The little tiger with a big temper.
A story of mindfulness,
Meditation,
And conscious communication.
Written by Shetem Here and illustrated by Tania Meneke.
Tootles was a tiger cub who loved to laugh with joy.
But on this day he woke up like a very grumpy boy.
He didn't want to dance or play or give his mama a kiss.
His claws were scratchy,
His tail twitchy,
And all he'd say was hiss.
When his mama offered breakfast,
He lay down on the floor.
He kicked and cried,
I don't want breakfast anymore.
His papa asked for a high five,
But Tootles scowled.
I'm going to the river when nobody is allowed.
That little tiger cub was in an almighty huff.
He stamped and he stomped till he ran out of puff.
And then when he wasn't sure what else to do,
He sat beside the water,
Feeling rather blue.
Pippin the gibbon was up high in a tree.
I think I can help him,
She thought.
Let me see.
She swung down and gave his shoulder a tap,
Until Tootles turned and roared,
Who is that?
With all the courage that she could muster,
Pippin squeaked,
It seems that you're in a fluster.
I am,
Grumbled Tootles.
I'm in no mood for fun.
That's okay,
She said.
I just wondered why you're glum.
He stretched his stripy legs and let out a toothy yawn.
His little face now looked so very tired and forlorn.
Last night,
I didn't sleep well.
I had a scary dream.
Maybe that's the reason why I am feeling mean.
Aha,
Pippin said.
I understand you feeling cranky.
I've had nightmares about losing my blankie.
It's okay to have this mood,
And it likely won't last long.
It doesn't make you bad,
Nor does it make you wrong.
She sat beside him,
Patted his big furry paw,
And asked if he would like to learn a mindful pause.
Tootles' ears pricked up,
Curious about this new thing.
It's easy,
She smiled.
Just describe what you're feeling.
All was quiet,
While the tiger sat deep in thought.
And then,
When he was ready,
He began to talk.
My feet want to stomp,
And my head feels stormy.
My chest has a growl,
And my nails feel like clawing.
I understand,
Said Pippin.
But never you fear.
You have a good friend in me,
And I am right here.
I can teach you a way to use your breath,
To help you feel calm,
And put your mind at rest.
Tell me,
Tootles said,
Keen to learn a cool new trick.
Okay,
Agreed Pippin.
Let's find a comfy place to sit.
So beneath a grand old tree,
Tootles snuggled his bum.
Now count to four in your head,
Using air to fill your tum.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Tootles took a deep breath in.
Now,
Slowly let the air out,
Said the clever Gibbon Pippin.
Tootles was confused.
He asked his friend.
Is that all?
Yes,
It's very simple,
She said.
Shall we do some more?
She said.
Shall we do some more?
Let's practice with Tootles.
Put your hand on your tummy and feel it expand with air like a balloon,
As you take a deep breath in through your nose.
Pause.
Now exhale through your mouth.
We'll do this four times.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
The friends sat quietly,
Taking big breaths in and out.
Cool air in their noses and warm out their mouths.
Just like two balloons,
Their bellies filled with air.
And with each breath,
Change began to happen there.
Tootles started to feel that this still moment was a gift.
He noticed beauty around him that made his spirit lift.
The sun warming his back,
The cool breeze in the air,
Birdsong in the trees and insects buzzing everywhere.
Hey!
I'm not grumpy!
Tootles leapt up in surprise.
Pippin winked at him.
I guess that makes me wise.
You can use this trick morning,
Afternoon or night,
Especially if you're grumpy or just not feeling right.
Tootles did a dance.
Thank you,
My friend Pippin.
Instead of running from me,
You took time to listen.
Now that his grisly mood had gone away,
Tootles had an important thing left to do today.
With his tail between his legs,
Trying to be brave,
He tiptoed in to find his family in the cave.
I'm sorry,
He said.
I'm not so nice when in a grump.
His mama said,
His mama said,
We love you even when you're in a funk.
Then they had a cuddle and all three tigers grinned.
As they sat down to their breakfast,
High-fived and got stuck in.
