‘The Lion’ by Hannah van Didden

Success comes down to the power of persuasion (or is it the power of the paw?) in ‘The Lion’ by Hannah van Didden. Enjoy this delightful excerpt from Pulp Literature Issue 27, Summer 2020, and watch as the king of beasts explores a very different jungle.

The Lion

by Hannah van Didden

A lion walked into a management consultancy. He said to the guy at the front desk, “I want to see the man in charge.”

The man in charge turned out to be a woman.

“What is it you want?” said the woman in charge.

“Just a little of your time,” said the lion, shaking out his mane. The woman had a thick middle and shapely loins, like his last gazelle. He would have to work hard to keep his focus.

“Time is money, you know, and my charge-out rate is extreme.”

“I spent all my money on the plane trip from Africa and the in-flight magazine told me your firm was the best.”

She eyed him over tortoiseshell rims. “I’ll give you five minutes.”

“I thank you for that.” The lion dipped his head, “because I want to learn how to be a success.”

“What do you mean by success?” she said.

“I want to be successful in this … machine.” The lion flourished a front paw up and out; the woman’s gaze followed its movement from the glass-coated sky to the dark and art-heavy walls.

“We’re in a foyer.” She scrunched her eyebrows at him.

“Successful in business,” the lion said, slowly and deliberately.

To find out what happens next, pick up your copy of Pulp Literature Issue 27, Summer 2020 here!

Hannah van Didden writes where the story takes her — usually somewhere dark but truthful and often beautiful. You will find pieces of her in places such as Tahoma Literary Review, Crannóg, Southerly Literary Journal, Breach, Atticus Review, Southword Journal, and thirtyseven.