Page:Folk Tales from Tibet (1906).djvu/23

Rh gulf a tree was growing from a cleft in the precipice, and as he passed this the Tiger seized one of the boughs with his teeth, and so arrested his fall. The Hare, peeping over the edge, saw what had happened, and he called out:

"Oh, Uncle Tiger, Uncle Tiger, are you safe?"

The Tiger was afraid to open his mouth to reply, and all he could do was to growl, "M—m—m"

"Oh, Uncle Tiger," said the Hare, "is that all you can say? I am afraid you must be very badly hurt. Do just say 'Ah!' and I shall know that you are all right."

The Tiger, anxious to please the Hare, opened his mouth to say "Ah!" and was instantly precipitated to the bottom of the gulf, where he fell upon some rocks and was killed.

Next morning the Hare went hopping down the road when he met a Man driving along a lot of Horses.

"Good morning, Father Man," said he to the driver.

"Would you like to know where you can find a good Tiger's skin?"

"Yes, please, Brother Hare," said the Man, thinking he would sell the skin and make a lot of money.

So the Hare pointed out to him where the dead Tiger lay in the ravine, and the Man hastened off to skin it, after first asking the Hare to take care of his Horses while he was away.

As soon as he was out of sight the Hare saw two Ravens sitting in a tree overhead. He called out to them:

"Brothers Raven, look here! Here are a lot of Horses