The first thing that happened when they surfaced was the boy’s noisy recovery from having to hold his breath for such a long time. Fortunately the tunnel had not been too long, though it hadn’t been far off, and, upon surfacing, the boy coughed, spluttered and took long deep draughts of air into his lungs. This had the unfortunate effect of attracting the attention of a group of Merlions on the far shore.
They also spotted the Merlion they had followed and so the second thing that happened was that the Merlion they’d followed (who had returned quietly and unseen, just as he had left, as he did so everyday) received the scalding of a life from his father and the Head Merlion simultaneously.
Ever since the zookeeper’s visit, the Merlions had restricted themselves completely to the large and deep lagoon where he had found them, blocking the only above ground entrance.
The tunnel to the open sea was for emergency use only- indeed that whole end of the lagoon, from two large boulders on either side right up to the cliffs was out of bounds. (It also had the added bonus of letting in fish from the sea). The young Merlion had been caught out and would pay the consequences.
As this went on, the third thing that happened was that the boy and the Merlion were quickly surrounded by the largest of the island’s Merlions, captured as intruders and taken to a cage built for any returning men.
They also spotted the Merlion they had followed and so the second thing that happened was that the Merlion they’d followed (who had returned quietly and unseen, just as he had left, as he did so everyday) received the scalding of a life from his father and the Head Merlion simultaneously.
Ever since the zookeeper’s visit, the Merlions had restricted themselves completely to the large and deep lagoon where he had found them, blocking the only above ground entrance.
The tunnel to the open sea was for emergency use only- indeed that whole end of the lagoon, from two large boulders on either side right up to the cliffs was out of bounds. (It also had the added bonus of letting in fish from the sea). The young Merlion had been caught out and would pay the consequences.
As this went on, the third thing that happened was that the boy and the Merlion were quickly surrounded by the largest of the island’s Merlions, captured as intruders and taken to a cage built for any returning men.
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