How the Tiger Stole the Bride
Once, a man decided to get married. But when the wedding palanquin carrying the bride passed by a mountain, suddenly a tiger leaped onto the road. The palanquin bearers and the entire bridal entourage scattered in fear, running in all directions. Meanwhile, the tiger climbed into the palanquin, grabbed the bride, and carried her off to its cave. The tiger took care of her and treated her like his own daughter, while she looked after his household. Every morning, the tiger would go out to hunt for food. Sometimes it brought back a rooster, other times a sheep or a calf. The girl would cook the meat and feed the tiger. And as the tiger began to eat cooked food, it soon learned to speak the human tongue.One day, a certain official summoned his servants and ordered them to find rooster eggs and sparrow crests—things that don’t even exist in the world. The servants had no choice. Without delay, they set off into the mountains to carry out the official’s orders. At that time, the tiger had just left the cave, leaving the girl alone. When she heard that people had come, she cried out, “Help!” The men followed the sound and approached the cave. They saw the girl sitting there and began questioning her about everything. When they learned that the tiger had brought her to the cave long ago, they tried to persuade her:
“We’ll rescue you, but you must promise to become our master’s second wife.”
The girl agreed and replied, “I will become your master’s second wife, but take me away from here as quickly as possible.”
“What ransom should we give for you?”
The girl answered, “I don’t need anything. Just prepare a red wedding palanquin and a basket of red and green chopsticks.”
“When should we come for you?”
“At this same time tomorrow.”
The girl began preparing for the journey. Meanwhile, the official’s servants returned home and reported everything to their master. The next day, the official prepared everything the girl had asked for and sent people to the mountains to fetch the bride. The girl got into the palanquin and ordered the chopsticks to be scattered along the entire road to the official’s house. When she entered the gates, she immediately ordered a winter melon to be bought for her, steamed, and then doused with cold water to make the rind even harder.
When the tiger returned to the cave, it saw that the girl was gone and immediately realized that people had kidnapped her. It followed the road where the red and green chopsticks were scattered and came straight to the official’s house. The tiger lifted its head, looked around, and suddenly saw the girl standing at a window upstairs. When she saw the tiger, she cried out:
“People stole me! Open your mouth quickly, I’ll jump into it, and you’ll carry me back to the cave.”
The tiger opened its mouth, and the girl threw the winter melon. It went straight down its throat. The tiger choked and died, and the girl got its skin and bones.
More fairy tales
- Seven Brothers
- The Foolish Husband
- The Fox Woman
- About the Treasure
- Why the Sun Rises When the Rooster Crows
