Adopt a Tiger (1)

Susan was in the kitchen when the door rang. She wasn't expecting anybody, nobody much called round these days, so she didn't hurry. When she got to the door she was surprised to find a fully grown live tiger on her driveway, caged, but awake and snarling.

A delivery man was hurrying back to his lorry.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to think of the right words. "You've left your tiger."

The man turned and looked at her. "Mrs Hudson?" he said.

"Yes."

"Then it's your tiger. You signed up to adopt a tiger, you responded to a TV ad."

"Yes, but I didn't think it meant actually adopting one."

"Words tend to mean what they mean," the man said. "That's how they work."

"But what will I do with him?"

"See this form," he held up his notepad, "It says tiger delivered. My job's done, I'm not here to provide tiger advice. Just adopt him."

"But how? What do I do?"

"There's a number to call on the cage door. I'm afraid I can't stay to help, I've got a bison in the back of my truck which is getting restless."

With that the man drove off. The tiger remained, looking at her hungrily.

What happens next? she wondered.