WORLD OF STORIES FOR KIDS

FOLKTALES FROM NEPAL

A hunt for a Tiger

Once upon a time a needle set out for hunting in the jungle. He saw a soybean seed on his way. The soybean seed asked, "Hello brother, where are you heading?" The needle said, "I am going hunting. Would you like to join me?" The soybean seed agreed and both of them went on together.

After they had walked a little further, a snail saw them coming. The snail asked about their trip for the day. After hearing from the needle, the snail said, "May I also be on your hunting team?" They happily accepted him and continued. As they were on their way, they came across a big wooden hammer just before the jungle. The hammer also joined the team. Thus, a hunting team of a needle, a soybean seed, a snail, and a wooden hammer was formed.

After they got to the jungle, they stopped to make a plan. After discussing it for some time they decided to hunt a tiger. They walked deep into the jungle in search of a tiger and arrived at a cave where the tiger lived. According to the plan, the needle went in the tiger's sleeping room and laid there pointing upward. The soybean seed went near the fireplace. The snail sat near the door and the hammer climbed above the door. Being ready to kill, they stayed there quietly waiting for the tiger.

Just before the sunset, the tiger returned from the hunting. He was very tired. Therefore, he went to his sleeping place to rest. As he sat on the floor, the needle pierced him so deep that he cried in pain. In the meantime, the soybean seed that was lying near the fireplace jumped and hit on the tiger's eye. He cried in pain and moved to the door. However, he tripped over the snail and fell on the ground. The big wooden hammer, who was waiting for this moment, dropped himself from above the door and hit the head of the tiger very hard. The tiger died there instantly.

In this way, a needle, a soybean seed, a snail, and a wooden hammer killed a tiger. It was the good planning and the unity that helped them accomplish an impossible-looking task.

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