One day a hungry Wolf was roaming about in search of something to eat
in the upper part of a Tibetan valley far beyond the level of
cultivation, [3] when he came across a young Kyang [4] about a year
old. The Wolf at once proceeded to stalk the Kyang, thinking that he
would make an excellent meal off him, and just as he was about to seize
upon him the Kyang, noticing his approach, addressed him as follows:
“Oh! Uncle Wolf,” said he, “it is no good your eating me now; this is
the spring time and after the hard winter I am still very thin. If you
will wait for a few months until next autumn you will find that I shall
be twice as fat as I am now and will make you a much better feast.”
“Very well,” said the Wolf, “I will wait until then, on condition that
you meet me on this very spot in six months’ time.”
And so saying he galloped off in search of some other prey.
When autumn came the Wolf started off one morning to meet the Kyang at
the appointed place, and as he was going across the hills he came
across a Fox.
“Good-morning, Brother Wolf,” said the Fox. “Where are you going to?”
“Oh!” replied the Wolf, “I am going into the valley to meet a young
Kyang by appointment, as I have arranged to catch him and eat him this
very day.”
“That is very pleasant for you, Brother Wolf,” answered the Fox; “but
as a Kyang is such a large animal you will scarcely be able to eat him
all by yourself. I hope you will allow me to come too and share in the
spoil.”
“Certainly, Brother Fox,” replied the Wolf. “I shall be very glad of
your company.”
And so saying the two went on together. After proceeding a short
distance they came across a Hare.
“Good-morning, Brother Wolf and Brother Fox,” said the Hare; “where are
you two going this fine morning?”
“Good-morning, Brother Hare,” replied the Wolf; “I am just going off to
yonder valley to keep an appointment with a fat Kyang, whom I have
arranged to kill and eat this very day, and Brother Fox is coming with
me to share in the spoil.”
“Oh! really, Brother Wolf,” said the Hare, “I wish you would allow me
to come too. A Kyang is such a large animal that you can scarcely eat
him all yourselves, and I am sure you will allow a small creature like
me to have a little bit of the spoil.”
“Certainly, Brother Hare,” replied the Wolf. “We shall be glad if you
will accompany us.”
And so the three animals went along together towards the appointed
spot. When they got near the place they saw the young Kyang waiting for
them. During the summer months he had eaten a quantity of grass and had
now become very fat and sleek, and was about twice as big as he had
been in the spring. When the Wolf caught sight of him he was much
pleased and began to lick his chops in anticipation.
“Well, Brother Kyang,” said he, “here I am according to agreement,
ready to kill and eat you, and I am glad to see you look so plump and
well. And here are Brother Fox and Brother Hare who have come along
with me to have a bit too.”
And so saying the Wolf crouched down ready to spring upon the Kyang and
kill him.
“Oh, Brother Wolf,” called out the Hare at this moment, “just wait one
moment, for I have a suggestion to make to you. Don’t you think it
would be a pity to kill this fine young Kyang in the ordinary way by
seizing his throat, for if you do so a great deal of his blood will be
wasted? I would suggest to you, instead, that it would be a very much
better plan if you would strangle him, as in that case no blood would
be lost, and we should derive the full benefit from his carcase.”
The Wolf thought this was a good idea and he said to the Hare:
“Very well, Brother Hare, I think that is an excellent idea of yours,
but how is it to be done?”
“Oh! easily enough,” answered the Hare. “There is a shepherd’s
encampment over there where we can borrow a rope, and then all we have
to do is to make a slip-knot in the rope, put it over the Kyang’s neck,
and pull as hard as we can.”
So they agreed that this should be done, and the Fox went off to the
encampment near by and borrowed a rope from the shepherd, which he
carried back to where the three other animals were standing.
“Now,” said the Hare, “leave it all to me; I will show you exactly how
it is to be done.”
So he took the rope and made a large slip-knot at one end and two
smaller slip-knots at the other end.
“Now,” said he, “this is the way we must proceed: we will put this
large slip-knot over the Kyang’s neck, and as he is such a large heavy
animal the only way to strangle him will be for us three to pull
together at the other end of the rope. So you, Brother Wolf, and you,
Brother Fox, can put your heads through these smaller loops, and I will
seize the loose end of the rope with my teeth, and when I give the
signal we will all pull together.”
The other two thought this was a very good plan, and so they threw the
slip-knot over the Kyang’s neck, and the Wolf and the Fox put their
heads through the smaller loops. When they were all ready the Hare took
up his position at the end of the rope and caught hold of it with his
teeth.
“Now,” said he, “are you all ready?”
“Yes, quite ready,” replied the Wolf and the Fox.
“Well, then, pull,” said the Hare.
So they began to pull as hard as they could.
When the Kyang felt the pull on the rope he walked forward a few paces,
much to the surprise of the Wolf and the Fox, who found themselves
being dragged along the ground.
“Pull, can’t you!” shrieked the Wolf, as the rope began to tighten
round his neck.
“Pull yourself!” shrieked the Fox, who was now beginning to feel very
uncomfortable.
“Pull, all of you,” called out the Hare, and so saying he let go of the
end of the rope and the Kyang galloped off dragging the Wolf and the
Fox after him. In a few minutes they were both strangled, and the
Kyang, shaking off the rope from his neck, proceeded to graze quietly
on his usual pastures, and the Hare scampered off home, feeling that he
had done a good day’s work.
STORY No. VIII.