Mousedeer and Tiger

One day a tiger was hunting in the jungle. He was very hungry. In fact, he was so hungry that he spoke aloud. 'I'd like to eat a nice juicy mousedeer,' he said, 'or a fat snake.'

Now, it happened that a mousedeer and his friend the elephant were nearby. They heard what the tiger said and de­cided to hide from him. Just then, the tiger fell into a trap. `Help!' he roared. 'Somebody, help me!'

'Let's help the poor fellow,' said the mousedeer.

'Do you think we should?' asked the elephant. 'After all, we've just heard what he wants to eat for dinner.'

'Oh, come on,' said the kindhearted mousedeer.

Just then a snake glided out of the bushes. 'What's up?' he asked.

'It's the tiger,' the mousedeer explained. 'He's fallen into a trap, and I think we should help him out.

And so they did. The snake hung from the elephant's trunk like a rope, and, with the mousedeer giving directions, they pulled the tiger out of the trap.

'Thank you, kind friends,' said the tiger. 'It was very hot in that trap, and now I'm thirsty and so hungry.'

And with those words the ungrateful tiger ate the snake and ran off into the jungle.

Now, the snake had been a good friend to the elephant, and the elephant was very angry. He and the mousedeer de­cided to teach the tiger a lesson.

First they covered the trap with branches and leaves. Then the elephant set off to find the tiger. The mousedeer told the elephant what to tell the tiger: "fell him that I died of fright and that if he wants a free meal, he can come and eat me.'

Soon the elephant found the tiger. 'Hello, Friend Tiger,' he said. 'What you just did wasn't a very nice thing. Friends don't eat each other.'

'It's every man for himself,' said the tiger. 'That's the law of the jungle.'

'Well, I hope you're happy, 'the Elephant replied. 'Anyway, you gave the mousedeer such a fright that he dropped dead.'

'Oh really?' said the tiger. 'Then this is my lucky day. Two meals! Can you show me where he is’

'Of course,' said the elephant, and he led the tiger back through the jungle.

Suddenly they saw the mousedeer. He was hanging upside-down from a tree branch. 'How did he get up there?' asked the surprised tiger.

'Oh, he leapt into the tree when you roared,' said the elephant.

'How am I supposed to get at there’

'How should I know?' said the elephant. 'Jump, I suppose.'

The tiger crouched. Then with a roar he jumped at the mousedeer. But he was too late. Just as the tiger jumped, the mousedeer moved away, and the tiger fell roaring into the trap. 'Let me out,' he screamed. 'Is this any way to treat a friend?'

'Well, you should know,' said the mousedeer, and he and the elephant walked into the jungle laughing.