Animals are our Friends!

My 4 1/2 year old grand daughter wanted a story. I thought for a moment and started,"Once upon a time, long-long ago, there was a king Dushayant. Once he went to a jungle to hunt." And lo! My story hadn't even begun properly that it came to a road bloc-a serious road bloc. She interrupted, "What is shikaar?"  As the narration was in Hindi, I had used Hindi word "shikaar" for hunting.  I explained that "shikaar" means hunting. I had to further explain, that is taking aim and killing animals in the jungle.. She was puzzled. "Why did the king want to kill animals?" I realized I was in a sticky terrain. I tried to explain away that that was the custom those days etc. But she was not satisfied. "Didn't they know,"she insisted,"that animals are our friends. They help us in so many ways." Oh I thought, i had got the loop hole. "But they were not the domesticated farm animals that help us. The king went to hunt the wild animals." "No, but why should he kill those wild animals. They are so good. They live in their homes-jungles-and don't bother us. How we are suppose to share our planet earth with all. Also she embarked on a list of her favorites among wild animals..."The story was obviously forgotten. We embarked onto  a discussion about animals and their right to their homes in particular and on planet Earth in general. And that we mustn't harm them.
I affectionately looked at the little girl with hope in my heart. It occurred to me that however inconsiderate and terrible we have been to our fellow creatures, hopefully they have better future with the new generation. The tiny tots' education seems to be in the right direction.