The tiger, the monkey, and the mousedeer story

The tiger, the monkey, and the mousedeer story
(Favourite story from Malaysia)

There was a tiger whose greatest friend was a monkey. One day, the tiger went away fo a holyday and told the monkey to look after his cave. A mousedeer, his wife and family came to live in the cave.

“you can’t do that,” said the monkey. “This cave belongs to the King of the Forest.”

“Oh, does it?” the mousedeer replied. “My father lived here long

before the tiger come. Anyway, I’m not afraid of the tiger, he’s only a paper tiger to me.”

He told his wife what to do when the tiger returned. “You must make our babies cry. I’ll then ask you why they’re crying. You must say that they want to eat tiger meat,”

A few days later, the monkey heard that the tiger was coming home. He ran to meet him. “The mousedeer’s living in your cave.” He told him. “He says he’s not afraid of you and that you’re only a paper tiger.”

“Is that so?” growled the tiger. “I’ll soon teach hi a lesson.”

The tiger did not believe that the small mousedeer could be so brave. He crept up to the cave.

The mousedeer’s children were crying loudly, “Keep quiet,” said Mrs. Mousedeer ”Your father will soon get some tiger meat for you.”

Then tiger heard this and ran back to the monkey.

“I thought that mousedeer only ate grass and vegetables,” he said. “But Mrs. Mousedeer said that her husband would soon get some tiger meat to feed their children. Perhaps the mousedeer has changed?”

“Don’t worry,” the monkey replied, “They’re only saying that to frightened you. The mousedeer is not big and strong. He can’t fight.”

The next day, the tiger went to the cave again. The mousedeer’s children were again crying.

“Tell them to kept quiet,” said the mousedeer to his wife. “We shall certainly get some tiger meat today. The monkey has promised to send the tiger here.”

When the tiger heard this, he became very angry with his friend, he quickly run after the monkey and killed him.

The tiger did not go back to the cave, and the mousedeer and his family lived there happily ever after.