Page:Santal Folk Tales.djvu/63

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A THIEF AND A TIGER.
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accidentally lifted his head, and saw the bear coming straight for him, so he jumped up and ran to the nearest tree into which he climbed. The bear saw him, and went up after him, and tried to get hold of him, but he jumped from one branch to another as the bear followed him. After this had gone on for some time, it so happened that the bear missed his footing and fell heavily to the ground. The thief immediately jumped on to his back. The bear was frightened, and getting to his feet fled as fast as he could ; the thief clasped him tightly round the neck, . saying, "If I let go my hold he will eat me." The bear of course ran to the jungle, where the thief was caught by the branches of the trees, and dragged off his back. He did not return to the rice fields to sleep, as he feared some other animal might come to eat him, but went to his own home.

As the bear fled, he again met the jackal who asked him, "Well! did you eat him ?" The bear replied, "You Sir, are a great cheat, you told me he was ghur pank. He is kara upar chap."* The two quarrelled over the matter, and the bear tried to catch the jackal to eat him, but he managed to escape.

  • Mount the buffalo.
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