In a forest, there lived many animals and a tiger .The tiger was very proud. He thought that he was so powerful that none could harm him. Because of this conviction, he often troubled the animals living in the forest.
Though all animals were unhappy because of the tiger’s behaviour, none could think of a way to escape his anger.
One day the animals called a meeting to find a solution to their problem.
One by one, all animals expressed their inability to face the tiger. Everyone told me that the tiger was very strong and swift in his movement. When he charged to attack, none could run away from him.
The animals came to the conclusion that the tiger could only be defeated if they could find out his weakness.
However, none could think of any weakness in the tiger. A small rabbit, who was listening to the discussion, got up and said,” Sir! I know the weakness of the tiger. The tiger gets instantly angry when someone says that he is weak. The weakness of a tiger is his anger.
The tiger is able to attack and kill other animals, because at the time of pouncing on his prey he remains very calm. He calmly follows his prey without making any noise. He quietly watches around to find a place from where his prey cannot run away.
Then he waits for an opportunity to jump and kill. On account of his coolness at the time of attack, the tiger does not make any mistake. If somehow we could make the tiger angry when he is about to attack, he would not be able to kill.
In anger, he will not be able to think properly. At that moment we can find some way to take revenge.”
The animals laughed at the suggestion of a rabbit. Though they admitted that anger was the weakness of the tiger, who could dare to make the tiger angry. None was prepared to take the risk of going near an angry tiger. They considered an angry tiger all the more dangerous. However, the little rabbit was not disheartened.
He said, “I know of a way to make the tiger angry without getting hurt by him. If you permit me I shall work out my plan.”
The animals laughed at the suggestion of the rabbit. They thought the rabbit was a fool. When all the big animals of the forest were afraid of the tiger, how could the little rabbit kill him?
Though the animals doubted the capability of the rabbit to kill the tiger, they had no alternative but to give him a chance.
The tiger’s den was at the base of a hill beside a forest. Facing the hill in which the tiger lived, was a rocky hillock.
At the foot of this hillock, there was a narrow tunnel with an opening on the back of the hillock. Both openings on the two sides of this tunnel were very small. Only a small animal such as a rabbit could pass through the tunnel. To reach the other side of the hillock in search of its food, the rabbit often crossed this tunnel.
Hidden within the hillock, from the opening in the tunnel, the rabbit often saw the tiger coming out of its den from the hill opposite the hillock. In order to avoid facing the tiger, he would come out only after the tiger had gone away.
For several days, the rabbit examined the routine of the tiger. The tiger would come out of its den from the hill, walk for some distance towards the hillock and then go away in another direction in search of its prey. One evening, the rabbit came out and sat near the opening of the tunnel facing the track, on which the tiger passed each day. The rabbit sat with his back hiding the small opening of the tunnel and waited for the tiger to come out.
The tiger was very pleased to find a rabbit sitting carelessly on the track in front of him; He thought he had found an easy meal, too soon.
The tiger slowly and cautiously moved towards the rabbit without making any noise. From a little distance from the hillock, he examined the field. He thought that if he attacked, the rabbit had no place to escape.
However, with the body of the rabbit hiding the tunnel, the tiger could not see the opening in the hillock. Reaching closer to a place, from where he could jump and attack the rabbit easily, he sat down. Then he calmly waited for an opportunity to attack.
However, the rabbit had already seen the tiger coming towards him from a distance.
He looked at the tiger and mischievously shouted,” Good Evening Uncle! Have you not eaten anything for a long time? You appear very weak and tired.” The rabbit knew that any comment on his strength made the tiger very angry.
As expected, the tiger thought, “How dare this tiny, weak rabbit challenge my strength? All the animals of the forest are afraid of me. How dare this rabbit talk to me so arrogantly? I shall teach him a lesson by killing him immediately”
In his anger, the tiger did not pause to think, why was the little rabbit not afraid of him?
Angrily he roared and leaped forward to kill the rabbit. He knew that the rabbit could not run faster than him and there was no place around for him to escape.
In his great fury the tiger did not see the hole behind the rabbit. Before, the tiger could reach him; the rabbit rapidly turned back and vanished in the hole of the tunnel behind him. With all his force behind his attack, the tiger collided with the rock face and got badly hurt. The tiger had never failed in killing a small animal. The escape of the rabbit into the hole increased his anger very much. He sat a little distance away, waiting for the rabbit to come out of the hole. The tiger knew that the rabbit could not remain hidden in the tunnel for long. He had to come out sometime, to eat or drink water. He did not know about the other opening on the back of the tunnel.
Hours passed and there was no sight of the rabbit. The tiger had not eaten anything for a number of days. He waited and waited. Each moment of wait made him more hungry and angry. He waited throughout the night but there was no sign of a rabbit. In the meantime, the rabbit went out of the hill from the entrance of the tunnel on the other side of the hillock, took his food and water and returned back to watch the tiger from within the tunnel.
After waiting throughout the night, the tiger had got exhausted. The night was over. It was dawn.
Deciding to come again in the evening, he turned to go back to his den.
Seeing the tiger going back, the rabbit quietly came out of the hole. Again sitting close to the tunnel with his back hiding the opening of the tunnel, he said, “Good Morning Uncle! I hope last night you had a hearty meal and a nice sleep?
The tiger was very hungry and tired from lack of sleep. The remark of the rabbit made him angrier.
Without thinking for a moment, he swiftly turned back and with all his strength again charged forward to kill the rabbit.
However, as he had done earlier, the rabbit quickly turned back and again disappeared in the tunnel.
In his great anger, the tiger had charged with all his might. His head collided against the rock and he was killed.
The animals of the forest congratulated the rabbit for his courage and the clever plan. They realised that in spite of being small and weak anyone could defeat an enemy with courage and intelligence.
MORAL
1. You cannot make right decisions when you are angry. If you do anything with a calm mind you will always be successful in your effort.
2. Only the physical build of the body does not make one strong. The strength of a person lies in courage.
