Farmer, his buffalo and tiger story

The water buffalo and the tiger

(Favourite stories from Chinese)

A farmer was ploughing his fields. “Why are you so lazy?” he asked his water-buffalo pulling the plough. “You are very slow and you have no strength. Look how quick and strong the tiger is! If only you could be like that.”

“Do you really think the tiger is stronger than I? take me to one now and I shall show you,” replied the water-buffalo. He was angry that his master thought he was lazy.

A few days afterwards, the farmer took him to meet a tiger. The tiger roared when he saw the buffalo coming. “What a nice meal!” he thought.

“Mr. tiger,” said the water-buffalo, “Let us see who is stronger. You can bite me three times if you will allow me to butt you three times.”

The tiger agreed. While the tiger sharpener his teeth, the water-buffalo sharpened his horns. The water-buffalo then rolled in the mud and covered himself with leaves. The tiger could not understand why. He asked the water-buffalo but the water-buffalo did not answer him.

“Come, Mr. tiger,’ the water-buffalo said, “You can bite me first.” The tiger bit him three times but he could not bite through the mud and leaves. The water-buffalo then butted the tiger. With the first butt, he tossed the tiger over his shoulder. With the second butt, he killed him.

After that the farmer treated the buffalo very well. He did not dare call him lazy and useless again.