6.The cunning tiger

Once upon a time,in the depths of a mountain range,there lived a tiger.

He was a very strong tiger,but,thanks to the fact that he was unusually clumsy,
he could hardly ever catch any animals.

One day he went out from his cave to look for food.As he went along he saw a cat
speeding towards him,coming down the mountainside.The cat's swift and easy movements were the envy of the tiger,which thought to himself,

"Wouldn't it be fine if I were as clever as the cat?"

He went to the cat and said pleadingly,"Honoured Teacher Cat,could you teach me how to
climb the mountain as you do?"

Knowing that tigers are wicked at heart,the cat was afaid that if she
taught him all she knew,then probably her own life would be in danger.She therefore
shook her head and said,rather hesitatingly.

"I don't think I'd better.If I do,how do I know you'll not use your knowledge against me?"

The tiger bowed and said

"I am a man of my word.If you will be so kind as to teach me,I will not betray your
goodness."

Trapped by these honeyed words,the cat began to be sympathetic.

She said,"All right.If you really promise that,and are sure you will not be
ungrateful,I"ll teach you."

The tiger was overjoyed.He kept his word for sometime,and behaved to the cat as
one should behave to a teacher.Everyday from dawn to dusk the cat did her best to
teach her pupil. Very soon she had taught him all her tricks except one.
The tiger was very pleased with himself and highly satisfied with the cat as a teacher.

Then one day,when he came to his teacher for further instruction,he looked at the
cat's plump body,and his mouth began to water.What a good meal she would make!

But the cat was fully aware of his bad intentions.She decided to give him a test.

"I have taught you all I know," she said.
"You need no further lessons."

The tiger thought his chance had come."Aha! he said to himself.This fat little cat
will not escape my claws now!" But he thought he had better make sure that he had not
misunderstood her,so he asked again,"Teacher Cat,are you certain you have taught me
everything?"

"Yes,everything!" said the wily cat.
An idea flashed into the tiger's head,and his eyes sparkled."Teacher," said he,"what is
that there on the tree?"

As the cat turned her head to look,the tiger,his jaws wide open and his claws out,
threw himself upon her.But as quickly the cat ran up the tree.

The cat sat up in the tree,and said indignantly,"Well! You ungrateful creature!
Your word is worth nothing.It was lucky for me that I had been prudent enough not to
teach you how to climb trees.If I had taught you that,I see,you would have eaten me
by now."

The tiger flew into a rage and flung himself repeatedly at the tree.But he did not know
how to climb it.He tried to gnaw it down,but the trunk was so thick that he could
make no impression on it.The tiger grew angrier and angrier, and raged about,but there was
nothing he could do.Finally the cat jumped easily to another tree,and then another,
until she had vanished.

All the tiger's wicked schemes came to naught,and all he could do was to make his way up
the mountain again.