Cheetah and Deer Short Story

This is a true story that happened some time in 1999. One evening I switched on the TV and sat on the sofa. The TV had the Animal Channel running in it. My year and a half old daughter came holding her doll in her hands and with her eyes locked on to the TV.

I curiously watched her climb the empty sofa. She sat next to me after a laborious climb, taking about 30 seconds to accomplish the feat because her head was locked on to the TV screen and the seat of the sofa was as high as her shoulders.

Instead of sitting on it, she climbed over both sofa handles, without falling in between the two sofa's, despite doing all this, with her eyes fixed on the TV all the while.

Finally, she settled in my lap. Now, I had my doll in my lap and she had her doll in her lap.

The Animal Channel was on the TV and a Cheetah was chasing a spotted Deer. She watched the whole chase that lasted only few seconds. Then the Slow motion of the whole thing was shown again. She watched that very intently till the end.

My daughter pointed at the Cheetah and said, "Why beeeg cat run?"

I said, "The big cat wants to catch the Deer."

My daughter said again with a hand gesture, "Why?"

I said, "The Cheetah wants to catch the Deer."

My daughter said again with her hand gesture almost permanently there, "Why?"

I replied, "Because the Cheetah wants to eat the Deer."

She thought for a while and again asked with the same hand gesture, "Why?"

I said, "Because Cheetah is hungry?

She thought for two seconds and asked with the same hand gesture, "Why?"

I replied, "Because the Cheetah is running."

My daughter asked again after two seconds, "Why?"

I said, "Because the big cat wants to catch the deer."

My Doll, "Why?"

I said, "Because the Cheetah wants to eat the deer."

My Doll, "Why?"

I replied, "Because the big cat is hungry."

My Doll, "Why?"

I said, "Because the big cat was running so hard it is tired and hungry."

Once again she asked, "Why?"

I said, "Because the big cat wants to catch the deer."

Once again my Doll said, "Why?"

I said, "Because the big cat wants to eat the deer."

My Doll, "Why?"

I said, "Because the big cat is hungry."

My Doll said yet again, "Why?"

I said, "Because the big cat is running."

And this endless WHY loops continued a few more times till I felt some water drops fall on my forearm.

I leaned forward and looked at her. She was crying as the Cheetah had already killed the deer was feasting on the carcass.

I switched off the TV, picked her up and the two of us went out for a walk, to change the scene. She walked in slow motion, holding my fingers with one hand and had her doll in the other.

As we went past another house, a black and white colored domestic Cat sat on the corridors of the house, with its eyes locked my daughter or probably on her doll, turning its head slowly, as we walked past.

I realized that my daughter too had her eyes locked on the cat.

Then, she pointed at the Cat and asked shaking her head sideways, "Why Cat no run?"

I changed the subject and said, "Shall we go to shop and buy a Chocolate?"

Her eyes broke the lock on the cat. Her face brightened up. A chocolate at the shop ensured that I had no more Why's coming my way and no more tears rolling down my daughter's cheeks. This short story is a true story.

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