THE LION CONDESCENDS TO ENQUIRE AS TO THE WELFARE OF THE CHAMELEON

“I heard about what happened and I’m sorry.”
“Yes, so am I.”
“You seem fine though.”
“Yes, I am.  Thank you.”
“You’re nicely camouflaged on that leaf.  Everyone is amazed about how well you’ve adapted.  I do wonder how you chameleons do it.  Change your colours to suit your background.”
“It’s not my background, it’s my social setting.  I have a colour for everyone else’s mood.”
“What colour’s your own mood?”
“Since when did lions become Counsellors?”
“Evasive, aren’t you?  Answering questions with questions.”
“Yes.”
“So, at the party last week you were a nice vibrant cheery red.  Then your ex-partner appears and you exhibit the appropriate blues.  I’m here and you’re a neutral green.  What colour are you when no-one else is around?”
“There’s never no-one else around.  Unlike you, I have lots of predators.”
“Do you have a hormone that allows you to change colour?”
“Pigment in my cells, it responds to signals from my brain.”
“And does this ever deplete?  Because you seem to be going from situation to situation and changing colour an awful lot.  I mean, is that safe?”
“It’s very tiring.”
“What happens when your capacity fails and we see your true colours?”
“Shut up.”
“I want to know.”
“The world and my enemies see me, recognise what I am, attack and I die.  Leave it alone, please.  This is my only defence.”