The Tiger and the Rabbit Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there was a tiger who ruled over a vast forest. His tyranny was such that he would pounce on any animal he came across and devour it. Thus, he filled the forest with bloodshed, causing all the animals to live in a state of fear. Eventually, all the animals gathered together to hold a council.

— The tiger is gobbling up any animal he sees. Our lives have lost their peace. We need to find a way to put an end to this. After much discussion, the animals decided to send an envoy to the tiger. Everyone agreed on who should go:

— If you run, you might escape to the rocks, but the rock will stick to your feet like clay, – they said, sending the goat. The goat, however, was unable to refuse the wishes of the crowd. Trembling with fear, he finally made it to where the tiger lay in the dense thicket and began to convey the animals’ grievances and complaints to their king.

 — O, noble lord! All the animals of this forest have gathered to hold a council.

— What kind of council is that? – asked the tiger lazily, stretching out.

— The wish of the animals is this, – the goat explained eagerly, – until now, our king has been wandering through the forest, searching for food, exhausted and weary. It is a shame that we have not noticed this. Now we must save our king from that suffering. From now on, let us bring food to our king instead of him searching for it. That is why I was sent to deliver this message.

 — Yes, and then… – said the tiger, intrigued. The goat continued:

— The animals of the forest will come to you in turn when their time comes. Thus, you will no longer have to roam the forest in search of food. This is what the animals have to say to you.

 — That is indeed a clever idea. Very well, I agree, – the tiger nodded. So, according to this promise, the animals began to bring food to the tiger every day in turn. One day, it was the turn of a lame rabbit. The rabbit began to think of a way to escape death. So, he delayed the time when he was supposed to bring food to the tiger on purpose and arrived late. As soon as the tiger saw him, he roared:

— Why are you so late? I’m starving to death!

— Noble lord, what power do I have to keep you waiting so long? – the rabbit replied, fidgeting.

— Look at me: I can’t even fill your mouth with food. I regretted that my poor self was not enough for even a day’s worth of your food. Then I went to a relative and said, “I am not enough for our king’s meal, come with me!” – I pleaded, bringing him along. But halfway there, noble lord, just like you, a tiger was blocking the way, and we couldn’t find a way to escape. In the struggle, that tiger caught my relative and tore him to pieces, devouring him. I got injured in one of my legs. That’s why I was late, my lord! Hearing this, the furious tiger jumped to his feet.

— Who is it that is eating my food and blocking the way? Come, take me to him! – said the tiger to the rabbit. The lame rabbit had been waiting for this. He led the way, limping, and brought the tiger to the edge of a thicket where a well was located. He stopped there and said:

— Here, my lord, that tiger lives in this well, – pointing to the well. The tiger approached and peered into the well. He saw his own reflection on the water’s surface and roared:

— Hey, who are you? – he roared angrily. His voice echoed from inside the well, sounding even more furious. The reflection also roared back threateningly:

 — Who are you? The king, the tiger, was enraged, trembling like a storm. He bared his teeth and roared. From inside the well, he saw the same fierce enemy. Unable to endure this humiliation, the king tiger charged at the enemy, wanting to drive him away, and leaped into the well. Thus, all the animals escaped from suffering and death thanks to the clever plan of the wise lame rabbit.