--- title: The Jackals and the Tiger. — Folk tales from Tibet · full text with trees description: The Jackals and the Tiger., «Folk tales from Tibet» by William Frederick Travers, Sir O'Connor: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Once upon a time there was a family of Jackals, consisting of a Father, Mother, and five young ones. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/14/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Folk tales from Tibet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/) / The Jackals and the Tiger. # The Jackals and the Tiger. The Jackals and the Tiger. of «Folk tales from Tibet» by William Frederick Travers, Sir O'Connor: the whole text, 40 sentences and 1039 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Once upon a time there was a family of Jackals, consisting of a Father, Mother, and five young ones.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") After living for some time very comfortably near a large village, they found that the dogs of the village were becoming so numerous and so troublesome that they considered it necessary to change their place of abode.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") So one fine evening they started off and travelled away across the country, keeping a sharp look-out for some desirable spot in which they might settle down.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") After a while they came to the edge of a forest, and having travelled for some little distance into the thickest part of the wood, they arrived all of a sudden at a Tiger’s den.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The young Jackals were a good deal frightened at the smell of the Tiger’s den, but Father Jackal reassured them, and said that he thoroughly understood Tigers, and knew how to deal with them.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went forward alone, and, peeping in, he found that the Tiger was out, but that he had left a large quantity of deer’s flesh lying in one corner, which apparently he had not had time to consume.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") So he called Mrs. Jackal and the children, and told them to go inside and to have a good feed, and to make themselves quite comfortable.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") After making a good meal himself off the deer’s flesh, he said to Mrs. Jackal:[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “You and the children can now go to sleep; I shall go on to the roof of the den and keep a look-out for the Tiger.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") When I see him coming I shall rap on the roof, and you must at once wake up the children and make them begin to cry, and when I ask you what they are crying about, you must say that they are getting impatient for their supper.”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly Mr. Jackal went up on the roof, while his family settled down to sleep in the snuggest corner of the Tiger’s den.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Shortly after Father Jackal heard a slight crackling amongst the dry leaves of the forest; and in the dim morning light he discerned the form of a great Tiger approaching his den through the tree-stems.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the arrangement he had made, he rapped with a loose stone upon the roof of the den, and Mrs. Jackal immediately woke up the young Jackals and made them cry.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") “What are those children crying about?” called out Father Jackal.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") “They are very hungry, and getting impatient for their supper,” was the reply.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") “Tell them they won’t have long to wait now,” said Father Jackal; “the Tiger will probably be home very soon, and we shall all be eating hot Tiger’s meat before long.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") On hearing this the Tiger was very much alarmed, and thought to himself:[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") “What kind of strange animal can this be which has entered my den, and is waiting to cook and eat me on my return; it must certainly be a very fierce and terrible creature.”[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") So without waiting to investigate the matter any further, he turned tail and ran off as fast as he could through the forest.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") After running some way, he came across an old Baboon, with a great fringe of white hair all round his face.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") “Where are you running to, Uncle Tiger?” asked the Baboon.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” said the Tiger, “the fact is, that a family of strange animals, who call themselves Jackals, are at this moment in occupation of my den.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") As I was approaching my den, after a long night’s hunting, one of the creatures was actually sitting on the roof, looking out for me, and as I got close up I heard him tell his young ones that they were to have hot Tiger’s meat for supper.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Fortunately for me, he hadn’t seen me, so I thought the best thing I could do was to make off as fast as I could, in order to avoid being eaten.”[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") On hearing this the Baboon was very much amused, and set to work to laugh very heartily.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") “Why,” said he, “what a foolish Tiger you are\![26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Have you never heard of a Jackal before?[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Don’t you know that it is you should eat the Jackals, and not the Jackals you?[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") You come along with me, and I will soon show you how to deal with people like that.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tiger was somewhat reassured on hearing what the Baboon had to say, but, even so, he was at first very reluctant to return again and to incur the danger of being eaten; but the Monkey encouraged him, and finally they set off together, the Monkey twisting his tail round the Tiger’s, in order to give him a feeling of support and confidence.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") As they came nearer to the den, the Tiger grew more and more timorous, and would only advance very slowly, ready to take flight at any moment.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") However, they went on together, tail-in-tail, until presently Father Jackal on the roof of the den caught sight of the pair, and called out:[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") “That is right, Brother Monkey, bring him along quickly; we are all half starved.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") But what do you mean by only bringing one of them?[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") I had expected you would bring us at least two or three.”[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") On hearing this, the Tiger at once suspected that the Baboon was in the Jackal’s employ, and that he was being led into a trap.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Without a moment’s hesitation he turned about and fled precipitately into the depths of the forest.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") The unfortunate Baboon, whose tail was tightly twisted round the Tiger’s, was unable to free himself, and was dragged and bumped hither and thither in the Tiger’s rush through the thickest and thorniest parts of the jungle.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") When at length the Tiger paused, many miles away, to take breath, he looked back at his flanks, and all he saw of the Monkey was a bit of its tail which had broken off and was still twisted round his own.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") He never again returned to his den, which was occupied henceforth by the Jackals, who lived there for many years in peace and comfort.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Mouse’s Three Children.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/13/) - next →: [The Story of the Three Thieves.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/15/) - ↑ back to [Folk tales from Tibet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/)