The Trapped Tiger’s Promise
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Matthew James Friday 1 The Trapped Tiger’s Promise (A new version of an Indian folktale) This story begins one day in a hot, dripping jungle and with a man and his horse. They were lost. They had been walking for many hours, trying to find a way through the thick forest and now they were tired and fed up. The man stopped his horse and got off. “I need to sit and have a rest,” he said. “We’re going nowhere fast!” The horse nodded in agreement and said, “yes, master. We will rest.” He did whatever his master ordered. As they rested, the man heard a strange, high‐pitched whining noise like someone or something crying. He looked around to find where the noise was coming from. He looked high up into the canopy and low into the undergrowth. “I think it is coming from behind that bush,” the man said pointing to a place off the path. “Wait here a moment, horse. I will investigate.” “Yes master, I will wait for you.” The man investigated the noise and was surprised with what he found: a tiger inside the café of a metal hunter’s trap. The tiger was whining and crying. Seeing the man, he suddenly stopped and begged, “Human, let out! Please, release me!” The man stepped back, shaking his head. “I cant do that! You’ll eat me if I release you.” “I won’t, I promise,” moaned the tiger. “Please release me.” The man stepped back even further. “But you are a tiger in a human trap. You will attack me and eat me, I know it.”
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Transcript of The Trapped Tiger’s Promise
MatthewJamesFriday 1
TheTrappedTiger’sPromise
(AnewversionofanIndianfolktale)
Thisstorybeginsonedayinahot,drippingjungleandwithamanandhishorse.Theywerelost.Theyhadbeenwalkingformanyhours,tryingtofindawaythroughthethickforestandnowtheyweretiredandfedup.Themanstoppedhishorseandgotoff.
“Ineedtositandhavearest,”hesaid.“We’regoingnowherefast!”
Thehorsenoddedinagreementandsaid,“yes,master.Wewillrest.”Hedidwhateverhismasterordered.
Astheyrested,themanheardastrange,high‐pitchedwhiningnoiselikesomeoneorsomethingcrying.Helookedaroundtofindwherethenoisewascomingfrom.Helookedhighupintothecanopyandlowintotheundergrowth.
“Ithinkitiscomingfrombehindthatbush,”themansaidpointingtoaplaceoffthepath.“Waithereamoment,horse.Iwillinvestigate.”
“Yesmaster,Iwillwaitforyou.”
Themaninvestigatedthenoiseandwassurprisedwithwhathefound:atigerinsidethecaféofametalhunter’strap.Thetigerwaswhiningandcrying.Seeingtheman,hesuddenlystoppedandbegged,
“Human,letout!Please,releaseme!”
Themansteppedback,shakinghishead.“Icantdothat!You’lleatmeifIreleaseyou.”
“Iwon’t,Ipromise,”moanedthetiger.“Pleasereleaseme.”
Themansteppedbackevenfurther.“Butyouareatigerinahumantrap.Youwillattackmeandeatme,Iknowit.”
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“Iwon’t,Ipromise!”criedthetiger.“Ipromiseoneverylivingthinginthisforest,thatIwon’tattackyouandeatyou.”
Themanwasmovedbythetiger’sbeggingandbelievedit,sohecarefully,slowly,movedforwardtothetrapandreleasedthetigerfromthecafe.Thetigershookhimselffreeandstretchedouthislimbs.
“Ahhh,thatisbetter,”saidthetigerflexinghissharppaws.
Themanturnedtogobutthetigerpouncedonhimandpinnedhimtotheground.Themanwailedindistress.
“Yousaidyouwouldn’tattackme!Youpromised!”
Thetigerlaughed.“Youwereafooltobelieveme,human.IhavebeeninyourtrapfordaysandnowIamstarving.”
“Itwasnotmytrap,”arguedtheman.“Iamjustalosttravellerhereinthejungle.”
“Youareahuman,”growledthetiger.“Iamatiger.Therearemillionsofyounowandonlyafewofusleft.Webothknowwhy.SonowIwillmakethebalancefairer.”
Thetigeropenedhismouth.
“Stop!”criedtheman“Youpromisedonthelivesofeverylivingthinginthisjungle.Thatisasolemnpromise.Youcannotbreakit.Thejunglewouldnotletyou.”
“Areyousureaboutthat?”askedthetiger.“Doyouthinkanylivingthinginthisjunglewilltakeyourside?”
“Letmefindout,”saidtheman.“IfIcanfindsomethingtoagreewithme,youwillnotbeabletobreakyourpromise.”
Thetigersatbackonhishindlimbs.“Iwouldliketoseeyoutry,human.Youhavenofriendsinthisforest.”
“Letmetryandfindone.IbetIcanfindone.”
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“Iwillgiveyouanhourtofindsomeonetosidewithyou,human.ThenIwilleatyou.”
Themanacceptedthetimelimit.Whatchoicedidhehave?Hewentbacktohishorseandtolditwhathadhappened.Thetigerfollowedandthehorseshookwithfear.
“WhatdoIdo?”themanasked,whispering.“WhatshallIaskforest?”
“Askthetrees,”suggestedthehorse.“Therearethousandshere.Oneofthemisboundtotakeyourside.”
Sothemanwenttothenearesttreeandcalledout,
“Tree,tree,helpme.ThetigerhasbrokenitspromisebutIknowyou’lltakemyside.”
Thetreeshooksoftlyfromsidetosideandrepliedinawoodyvoice,
“Takeyourside?Whyshouldthetreestakeyourside,human?Howmanytimeshaveyoupromisedtoleaveusaloneonlytocutusdownforyourowncomfortandprofit.”
“ButIneverdidthat,”wailedtheman.“I’venevercutatreedown.”
“Butmillionsofushavefallenanditwasmenwhocutusdown.Youwon’tfindatreeherewhosideswithyou,human.”
Themanranbacktohishorseandtoldhimwhatthetreehadsaid.
“Trythewildbirds,”suggestedthehorse.“Perhapstheywillhelp.”
Sothemanranaroundlookingforsomewildbirds.Hefoundaparrotinthebranchesabove.
“Bird,bird,helpme.ThetigerhasbrokenitspromisebutIknowyou’lltakemyside.”
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Thebirdflappeditswingsinexcitementandanger,andreplied,
“Takeyourside?Whyshouldthebirdstakeyourside,human?Howmanytimeshaveyoupromisedtoleaveusaloneonlytocatchusandpluckoutourbrightfeathers?Ortakeushometoeatorstealoureggs.”
“ButIneverdidthat,”criedtheman.“Ihaveneverharmedabirdinmylife.”
“Butthousandsofushavedied,alongwiththetrees,ourhomes.Wewatchfromuphereandweseecreatureslikethetigersslowlydisappearing.Wearenotsurprisedtheyareangry.Wewillnotsidewithyou.”
Withthat,theparrotflewawaysquawking.
Themanranbacktothehorseandtoldhimwhatthetreehadsaid.
“Havingproblems?”askedthetigerlickinghispaw.“Time’snearlyup.”
“Tryananimalthathumanshelp,”suggestedthehorse.“Trythecowsinthefarmswehavepassed.Perhapstheywillhelp.”
Sothemanrodethehorsebackdowntheforestpath,thetigerfollowingbehind.Theyarrivedatafield,freshlycutfromtherainforest,andthereacowwasgrazing.Themanranuptothecow.
“Cow,cow,helpme.ThetigerhasbrokenitspromisebutIknowyou’lltakemyside.”
Thecowlookedupfromitsgrass,stoppedchewingandreplied,
“Takeyourside?Whyshouldthecowstakeyourside?Youonlykeepusheresoyoucantakeourmilkandeatuswhenyouareready.”
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“That’strue,”admittedtheman.“Butatleastyouhavealife.Withouthumandesire,youwouldnotbealive.”
“Nocowborneverwantstodietofeedyou,human.Yougiveuslifebutyoutakeitfromuscruelly.Ifitwasn’tforyourfence,wewouldalljustwanderaway.”
Nowthemanfeltdesperate.Hetriedafewotherlastchoices:theriverwaterandtheearth,butbothofthemspokeofhowhumanshadpollutedthem,poisonedthem,madethemuncleanforalloflife,sotherewasnohopethere.Finally,themanfeltdefeated.Thetigertastedhischance.
“Timeforlunch,”saidthetiger.“Yousee,Itoldyounothingwouldtakeyourside,human.Youandyourkindhavedonetoomuchdamage.”
“Justamoment,”saidthehorsesteppinginfrontofthetigerandhisprey.“Youmayhavebrokenyourpromisebutyouhavebeencheatingfromthestart.”
“Whatdoyoumean?”yawnedthetiger.
“Thereisnowaythatannormal,powerful,strongtigerwouldevergettrappedinahunter’sholeonhisown.Ithinkyouwereworkingwithhumansandtheytrickedyou.
“Howdareyou,”growledthetiger.Themanhidbehindthehorsewhimpering.“Iamthekingofthejungle,themostfearsomeofallthehunters.Iwouldneverworkwithahuman.”
“Howdidyougetstuckinthatstupidhumantrapthen?Youcan’tevenfitinit.”
“I’llshowyouhow,”saidthetiger,histremendouspridepiqued.“ThenIwilleatyouandyourhumanmaster.”
Thetigerranbacktothetrapandsqueezedhimselfbackinside.Itclickedshut.
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“See?”saidthetiger.“Ididn’tdothiswithanyhumanhelp.Iwasavictim,justliketherestoftherainforest.”
“Andyouwillremainthatwayforafewdaysmore,”saidthehorse.“Climbup,master.Itistimeweleft.”
Notquitebelievinghisluck,themanjumpedonthehorseandtheyracedaway,leavingthetigerroaringwithrageandshakingthecage.
“Thatwassocleverofyou,”saidthehumangrippinghishorsefordearlifeastheygallopedaway.
“Youhaveatleastbeenkindtome,master.Butnowitistimeforyoutothinkaboutwhathumanshavedoneandwhytherainforestissoangry.Theremightbetimelefttochange.”
Themannoddedandsigheddeeply.Hishorsewasrightbutwouldonearthcouldhedo?
THEEND
