Tilly, a curious young tiger cub with bright blue eyes, paced around the den, an energetic bundle of fur and stripes. Her mother, the wise and weary tigress, watched with a fond smile. Though still a youngster, Tilly had already developed an insatiable appetite for exploration and adventure.
Today, however, was different. Glancing up at a clock on the wall, the tigress sighed. It was getting late, and she knew that Tilly needed her rest. But how could she persuade her daughter to stay in bed when she was so clearly full of energy?
Suddenly, a thought popped into her head. She looked back down at Tilly and smiled.
"I have an idea," she purred. "Let's play a game of hide-n-seek outside the den. You can go first!"
Her mother told her the rules: one person must count to ten while the other person hides. If the finder finds the hider, then they win; if the hider remains unseen, then they win. Without hesitation, Tilly volunteered to hide first. She felt a tingling in her stomach as she left their den and was met with an unfamiliar sight - small lights twinkling like stars in the night sky. In wonderment, she asked her mother what they were and was informed that they were navigational aids to guide travellers away from dangerous ground during dark hours.
Tilly impatiently waited for her mother's countdown and listened as it rose from one to ten. She carefully picked her way off the path into nearby bushes and held her breath. After what felt like an eternity, a voice proclaimed, "Ready or not - here I come." She could hear rustling through the bush, then nothing. The silence stretched on until she couldn't take it any longer.
Tilly lay still, trying to make her small frame as invisible as possible among the waving blades of grass and wildflowers. She heard her mother's voice calling for her in the distance and held her breath. Taking a quick peek between two pieces of tall grass, she saw her mother searching with narrowed eyes, but thankfully not find the spot where Tilly was hidden. When her mother's call had faded away, Tilly was ready to leap from her cover when her mother's laugh sounded again right behind her. "Found you!" she said. Tilly emerged sheepishly from the meadow and was met with a smile from her mother.
She congratulated Tilly on her victory, before suggesting that it was now time for the roles to be reversed: "You must shut your eyes when counting," said her mother before disappearing into the undergrowth. Tilly stood still and counted to ten ("One, Two, Three, Four") feeling proud that she had been able to hide so well this time. When she reached the end of her count, she heard a voice announce "Coming, if you're ready or not!"
Tilly sniffed the ground, her nostrils twitching and quivering for any hint of her mother's scent. She looked between trees and peered into crevices, poked around in long grass, and even tipped her head towards the dark mouth of a cave, but there was no sign of her. Then she glanced up at the night sky, guiding stars twinkling like beacons, and they pointed her to the far side of the clearing where a dense wood began. Finally, Tilly spotted a creature tucked away behind a gnarled bush, its fur peppered with grey.
"Found you!" exclaimed Tilly as she bounded towards it. Her mother smiled approvingly and took off in the direction of their den. Tilly began to feel very sleepy as they strolled back to the safety of the den. Till could barely keep her eyes open as walked along her mother, "Nearly there she smiled."
Each night, to get her energetic daughter to sleep, Tilly and her mother headed out into the darkness under the light of the moon. The two would race around the yard, with Tilly chasing fireflies in a game of hide-and-seek as her mother's giggles filled the air. As bedtime drew near, they'd recline on the grass together to gaze at the shooting stars that streaked across the sky like shooting comets. These evenings became an adventure for Tilly, one she cherished and would remember fondly forever. At last Tilly would cease her romping and snuggle between her mother's paws, before drifting off to sleep. THE END!
