Once upon a time, there lived an old tiger in a forest.
He had lost all his teeth. He had become so weak that he could no longer run after his prey, pounce on it and kill it. Since he could not hunt for his prey, he thought of a plan.
After bathing in the river, the tiger took a golden bangle and stood on the banks of the river. "O kind travellers," he would say loudly. "Take this golden bangle."
A traveller passing by was lured by the tiger's offer. He looked at the tiger from a distance. The golden bangle glittered brightly in the sunlight. He was tempted to take it, but then he thought, "Should I trust the tiger? What if he kills me? Why should I put my life in danger?" But again he looked at the tiger and the golden bangle... And his mind was filled with greed. "This is pure gold" he thought. "Look how brightly it glitters in the sun!"
The tiger said, "If you bathe in this river, I will donate this golden bangle to you."
Without going near the tiger, the traveler asked, "When i was young, I committed many evil deeds. I killed many men and animals. Hence I lost my loved ones. I have no teeth now and look at my claws... They are so blunt. How can I kill anyone and eat him up?"
"A saint had told me that I can atone for my sins by donating something," continued the tiger. "When I was young, I killed many queens and their maids. But I had kept their ornaments with me. And now I am generously donating them. Gold is of no use to me. So I request you to take this golden bangle. Besides, today is Uttarayana, a good day to atone for one's sins by donating.
The traveler started believing the tiger's story.
Seeing this, the tiger pleaded saying, "In the past, I have committed many sins. Today, on the day of Uttarayana, please accept this donation and help me atone for my sins."
The tiger realized that the traveler was in two minds. So he said, "I don't mind if you do not wish to accept the donation. Soon another traveller will pass this way and I will donate this golden bangle to him."
Hearing these words, the traveler went a little closer to the tiger. The tiger stood there still - just like a statue. He said, "Have a dip in the river and accept the golden bangle."
Although a little scared, the traveler went past the tiger and entered the river to have a bath. The bottom of the river was filled with mud. The traveler's legs were caught in it. He could not move at all. The more he tried to come out of the river the more he sank into the mud.
Seeing this, the tiger said, "Oh my God! You seem to be sinking in the mud. Come, I will help you to come out..."
The traveler stretched out his hand to the tiger. The tiger knew exactly where the mud was in the river. And he also knew how to swim.
When the traveler saw the tiger coming towards him, for a moment, he was hopeful of coming out safely. At the next, he would feel afraid of the tiger. He thought, "In my greed for the golden bangle, I have made a mistake by trusting this tiger."
As the traveler was thinking this, the tiger pounced on him, killed him and ate him up.
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