How the leopards got their spots
A Sunday School Story
You may not know this, but the leopard was not always spotted. Back when the world was still young, the leopard had the shiniest, silkiest, sleekest, most beautifully unblemished coat of fur in the whole world. The leopard’s fur was so beautiful that it made him haughty and prideful. It also made the other animals feel jealous. This along with the leopard’s attitude created many hostile feelings in the animal kingdom.
The lion with his fabulous mane and his crown as king of the jungle knew that his fur didn’t have the same sheen as the leopard. The tiger with his bright orange coat and black stripes knew his fur wasn’t as sleek as the leopard’s. The cheetah’s fur was definitely sleek, but lacked the shine that leopard’s had.
One day the other cats got together and decided to invite the leopard and his family to dinner.
The leopard accepted, and on the appointed day arrived at dinner with his wife and their eight children. All the members of the cat family were gathered around the table, the leopards at the head with all eyes on them.
The lion stood and in a great grumble, cleared his throat. “As the king of the jungle, it is my honor to have gathered the other members of the cat family together to celebrate the leopards. They undoubtedly have the shiniest, sleekest, silkiest, most beautifully unblemished coat of fur in the animal kingdom.” A great purr went up around the table. The leopards sat a little more proudly in their chairs. “So in honor of your felinity, we serve you this meal.” At that, monkeys appeared with dishes for all of the guests.
Soon all of the cats were eating, drinking and being merry. The leopards had the best time of all. They were the center of attention, and everyone complimented them on their fine fur.
The end of the evening came too soon for the leopards, but it did come. They extended their thanks, expressing it to the other cats as if they were lowering themselves to talk to those who threw the party and went home. The lion dismissed the other cats with a knowing wink.
Mother leopard woke up first and screamed.
Her husband bolted upright, “What’s wron… Why you’re covered in…”
His wife looked at her once beautiful coat now covered in the same red, blotchy open sores that her husband had and screamed again.
“MOM!” The call came from the children’s room. Both parents ran to the children. The entire family was covered in sores from head to toe.
The children were crying, and mom was going into hysterics. Father leopard had his paws full trying to calm the family down. He couldn’t think with all of the noise and the commotion. Going against his normally quiet demeanor, he shouted, “SHUT UP!”
The family was shocked into silence.
“Good, now let’s just think this through,” said father leopard.
“B-B-B-But our beautiful, unblemished fur… What happened?” Mother leopard was shaking. The children just whimpered.
“Honey, we’ll be fine. All we have to do is, uh, find some help.”
“Where?”
“Man may know what to do.” The father gathered his family, and they walked to the village of man.
When man saw the leopards, he was aghast at their ruined coats. He had always feared the leopards and admired the suppleness of their fur. Now, he only felt pity for them.
“Man, we have come to ask you to help us with our coats,” father leopard said. “We know that you are strong in the healing arts.”
“Come to my home, and I will see what I can do.” The leopards followed man to his home and went inside. Man poked and prodded and stared and touched. “I think I can help you, but you must do exactly as I say, or you will not be fully healed.”
Father leopard agreed to do that which man required.
“Every morning for the next seven mornings, you must go and bathe in the river. If you miss even one morning, the remnants of spots will remain with you forever.”
The leopard family left the house of man and went home.
When morning came, father leopard got his family up and to the river where they bathed. The second morning they went again and again on the third morning.
On the fourth morning, the children began to grumble. “I don’t like bathing in water.” “This is more baths than I have ever had.” “Why can’t we just lick them off?” Father leopard required that they bathe anyway.
On the fifth morning, the sores were no longer open or red. They had begun to scab over. “Man was right; we will have our beautiful, unblemished coats again.” Father was pleased with the results, but the children still complained, and mother was getting grouchy about having to get up so early.
On the sixth morning the sores had become white circles with the black scabs at the fringe. Mother was harder to wake than she had been before, and the children all moved slowly. “What does man know?” Mother said, “The sores would have healed on their own.” Father leopard was able to get the family to the river, but their bathing efforts were without heart.
On the seventh morning only the white and black colors of the healing scars were left. Mother refused to go, and the children followed her lead. They stayed at home. Only father leopard went to the river to wash.
When they awoke on the eighth day, only father leopard’s coat was shiny, sleek, silky and unblemished. The rest of the family still had the remnants of spots just as man had said. Mother and the children went down to the river to wash that morning and each morning after that for the next month, but the spots never went away.
The lion with his fabulous mane and his crown as king of the jungle knew that his fur didn’t have the same sheen as the leopard. The tiger with his bright orange coat and black stripes knew his fur wasn’t as sleek as the leopard’s. The cheetah’s fur was definitely sleek, but lacked the shine that leopard’s had.
One day the other cats got together and decided to invite the leopard and his family to dinner.
The leopard accepted, and on the appointed day arrived at dinner with his wife and their eight children. All the members of the cat family were gathered around the table, the leopards at the head with all eyes on them.
The lion stood and in a great grumble, cleared his throat. “As the king of the jungle, it is my honor to have gathered the other members of the cat family together to celebrate the leopards. They undoubtedly have the shiniest, sleekest, silkiest, most beautifully unblemished coat of fur in the animal kingdom.” A great purr went up around the table. The leopards sat a little more proudly in their chairs. “So in honor of your felinity, we serve you this meal.” At that, monkeys appeared with dishes for all of the guests.
Soon all of the cats were eating, drinking and being merry. The leopards had the best time of all. They were the center of attention, and everyone complimented them on their fine fur.
The end of the evening came too soon for the leopards, but it did come. They extended their thanks, expressing it to the other cats as if they were lowering themselves to talk to those who threw the party and went home. The lion dismissed the other cats with a knowing wink.
Mother leopard woke up first and screamed.
Her husband bolted upright, “What’s wron… Why you’re covered in…”
His wife looked at her once beautiful coat now covered in the same red, blotchy open sores that her husband had and screamed again.
“MOM!” The call came from the children’s room. Both parents ran to the children. The entire family was covered in sores from head to toe.
The children were crying, and mom was going into hysterics. Father leopard had his paws full trying to calm the family down. He couldn’t think with all of the noise and the commotion. Going against his normally quiet demeanor, he shouted, “SHUT UP!”
The family was shocked into silence.
“Good, now let’s just think this through,” said father leopard.
“B-B-B-But our beautiful, unblemished fur… What happened?” Mother leopard was shaking. The children just whimpered.
“Honey, we’ll be fine. All we have to do is, uh, find some help.”
“Where?”
“Man may know what to do.” The father gathered his family, and they walked to the village of man.
When man saw the leopards, he was aghast at their ruined coats. He had always feared the leopards and admired the suppleness of their fur. Now, he only felt pity for them.
“Man, we have come to ask you to help us with our coats,” father leopard said. “We know that you are strong in the healing arts.”
“Come to my home, and I will see what I can do.” The leopards followed man to his home and went inside. Man poked and prodded and stared and touched. “I think I can help you, but you must do exactly as I say, or you will not be fully healed.”
Father leopard agreed to do that which man required.
“Every morning for the next seven mornings, you must go and bathe in the river. If you miss even one morning, the remnants of spots will remain with you forever.”
The leopard family left the house of man and went home.
When morning came, father leopard got his family up and to the river where they bathed. The second morning they went again and again on the third morning.
On the fourth morning, the children began to grumble. “I don’t like bathing in water.” “This is more baths than I have ever had.” “Why can’t we just lick them off?” Father leopard required that they bathe anyway.
On the fifth morning, the sores were no longer open or red. They had begun to scab over. “Man was right; we will have our beautiful, unblemished coats again.” Father was pleased with the results, but the children still complained, and mother was getting grouchy about having to get up so early.
On the sixth morning the sores had become white circles with the black scabs at the fringe. Mother was harder to wake than she had been before, and the children all moved slowly. “What does man know?” Mother said, “The sores would have healed on their own.” Father leopard was able to get the family to the river, but their bathing efforts were without heart.
On the seventh morning only the white and black colors of the healing scars were left. Mother refused to go, and the children followed her lead. They stayed at home. Only father leopard went to the river to wash.
When they awoke on the eighth day, only father leopard’s coat was shiny, sleek, silky and unblemished. The rest of the family still had the remnants of spots just as man had said. Mother and the children went down to the river to wash that morning and each morning after that for the next month, but the spots never went away.