When Tigers Beg: A Fable of War and Fear

 

A tiger had been prowling about in the mountain forest for quite some time without finding anything to eat. It grew so Hungary that it went down the mountain to the fields.

After a long time suddenly saw a lump of meat on the grassland at a distance. Overjoyed, it rushed at it, mouth wide open.

But the meat turned out to be a hedgehog lying on its back, enjoying the sunshine. Seeing the tiger rushing at it, the hedgehog huddled itself up, so its sharp spines pierced the tiger's mouth.

The tiger was so frightened it ran away. The faster it ran, the deeper the spines pierced. When it got back to the mountain, it was both hungry and tired. It then jumped and leaped several times to cast off the hedgehog, but it could not. Out of breath, it lay down to rest and finally fell into a daze. The hedgehog then stretched itself and ran away.

The tiger awoke to find the hedgehog gone. Happily, it went on to look for food on the mountain. When it saw a thorny oak shell under an oak tree it for small hedgehog. Cautiously turning one side to the oak shell, it said, "I met your father just now and I know how formidable you hedgehogs are. Please get out of my way and let me pass!"