Page:Folk Tales from Tibet (1906).djvu/30

10 luck for me. I was just looking for a Man in order to kill and eat him, and you will do nicely."

On hearing this the Woodcutter began to laugh.

"Kill and eat me," he replied; "why, don't you know that Man is much too clever to be killed and eaten by a Tiger? Just come with me a little way and I will show you some things which only a Man knows, but which will be very useful for you to learn."

The Tiger thought that this was a good idea, so he followed the Man through the jungle until they came to the Man's house, which was strongly built of timber and heavy logs.

"What is that place?" said the Tiger when he saw it.

"That is called a house," replied the Man. "I will show you how we use it."

And so saying he went inside and shut the door.

"Now," said he, speaking from the inside to the Tiger, "you see what a foolish creature a Tiger is compared to a Man. You poor animals live in a hole in the forest, exposed to wind, rain, cold and heat; and all your strength is of no value to make a house like this. Whereas I, although I am so much weaker than you, can build myself a fine house, where I live at my ease, indifferent to the weather and secure from the attacks of wild animals."

On hearing this the young Tiger flew into a violent passion.

"What right," said he, "has an ugly, defenceless creature like you to possess such a lovely house? Look at me, with my beautiful stripes, and my great teeth