Told by AKBAR SHÁH, Mánjhi, and recorded by PANDIT
RAMGHARÍB CHAUBÉ. A favourite nursery tale of the
Kharwárs of Mirzápur.
Tigress and She-goat great friends--Tigress has two cubs, Goat four kids
named Khurbhur, Muddil, Goddil, and Nathil--Tigress thinks: "It is hard
that I have only two, and the Goat has four: suppose I eat two of hers
to make things even"--Asks the Goat to let one kid sleep with her--Only
Khurbhur consents--Khurbhur puts one of her cubs in his place--She eats
it--Puts a stone in his place--She breaks her teeth--One-eyed Tiger
calls--Tells a "story": "When I eat goats, all the four kids are one
mouthful"--Khurbhur says, "When you come to eat us, Muddil will hold
your head, Nathil the fore-paws, Goddil the hind-paws, Khurbhur will cut
off your head, if mother holds the light"--Tiger runs away--Meets six
more--They go to Goat's house--Khurbhur climbs tree--They jump and miss
him--They climb one on another, One-eye at bottom--Khurbhur says,
"Mother, a lump of mud to throw in his eye"--One-eye jumps--They
fall--They run away, and trouble the goats no more.
The one-eyed animal appears in No. 35 of this collection.