THE CHIEF AND THE TIGERS.
There lived long ago a chief whose wife was beautiful as the morning
sun. Dear was she to the heart of her lord, and great was his sorrow
when she grew sick. Many doctors and wise women tried to cure her, but
in vain. Worse and worse she grew, till the people said she would surely
die, and the heart of the chief became as water within him.
One day, as the shadows grew long on the ground, an old, old man came
slowly to the village, and asked to see the chief. "Morena (Master)," he
said, "I have heard of your trouble, and have come to help you. Your
wife is ill of a great sickness, and she will die unless you can get a
tiger's heart with which to make medicine for her to drink. See, I have
here a wonderful stone which will help you, and some medicine for you to
drink. Now wrap yourself in a tiger-skin. The medicine will make you
wise to understand and to speak their tongue; so shall they look upon
you as a brother. When you have drunk the medicine, take the stone in
your hand, and set out on your journey. When you come to the home of the
tigers, you must live among them as one of themselves, until you can
find yourself alone with one. Him must you quickly kill, and tear from
his warm body his heart unbroken, and then, throwing away your tiger
skin, you must flee to your home. The tigers will chase you, but when
they come too near, you must throw down the stone in front of you and
jump upon it, when it will become a great rock, from whose sides fire
will dart forth, and burn any who try to climb it. Thus will you be
saved from the power of the tigers, and your wife be restored to
health."
Gratefully the chief did as the old man desired, and set off to seek the
home of the tigers. Many days he wandered across the plains and over the
mountains, into the unknown valleys beyond, and there he found those he
sought. They greeted him joyfully, welcoming him as a brother; only one,
a young tiger of great beauty, held back, and muttered, "This is no
tiger but a man. He will bring misfortune upon us. Slay him, my
brothers, ere it be too late;" but they heeded him not. Not many days
had passed, when all the tigers scattered themselves over the valley,
and the chief found himself alone with the angry young tiger. Watching
him patiently, he soon found the opportunity he sought, and, hastily
killing him, he tore the still warm heart from the lifeless body, and
throwing off his disguise, set off towards his home.
On, on he went, and still no sign of the tigers, but, as the sun sank
to rest, they appeared in the distance, and he knew they would soon
overtake him. When they were so close behind him that he heard the angry
snap of their teeth, he threw down the stone the old man had given him,
and sprang on to it. Instantly it became a great rock, even as the old
man had said. Up came the tigers, each striving to be the first to tear
the heart out of the chief, even as he had torn out their brother's
heart; but the first one that reached the rock, sprang back with a howl
of agony, and rolled over on his side--dead. The others all drew up in
alarm, and dared not approach the stone, but spent many hours in
wandering round and round the rock, and grinding their teeth at the
chief, who calmly watched them from his seat on the top of the rock.
Just before dawn the tigers, now thoroughly tired, lay down, and soon
were fast asleep. Carefully, silently, the chief crawled down from the
rock, which immediately became again a small stone. Taking the stone in
his hand, and holding close the precious heart, which was to restore his
wife to health, he fled like a deer towards his village, which he now
saw in the plain below. Should he reach it before the tigers caught him?
The perspiration streamed from his body, his ears rang with strange
noises, and his breath came in great gasps, but still he hurried on.
Presently he heard the tigers coming. There was no time even to look
behind. He _must_ reach the village before they overtook him. On, on,
stumbling blindly over every obstacle, he staggered. How far away it
still looked! Would his people _never_ see him? Yes, at last he is seen.
He can hear the shout of his men as they rush to help him, only a few
more steps now, and he is safe. Bravely he totters on, then stumbles and
falls helpless, exhausted, as his men arrive, and carry him in triumph
into the village, while the tigers, baffled and furious, retreat to
their home beyond the mountains.
With song and dance the people keep festival, for their chief has
returned in safety, and his beautiful wife, restored to perfect health,
sits smiling by his side, to receive the loving congratulations of old
and young; but the old man came not to join the throng, nor was he ever
seen in their land again. Quietly as he came, he had gone, leaving no
sign behind him.