In the thickly wooded depths of the Smokie Forests lived a group of centaurs. They were a proud race and kept to themselves. They rarely mingled with the other animals in the forests. Flames was the haughtiest of them all. One day, Flames tripped along to the edge of the forest. He was searching for his favourite fruit–peaches grown by human beings along the village border. Flames walked back with juicy peaches and his nose in the air. He did not see a rabbit-snare and stepped on it. His front hoof was caught tight in the snare. There was no way he could free himself without help. Just then, Toots, the monkey, was swinging by. He took pity on Flames. Thus, with nimble fingers, he released his hoof from the trap. From that day on, Flames became a good friend to all the animals in the forest. The other centaurs, too, learnt from Flames experience and became good.
The Haughty Centaur
