The Injured Man in the Box
Tharlor and his friends—Tree, Cheetah, Hippo, and Eagle—approached the strange carriage with a mix of fear and sadness. The horse tied to the box looked exhausted and broken.
"How could anyone be so heartless?" Tharlor whispered.
He stepped closer, his voice filled with concern.
"Why are you tied up like this?" he asked. "Who did this to you?"
The questions poured from his mouth, but the horse only stared—astonished.
No human had ever spoken to him before. His master only communicated through whips and pain. Words were never used—only punishment. But this boy... this boy spoke—and somehow, the horse understood.
The horse finally replied, bewildered,
"Where are we? Who are you all? My boss is in the carriage… injured. He's a man—like you," he said, pointing at Tharlor. "But… cruel."
Tharlor's heart skipped.
"A man? Like me?" he shouted, eyes wide with joy. "My name is Tharlor!"
Without hesitation, he rushed to the carriage and flung the door open.
What he saw made him freeze.
Inside lay a man—his face shockingly similar to Tharlor's.
"Help!" Tharlor cried out.
His friends rushed over—they had already untied the horse.
"We need to treat his wounds," Tharlor said.
Gently, they lifted the man onto Hippo's back and began the journey home.
When they arrived, they laid the man down carefully and treated his injuries with forest herbs. While he slept, the group gathered nearby to discuss what they'd learned.
The horse shared more about the outside world—a world full of humans.
The forest friends listened in fascination. But their wonder soon turned to fear as the horse described how humans enslaved animals, worked them without mercy, and those that failed were killed—boiled, burned, and eaten.
A heavy silence followed.
Suddenly, Cheetah broke it.
"That means man is a threat. Let's kill him before he wakes up and kills us!"
The others murmured in agreement—even the horse.
But just as they prepared to strike, Tharlor stepped in front of the sleeping man.
"No," he said firmly.
"Why should we kill him? He's harmless—at least according to the horse. Maybe he's escaping from his cruel kind. Let's give him a chance to explain. He hasn't hurt anyone. If we kill him while he sleeps, that makes us the evil ones."
The others fell silent and slowly nodded in agreement—all except the horse, who still looked doubtful.
"Nothing good comes from man," he muttered.
But Hippo reassured him:
"If he tries anything stupid, I'll just sit on him."
With a few laughs and eased tension, the group set off to gather fruit. The horse stayed behind but marveled at the kindness around him. Even on the way to the fruit grove, animals they passed offered him gifts—fruit, smiles, and gentle words.
"They act more human than the humans I've known," the horse thought to himself, touched by their hospitality.
By the time they returned, the man had awakened.
He blinked, disoriented, confused by the strange, peaceful forest around him.
He remembered nothing—just the pain, the darkness, and then waking here.
But as he took in the green canopy and gentle river nearby, a small smile crept onto his face.
"Maybe… just maybe… I've made it," he whispered.
"And soon—I'll beco
me the biggest, richest, and most powerful man in the world."