Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

him, <strong>and</strong> then gave him his eye to eat.
Tiger tasted it, stuck out his tongue in disgust, <strong>and</strong>
roared, "What's this? I feel like vomiting!"
Tiger only heard Rabbit's laughter in reply. "Of course
it tastes terrible. It's your real eye. Please follow me, you
stupid tiger. Let's go find something to fill your den-like
stomach where you've kept so many small animals," said
Rabbit victoriously. "This is your retribution. Go burn in Hell!
You are so stupid! Haven't you ever eaten an eye before? You
should know an eye is not as sweet as what I gave you? Ha
ha!"
What Rabbit said frustrated <strong>and</strong> irritated Tiger, but he
could do nothing with his eyes gouged out, except chide
himself for his donkey-like stupidity. On the narrow path they
were navigating, Tiger suffered to purify his past sinful deeds.
Rabbit asked Tiger to slow down when they went through
smooth places <strong>and</strong> told him to speed up when they traversed
rough places. Tiger bumped into boulders along the path <strong>and</strong>
injured his head unexpectedly. Sometimes his feet caught on
stones <strong>and</strong> he tripped <strong>and</strong> fell. Soon, none of his furry body
was left uninjured. Blood oozed from his wounds, leaving a
bloody trail behind him. All he could think of was how he had
killed small animals for food without a bit of compassion. He
was depressed. "Who could ever imagine I would be deceived
by a small rabbit?" he thought to himself.
Rabbit had no pity because he thought Tiger deserved
punishment. Stupid was stupid. Tiger had chosen to follow
him, <strong>and</strong> insisted on trusting him. Rabbit was unmoved <strong>and</strong>
not yet satisfied with what he'd already done to Tiger.
They reached a high mountaintop <strong>and</strong> rested after
some time. Rabbit built a fire <strong>and</strong> asked Tiger to sit by it, near
the cliff edge. As the blaze became larger, Rabbit pushed the
fire nearer Tiger, <strong>and</strong> said, "Uncle Tiger, please move further,
otherwise the fire will burn you." Tiger did so without hesitating
for he was now completely under Rabbit's control.
Rabbit, whose vengeful heart burned like a blazing
fire, said next, "Uncle Tiger, move back more, otherwise the
fire will burn you."
Tiger moved back <strong>and</strong> tumbled down the cliff.
Fortunately, he gripped a tree in his powerful jaws <strong>and</strong> did not
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