How The Tiger Got His Strength
: Folk-tales Of The KhasisAfter the animals were created they were sent to live in the jungle,
but they were so foolish that they got into one another's way and
interfered one with another and caused much inconvenience in the
world. In order to produce better order, the Bleis (gods) called
together a Durbar to decide on the different qualities with which it
would be well to endow the animals, so as to make them intelligent
and able to live in h
and all the animals were summoned to the presence of the Bleis,
and each one was given such intelligence and sense as seemed best to
suit his might and disposition: the man received beauty and wisdom,
and to the tiger were given craftiness and the power to walk silently.
When the man returned to his kindred, and his mother beheld him, her
heart was lifted with pride, for she knew that the Bleis had given to
him the best of their gifts, and that henceforth all the animals would
be inferior to him in beauty and intelligence. Realising with regret
that he had not received physical strength equal to the beauty of his
person, and that consequently his life would be always in danger, she
told her son to go back to the Bleis to ask for the gift of strength.
The man went back to the Bleis according to the command of his
mother, but it was so late when he arrived that the Bleis were about
to retire. Seeing that he was comelier than any of the animals and
possessed more wisdom, which made him worthy of the gift of strength,
they told him to come on the morrow and they would bestow upon him
the desired gift. The man was dismissed till the following day, but
he went away happy in his mind, knowing that the Bleis would not go
back on their word.
Now it happened that the tiger was roaming about in that vicinity,
and by reason of his silent tread he managed to come unobserved
near enough to hear the Bleis and the man talking about the gift of
strength. He determined to forestall the man on the morrow, and to
obtain the gift of strength for himself; soon he slunk away lest it
should be discovered that he had been listening.
Early on the following morning, before the Bleis had come forth
from their retirement, the tiger went to their abode and sent in
a messenger to say that he had come according to their command to
obtain the gift of strength, upon which the Bleis endowed him with
strength twelve times greater than what he had before possessed,
thinking that they were bestowing it upon the man.
The tiger felt himself growing strong, and as soon as he left the
abode of the Bleis, he leaped forward twelve strides, and twelve
strides upward, and so strong was he that it was unto him but as one
short stride. Then he knew that he had truly forestalled the man, and
had obtained the gift of strength, and could overcome men in battle.
Later in the day, in accordance with the command he had received,
the man set out for the abode of the Bleis, but on the way the
tiger met him and challenged him to fight, and began to leap and
bound upwards and forwards to show how strong he was, and said that
he had received the "twelve strengths" and no one would be able to
withstand him. He was just about to spring when the man evaded him,
and ran away towards the abode of the Bleis. When he came there and
presented himself before them, they asked him angrily, "Why dost
thou come again to trouble us? We have already given thee the gift
of strength." Then the man knew that the tiger's boast was true,
and he told the Bleis of his encounter with the tiger on the way,
and of his boast that he had obtained the gift of strength. They were
greatly annoyed that deception had been practised on them, but there
is no decree by which to recall a gift when once it has been bestowed
by the Bleis. They looked upon the man with pity, and said that one
so beautiful and full of wisdom should not be left defenceless at
the mercy of the inferior animals. So they gave unto him a bow and an
arrow, and told him, "When the tiger attacks thee with his strength,
shoot, and the arrow will pierce his body and kill him. Behold, we
have given to thee the gift of skill to make and to use weapons of
warfare whereby thou wilt be able to combat the lower animals."
Thus the tiger received strength, and man received the gift of
skill. The mother of mankind, when she saw it, told her sons to
abstain from using their weapons against one another, but to turn
them against the animals only, according to the decree of the Bleis.
More
-
How A Man Got The Better Of Two Foxes
A man went into the mountains to get bark to make rope with, and found a hole. To this hole there came a fox, who spoke as follows, though he was a fox, in human language: "I know of something from which great profit may be derived. Let us go to the... How A Tiger Was Killed
In the days when the Santals lived in the jungle country there was once a man who had a patch of maize by the bank of a stream; and to watch his crop he had put up a platform in his field. Now one day he stole a goat and killed it; he did not take i... How Boh Han Me Got His Title
Boh Han Me was one of the greatest generals who ever lived in the hill and water country. Just what his original name was nobody knows now, but this story tells how he gained his title. One day he went into the jungle with his wife and his two c... How Fire Was Brought To The Indians
SEIZING THE FIREBRAND. Oh, it was so cold! The wind blew the leaves about on the ground. The frost spirit hid on the north side of every tree, and stung every animal of the forest that came near. Then the snow fell till the ground was white. Th... How Flax Was Given To Men
"You have been on the mountain a long time," said the wife of the hunter. "Yes, wife, and I have seen the most marvelous sight in all the world," replied the hunter. "What was that?" "I came to a place on the mountain where I had been many... How Havana Got Its Market
Among the Spanish governors of Cuba, some of whom managed by strict economy to save a million dollars out of a salary of forty thousand dollars,--men of Weyler's stamp,--it is pleasant to know of one or two who really had the good of the island at... How It Was Settled Who Should Rule The World
When the Creator had finished creating this world of men, the good and the bad gods were all mixed together promiscuously, and began disputing for the possession of the world. They disputed,--the bad gods wanting to be at the head of the government ... How Jakhals Fed Oom Leeuw
"One day in the early morning, before any people were awake, Jakhals was prowling round and prowling round, looking for something to eat. Jakhals is not fond of hunting for himself. Oh, no! he likes to wait till the hunt is over, so that he can sh... How Loki Wagered His Head
Loki, the son of Laufey, out of mischief cut off all the hair of Sif. When Thor discovered this he seized Loki, and would have broken every bone in his body, only he swore that he would get the black dwarfs to make hair of gold for Sif, which shou... How Nooee Killed Ee-ee-toy
Ee-ee-toy lived in the Salt River Mountain, which is called by the Awawtam Moehahdheck, or the Brown Mountain, and whenever the girls had ceremonial dances because of their arrival at womanhood he would come and sing the appropriate songs. And it ... How Sabai Grass Grew
Once upon a time there were seven brothers who had an only sister. These brothers undertook the excavation of a large tank; but although they spent large sums and dug very deep they could not reach water and the tank remained dry. One day as they... How Spaniards Were Found To Be Mortal
The first Spaniards to reach the American islands were everywhere greeted as heavenly visitors, and the natives would not have been astonished had the caravels spread their sails--their wings, as they first were called--and flown into the clouds, ... How Summer Came To The Earth
PART I. There was once a boy on the earth who was old enough to have a bow and arrows, but who had never seen a summer. He had no idea how it would look to have leaves on the trees, for he had never seen any such things. As for the songs of bir... How The Blossoms Came To The Heather
Only a little while after the earth was made, the trees and plants came to live on it. They were happy and contented. The lily was glad because her flowers were white. The rose was glad because her flowers were red. The violet was happy because, h... How The Bluebird Got Its Color
Pima (Arizona) A long time ago, the bluebird was a very ugly color. But Bluebird knew of a lake where no river flowed in or out, and he bathed in this four times every morning for four mornings. Every morning he sang a magic song: ... How The Cat Came To Live With Man
In olden times Ka Miaw, the cat, lived in the jungle with her brother the tiger, who was king of the jungle. She was very proud of her high pedigree and anxious to display the family greatness, and to live luxuriously according to the manner of fa... How The Cowherd Found A Bride
There was once a Goala who was in charge of a herd of cattle and every day he used to bring the herd for their midday rest to the foot of a peepul tree. One day the peepul tree spoke and said to him "If you pour milk every day at my roots I will gra... How The Crime Was Revealed
In 1853 a Hebrew peddler, whose pack was light and his purse was full, asked leave to pass the night at the house of Daniel Baker, near Lebanon, Missouri. The favor was granted, and that was the last seen of Samuel Moritz; although, when some neighb... How The Daylight Came
A long, long time ago the son of the first chief of the animal people set out upon a journey. Dressed in the skin of a raven, and carrying in his beak a magic bag which his father had given him, he flew eastward over a dark and watery waste. When he... How The Deer Got His Horns
Perhaps you never heard that there was once a time when the Deer's head was as smooth as that of the doe, and as he and the Rabbit were both great jumpers and proud of their ability, a match was arranged, the winner to receive a fine pair of antlers... How The Dog Came To Live With Man
In the happy olden days, when the animals lived together at peace in the forest, they used to hold fairs and markets after the manner of mankind. The most important fair of all was called "Ka Iew Luri Lura" (the Fair of Luri Lura), which was held ... How The Fire Was Brought
After a time, Raven saw that the people were discontented without fire, for they could neither cook their food nor warm themselves when it was cold. He remembered that they had fire at home in his father's village, so he flew westward once more unti... How The Fog Came
There was a Mountain Spirit, which stole corpses from their graves and ate them when it came home. And a man, wishing to see who did this thing, let himself be buried alive. The Spirit came, and saw the new grave, and dug up the body, and carried ... How The Fox Got His White Breast
Once a fox, whose name was U Myrsiang, lived in a cave near the residence of a Siem (Chief). This fox was a very shameless marauder, and had the impudence to conduct his raids right into the Siem's private barn-yard, and to devour the best of his ... How The Hare Deceived The Tiger
At the beginning of the world a hare, tiger, ox, buffalo, and horse became friends and lived together. One day the tiger was out hunting when, it being in the middle of the hot season, the jungle caught fire, and a strong wind blowing, it was not ... How The Jackal Got His Stripe
"The Sun was a strange little child," said Outa. "He never had any Pap-pa or Mam-ma. No one knew where he came from. He was just found by the roadside. "In the olden days when the men of the Ancient Race--the old, old people that lived so long ... How The Jelly-fish Lost Its Shell
Parts of the seas of the Japanese Archipelago are speckled with thousands of round white jelly-fish, that swim a few feet below the surface. One can see the great steamer go ploughing through them as through a field of frosted cakes. The huge padd... How The King Of Pagan Caught The Thief
Many, many years ago there lived near the old city of Pagan a famous robber chief who was so fierce and cruel that he made all men fear his name. He stole and killed and burned till the mothers used to frighten their disobedient children by saying... How The Monkey's Colour Became Grey
In olden times the monkeys had long hair of different colours covering their bodies, and they were much more handsome than they are in the present day. They were very inquisitive animals and liked to meddle in the affairs of other people, and they... How The Ox Came To Be The Servant Of Man
When mankind first came to live upon the earth, they committed many blunders, for they were ignorant and wasteful, not knowing how to shift for themselves, and having no one to teach them. The Deity who was watching their destinies saw their misfo... How The Peacock Got His Beautiful Feathers
When the world was young and when all the animals spoke the language of mankind, the peacock, U Klew, was but an ordinary grey-feathered bird without any pretensions to beauty. But, even in those days, he was much given to pride and vanity, and st... How The Quail Became A Snipe
"It is lonely living in this great tree far away from the other birds," said the owl to herself. "I will get some one to come and live with me. The quail has many children, and I will ask her for one of them." The owl went to the quail and said,... How The Rattlesnake Learned To Bite
Pima (Arizona) After people and the animals were created, they all lived together. Rattlesnake was there, and was called Soft Child because he was so soft in his motions. The people liked to hear him rattle and little rest did he get because they ... How The Raven Helped Men
The raven and the eagle were cousins, and they were almost always friendly, but whenever they talked together about men, they quarreled. "Men are lazy," declared the eagle. "There is no use in trying to help them. The more one does for them, the... How The Sun Goddess Was Enticed Out Of Her Cave
When the far-shining goddess, on account of the evil pranks of her brother, Susa no O, the Ruler of the Moon, hid herself in a cave, there was no more light, and heaven and earth were plunged into darkness. A council of all the gods was held in ... How The Terrapin Beat The Rabbit
The Terrapin once challenged the Rabbit to a race, which the latter regarded as a joke. "The Terrapin is doubtless a wit," said he, "and a great warrior as well, but every one knows that he cannot run. I shall give him a big handicap, and even th... How The Tiger Got His Strength
After the animals were created they were sent to live in the jungle, but they were so foolish that they got into one another's way and interfered one with another and caused much inconvenience in the world. In order to produce better order, the Bl... How The Turkey Got His Beard
Now the animals all suspected some trick in this case, and the Turkey in particular was heard to say that he would contrive to get even. Soon afterward he saw the Terrapin coming back from war, creeping along with a fresh scalp hung about his shor... How The World Was Created
In the beginning of the world, many, many cycles ago, so long ago, in fact, that no man knows how long it was, there were no trees, no hills, no land, nothing but water. The wind blew the waters hither and thither, sometimes in great waves, someti... How The World Was Made
This is the ancient Filipino account of the creation. Thousands of years ago there was no land nor sun nor moon nor stars, and the world was only a great sea of water, above which stretched the sky. The water was the kingdom of the god Maguayan, a... How Thor Lost His Hammer
"Come, Loki, are you ready? My goats are eager to be off!" cried Thor, as he sprang into his chariot, and away they went, thundering over the hills. All day long they journeyed, and at night they lay down to rest by the side of a brook. When Ba... How Thor Went A-fishing
Thor had not been long at home before he left it so hastily that he did not take his car, his goats, or any follower with him. He left Midgard disguised as a young man, and when night was coming on, arrived at the house of a giant, called Hymir. Tho... How Thorston Became Rich
When spring came Thorston made ready his ship and put twenty-four men on board of her. When they came to Finland they ran her into a harbour, and every day he went on shore to amuse himself. He came one day to an open part of the wood, where he ... How To Grow Rich
Once upon a time there was a woman whose husband died while she was pregnant, and she was very unhappy and used to pray daily to Singh Chando to give her a man child in place of her husband; she was left well off and among her property were three go... Howe's Masquerade
During the siege of Boston Sir William Howe undertook to show his contempt for the raw fellows who were disrespectfully tossing cannon-balls at him from the batteries in Cambridge and South Boston, by giving a masquerade. It was a brilliant affair, ... Hunger Valley
East of San Francisco is a narrow valley opening to the bay of San Pablo. In spite of its pleasant situation and fruitful possibilities, it had no inhabitants until 1820, when Miguel Zamacona and his wife Emilia strayed into it, while on a journey, ... Hunting The Stag Lapalang
Once upon a time there lived with its dam on the Plains of Sylhet a young deer whose fame has come down through the ages in Khasi folk-lore. The story of the Stag Lapalang, as he was called, continues to fascinate generation after generation of Kh... Huw Llwyd And His Magical Books
The story, as it has reached our days, is as follows:--It is said that Huw Llwyd had two daughters; one of an inquisitive turn of mind, like himself, while the other resembled her mother, and cared not for books. On his death bed he called his lea... Hyacinthus
... “The sad death Of Hyacinthus, when the cruel breath Of Zephyr slew him—Zephyr penitent Who now, ere Phœbus mounts the firmament, Fondles the flower amid the sobbing rain.” Keats. “Whom the gods love die young”—truly it would se... Iagoo Chippewa
Iagoo is the name of a personage noted in Indian lore for having given extravagant narrations of whatever he had seen, heard, or accomplished. It seems that he always saw extraordinary things, made extraordinary journeys, and performed extraordina... Icarus
Fourteen years only have passed since our twentieth century began. In those fourteen years how many a father’s and mother’s heart has bled for the death of gallant sons, greatly-promising, greatly-daring, who have sought to rule the skies? With win... Ice Man Puts Out The Fire
Once upon a time there was a forest fire, and the fire went deep down to the roots of a poplar tree, and there it smoldered for a long time. The people tried to put it out, but they could do nothing. By and by they grew frightened, fearing lest it m... Icelandic Sources In Regard To Gudmund King On The Glittering Plains
In the saga of Hervor, Odainsaker is mentioned, and there without any visible addition of Christian elements. Gudmund (Godmundr) was the name of a king in Jotunheim. His home was called Grund, but the district in which it was situated was called t... Idas And Marpessa
By day, while the sun-god drove his chariot in the high heavens and turned the blue-green Ægean Sea into the semblance of a blazing shield of brass, Idas and Marpessa sat together in the trees’ soft shades, or walked in shadowy valleys where violets... Iena The Wanderer Or Magic Bundle
A CHIPPEWA ALLEGORY. There was once a poor man called Iena,[73] who was in the habit of wandering about from place to place, forlorn, without relations and almost helpless. One day, as he went on a hunting excursion, he hung up his bundle on th... Ikardlituarssuk
Ikardlituarssuk, men say, had a little brother; they lived at a place where there were many other houses. One autumn the sea was frozen right out from the coast, without a speck of open water for a long way out. After this, there was great dearth ... Iktomi And The Coyote
AFAR off upon a large level land, a summer sun was shining bright. Here and there over the rolling green were tall bunches of coarse gray weeds. Iktomi in his fringed buckskins walked alone across the prairie with a black bare head glossy in the s... Iktomi And The Ducks
IKTOMI is a spider fairy. He wears brown deerskin leggins with long soft fringes on either side, and tiny beaded moccasins on his feet. His long black hair is parted in the middle and wrapped with red, red bands. Each round braid hangs over a smal... Iktomi And The Fawn
IN one of his wanderings through the wooded lands, Iktomi saw a rare bird sitting high in a tree-top. Its long fan-like tail feathers had caught all the beautiful colors of the rainbow. Handsome in the glistening summer sun sat the bird of rainbow... Iktomi And The Muskrat
BESIDE a white lake, beneath a large grown willow tree, sat Iktomi on the bare ground. The heap of smouldering ashes told of a recent open fire. With ankles crossed together around a pot of soup, Iktomi bent over some delicious boiled fish. Fas... Iktomi And The Turtle
THE huntsman Patkasa (turtle) stood bent over a newly slain deer. The red-tipped arrow he drew from the wounded deer was unlike the arrows in his own quiver. Another's stray shot had killed the deer. Patkasa had hunted all the morning without so... Iktomi's Blanket
ALONE within his teepee sat Iktomi. The sun was but a handsbreadth from the western edge of land. "Those, bad, bad gray wolves! They ate up all my nice fat ducks!" muttered he, rocking his body to and fro. He was cuddling the evil memory he b... Ildini
Ildini lived at End-of-trail, with his wife and two boys. One day he went fishing when the wind blew strong from the shore. It blew his boat so far out that he could not get back. All day and all night he was blown about the cold gray waters. He bec... Ilhataina
PERSONAGES After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the personage was changed subsequently. =Ahalamila=, gray wolf; =Demauna=, pine marten; =Gowila=, lizard; =Ilhataina=, lightning; =Jul Kurula=, woodgrub; =Jupka=, bu... Ilia Muromec Of Russia
When we think of Russia we think of a great dark country--a country of long winters and abundant snow and ice. It was here, long ago, in the city of Kiev, that the hero Ilia Muromec was born. There was at that time a great castle in the city, an... Illegitimate Children
If a woman has an illegitimate child and from fear or shame will not name its father the bastard is called a child of Chando. At its birth there is no assembly of the neighbours; its head is not ceremonially shaved and there is no narta ceremony. Th... Imarasugssuaq Who Ate His Wives
It is said that the great Imarasugssuaq was wont to eat his wives. He fattened them up, giving them nothing but salmon to eat, and nothing at all to drink. Once when he had just lost his wife in the usual way, he took to wife the sister of many br... Indian Mythology
The history of Kansas has been of peculiar interest to the world at large, by reason of the struggles of ante-bellum days. The adventures of John Brown of Osawatomie and the achievements of General Lane, Governor Robinson, and other heroes of that... Informing Bees Of A Death In A Family
Formerly it was the custom to tell the bees of a death in the family. The head of the house whispered the news to the bees in the hive. If this were neglected, it was thought that another death would soon follow the previous one. Instead of spea... Initiation Into Witchcraft
When girls are initiated into witchcraft they are taken away by force and made to lead tigers about. This makes them fearless. They are then taken to all the most powerful bongas in succession; and are taught to invoke them, as school boys are taugh... Iosco Or The Prairie Boys' Visit To The Sun And Moon
AN OTTAWA LEGEND. One pleasant morning, five young men and a boy about ten years of age, called Ioscoda, went out a shooting with their bows and arrows. They left their lodges with the first appearance of daylight, and having passed through a l... Isigaligarssik
Isigaligarssik was a wifeless man, and he was very strong. One of the other men in his village was a wizard. Isigaligarssik was taken to live in a house with many brothers, and they were very fond of him. When the wizard was about to call upo...