a horse, only roared from afar… I bolted.

Panthers are beautiful animals and they are quite fascinating as well – but I value my life and that is that.