Zafar didn’t care much about what his parents advised him. He did whatever he liked. His parents were constantly worried about his tantrums and ill-mannered behaviour. They tried to change him for the better, but they always failed, especially when he got into trouble because he ignored their advice.

One day, Zafar went out to play with his neighbourhood friends. It was raining heavily. Lightning flashed across the sky, and the children played joyfully in the rain. The sky was darkened by thick clouds and it was getting even darker as evening approached. Their concerned parents had warned the kids to be home before nightfall.

As evening approached, the other kids left for home, but Zafar stayed behind in the playground, continuing to play. One of his friends reminded him that it was dangerous to stay out late, especially since there would be no one around, and the playground was near the forest. But Zafar didn’t take heed of this advice.

Zafar continued playing with his football, enjoying the rain. The playground was in a secluded area, rarely visited by anyone, especially after dark, and it was close to the forest, which was home to many dangerous animals. The rain was pouring so heavily that visibility was minimal.

Zafar had never believed the stories about animal attacks. He was simply too careless, despite knowing that there were dangerous animals lurking in the forest, waiting for their prey.

He was playing with his football when suddenly he heard a loud cracking sound coming from the forest. A chilling sensation washed over him, and he felt as if someone was watching him. He became cautious.

He had a dreadful feeling that something bad was about to happen. He was on high alert, ready to run. He wondered if it was a cheetah, lion or wolf. He knew he couldn’t outrun them. He had to find another way to save himself. He peered deeper into the forest where the noise had come from. Suddenly, his eyes caught two gleaming lights in the darkness. His heart raced. It was a wolf, standing a short distance away!

He screamed and ran as fast as he could. The gate of the playground was far, but there was a tree in front of him. He managed to climb it just in time.

The wolf chased after him. When it saw Zafar climb the tree, it stood beneath it and gave a loud howl. In no time, a pack of wolves surrounded the tree. Zafar’s heart was racing. He was on the verge of fainting from fear. He screamed for help.

The rain had stopped now, but there was no sign of any human nearby. Helpless, he began to weep. He remembered everything his parents had told him and cried even harder. It was so foolish of him to ignore their advice.

Back home, parents were very worried that Zafar had not returned. They had a gut feeling that their son might be in trouble, especially since it was getting dark and the rain had stopped.

His father, along with some of his neighbourhood friends, arrived at the playground. When they saw the wolves, they were stunned to see the animals circling around a tree. This meant there was prey up there — and that prey was Zafar.

Zafar’s father and his friends lit a fire to scare the wolves away and blew loud whistles, which finally caused the wolves to run off. Zafar was rescued just in time. He was exhausted and ashamed for not having obeyed his parents.

As he was helped down from the tree, he immediately hugged his father and cried. Zafar had learnt a valuable lesson about always listening to what parents said, and it would stay with him for life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 23rd, 2024