It was on the first day of the June holidays.Tom's father,Thomas,had promised to bring him and his sister,Sue,to the zoo.They had packed their bags,each containing a bottle of water and some sandwiches.All of them then grabbed their bags and got into the car,with their hearts pounding with excitement.However,little did they know what was about to happen to them that day will leave a huge impact on their lives for a long time.
When they reached the zoo,they were greeted by a talking parrot.
"Hello!How are you?"said the parrot.
Tom was amazed!He never thought that parrots could speak.That moment,Sue suggested that they should see the lions.Lions were Sue's favourite animals,they have always been able to fascinate her with their giant teeth and furry mane.Both Tom and Thomas agreed with Sue and off they went to the lion's enclosure.As they were walking towards the lion's enclosure,they heard a loud roar.
"Wow!Did you hear that?The lion must be getting hungry!"Tom exclaimed.
There were many people gathering around the enclosure,all watching the King of the Beasts,in awe.Others were snapping as many pictures as they could,of the majestic creature.Tom, obviously over-excited ,was jumping up and down,leaning against the fence of the enclosure.His father had warned him not to lean against the railing of the enclosure as it was dangerous,but unfortunately,Tom just ignored his father's advice.Tom lived to regret not heeding his father's advice as when he was jumpimg up and down,he suddenly lost his balance and slipped into the enclosure of the hungry lion through the railings.
As Tom panicked,the stunned crowd started screaming.Their screams were heart-stopping and ear-piercing.Tom,who was trying to stand on his two feet,broke out in cold sweat.The lion, however,only had one word on its mind-dinner!It was about to run and pounce on onto Tom,until a zookeeper held a chicken on a rod in front of the lion's nose.The lion immediately recognised the smell of fresh food and changed targets.
Meanwhile,one of the many stunned passer-bys called the police to the site.The very hungry lion,suddenly caught hold of the chicken dangling in the air and swallowed it whole.It was however,still hungry and determined to eat Tom.
As it swallowed approached Tom,Tom slowly backed off as his heart skipped a beat.The lion let out a huge roar,which was followed by a loud thud and then dead silence.Tom thought that he was already dead.That moment,the crowd led out a cheer,while others heaved a sigh of relief.Tom then opened his eyes and saw the lion motionless on the ground.He immediately got out of the enclosure with some help from his father and gave him a tearful hug.
"I'll remember to listen to your advice next time!"a tearful Tom said.
His dad then went over to thank the zookeeper for saving Tom's life.Tom then realised that it was the zookeeper who had shot the lion with a stun gun.Tom then also gratefully thanked the zookeeper who had saved him.Tom hoped to be able to one day do him a good turn.By then,the policemen had arrived,along with the press,looking to make some news.At the end of the day,Tom was happy to still have his life.
