The Close Alliance

The Close Alliance

One morning a farmer led two oxen into the field. The sun was only beginning to rise, the earth was cool after the night, and the plough cut easily through the soft soil.

The farmer had made only the first furrow when a tiger stepped out of the tall grass.

“Peace to you, friend,” the tiger said politely.

The farmer nearly dropped the plough.

“And peace to you,” he replied, trying not to show his fear.

The tiger licked his lips.

“It is very fortunate that we have met. I am terribly hungry. I think your two oxen will make an excellent breakfast.”

The farmer swallowed hard.

“But without my oxen I cannot plough the field. Without the field there will be no grain. Without grain there will be no bread.”

“That is your trouble,” said the tiger. “I have only one trouble: an empty stomach.”

The farmer begged the tiger to wait. At last he said, “If you let the oxen go, I will bring you other food. We have a milk cow at home.”

The tiger thought this over and agreed.

The farmer hurried home. His wife was surprised to see him so early.

“Why are you back? The field will not plough itself.”

When her husband told her about the tiger and his promise, she clapped her hands.

“You promised our cow? What will the children drink? What will we make butter from?”

“But without the oxen we shall have no grain and no bread,” he said. “What was I to do?”

His wife looked at him carefully.

“Think.”

“Then think of something yourself,” he muttered.

“Very well. But you must do exactly as I tell you.”

The farmer agreed.

“Go back to the tiger and say that the cow will not come by herself. Say that I will bring her a little later.”

“Will you really bring her?”

“You will see.”

The farmer did not wish to return to the tiger empty-handed, but he had no other plan.

Meanwhile his wife went into the house, put on her husband’s best coat, wrapped a turban high on her head to seem taller, saddled a pony, and rode toward the field.

The tiger was already pacing impatiently in circles.

“Where is the cow?” he roared.

“She is coming, she is coming,” the farmer answered. “You only need wait a little.”

At that moment a rider appeared around the bend.

The farmer’s wife sat very straight on the pony, spoke in a loud voice, and waved her arms on purpose.

“Excellent!” she cried while she was still far away. “I hope there is a tiger here. Yesterday I was so hungry that three tigers were barely enough for my breakfast!”

The tiger froze.

“Three… for breakfast?” he whispered.

The wife rode straight toward him.

The tiger turned and fled to the forest so quickly that dust spun up behind his paws.

The farmer stared in disbelief.

“Well, well!”

“You see,” said his wife, taking off the turban, “sometimes a frightening appearance frightens even the one who is used to frightening everyone else.”

Meanwhile in the forest, the tiger nearly knocked over a jackal.

“Where are you flying to?” asked the jackal.

“I am saving myself! There is a rider there who eats tigers for breakfast!”

The jackal peered from behind the bushes and narrowed his eyes.

“I saw that rider. It is no fierce hunter. It is the farmer’s wife dressed in a man’s clothes.”

The tiger stopped.

“Are you certain?”

“Entirely.”

“What if you want to lure me back?”

The jackal was offended.

“Why would I do that?”

The tiger was still doubtful.

Then the jackal said, “If you like, we can go together. So that you need not be afraid, let us tie our tails together with a rope. Then I cannot run away and leave you alone.”

The tiger liked the idea. They tied their tails and set off toward the field.

The farmer saw them first.

“Oh dear! They are coming back! And now there are two of them!”

His wife did not lose her calm.

“Hush. Do not interrupt me while I think.”

When the tiger and the jackal came closer, she cupped her hands around her mouth and cried, “Mr Jackal! I asked you to bring me a big, fat tiger! Thank you for not forgetting. Just in time for dinner!”

The tiger heard this and went cold with terror.

“I knew it!” he cried. “You have betrayed me!”

And he ran.

“Stop!” howled the jackal. “It is another trick!”

But the tiger heard nothing.

They raced through bushes, leaped over stones, and slid on dry leaves. The rope between their tails stretched tighter and tighter.

At last it caught on a branch and came undone.

The jackal rolled into the soft grass, stood up, shook himself, and glared after the tiger.

“So much for a close alliance,” he grumbled. “If you tie yourself to someone who cannot think when he is frightened, you may have to run wherever his fear runs.”

Meanwhile the farmer and his wife went home with the oxen. The cow stayed in the yard, the children had milk, and before long the field was ploughed.

On the way, the farmer said, “I learned a great deal today.”

“And what was that?” his wife asked with a smile.

“First, one should not give away a cow before thinking. Second, cleverness can sometimes be stronger than claws. And third…”

“What is third?”

“When you say, ‘Hush, I am thinking,’ it is best that I truly keep quiet.”

His wife laughed.

And from that day on, before making a “close alliance” with anyone, the jackal always asked himself whether he might later have to run tied to someone else’s panic.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨