The buffalo suffered greatly from the drought. The sun scorched all the grass, and he had nothing to eat. All the animals offended and oppressed him; the poor fellow was so emaciated that all that was left of him was skin and bones. The buffalo decided to ask the Tiger for help - he believed that only the Tiger and no one else could help him. So he went to look for the Tiger. Having met him, he said:
- Hello, my friend Tiger. If there is pity in your soul and if you are ready to fulfill my request, help me! I would really like to get a piece of land overgrown with grass so that I can gain strength and fat again. I entrust my destiny to you, do whatever you want with me, and I will obey you in everything!
This was in those days when tigers were not yet bloodthirsty - they did not eat either people or animals. They fed only on flies and grasshoppers, and in the evenings they gnawed on their fleas. Therefore, the Tiger was very upset when he heard the words of his friend, and replied:
- Don’t be upset, Buffalo, I won’t hurt you. Find yourself a place where there is a lot of grass, and I will always be with you. Then, of course, all the animals will respect and fear you. There will not be a single one who would dare to offend you - after all, they are all afraid of me.
From that day on, Buffalo and Tiger stayed together, never parting for a moment. The Tiger ate flies and grasshoppers, and the Buffalo nibbled grass. Having had enough, the Buffalo helped the Tiger catch the grasshoppers - he pressed them with his hoof, and the Tiger ate them.
They lived amicably and well. The buffalo became fat again, and his former strength returned. His neck became so thick that all the animals began to be afraid of him.
One day the Tiger left the Buffalo for a while. Immediately the Monkey jumped up to the Tiger and said:
“As I see it, you are very stupid, Tiger, for being friends with the Buffalo.” After all, you are a wild animal, and all the forest animals are afraid of you. You can directly say that in the forest you are the king. Why do you eat only flies and grasshoppers, insects that are of no use? In the evenings you only chew on fleas, but that doesn’t fill you up. You are harming your own health! Wouldn't it be better to choose other food that is more suitable for you? For example, buffalo meat. Eat Buffalo, its meat is tender and melts in your mouth, and its scruff is especially tasty! You will get fat and gain strength.
The Tiger thought for a long time about the Monkey’s words and decided that she had given him good advice. And he said:
“But you’re right, Monkey, I don’t need to be friends with the Buffalo.” In addition, he, dying of hunger and begging me for help, promised that for a piece of land overgrown with grass, he would give me his life as soon as he grew fat. So I’m waiting for him to fulfill his promise, and I don’t want to remind him or worry him.
“If you’ve already agreed that way, then there’s nothing to talk about.” All you have to do is pounce on him, and that's the end of it!
“That’s true, but if I’m like this, you live well, I attack him without any warning, it turns out that I’m acting treacherously.” It’s better that I demand his life in a good way, openly. If he gets stubborn, I'll show him! If he dares to attack me, I will finish him on the spot. I am not afraid of a buffalo and am always ready to measure my strength with him.
- What else is there to think about, grab him, and that’s all! After all, I say this not because I have a grudge against the Buffalo, but because I love you. Well, be healthy, I'm off!
“Thank you very much, Monkey, for your advice,” said the Tiger, and they went in different directions.
The Tiger immediately went to the Buffalo. And the Buffalo at this time was lying in a damp ditch and chewing cud. He was frightened when he saw the Tiger approaching him with a fierce look - not at all as usual. The buffalo did not understand what was happening, but immediately became alert. And the Tiger, without hiding his anger, said:
- That's it, Buffalo, you've been following me for a long time and living for your own pleasure! You eat plenty of fresh grass, and now that you are so full, I want you to fulfill your promise. You and I agreed: as soon as you recover, your soul and your body will belong to me. I keep waiting and waiting, but it doesn’t even occur to you that it’s time to keep your promise! Now, whether you like it or not, I will eat you.
Hearing that the Tiger was demanding his life, the Buffalo was very scared. Bowing his head and putting his horns forward, he began to wait for the attack. Rolling his eyes, bloodshot with indignation, he replied:
- Wow, a request! Yes, even if I was exhausted, I would not allow myself to be eaten, even if it was worth a bloody battle! And now, full of strength, I’m even less afraid of you! It's true, I promised that you would have my life, but it wasn't about you eating me. I wanted to say that I will always be faithful to you. Your friends would be my friends and your enemies would be my enemies. I would be ready to protect you with my life if you were in danger. In a word, I promised to be your faithful friend, and not at all your prey! Do you want to see how strong I am?
And then the Buffalo butted a low mound with all his might - the earth scattered in different directions. And then he began to knock over trees with spreading crowns with his head, and they fell as if decimated. Seeing how furious the Buffalo became, the Tiger was afraid that it would attack him, and ran away without looking back.
The Buffalo was very upset that he and the Tiger began to have a feud. He was not afraid of the Tiger's strength or agility, but he was afraid that the predator would attack him from behind, on the sly. And the Buffalo went to look for Kanchil to ask him for help.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru