Ako

Getting along with animals isn't easy. It requires training and a special kind of patience, especially when working with predators like leopards and lions. In Egypt, things were going swimmingly: I tamed exotic animals for wealthy families, sometimes working abroad. I'd accumulated a wealth of experience over the years and hadn't encountered any problems. Life was stable.

Until one day, news arrived: the emperor had brought back a tiger cub from distant lands, and after the journey, it had become unruly. I, as the best one, was ordered to "train" it—quietly and delicately, for the beast was a royal gift.

I arrived at the appointed hour in the luxurious chambers, ready for anything—the generosity of the commission obliged. But instead of the beast, I saw only a young man of about seventeen, casually lounging on the couch. He placed his hands on the shoulders of the concubine sitting next to him, and for a moment I even imagined a striped tail flickering in the air. I chalked it up to fatigue.

• Hello, I... "Go ahead," the concubine responded hurriedly , "I've already been notified. I'm leaving you."

Looking around the room, you couldn't help but say: — Where is the tiger cub?

The guy squinted lazily: — In the pi…

The concubine immediately covered his mouth with her hand. "The Emperor... made a slight mistake in the description," she said sheepishly, already heading for the exit. "But it doesn't change the essence. Get to work."