The Tiger and the Fox

Once upon a time, in the reeds, a fox came across a hungry tiger. The tiger growled—the fox froze in fear. She thought, "My last hour has come if I don't trick this striped beast." But what could she do? The tiger was about to pounce! Then the fox pretended that she was shaking not from fear, but from laughter: "Ha-ha-ha!"

The surprised tiger sat down, completely baffled, and asked:

- What are you laughing at?
- At you, poor thing! - replied the fox, bursting into feigned laughter.
- What? At me? - growled the tiger.
- Of course! - said the fox. - You, poor fool, think you're about to eat me, but I can't stop laughing. Ha-ha-ha!.. After all, no one is afraid of you anymore! But everyone is afraid of me, even humans!

The tiger pondered: "What if it's true? Then it's dangerous to mess with the fox!" But he still had doubts.

- I see you don't believe me, - said the fox. - Follow me. If the humans aren't afraid of me, then you can eat me, tail and all.

The tiger agreed, and they set off. They approached a road where peasants were returning from the town.

- Keep up! - shouted the fox and ran ahead.

The tiger bounded after her in huge leaps. The people saw the fearsome tiger rushing toward the road! They screamed, dropped everything, and fled.

Then the fox poked her head out of the tall grass, where she had been completely hidden, and shouted to the tiger:
- Well, did you see that? Just the tip of my tail sent them running! And no one even glanced at you!

The foolish tiger hung his head in shame and trudged back to his reeds.

Now the fox was laughing for real!

More fairy tales

• Mountains of Immortality
• The Ginseng Shapeshifter
• Persistent Yun Su
• The Fox Woman
• The Marriage of the Yellow River God