The flash of movement catches my eyes and draws my attention like a beacon. This is perfect. I have it exactly where I want it. The tiny creature’s mother was not paying attention. Now it has wandered off and will soon be delivered into my waiting jaws.
     As I move through the tall grass I am stealth incarnate. With these softly padded paws no creature will ever pick up the sound of my approach. With this tawny banded coat no creature will ever see death as it creeps closer. Gold as grassland. Black as shadow. I am invisible.  
     So close now. Just a few more steps until I am within striking distance. The little creature is looking out over the grass, as if aware of the presence of some hidden danger. It searches, but my disguise is perfect. It will not see me. I wait.
     The creature looks in another direction and I see my opportunity unfolding before me. Now is the time. I will pounce, and it will all be over very soon.
     Curse you Invisible Wall.
     The little creature looks up at me with wide terror-stricken eyes. A rush of movement, a surge of gold and black death bursting forth from the grass. A death that did not deliver. Now fear has rooted it to the spot and it is more defenseless than ever. I growl my curses at the Wall as it conspires to foil yet another perfect ambush.  
     Still, even if I cannot devour the creature there is no reason to let it go with out a proper display of the gruesome implements of death it has so narrowly avoided.
     I stand up and stretch my full length against the unyielding firmness of the Wall, pressing my paws into it. Do you see, little creature? I am great and you are small. So very small. It trembles and makes tiny whimpering sounds. It sees.
     I unsheathe my claws and rake them across the surface of the Wall in front of the creature’s face. The Wall is not the best place for sharpening the claws. It has a slick surface that is not pleasant to dig into like the surface of the trees. It also makes an irritating squeaking noise when it is scratched. This is part of the display though, so I must carry through with it. Do you see, little creature? My claws are powerful, yours are hardly even there.
     I drop back down onto my paws and open up my cavernous mouth. Do you see these teeth, little creature? Do you hear this roar? I am mighty, you are not even strong enough to hurt a fly. Now the creature screams, a piercing distress call. As I listen I can hear other calls from beyond my line of sight. The rest of its kind answer.
     A larger creature rushes forward and scoops up the young one. A female. She is followed by two other offspring, older than the one that had slipped away from her. As the female makes reassuring noises to her smallest one the other two push up against the Invisible Wall, fighting to get closer to me. They show none of the fear that had gripped the smallest one. I could go through the whole routine again, try to show them just who they are dealing with, but already I am losing interest. Once they get to this size they are almost impossible to frighten anyway. They will just have to make do with the last part.
     I open my mouth again and draw my tongue across the smooth surface of the Wall. It is strange, the Wall. It has even less taste than rocks. Do you see, little creatures? With this tongue I could scrape every last piece of flesh from your bones. There would be nothing left to you. Picked clean.  
     There are no screams or frightened looks now. All four of the creatures pull back their lips in wide grimaces that show their teeth. The two who are pressed against the Invisible Wall begin to jump up and down, making excitable chattering noises. The smallest one, still held safely within the arms of its mother, opens its mouth wide and utters an ear-piercing shriek. This is getting very noisy. I think I am about through here.
     The mother steps beside her two older offspring and holds out the smallest one, its arms thrusting forward as if it wishes to touch me. What kind of mother would offer its offspring to a predator like that? But of course, she knows about the Wall.
     All signs of fear have fled the tiny creature’s expression. It bounces up and down in the mother’s arms, making those awful shrieking noises and pounding its little paws against the Wall. The spell has been broken. It may look like prey, but it certainly doesn’t act like it any more.  
     I am no longer interested. I turn my back on the creatures and return to my favorite warm sunny spot in the grass to resume my nap.