I really never used to be very fond of tigers. They seemed to be pretty, but I always liked ungulates more than anything else. (you know, ungulates? like horses, giraffes, antelopes, tapirs, so on)

That is, until I discovered the English Tiger. This is a very rare type of tiger; so rare, there is only one in existence! What is so special about this tiger, you ask? Well, besides the fact that he is the only tiger known to reside indigenously on the British Isles, this tiger can also play chess! What! You are still not impressed?!? Well, not only can this tiger play chess, but he can win also! See, he is a very unique type of tiger! Most tigers do not play chess too well. They will often get impatient when they make bad moves, and then will occasionally bite and eat their opponents, which is inappropriate and against the rules. The English Tiger, on the other hand, is very polite and does not bite people. He is very well-mannered and plays chess better than any human I know! 

Does this tiger have a name, you ask? Well, indeed he does! His name is John. Where does this tiger live, you ask? Well, he mostly wanders about the country-side (England of course) and hunts...not for unsuspecting animals or people perhaps for dinner! No! He hunts for chess games! What an unusual tiger! He uses his inherent tiger skills not to spot prey,  but rather,  he can spot a chess board from miles off! (or kilometers, rather, I suppose) He can smell a checkmate before the first move of the game! What a clever tiger this is, you say? Yes! He is indeed! 

Well, now that we know all about what this tiger can do, what does he look like, you ask? Well! He is a tiger,  after all; he is very orange with very black stripes. His mane is snowy white; his eyes are a beautiful crystal blue, unusual for a tiger, but then again, this is an unusual tiger! His whiskers are long and wispy, and they tickle when they brush past my hand. His tail is long and very striped, and interestingly, he wags it when he is happy! When a cat's tail wags, it usually means it is mad, but it is the opposite with the English Tiger! Also, not many tigers purr, but he purrs!

He is a very unique tiger, and really, a very sweet one, too. And unlike most tigers, (most animals for that matter...) he can speak English! Quite fluently, too! I never thought a tiger could be so friendly and intelligient! Was I ever wrong!

Ok, enough joking around, lets talk about the real tiger. He is one of my best friends ever, and surely one of the most kind and understanding of people I have ever met. He is my very patient chess teacher; he does not become cross with me when I don't catch on immediately to what he is trying to teach me. (most of the time, anyway, hehe) He taught me to play backgammon so well I won a tournament recently, and I can even beat my parents at it, every time. But he is more to me than just a teacher of board games...he is really a good friend of mine. He is such a fascinating person, he always knows how to make me smile, and he is someone I feel I can trust. But, the best thing of all...he likes roachie (myself) and accepts me as I am, despite my flaws. Not many people accept me for myself, because I am so introverted and eccentric; but inside, if only people would take the time to understand me, I'm not that bad of a person. He sees the good things about me, and likes me for who I am.

He is someone that I incredibly respect and admire, and someone I hope to meet one day in real life.