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We celebrate the Year of the Tiger with a legend of how the tiger got his stripes. The Chinese New Year falls on February 14th in 2010, and anyone born in this year will be lucky and brave (according to horoscopes).
You might also be interested in our story of how the Chinese years were named after animals. And if you like tigers, then try the poem. The Tyger (yes, it is spelt that way because it’s archaic), and our story from India, The Brahman, the Tiger, and the Jackel.
Read by Natasha. Version by Bertie. Duration: 7.01.
A long time ago, when animals still had the power of speech, a white, stripeless tiger, crept to the edge of the jungle and looked out at the paddy fields where the rice grew. He saw a man sitting under a banana tree eating his lunch. Not far away stood a buffalo who was also taking a rest from his work ploughing the fields. The great beast swished his tail to swipe away the flies.
The tiger crept forward on his belly, using his powerful arms to pull himself through the grass, and when he was just behind the buffalo he whispered. “Do not be afraid. I do not come to satisfy my hunger, but to seek your advice. Do tell me the answer to my question,” said the tiger, “For I am so curious to know. I have been observing the puny little man who is your master. He has no strength, no sharp sense of smell. His hands are not strong. His teeth are not sharp. And yet he rules you and makes you work for him. You, on the other hand, are magnificent beast of great and wonderful strength. You are twenty times his weight and size, and I know to my cost that you can put up a fair fight with the best of the beasts of the jungle. I haver heard that the source of man’s power is something called wisdom. So tell me, oh buffalo, what is wisdom, and where does the man get it from?”
The buffalo munched slowly on his grass for a while before answering. “Beats me. I’ve no idea. Why don’t you ask him?”
The tiger saw that he would not get a sensible answer from the buffalo, and so he sprang over the to the man in one great bound, and as he stood before the trembling farmer he said:
“Have no fear little man, for I have not come to satisfy my hunger. I am here in search of wisdom. Do answer my question, please, for it perplexes me. What this thing that men call wisdom? What does it look like? Where does it come from? Will you not share some of it with me?”
The man wiped the sweat of fear from his forehead and said as calmly as he could: “Wisdom is very precious. Must I really give some of it to you?”
“The choice is yours,” said the Tiger, “But do you hear that sound? It is my stomach rumbling. I have not slept or eaten for three days, so perplexed have I been by this question, but now I am starting to feel like I could do with a bite to eat. ”
And the man could indeed hear a low rumbling sound. He replied to the tiger:
“Well of course I will gladly share my wisdom with you. But I’m afraid I have left it at home today. I must go and fetch it for you. If you come back with me, I am afraid the villagers will take fright. Will you wait here while?”
The tiger walked around the man menacingly before giving his reply: “I will wait, but be sure to come back, or I will visit you in your field again tomorrow, and next time I might be more hungry than than inquisitive.”
The man started to walk out of the field, but he had taken only a few steps when he turned back and said:
“Please forgive me. I am troubled by the thought of leaving a hungry tiger here with my animals. Will you let me tie you to this tree while I am away fetching the wisdom? That way my fears will be at rest.”
The tiger was afraid that the man would change his mind about sharing his wisdom. He thought of the great power that only a little wisdom would give him — how with his strength, and with just a little of man’s wisdom, he would rule every creature that walked, slithered, swam or flew across the world. He wanted this prize so much that he agreed to let the man coil a rope around his body and his legs, and tie him to the trunk of the banana tree.
A little later, the man returned to the field with his three sons. Each carried armfuls of dry straw.
“Here, I have kept my side of the bargain. I have brought you wisdom” said the man, and he and his sons laid the straw on the ground beneath the tiger. Then the man set alight to it. Bright orange flames leapt up and burned the tiger. He roared with pain, until at last the fire seared through the ropes, and he sprang to freedom, and bounded for the river where he soothed his burnt fur in the cooling waters.
In time the wounds of the tiger healed, but for ever more his body bore orange stripes where the flames and burned him, and black ones where the ropes had bound him.
58 Comments
very gooooooooood
nice story i love fables
hey, what about the bertie stories
the story is awesome!
great but… could be longer c:
But Bertie, I want to send the pics to where you actually live, not in email!
So gimme your address!
(Please reply~ m*w*m)
niice cool. i like it.
Michelle, Storynory’s address is 26 Star Street, London, W2 1QB, UK. I look forward to your pictures.
what a evil man dosnt he know tigers are almost well GONE and is it really the year of the tiger BOO FARMER MAN
Excellent to practice my listening skill !!!!!
I loVe your storys
I like your storyies
Very nice story! I’m going to read it in class tomorrow…
I don’t like this book.
‘
cool
Thanks you a loooooooooooooot
i think it is a website that can be used to learn English through stories
very nice
You are brilliant raconteur!!
i can learn English very well through this site. Thank you for your sweet stories.um,,actually i got the dream for this web, i would like to be the storyteller, i will tell sweet stories to my country’s children. but,,i don’t know well. how can i do for it..can you advise me?,
hi
Great story!
I like the story, my child likes it and it is a great story. Thank you.
hey,i got a story i want to share,how do i do it.
Pretty wicked. XD
Hi.This story is such a interesting story. Actually, I am studying with your story.
Well, What do I mean?
I herad that listenig is the most important part of speaking English easily and automatically. So I listen your story and write down that I hear from you. Like dictation activites. Thank you so much.
what about the more christmas storys
short but cool
>:( >:)
>:)
i love it but mind makeing it longer, pleas reply
YOU GOT ON ON THE OX? I’m a ox.
what a nice story
It does not fit the conscience of modern man. It is a brutal story/legend.
Dear Yohannes, I take your point. It is a little cruel for our age, but sometimes it’s refreshing to hear a slightly less sentimental story. The truth is, man’s relationship to animals isn’t so cute and cuddly, even if modern stories present it that way. We are often rather brutal, and that’s a fact. But thank you for interesting comment.
How did the rope make black streaks? I wonder..
nice!!!!!!!!:]coooooooool
i like your story very much
ali ya ammana, Ki ya akanna. Liant yamkua.
I think story good. vary good.
sory, i am not godd english.
i thank allah for this good story.
(Kayla) it is a good story but why did the man tied the tiger and tried to burn him up?
Dear Kendra and Kayla, I suppose men are afraid of tigers and don’t like the way they eat their farm animals. That was when there were more tigers about. But of course now there are only a few tigers left in the world, so it’s a great shame to hunt them.
I am pretty today.
I have a friend that had a story that she did was call How The Tiger Got His Stripes
This sory is awesome.
hey this is nice no………..
this story is borin
bravo!! It’s a nice story.
Not bad i love it
Dear Natasha,
When you read stories, you make everything come to life. Your voice sounds very soothing. Did you read stories at storynory when you were young? When you were in kindergarten, that is when I think you learnt to read. You also read stories now. When did you start reading in storynory? Do you read Pokemon books?
Love : Arya to Natasha
I like it a lot
I like that story a lot!
your story can make a baby sleep soundly.
Boo to Mr Farmer!!!
lol lmeo
nice but where is bertie we want you to make a story together
mehh it was cool!
oh,I used to read that story in my country,anh it is very good.But in the end of country’s story ,it is different:The buffalo lost his teeth because he laughted
after saw the burned-tiger and his teeth hit the rock:D
I am totally enjoying listening to the fairy tale “How the Tiger Got Its Stripes” — As a Reading Teacher, I love the background info and the connection made to the up-to-date Chinese New Year. The reader sounds clear, enthusiastic, and very expressive. A wonderful addition to any classroom or home. Thank you!