The O'Possum and the Lion

Ovi O’Possum was born afraid.  Since his father was eaten by a fearsome mountain lion when Ovi was very young, he did nothing but fear that something would come along and gobble him up too, or take him away into the deep dark forest somewhere, never to be seen again. That particular lion was known as the most feared of all the predators because he was the sneakiest and most cunning of all.  So, since Ovi knew that mountain lions don’t like to eat something that has already died, he practiced all day, everyday on playing dead.  He would wake up in the morning and lay himself down in the field, making sure he never moved a muscle, never making a sound.  Even when he was young, he was so good at faking his own death that his mother cried at least once a week thinking she had lost her only son.  He continued to practice everyday, neglecting his mother and friends, just so he could lie in the field as still and quiet as possible.  He grew older, into the prime of his life, and was by far the best death-faker around, but his mother had died of old age and his friends had left him some time ago, and he was alone.  Then, the other possums started to be picked off, one by one, and taken away into the forest by the same fearsome mountain lion that had come that way many years before, the same one which had eaten Ovi’s father.  And Ovi grew scared again, but knew that he could outwit the lion by doing what he did best- playing dead.  Then one day, the mountain lion happen upon Ovi when Ovi least expected it, but the lion did not eat him, he just looked at him and passed by.  Ovi was extremely thankful but surprised.  Why hadn’t the hungry lion eaten him?  He wasn’t even playing dead.  The next day, two more possums were taken away into the forest and never seen again.  Ovi grew nervous because he knew that eventually the mountain lion, who was the sneakiest, most cunning mountain lion around, would come for him, and if he wasn’t careful, would surely eat him as well.  A week passed, and Ovi was now the only possum left.  He was terrified.  Surely he was next.  Then a month went by.  Then two months.  Then a year.  Still no lion.  Many years ended up passing before the mountain lion returned.  Ovi was still the only possum left because everyone else had been eaten and he had never found the time to have a family of his own.  Finally, he ran into the lion again, but again the lion did not eat him.  “Why don’t you eat me lion? I am the only possum left!” Ovi shouted, in an almost jealous rage.  The lion simply said, “It is because you are already dead, possum.  You were never alive to begin with.”  The lion walked away again, and Ovi was left on his own.  He died sometime later, still and quiet, alone in the field.