The cunning tiger

folklore - The cunning tiger
(Favourite stories from Taiwan)

An old lady lived at the edge of the jungle near Lan Po in southern Taiwan. Her two daughter lived with her. Their names were Ah Yu and Ah fung.

One day the old lady had to go on journey. Before she left, she said to her daughter, “If anyone knocks on the door at night, do not open it.”

Late that night, someone knocked on their front door, “Who is it?” Ah Yu , the elder daughter called out.

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“It’s your auntie. I’ve come to stay with you while your mother is away.”

Ah Fung opened the door. There was an old lady standing outside. The two sisters invited her in.

“Don’t be afraid,” the old lady said. “I have come to look after you while your mother is away. I am very tired and I would like to sleep here.”

Ah Fung asked her to sleep with her in her room.

In the middle of the night, Ah Yu heard the sound of someone eating in her sister’s room. “Yum. Yum! Oh, that was very tasty!”

“Sister, sister!” she called out. “What are you doing?”

“It’s all right,” the old lady said. “We’re eating some food. Go back to sleep.”

But Ah Yu went outside and looked through the window into her sister’s room. She saw the old lady eating her sister. She ran away as fast as she could and climbed a tall tree.

The next morning, the old lady came out of the house to look for her. She saw Ah Yu sitting on top of the tree.

“Come down,” she called out, “Or I’ll come and get you,”

“Please wait!” Ah Yu answered. “I’ve caught a bird and I want to eat it. Can you please bring me a pot of boiling oil so that I can cook the bird and eat it? Then I will come down.”

The old lady brought a pot of boiling oil. She tied it to a rope which Ah Yu dropped from the top of the tree. Ah Yu soon purled it up.

“I have a surprised for you.” She said, “Please close your eyes and open your mouth.” The old lady did as she was told.

Ah Yu then poured the boiling oil into the old lady’s mouth. In a second, she changed into a tiger, and ran off.

Ah Yu had been too clever for her. But Ah Yu never disobey her mother gain after that.

Source: Favourite stories from Taiwan by Leon Comber & Charles Shuttleworth

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