This is the beginning of what we know about Jasper the Friendly Talking Saber-Tooth Tiger:
Jasper was just a little cub and only a few months old. He loved playing with his mother's tail and also his silly brother and silly-dilly sister... Now, when he was about six months old there was a terrible earthquake. Jasper's mother name was Jasmine, and she seemed to know that danger and trouble was ahead. She picked Jasper up by the skin on the back of his neck which was hard to do because of her big teeth. For Saber Tooth tigers have two big teeth and when the teeth are fully grown they are 7 to 10 inches long. These teeth are especially excellent for tearing into Woolly Mammoths, which is the favorite food for the Saber-tooth tigers.
Jasmine carefully picked up Jasper making sure her big teeth went down on either side of his neck not hurting her son at all. Then with her smaller teeth carefully placed on Jasper, she pulled on the skin right behind his head. It was very loose skin, and it didn't hurt at all as Jasmine carries her baby this way. Jasper thought it was pretty funny, and he wiggled and smiled and looked back at his brother and sister who were almost grown up. He looked and saw his dad whose name was James the Just. He was the leader of the Saber Tooth tiger tribe. Jasper could see his daddy James upon a large rock and looking fearful at the mountain. On top of the mountain was a volcano and it was shooting out fire and smoke and making a lot of noise.
Jasmine did not waste any time and having secured Jasper by the neck; she turned and started to run up the hill. Jasmine brother and sister thought it was strange that their mother was taking their baby brother up the hill for she had told them to stay where they were, and that she would be right back. Also, she told them they would run down the hill for safety. However, up the hill mother Jasmine went holding Jasper and went out of sight of her other two children and her husband. She looked around with Jasper still in her mouth and then firmly pushed him into a small cave. It was so small that Jasmine could hardly get in it; however, there was plenty of room for Jasper. Jasmine just pushed her head in through the door and dropped Jasper, she sternly told him to climb up into the cave as far as he could, this cave was deep and Jasper went for a long way to the very end... As Jasper followed his mother’s instructions, he picked his way up the smooth rock, then he heard his Mom say: “I love you dear Jasper, always be good and helpful”
Jasper finally got up to the top and end of the cave. Some pack rats had deposited water grass and some nuts in the top of the cave. Jasper lay down on the little bed and was pretty comfortable. It was kind of a dark cave but there seemed to be fresh air coming from some small hole on the side of the cave. Other than being lonesome for his family, Jasper was pretty happy he was safe, he chewed on some of the nuts, they were okay and there was a big supply of them... Then he saw the little pool of water, he went over to taste it and it was very good, He took a big drink and went back on his bed and lay down and went to sleep.
While Jasper was asleep the volcano blew more smoke and ash and hot rock called magma and the hot magma or lava rolled down the hill and over the entrance to the cave. Jasper did not even wake up for he was so tired. Finally, the earthquake came in and shook the ground and then he woke up, and he was fearful because there was no light in a cave. Soon the earthquake stopped. Jasper found the water in the dark and was able take a big drink. Soon he found his way back to his bed and ate few nuts that were around his bed. As he laid down his bed he wondered about the strange smells that came through the air holes. Some of the air was stinky and did not smell good at all; however, he seemed to have enough fresh good air even if it didn’t smell good nor did it hurt Jasper’s lungs.
Jasper did not understand that when a volcano erupts and goes off, [Magma contains dissolved gases that are released into the atmosphere during eruptions. The most common gas released by a volcano is magma and steam (H 2 O), followed by CO 2 (carbon dioxide), SO 2 (sulfur dioxide), (HCl) hydrogen chloride and other compounds]. Now one of the “other compounds” was smoke from burning kryptonite. This strange “krypto smoke” put Jasper sound asleep! He slept and slept and slept ……..for years, many years!
Jasper was waking up... He rubbed his eyes, he felt like he had slept for such a long time. He rubbed his eyes more and his paws felt two big teeth. WHAT IS THIS? These teeth were about seven inches long. “Oh my goodness sakes” thought Jasper my two Saber Teeth have certainly gotten bigger, and then he realized even in the dark that his whole body had gotten bigger. “Shucks” said Jasper out loud, “I’m so hungry! He smelled around and found plenty of nuts and he ate them. He could tell that they were REALLY old. Then he drank some water. Yucky! it was super nasty. "I need to get out of here" thought Jasper, and he wiggled his way to the entrance of the cave. He pushed his head against the rock that covered the entrance and was now hard and cold. “Oh,” said Jasper.”I wish I was as strong as my dad, James the Just, he was the strongest Saber-Tooth tiger in the whole tribe.”
Jasper pretended he was his daddy. He pushed the rock with all his might until he had a headache. Then he remembered that sometimes his dad would roar loudly, and it seemed to make him stronger. Jasper decided he would growl and roar loudly. He was so surprised at what a very loud noise he made. Then again he pushed with all his might and heard the rock start to crack. One more time! Jasper pushed and pushed and pushed and heard the rock break right open. Wow, that sun was so bright, and it hurt Jasper's eyes. Jasper went out of the cave and was surprised how small the entrance was, perhaps he has gotten bigger. He was flabbergasted at how bright the sun was, and it was shinning over a land that he hardly recognized. The mountain had changed, and it was not so high nor was it smoking with fire or ashes. He looked down the mountain and saw the jungle was thicker and the trees higher. Jasper asked himself: "Where is my mom, Jasmine, where is my dad, James the Just? And where are my silly brother and silly-dilly sister?" He could see no one and then he yelled as loud as he could. No one appeared not his family or any other Saber-tooth tigers.
Full of disappointment, Jasper slowly walked down into the jungle, and he continued to yell for his family, for his friends and members of his tribe. Nobody answered and he realized that he could not smell any Saber-tooth Tigers. Before he had gone into the cave, he had always been able to smell a member of his tribe even when he could not see them. What a very strange situation this was.
Jasper walked along in the jungle and soon found food and fresh water. My goodness, the water tasted so good! Then Jasper found a grassy spot under a big tree, and there he made his bed and had a wonderful nap. He dreamed about when he was a small cub and playing with his brother and sister and jumping up and trying to bite his mother's tail. Jasmine would say: “you silly little Jasper” and would take her paw and give him a little push, and he would roll away.
Jasper woke up. He had the smell of a tiger in his nose. It wasn't quite like his family or tribe smell, but certainly seemed similar... He opened his eyes and did not move a muscle. There through the jungle came a tiger. This tiger was not as heavy and strong as Jasper yet he did have longer legs and a much longer tail. Most noticeably this tiger did not have two great big Saber teeth. Then the tiger stopped and smelled the odor from Jasper. He was looking right at him, and you could see surprise in his eyes. This tiger was an old tiger for his whiskers around his face were very white and his eyes looked old and wise. He did not seem to be afraid of Jasper and spoke to him kindly: "Well, hello young man,” said the older tiger. “Are those two Saber-teeth real?
“Yes, of course” said Jasper, "why do you ask?"
"Well," said the old tiger, “our Saber-teeth ancestors have been dead for many many years. My name is PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo and I’m the wisest and oldest tiger in my tribe as well as in this whole land.”
“My name is Jasper," said Jasper.
“Well” said PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo," please tell me your story,"
so Jasper did.
To be continued (Next story “PunkaDunkyWooWooWoo becomes Jasper’s teacher and how Jasper got his special extraordinary powers.)
