Animal Activities #29

It is a little village thinly strewn over one of these mountainsides where the children drink milk and water. They farm rice, raise chickens and sometimes shoot deer in the forest. There’s only one rule that no one will talk about: the villagers must not enter the forest after dark.

They call it the Forbidden Tiger.” Somewhere far off in the Rainy Mountains, gossip has it that a mythical dragon tiger roams the land. This is no ordinary beast. And it’s supposed to read minds and understand human language.

But for Dika, a 12-year-old shepherd, it’s just a bedtime story. One day he goes further into the forest than ever before, following after a fled goat. It’s overcast and the rain has begun to fall. And thunder booms amid the massive trees.

In the light drizzle and paying the din of the rain hardly any attention, Dika spots it—a large golden furred tiger quietly standing close by him. The tiger then rose and ambled away, taking a second to glance back, seemingly inviting Dika to come home. Dika walked with him to the edge of the forest. When he turned to thank him, the tiger was gone.

The following day, Dika described what had happened. Many didn't believe him. But there were also village elders who smiled and said, “You have met the forest guardian. It just reveals itself to those with clean hearts.”

After that day, Dika never questioned the old tales anymore. He grew up to become a guardian of the forest, protecting nature and keeping the line between human and creature in place —”while showing respect to the beastie who steered him to safety. The tiger at the Rainy Hill turned into a reality in his life.

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