Long time ago, leopards have plain colored skin just like lions. There was a pair of leopards who loved playing hide and seek. They were both very good at it and could easily find each other. In time, they found the game not to be too challenging.

One of them got the idea of painting his skin to blend into the surrounding. So he would paint himself in black and hide in the dark caves. This made it more difficult for the other to find. So once they discovered the trick, the used it more often. They would wash out the color after each game.

One of them came up with the idea of painting spots so that he would blend into the shadows of the branches and trees. He was very good at painting and came up with a beautiful design. After the game, the other leopard like the design and asked to have it painted on her fur. They then continued to play but decided to leave the color overnight. The next morning, they tried to wash away the color but unfortunately, the color won’t come out.

That was how the leopards are stuck with their spots.