Personal Narrative Essay

Kalyla held a bottle behind her, and waited. Peri quickly caught up, lapped at the bottle, then circled and matched her pace, walking alongside her. Kalyla looked with affection at this little bundle of energy. She stopped to listen, and heard a creek flowing nearby. Back when Kalyla and Cat were friends, Cat told her that while most cats hated water, tigers were an exception. They loved to swim in ponds and creeks. When Kalyla had finally been allowed to do some hands-on care for Peri, she had planned to teach him how to swim. First, she had ordered that the enclosure be expanded to include a nearby creek. Then she waited for a warm day like today. She was wearing a t-shirt with shorts and flip flops. She only

The water perfectly reflected the trees and the sky, making it seem like a liquid mirror. There were mossy rocks near the foot of the creek, so Kalyla chose a spot upriver. She could hear frogs croaking, and as she was walking, she must have seen at least five hopping away. Kalyla stepped into the creek, and the cool water felt refreshing after a warm walk in the woods. She waded in, surprised at its deepness, and relieved that it has a gentle current. She turned and saw Peri still at the bank, on his stomach, watching the water but not stepping in. He cautiously snuffled over the water, dipping a paw in but quickly retracted it. Kalyla waded over towards him and held him slightly over the water. She slowly lowered him in. When he hit the water, he immediately began splashing around. He fell out of Kalyla’s arms, and Kalyla reached to hold him up again. But there was no need. Peri started moving his legs in a circular motion, slowly swimming in the cool water. Kalyla was overjoyed; she had wanted to teach him how to swim, and she did, even if she didn’t do much. Peri swam over to her, and licked her face. He stumbled in the water, the current catching him off guard. But Kalyla soon held him, helping him keep his