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Rated: E · Short Story · Animal · #1395983
The Tiger and the Woodpecker - A Short Story
One day, as a tiger was devouring the game he had killed, a bone stuck in his jaw. A woodpecker, who lived in the branches above, watched him.
Try as it might, he could not get the bone unstuck. The tiger was sure that he will not be able to eat until he gets the bone out. Days passed, he became weaker and weaker. He wanted help desparately.
The woodpecker who watched him everyday looked puzzled. He asked the tiger, "What's the matter with you? Why do you lie there with your mouth open?". The tiger beckoned to the woodpecker to come near and pointed to the bone in his mouth. Seeing this the woodpecker said to the tiger, "Oh! Oh! It's a bone. I shall remove it...If you will give me my fill of the flesh of the animals you kill". The tiger nodded his head. The woodpecker flew into the tiger's mouth...pulled out the bone....came out of the tiger's mouth at full speed...flew up to the tree...and perching there dropped the bone down. The tiger immediately left from the place to find something to eat. A few hours later, the tiger killed an animal and began to eat it. The woodpecker who was sitting on the tree above called out to the tiger, "Hey, friend, wait! Have you forgotten your promise? Give me my share".
The tiger looked at the woodpecker, pretended as if he had never seen him before and said "Who are you? Why should I offer you any part of this?" The woodpecker was shocked on hearing the tiger. He said "Don't you remember me? I pulled out the bone from your mouth. How could you forget me so soon?".
"You know I am a wild animal. I could easily have eaten you when you entered my mouth. I didn't ...Be grateful for that and begone!" said the tiger and laughed.
The woodpecker thought to himself "So that's it. You take advantage of me because I am weak. But then I have my sharp beak, I will teach you a lesson".
The woodpecker patiently waited for the tiger to doze after a heavy meal and then swooped down, pecked at one of the tiger's eyes, blinding him. The tiger roared with pain and shouted "Ah! You've pierced my eye. How could you be so cruel?" for which the woodpecker replied "You know I have a sharp beak. I could have easily blinded you in both eyes. But I didn't. Be grateful for that and stop roaring so much".
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