Comic Story
Panel 1
Deep in the sun-drenched forest, King Tiger lazed beneath the boughs of an ancient oak. Life had grown quiet, his days filled with idle slumber and forgotten ambitions.
Panel 2
A thought flickered in his mind – his clever nephew, Fox the Scholar, had become a recluse. 'What schemes are brewing behind those closed doors?' Tiger wondered, a seed of suspicion taking root.
Panel 3
With a rumble in his chest, Tiger marched towards Fox's dwelling, his footsteps heavy on the forest floor. "Nephew!" he bellowed. "Come out and greet your Uncle!"
Panel 4
The door creaked open, revealing Fox (character: Fox the Scholar) – thin, weary, and with eyes that gleamed with an unnerving intelligence. "Uncle?" he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "To what do I owe this… unexpected visit?"
Panel 5
"Why are you always cooped up?" Tiger grumbled, his gaze sweeping over Fox's gaunt frame. "Are you ill, Nephew? Or are you hiding something from your King?"
Panel 6
Fox chuckled, a dry, rattling sound. "Research, Uncle!" he declared. "I am on the cusp of a discovery that will shake the very foundations of our world! Like how humans traverse to the moon!"
Panel 7
"The… moon?" Tiger stammered, his mind struggling to comprehend. "Are there… deer up there? Fat, juicy moon-deer, ripe for the taking?"
Panel 8
"Indeed, Uncle!" Fox confirmed, his voice dripping with honeyed persuasion. "A land of endless bounty, where the moon-deer roam free, untouched by predators!"
Panel 9
"Take me with you!" Tiger roared, his eyes gleaming with avarice. "I must see this moon-deer paradise with my own eyes!"
Panel 10
"Alas, Uncle, the machine is not yet complete," Fox lamented, feigning regret. "It can only transport one at a time. But perhaps… you could go first?"
Panel 11
"But of course!" Tiger declared, puffing out his chest. "A few chickens are a small price to pay for such a grand adventure!", Fox requested, "To finish the machine, could you send me a chicken daily?"
Panel 12
Weeks turned into a month, and Tiger, filled with anticipation, returned to Fox's dwelling. "Is it ready, Nephew? Is the moon-machine ready to carry me to paradise?"
Panel 13
"Tonight, Uncle!" Fox announced, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Tonight, under the full moon's radiant glow, you shall embark on your celestial journey!"
Panel 14
"These are for protection, Uncle," Fox explained, tying a cloth over Tiger's eyes and helping him into the sack. "Fairies and spirits guard the path to the moon. It is safer to travel blind."
Panel 15
"You are now within the moon-machine, Uncle!" Fox declared, securing the sack tightly. "Remain still, and do not speak, lest the delicate machinery be disrupted!"
Panel 16
With a mighty heave, Fox hoisted the sack onto a sturdy branch, tied it fast, and shouted, "Blast off!", Tiger thought he felt himself flying towards the moon!
Panel 17
Suddenly - CRACK! The branch gave way, sending Tiger plummeting to the earth with a resounding thud. 'This must be the landing!' he thought. Tiger lost consciousness.
Panel 18
The next day, Tiger awoke, groggy and disoriented. He looked around, bewildered. 'Wait… this is still my kingdom? The forest I always lived in?'
Panel 19
Understanding dawned, sharp and bitter. Fox had tricked him! Enraged, Tiger stormed to Fox's house, only to find it abandoned. His sneaky nephew had vanished!
Panel 20
"Hmph!" Tiger muttered, gazing at the moon, a mix of anger and grudging admiration in his voice. "He tricked me, and went to the moon all by himself!"
Panel 21
And so, whenever Tiger looked up at the moon, he would say, "Look! See that little shadow? That must be my Nephew - Fox the Scholar - happily roaming on the moon!"